Dragon Ball: Sleeping Princess in Devil's Castle is the second Dragon Ball movie, set in an almost entirely different continuity than that of the manga and anime.
The story is that Master Roshi sends Goku and Krillin to go to a distant castle and fetch him the legendary Sleeping Princess. Whoever brings the Princess to him first will become his apprentice. Bulma, Oolong, Yamcha, and Puar get tangled up in the adventure while checking up on Goku. Additionally, Launch is on a treasure hunt for the Sleeping Princess as well - and the only one of our protagonists who knows that the Sleeping Princess is not a beautiful woman, but a valuable diamond. The castle housing the Sleeping Princess is home to an evil vampire named Lucifer, his loyal minion Igor, and an army of goblins.
The movie begins by accurately adapting Goku and Master Roshi's first meeting with Krillin, but continues with a new adventure (not adapted from the manga or anime) that ends with our two apprentices bringing Launch to Kame House. Along the way, Goku's first transformation into a Great Ape is also adapted.
This film provides examples of the following:
- Alternate Continuity: The events of this movie does not share continuity with the manga or anime.
- Anachronism Stew: Lucifer is a vampire living in a baroque castle with an army of gun-wielding goblins. Lucifer also has sunglasses, a black-and-white television, a computer monitor, a giant syringe, and a diamond-powered beam cannon for destroying the sun.
- Ascended Extra: Bad Launch is a treasure hunter instead of a bank robber here, so she spends the majority of the film as a separate faction from our heroes and villains.
- Because You Were Nice to Me: It takes Goku saving Krillin's life twice for Krillin to come around and finally view Goku as a friend.
- Digital Destruction: The post-2011 Funimation release of this movie is incorrectly set to 12 FPS when it should be 23.976 FPS, resulting in framerate issues. This is most apparent when Goku and Krillin are racing - the incorrect frame rate makes them appear to float (the pre-2011 Funimation release has the proper frame rate).
- Fire-Forged Friendship: Much like canon, Krillin initially disliked Goku and viewed him as a rival, but after fighting side by side with Goku saving his life several times, he finally warms up to the other boy.
- The Igor: Lucifer's henchman is named Igor and looks the part. In contrast to other depictions of Igor, this Igor is soft-spoken.
- I'm a Humanitarian: Lucifer invites Bulma to dinner, only he intends for Bulma's blood to be the main course. He also expresses desires to feed on Goku and the other heroes.
- Mythology Gag: While the film is an alternate take to the main continuity, it does still reference canon events.
- Krillin and Goku racing to the Devil's Castle invokes the canon scene of Master Roshi having them race each other to search for a rock he threw. Krillin and Goku even end up crossing a wooden bridge, where Krillin cuts the bridge on the other end to make Goku fall, much like he does in canon.
- Launch is seen riding the same single wheel bike to commit crimes, and she also ends up being the one Goku and Krillin take back to Master Roshi.
- Goku transforms into an Oozaru after looking at the full moon, which once again has Yamcha squeezing his tail to restrain him and has Pu'ar transform into a pair of scissors to cut his tail off.
- Goku's Oozaru transformation ended up shredding apart his blue gi, so Oolong ends up giving Goku his overalls since he is now naked. In canon, Goku wore the same replacement clothing when he transformed into an Oozaru when they escape the Pilaf gang.
