#toriyama did him so wrong

[alicethenobody]

Yamcha is so big brother coded

[letoscrawls]

To honor Akira Toriyama i drew future Trunks aka my first ever crush

[shannonsketches]

I think I wouldn’t be as mad about Toei’s choices for Super if the things they overwrote wouldn’t have translated so beautifully to animation.

I have my beef with the gaps in my sense of humor and Toei’s writers room and our opinions on characterizations, sure, but so many of the cool things that happened in the manga and the movies that Toei reiterated were changed, botched, or removed completely, and that sucks.

Vegeta being so cool and so protective of his family during the Goku Black arc, and Gohan being a total badass during Ressurection F are my biggest “why did you change this??” beefs. But also man. The tournament had so many good moments in the manga that were totally snubbed in the anime.

As a fan it makes me angry but as an artist it makes me sad. Toya is such a cinematic storyteller and his pacing and compositions were just. Thrown away. :(

EDIT: Someone in the notes pointed out that the anime caught up with the manga before the GB arc so I do take back that they threw away Toya’s later work in the GB and Tournament arcs, but I will never understand why they weren’t sharing assets when they were in production at the same time. And I still can’t forgive them for fumbling the retellings of BotG and ResF so hard OTL

[tobiasdrake]

Your statement about the lack of Goku’s “poison” in Gohan’s heart makes me very excited for your thoughts on Super Saiyan 2. It’s fascinating that at his most bloodthirsty, Gohan is willing to drag out a fight even more than his father would be.

Oh yeah. Super Saiyan is a hell of a drug. I talked a bit about it here but focusing in a bit on Gohan:

Accessing tremendous power for short bursts at a time was always Gohan's big thing. He's never been able to keep it up for any length of time, and consequently it's never been more than a momentary distraction for his adversary.

But it's what he had. This was the power that was uniquely Gohan's own. Originally referred to as Gohan being a "Super Saiyan" before that term was later redefined to mean something different.

It's honestly never been clear what these explosive bursts of ki and battle fury are supposed to be beyond "Something something hybrid Saiyan". Goten and Trunks are hybrids too but their abilities don't act like this. They're much more traditional Saiyans, whereas Gohan's demeanor seems like 98% human and the remaining 2% is him snapping into a momentary Saiyan battle frenzy.

"I'M SO MAD I'M GOING TO HIT YOU WITH THE MOST POWERFUL ATTACK I'VE EVER IN MY LIFE-- well that failed. Okay, I'm done. That was literally all I had."

Kinda feels like this is meant to be connected to Super Saiyans in some way, right? Like. Setting aside Nappa literally calling him a Super Saiyan, it's not that dissimilar to what happens to Goku on Namek.

After Frieza kills Krillin, Goku snaps. The same way Gohan typically snaps.

And he's filled with intense power and intense battle fury.

It's worth noting that in the race to see which proto-Super Saiyan would ignite their transformation first, Vegeta directly equated Gohan's snaps to the Super Saiyan and wondered if he was actually the closest of all.

He's ultimately proven wrong when it's Goku, not Gohan or Vegeta, who ignites his Super Saiyan transformation for the first time. But it certainly is interesting the way Gohan's hybrid powers and the Super Saiyan are being conflated, and I generally wonder if this is something Toriyama simply didn't elaborate on sufficiently.

Because this conflation of Gohan's hybrid strength and the Super Saiyan forms the basis of what would later be known as Super Saiyan 2.

Goku's plan for winning the Cell Games is to trigger Gohan's rage powers as a Super Saiyan. This became the focus of their training after he gave up on breaking the Super Saiyan's limits.

Limit-broken Super Saiyan forms suck actually, so Goku decided it would be better to perfect the form itself while working within its natural limits.

Instead of trying to trade up to a stronger Super Saiyan form, instead the plan became to become better at being Super Saiyans. Part of which, something Goku had already been working on with Gohan before he broke the limit, was reining in form's heightened aggression and battle lust.

This was pretty much the crux of their training. How do I Super Saiyan without bleeding ki? How do I Super Saiyan without blind fury? How do I Super Saiyan without berserker movements? How do I Super Saiyan as a martial art?

But you can also see the wheels turning in Goku's head in retrospect, can't you? The similarities between Gohan's rage power and the Super Saiyan? Goku's planning to use Gohan's rage flareups to defeat Cell. Meanwhile, for the focus of their training, he's teaching Gohan to resist the effects of enhanced aggression without losing the power it brings, instead mastering that power to make it his own.

Goku did a bit of a tricksy there, didn't he? There's a reason Kaio officially declared Goku to be a formal master back on Namek.

He does make a miscalculation by assuming that just being in a fight will be enough to make Gohan snap.

Gohan has the spirit of a hero, not the spirit of a warrior. He's only ever snapped as a reaction to people being hurt; Never to win a fight. Doesn't even need to be people he cares about; He once triggered to save a Namekian child in a village under fire. But that's where his motivation lies. His fury isn't battle lust, it's outrage for the mistreatment of other people.

So, bit of a flaw in the plan. Story wouldn't be interesting if everything went off without a hitch every time. But once it works, it works.

It's super weird that the Buu arc made this an attainable form for Goku and Vegeta because the way it's presented here is uniquely Gohan's own. What would later be called "Super Saiyan 2" in a way that is hilariously disrespectful to Super Vegeta and Super Trunks was originally just. Like. Gohan's rage power channeled and controlled through his mastery of the Super Saiyan.

The one fed into the other and the result was this.

Still compassionate.

But merciless.

And cruel.

Fun fact: The anime dials down some of the violence with Cell because some of the shit in this arc is gorey as fuck. Toei made all the Cell Juniors erupt into blue smoke upon death to avoid having to animate too much of the intense violence Gohan inflicts on them, such as that decapitation seen above.

They did a similar thing to Cell himself. Cell gets torn up quite a bit to show off his regenerative abilities, with the anime replacing shots of Cell's vaguely drawn but bloody insides:

With. Uh. Whatever this juicy rubber anus is supposed to be.

Anime Cell, I have so many questions about your internal biology. But I digress.

Gohan's first order of business is, true to the heart of his character, to snatch the Senzu away from Cell and help his friends. Even in the grip of even more Saiyan battle lust than Goku's training prepared him for, Gohan's still a hero first and a warrior second.

Gohan learns from his mistake, grows as a fighter, and resolves this time to bring an end to--STOP

HERO TIME

He just. He can't help himself. This is who he is in his heart of hearts. This is literally:

All over again. This is who Gohan is in his heart of hearts: A kindhearted and compassionate boy who cares more about helping other people than about winning fights.

Even the Super Saiyan can't take that away from him.

[chronic-shinposter]

who the fuck is this guy?? (daima speculation post)

Because I am desperately clawing at information and checking the news every 10 seconds compulsively, I thought I'd put my energy into speculating what Dragon Ball Daima is going to bring us because oh my god i'm so excited So my object of my interest is this person, who is very clearly the same species as the Supreme Kais. Here are my very cool, totally high quality screenshots (they are not)

The safe assumption is that this is a Makaioshin, a Demon Supreme Kai, which I think is likely true and likely the route they're gonna go. All fingers point to Goku and Shin's adventure taking them to the demon realm, and the demon realm is also a topic we've seen Shin have a ton of knowledge in (some reasons unfortunate)

BUT WHO IS THIS??????

So okay I have 4 theories, some I believe a bit more than others. insert my very cool art that I spent several hours on (i did not) ---

1.) The person in the trailer is Shin's twin or sibling and poses as his natural opposite. This is one of the simpler theories and also my favorite. It would be a lot of fun for the narrative, because it brings a lot of personal weight as to why Shin would want to be a part of this journey and also possibly give some insight as to why the majin/folks from the demon realm seem to have it out for the Supreme Kais so badly anyway. We know that this person likely holds a grudge from the Buu Saga ordeal, but the contempt for the Supreme Kais seemed to predate Bibidi and Buu invading the Sacred Land of the Kais. It would be interesting if there is family drama and jealousy is a factor, maybe this person was meant to be a Supreme Kai's apprentice anyway but Shin got it instead. It could be Shin's fault that they're in the demon realm at all. The possibilities are endless! (Also I would really love on-screen lore about their species)

I also really like this theory because Beerus also has a twin brother and the design differences I find very amusing. Also it would track that Beerus's twin hates Beerus because one time he ate a cake or whatever, but Shin's twin wants to eradicate everything Shin knows and loves because he looked at him wrong or something ---

2.) There's some interdimensional timeline bullshit happening and the person on the screen is actually a Shin fusion. I feel like there'd have to be a lot of plot shenanigans for this to work, but the idea that this person is actually a fusion has been thrown around some and I think it's neat. Most notable to me is that they look VERY SIMILAR to Shin but with some key differences, mostly that he's tall and has a different nose. Eye shape and hair are pretty similar and I also found it interesting that the coat is very similar to Shin's palette in Super, though with sleeves/pants/boots matching Shin's Daima palette. It is totally possible this is just a coincidence, especially since Kibito has pretty much the same palette as Shin in Daima but they're not connected at all

So, narratively, what would this do? The timeline placement for Daima is a big point of debate because we're given conflicting information: the two biggest points people point to is Shin and Kibito being defused which only happens around Battle of Gods, and Chi-Chi and Bulma's hairstyles which we only see after Buu Saga in DBZ. It is extremely likely that Daima is canon especially because Akira Toriyama was heavily involved in the story and characters, but how it ties in to the canon right now is a big question mark. It's totally possible that a very huge fuckup happened to cause a "fall from grace" that couldn't be fixed with dragon balls, maybe even the very same adventure that Goku and Shin are on at that point in the anime, and the character we see here is trying to prevent it while working in the demon realm. It's possible he's not actually a villain either and has multiple motives. He shows contempt after seeing Shin on screen, possibly lamenting past actions. I don't really think this theory is that likely (I think a lot of the similarities can just be explained with someone who knows Shin), but it goes down a thread that I think is pretty cool. ---

3.) Entirely new character with no connection to Shin other than mirrored occupations. I think this is the most boring option and probably also the most likely one. I'm down for new characters but I just find them having a more personal connection would be way more fun. Still, he seems to hate Shin (and it's likely that Shin knows him) so it'll be interesting to see what's going on there!

Even if this theory is the one that's the most likely, I still think it'll be a great time and I think would still open an avenue for us to learn a lot more about the Supreme Kais, the canon Demon Supreme Kais, and the demon realm as a whole. I really hope they can deal with this in a great way that doesn't cause any imbalance with the God of Creation/God of Destruction stuff ---

4.) Shin and this character are LITERALLY two halves of the same person who changed in their environments, kind of like Kami and Demon King Piccolo. I feel like this isn't the most likely route either because it would kind of dampen Kami and Piccolo's whole thing AND it would make no sense because Zamasu is an evil little bastard and their species is shown to have their own morals/values on a spectrum of good/evil, but I think this opens up an interesting can of worms that maybe the Supreme Kai's species can split themselves in order to fulfill certain roles for the universe (considering they can also split entire planets/duplicate life)

No one I know of has talked about this and it's driving me crazy but I think there's going to be a subplot about Demon King Piccolo for specifically for two reasons: 1.) BLUE DRAGON BALLS 2.) This screenshot

WHO THE FUCK IS THIS DUDE????? THAT LOOKS LIKE A NAMEKIAN TO ME Also he's DEMON KING Piccolo, he was the demon king (I assume) before Dabura, who our mystery character likely served as well. However, it's also totally possible I'm speaking out of my ass and Demon King(tm) is just a nickname for Kami's other half pre-our Piccolo, but I think that would be kind of lame so I like to think he was an actual demon king.

This is to say, maybe Kami learned how to expel all the evil from himself by seeking guidance of the other gods, and it's something that the Supreme Kais have done before and kind of need to do to keep tabs on the demon realm. OR this is just Namekian stuff and I desperately want to combine lore. You decide!

It is certainly fun to think about though! I think even if this route is possible, it doesn't mean that Supreme Kais are always going to be inherently good; their experiences shape them, and we also see this happen with Kami's evil half in the newly reborn Piccolo. Characters born to be evil do not necessarily stay evil, and characters born to be good do not necessarily stay good. Even so, I think this route would kind of fuck a lot of balance that the story tries to establish already so I think the Namekian stuff will probably be separate from who this character is. Still, I wanted to throw this out there

---

IN CONCLUSION... I dunno I still think the twin route is the most fun but I think there are really interesting plot threads that could happen. I feel like Daima will be lore heavy even though it's framed as a lighthearted adventure, so I hope to learn a lot. I'm trying to keep my expectations in check, but when news is scarce I can't help but speculate the shit out of what we have. Feel free to let me know what y'all think!

[sapphic-agent]

I read your analysis and anti bakugou posts and I want to say thank you!

Going to be kinda long so I’m sorry!

There is another fandom where there is character exactly like bakugou; angry, violent, egotistical and target his hate and aggression to one person only.

the character name is Jiāng cheng from the MDZS novel. But the narrative in the story doesn’t treat all the shit that jerk did as right, it the opposite. He seen as vile that nobody want to associate with (getting banned from all the match making places in the story even)

He never takes the spotlight of the two main nor he is redeemed characters instead seen as pathetic and arrogant jerk he is. The MC, Wei wuxian who was his adoptive brother (not really more like a servant that got treated like a dog) cut ties with him in the end.

He a well written and rounded character but the character personality is shit and I don’t really like him. And the narrative isn’t treating him any differently than being a piece of shit

Why I’m telling you this? Because I feel like if MHA have been written by someone who isn’t Hori bakugou would not have gotten away with the shit he did in the story.

beside the point of the way the narrative treat Jiang cheng, it’s the fandom. When I got into the MDZS fandom I was so disappointed to see bakugou stans 2.0 there but instead of bakugou it’s Jiang cheng.

Both bakugou and Jiang cheng get the same treatment in the fandom as “UWU needs to protect the angry violent person” and “it’s the MC fault our cute UWU baby didn’t do anything wrong” and lots of stuff that I bet you seen in the bnha fandom

It’s sad that even if the story shows that what Jiang cheng wasn’t right (unlike bakugou case where the story doesn’t make him have any consequences) people would outright be mean to other people just because they follow the canon prototype of the character in their fics (I seen it and it’s horrible)

And, in fics it’s seems that every time that Jiang cheng appears in the scene he makes everyone OOC (if the fic is sticking to canon personality). Makes them act like they won’t ever act; it’s the same thing with bakugou (in canon and fanon respectively sadly)

I love to call it the “black hole effect” when a certain character just make the scenes about them no matter the context, like a black hole.

Im sorry this is all over the place, im not really good with words and i used to be pretty active in both fandoms but now its really hard because bakugou and Jiang cheng stans are overall tiring to deal with and they seems to grow up in numbers everyday and yeah… 👍

Have a nice day and week!

Hi! I've never read it but it sounds interesting.

I always try to tell Bakugou stans, it's not the fact that Bakugou's an awful person. I don't care about that. Fictional characters aren't real and can be liked for whatever even if they're vile pieces of shit. It's okay to like a vile piece of shit.

What's not okay is creating that vile piece of shit and then brushing over and never calling out their horrible actions. What's not okay is everyone around them condoning their behavior. What's not okay is pandering to them over their victims. What's not okay is never making them face consequences for their actions. What's not okay is constantly putting them on a pedestal for doing the bare minimum.

Look at Vegeta (RIP Toriyama). Vegeta is always getting humbled and called out. He is never going to surpass Goku because never getting what he wants is part of his retribution. Considering his actions, he should be worse than Bakugou. But he's a way better character because of how the narrative and the other characters treat him.

(You can even compare specific instances. When Bakugou rushed ahead and attacked Kurogiri and got Thirteen seriously hurt, no one said a thing to him and he still won all his fights. He faced zero repercussions. When Vegeta let Cell absorb 18, he immediately got his ass kicked and had to get saved by Trunks and Krillin. Vegeta's actions always affect him terribly, Bakugou's actions always affect everyone else terribly while he gets off scott-free)

DBZ came out decades ago and it still created a better character arc than a 2010s-2020s manga. Horikoshi could have easily given Bakugou a proper redemption arc. He chose not to

[gokustits]

i’d actually like to know what you think of Goku. give me your rant; i want to know everything. how you think he thinks, what he thinks of his friends/ enemies, his relationship with Chichi, his sons, everything. what his motivations are, how he handles negative emotions… yeah. everything.

im just curious. (cause you said it physically hurts when people get him wrong; i want to know what “wrong” is)

People always think goku is “selfish” but honestly he’s not anymore selfish than anyone else in dragon ball. Toriyama says he’s not a hero and he isn’t he does love fighting and fights for himself (and gohan at times) but he also helps people when he can like upa. Goku loves his friends especially krillin his best friend the first time krillin dies is the second time we see goku cry in the series. The second time krillin dies is enough for goku to turn super saiyan out of anger bc krillin couldn’t be brought back to life. People say goku is a bad friend because he doesn’t visit his friends but they could visit him. His enemies are just that he would give them a second chance sometimes but I genuinely don’t believe he would let frieza be brought back to life. Despite what most people think goku does love chichi even dbs made him really angry when goku black kills her and goten in another timeline and the dbz anime gives him flashes of her when he’s in trouble. In the manga (from what I seen) there isn’t much of chichi so that’s what people base goku off of but there isn’t set canon just because toriyama says/ draws something it makes it canon. Also that goku doesn’t kiss his wife was a dumb joke please let it go. Honestly I have no idea why people think goku is bad father like he was literally dead and even piccolo says gohan was spoiled. Dying for your son is something many fathers wouldn’t even do (I know mine fucking wouldn’t) but he did it twice. The sensu bean thing is overblown it was him putting faith in gohan and him leaving earth was him giving gohan and everyone else peace he even says this himself. I’ve even seen people give him shit for not hugging goten in the manga but if people read it piccolo interrupted them. I genuinely believe if goku knew chichi was pregnant he would’ve stayed. His motivations are to find strong opponents and fight them it’s simple but like goku said himself he can’t just let people be destroyed. I think goku bottles up most of his negative emotions mostly his sadness I know he misses his grandpa and is devastated that he’s the one that killed him 

Tldr; people think goku is just a selfish asshole that loves fighting and nothing else but they’re wrong he’s just a silly guy who was raised in the woods 

[secretsofdbz]

Alright, timelines. (link to my old post)

Today I'm going to walk you through the cluster fuck of Toriyama not paying attention to what he writes from the Trunks arc to the epilogue of the Perfect Cell arc.

Reminder that I divide the "Android Saga" in 4 arcs:

Trunks arc (arrival of Frieza to 3yg training),

Android arc (until the time machine is discovered)

Imperfect Cell arc (until Cell absorbs 18)

Perfect Cell arc (+ epilogue of Trunks killing imperfect Cell)

I will also pull Toei and Daizenshu content if needed just to show how bad it gets, BUT that's just to enhance my argument. Everything here is manga-deductible without extra context or content.

As I've shown in the link above, the manga implies 4 timelines:

Forgotten timeline (Cell kills Trunks and steals his time machine),

Lost timeline (the timeline that dead!Trunks traveled to, which did not have a Cell pop in the middle of its Android Saga, otherwise Trunks would've known about Cell),

Future Timeline (the one we know and see, Trunks traveled to a uni where Cell traveled to first, so there's changes and Cell pops up in the Android saga),

Main Timeline (the one we know and follow, to which Cell and Trunks traveled to),

Let's go into details about dates and math and everything first. (under the read more because LONG)

When Future Trunks discovers dead!Trunks' time machine, he states that it comes from age 788, which is 3 years from where he comes from (which means he comes from 785), and that the Machine landed here "4 years ago". 4 years ago was about one year before Trunks first came (aka one year before Meca Frieza stuff).

During the first trip, Trunks states he comes from 20 years into the future.

That means during his first trip, he went from 784/785 to 764.

We also know he's 17 at this point and "will be born in 2 and a half years"

(Baby Trunks is supposed to be ~6 months old by May 12th, 767, so "I warn in 764, I'll be born in 2.5 years, so I was born in 766" works. Ignoring the wikis about Trunks' birthday being June and Future Trunks' birthday being in November, it doesn't matter here, we just need the years))

For Trunks to be 17 during his first trip, he needs to travel from 784 (before his 18th birthday). So by the time he comes back the second time, it needs to be in 785 (so he is 18!); since it takes 8 months to charge the machine (Trunks the Story manga chapter), that works out.

So in terms of trips, we have:

Trunks (both versions) : (early-mid) 784 to 764

Trunks (both versions): (early-ish) 785 to May 12th 767

Cell: 788 to 763

(handy recap sheet)

At the time, for Toei, there were only two Timelines (aka it was both multiverse theory AND dynamic time travel theory, because Trunks becoming aware of Cell who killed him means Trunks isn't killed by Cell... yeah it's all sorts of EHH ??):

Anyway, you'd think this would be fine right? The image of Cell killing Trunks while he still had his sword (which he shouldn't since he broke it on 18's arm he never used it again in canon) is anime filler, we're all good.

Except... no. This fucking panel right here. Cell explains "(the machine/bots collecting dna) could've gotten Trunks cells but didn't because we had enough Saiyan cells".

Cell supposedly comes from a timeline where GOKU killed Frieza and Cold. But this god forsaken panel contradicts that. (of course it's just that Tori forgot, but we are DB fans, we take things seriously and word of god of the manga is supreme and can't be wrong)

This means that THIS particular version of Cell doesn't come from the Forgotten Timeline.

The Cell we know and love/hate comes from a timeline in which a future Trunks killed Frieza and Cold, BUT everything still went to shit (Goku + gang dying, dead!Trunks traveling to the past, and coming back to destroy the Androids).

In this timeline, Bulma met Future Trunks (who killed Cold and Frieza) in 764, presumably the gang got all the warnings like in the main timeline, but everyone STILL died. So she invented the Time Machine to send her Trunks to the past (perhaps with different instructions so as to not repeat the mistakes of the Future Trunks she saw 20 years prior).

Here's the thing. There is a way for this timeline to exist. You "just" gotta work on the postulate that "each time there's a time travel to the past, a new branch is created". And "if the time machine travels back in time a second time, it lands in the timeline it first branched out unless it travels back further in time". Rephrased: The "784 to 764" trip created a new branch in 764. The "785 to 767" trip landed in that new 764 branch. However the "788 to 763" trip created a whole new branch in 763.

The Time Machine that was piloted by dead!Trunks actually "traveled further back in time", creating an earlier "branch"... which is why Trunks noticed changes, including Goku's late arrival (or Frieza's earlier arrival, we don't know).

Yes, because Future Goku did not use Instant Transmission to fight Frieza and Cold. We know he didn't because Future Bulma had the coordinates where Goku landed, which is how Future Trunks got said coordinates. If Goku had IT to fight Frieza and Cold, Bulma wouldn't have known where the pod was going to land 3 hours later.

So timelines and where does Cell come from? Well you need a timeline from the Branch that started in 764 (with a Future Trunks' arrival to kill Frieza and Cold) but in which everyone died to the Androids, and in which, when Trunks traveled back home, he was able to destroy the Androids...

Anyway here's my final recap of all the timelines in Z, in which "one time travel is one interference creating a new branch". And this is how we can see where Cell comes from :D

This opens a realm of possibilities!!

Did a version of Trunks stay in the past, during his first trip and got a wish to Shenron to have a way to destroy his androids, so he didn't come back in 767 and didn't grow strong at all? Did the future trunks that warned against the Androids but that timeline still went to shit approached the problem differently?? who knows! Time for fanfics and doujins I guess :D

Peace!

[rfswitchart]

What Redemption Means to Me

With the passing of Akira Toriyama as well as some things going on in my life, I think I'd like to talk about something that means a lot to me in writing... Redemption Arcs. Obviously, Vegeta's gonna be talked about here. Hunter from Owl House, sure. And I'll even throw Zuko from ATLA in here for free.

All three of them are considered evil right off the bat. They don't hide that they will do cruel and horrible things to either get their way or because it's fun. Then we find out that they weren't really evil so much as horribly abused and used to serve a purpose (Vegeta was basically handed to Frieza because King Vegeta and the rest of the Sayians were oppressed. Hunter did everything for Belos, who he thought was his uncle, and that Belos 'cared' for him. Zuko was 'dishonored' because his father said so, not to mention he got his face burned by his father.) And that their behavior is a reflection of the suffering and lives they've had. That, of course, is why we see them change...

Vegeta, on his dying breath in the battle against Frieza, basically told Goku everything about the fate of the Sayians, crying tears of anguish because he couldn't avenge his people after what the alien tyrant did. His heart changes even further when he has a relationship with Bulma and they have Trunks and Bulla. Does he lapse back into old habits and desire to defeat Goku? Sure. But even when he becomes Majin, he realizes that his family give him something strength can never give him. Love, the love of family long lost, and hope that his species will live on through his children.

Hunter, meanwhile, meets Luz and it made him question if helping his uncle is worth it. This was further compounded after kidnapping the Entrails when he realized he was hurting Willow and would rob them of their palismen to feed Belos and grant him a longer life. After seeing he was just a disposable puppet and clone of Belos brother (That he murdered,) Hunter fled to Hexside and eventually befriended Gus. Hunter lived a sheltered life and is saved by friendship and love (yes, Hunter and Willow were basically in love from the get go. Y'all need better media literacy if you think otherwise.)

Now, Zuko is a little different. Sure, the Gaang did help him figure things out and help him see the error in his ways, but who are we kidding. The thing that truly put Zuko on the path of good was his uncle, Iroh. Iroh never lost faith in his nephew, even when the boy lost his way and betrayed him. He always tried to show Zuko the right path to follow and give him advice when he needed it. Granted, it couldn't help Zuko make a decent cup of tea, but hey, he did at least come to understand what was right and gave him the tools to forge his own destiny.

Personally, I like these stories because my life has also been a redemption arc of sorts. Stop me if you've heard this one before. I was bullied and abused by family, classmates, friends, and lovers. I hurt people and lashed out because I was hurt and scared, even people I care about. And then, realized I messed up and having people who genuinely love and support me, I started to change into a better, more loving and compassionate person. Characters like Vegeta, Hunter, and Zuko are the kinds of people I am. People who have been misguided and done wrong, but also have worked hard to become much better people. No one is ever beyond redemption... I mean, unless you're Frieza, Belos, or Ozai. Fuck them.

[bluehairlaunch]

Top 7 WORST Dragon Ball Transformations

Honorable mention: Beast Zarbon

Because they turned my muscle twink into a bear...

Super Saiyan God

This fucker. As much as I like Battle of Gods, this redhead continued a trend that started with a green tinged Broly and ended with orange fucking Piccolo and a cast of otter pop flavored Super Saiyans.

At least Super Saiyan 4 wasn't just a recolor of a recolor...

Orange Piccolo

Speaking of lazy, visually unappealing, late stage capitalism embodying recolors, Piccolo is orange now. Yes I know he hasn't been relevant in a fight since his introduction in the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament and briefly when Toriyama remembered against Second Form Frieza and Imperfect Cell, but it's ok, don't worry kids, HE'S ORANGE.

Super Android 13

How is there still downhill from a trucker hat? Do you like this? Leave a comment on this webzone if you like this? Explain why you like his Vegeta hair and 90s earrings if you like this. Detail your obsession with blue skinned gingers if you like this.

Third Form Frieza

Why is he a xenomorph? Why is he a xenomorph?! I guess I wasn't expecting him to be a xenomorph, which is typical for Toriyama, but WHY IS HE A XENOMORPH??? Like it's weird he's the alien from Alien, right? And it's weirder that he's almost 1:1 the pirate robot Goku fought in OG Dragon Ball

Fifth Form Cooler

Oh fuck you. You fucking piece of shit. Fifth form? You're so non-canon it hurts. This couldn't just be his second form or idk his third form, since Frieza's second form was already Cooler. But it's his fifth! And Goku has to be there, because it's filler, so the threat needs to be bigger. It's not like the Frieza race are shapeshifters. Of course they're not dipshit, they all follow the same template. They're like the evolution chart detailing prehistoric ape to cromagnon man to blond guy. And this is his fifth form!

Imagine if this had been a Piccolo movie set while Goku was on Yardrat. We have Frieza's bro, who's not just miraculous stronger despite never doing anything about it, but he's still more powerful than the second form Frieza Piccolo fought. Idk. Fuck Coola

Super Buu

This one is basically a Dragon Ball IQ test. At first glance he looks ok, maybe even cool. However, those with sufficient gray matter can easily ascertain that he's actually garbage, and that Fat Buu was the best design all along. He's just so generic looking, which is almost impressive for a guy so pink and sponge-y looking. Oh. And his transformation includes raiding people's wardrobe without realizing that shit don't even match

Super Saiyan 3

See, a bad transformation isn't just about aesthetics. And don't get me wrong, the aesthetics are also awful. That caveman brow, the Raditz hair, those obscene spikes. But no, the worst part about Super Saiyan 3, the thing that I truly absolutely despise, is how effortlessly it cheapens Super Saiyan and Gohan's feat of going Beyond Super Saiyan

Because everyone had that thought the second Trunks arrived and went blond. That they could do it. Gohan, Vegeta, Ghost of Nappa, and any other Saiyan that might be out there. All of them could go Super Saiyan now, it's not prophecy after all. And that leads to the question of escalation. What next?

Well the Cell Saga answered this. Gohan was next. He went Beyond Super Saiyan. The boy did what his dad don't, he fucking mastered that shit. Then out comes Super Saiyan 3 like a baaaaad fart. But it only gets worse. It's a flawed, incomplete transformation that only works if you're dead. It's strong, but burns through energy faster than the body can collect it. And that's that. Dragon Ball ends, Goku saving the day without even using his new form. Dragon Ball GT introduces SS4 and DBS provides a crayon box of recolors for you to shove up your nose, all the while Super Saiyan 3 is left in the dust. It came, we all saw it, it sucked.

[yamcha-thelonewolf]

🫀The Heart's Savior.

Hello everyone, wolfpack! As I promised, here is part two on Yamcha's key role in the Androids and Cell saga. For those of you who have not yet read part one, you can catch up with my analysis of Yamcha and Goku's relationship by clicking here.

PART 2: The Present.

This time, as I anticipated in the previous post, I will deal with the present. This means that just as Yamcha took care of his past, in this case represented by Goku, he also went out of his way to take care of what was happening around him. So I am referring to those moments when there was no time to stop and think, or those moments when there was nothing else to do but give comfort or any kind of help.

Before we get into that, I want to point out an aspect of Yamcha that I think is curiously impossible to eradicate. Let's face it, Akira Toriyama did not treat him very well. Or rather, he didn't make the most of him. Although I'm sorry to say it, I think all of Yamcha's potential came up not because Toriyama really wanted it, but because in his mind he needed someone to sentence those exact words. So Yamcha was always a tool, and as long as he expressed himself to give support to his friends it could have been fine. The problem arises when at some point (precisely upon Trunks' arrival) Yamcha changes dramatically, becoming a wimp who prefers to run away instead of a daredevil who is willing to do anything to help. I would like to recall that long ago, despite having a broken leg, he had ignored this disability of his to go and help Goku and Tenshinhan against the Great Demon King Piccolo. Or even, it was always Yamcha who had motivated his friends to join Goku and face the Red Ribbon army together with him.

So it is strongly logical that the "new Yamcha" we see is not the result of a sensible character change but simply the result of a stupid and awkward narrative necessity. When Trunks arrives in the past and shortly thereafter reveals himself, Akira Toriyama could not afford to put Bulma on the wrong side. She was still the second main character in Dragon Ball, and besides that her relationship with Yamcha, despite its ups and downs, was loved by many. I mean, even the original voice actors of the two were convinced that sooner or later they would really get married, so their breakup had to look like something that made sense; moreover, the breakup had to justify Bulma's final decision and especially redeem the figure of Vegeta, who from then on would officially take Tenshinhan's place as Goku's historical rival. How to do this, then? Simple: Yamcha is a stupid good-for-nothing cheating womanizer who is afraid of everything. Problem solved! Well… Not really, but still it must be admitted that Toriyama has succeeded to some extent since many Dragon Ball fans are really convinced of this. I will discuss this on another occasion. Now it is important to point out that in this arc it is absolutely evident that there is an attempt to scuttle the character in every way possible, but as I said before, it almost seems as if Yamcha himself tried to take over and go beyond the wishes of his author. Simply put: it got out of their control. Majin Yamcha cannot exist!

I mean, it's as if he wants to say, "Okay jerks, you wanna make me useless? Fine, but I'll be in my own way!"

Here you can see Yamcha lashing out at the Toei Animation people of making him look useless.

Of course, these are just impressions. We will never know how much they realized Yamcha's value, but let us say that even though they represented him in this saga as a mere sidekick or driver or nurse, they unintentionally made him greater than he already was. And it's nice to be able to see that even though Yamcha was backed into a corner, he still managed to make a difference. This shows how even for Toei Animation and Toriyama it is impossible to distort this character. That's why I say that it is Yamcha himself who is rebelling against his unfair fate: his way of doing things, which we have come to know from the beginning of Dragon Ball, cannot be changed. He may be an adorable clown, he may be afraid of new enemies and he may even be weaker than others, but that does not mean that he is ridiculous, cheater and especially useless.

Keep all this in mind: on the one hand we have Toriyama's willingness to destroy the character, and on the other hand we have Yamcha whose few "superfluous" lines disproves it all. It is a sneaky battle that I urge you to notice better, especially since it is from these seemingly unnecessary moments of his that Yamcha's heroism is best delineated.

Well, now we can really start.

Buckle up because this is going to be a looooong read.

In this chapter we will see how Yamcha not only took care of Goku and Chichi, but also of many other people. We are in the present, that is the time when absolutely no misstep is allowed. Any wrong attitude could change the fate of the world, and Yamcha knows this well because Trunks told of a disastrous future in which there is nothing left but hope. Here is the key word. Hope. It is said to be the last to die, and that is absolutely true, but in order for it to endure over time, even when everything falls apart, it is important that it be fueled by love. Yamcha is the absolute personification of this. Throughout Dragon Ball he has always been the first to hope and believe that all is not lost. Moreover, he has always been the one who has consoled and helped the characters not to break down. As I have already said, this attitude is essential for a fighter. Being emotionally prepared for a battle can change things, and we have seen this many times. So that Yamcha is a real motivational coach should not go so unnoticed, especially in a context where even Goku's strength is doubted.

In short: Yamcha is the one who saves the mood.

So, dear friends, we will now explore together those little details that could rehabilitate our beloved Yamcha and make him essential in a context that does not seem to have considered him enough.

...No, wait. May I begin by saying that Yamcha saved even the Kame House?

Come on, I'm kidding. Let's start with a rather simple scene. In this case, the character called upon is Tenshinhan.

The friendship between Yamcha and Tien is crazy. Their rivalry during the 22nd Tournament was stronger than that between Goku and Tien himself, which made their reconciliation even more exciting.

We are at the moment when Tenshinhan tries to stop Cell from absorbing Android 18. His strength is dwindling out of all proportion; at Kame House Chiaotzu and Yamcha sense that their friend is doomed. Therefore Yamcha proposes to rush to his rescue. Although it is nothing new that Yamcha wants to take action to save his friends in danger, this is a small scene that shows how incongruent Dragon Ball has become at some point. Okay, I can also accept that Yamcha is a guy who feels he has to act only when the situation is particularly close to him and his heart is tickled, but I absolutely do not accept that his will to do is always stopped by a force superior to him: the plot.

In this case, Muten stops Yamcha's determination by telling him that going to help Tien wouldn't be smart because they would risk death as well. All right, it may be true, but Yamcha certainly didn't want to stop Cell. Yamcha only wanted to save his friend, also because we all know the lethal effects of the (Shin) Kikoho. It means Yamcha would have picked up Tien and carried him away, or at best it means he would have helped him by using his Sokidan to distract the enemy, or even the kamehameha. I want to emphasize it again: not to kill Cell, but just to distract him and buy time. Well, for reasons unknown to us, the saying "unity makes strength" does not apply if you are an earthling. At least at this time, since at the end of the Cell Saga everyone will seriously join forces to help Gohan. And may I have my say? It is the highest moment in all of Dragon Ball Z, because for the first and only time all the Z-Fighters unite to defeat the enemy and win.

Whatever. Let's ignore what to me is a big plot mistake and focus again on Yamcha: as you can see, he would have wanted to do much more than what he was given and the fact that he wants to intervene against Cell, who is even stronger than the Androids 19 and 20 who almost took him out, confirms how Yamcha was thwarted by the narrative and not by his supposed weakness.

It is quite funny that all these contradictions and all the attempts to make him a good-for-nothing, if seen from the right perspective, can seriously save Yamcha's reputation. You just have to be a little more careful. Be that as it may, once again we can see how Yamcha's heart is big enough to put his own life on the line in order to save his close friend. If only Toriyama Muten had not stopped him…

Now it is Gohan's turn.

If taking care of Goku and Tien is more obvious because they are two friends he has loved for so long, taking care of Gohan is quite different. Well, let's say that what Yamcha feels for anyone is unconditional love. He loves and it is by loving that he is able to feel stronger. It is a feeling that goes even beyond hatred, but we will talk about that another time. In Gohan's case, Yamcha's love takes on an even symbolic role.

At this point you might think that I am abusing the word "love", but…. Did you read that correctly? It is Yamcha himself who uses it. What's more, he is the only one who uses it. After all, Yamcha is the only one who explicitly admits his desire to love. Bulma's first wish was to find a boyfriend, while Yamcha's dream was to get married and consequently love someone for the rest of his life. He is the most romantic character of all, and it is a pity that this peculiarity of his is seen as one more reason to think him weak. Instead, I believe that confessing certain feelings makes him even stronger than all those who hide them. So I'm really glad that at such an important moment Yamcha has spoken words that are absolutely in line with his character. At least in this he has not been distorted.

Although it is evident that the boy's second father is Piccolo, we can also speculate that he was not the only one. Especially after Goku's death, I like to think that someone like Yamcha visited Chichi and her son often so that they would not be lonely. After all, Chichi is also pregnant, which further supports the hypothesis that Yamcha may have been there for them in some way. Uncle Yamcha, right? Sounds good! But let me tell you our dear bachelor dude has the makings of a good father. I mean, maybe during these years he was actually the one who taught Gohan how to play baseball? Who knows...

As I told you in the previous chapter, Goku has been like a little brother to protect for Yamcha. Even if Goku was definitely stronger than Yamcha and could defend himself, the little saiyan possessed a great weakness: he was naive. How many times was he teased by villains because he had trusted them? And how many times was he taken by surprise by enemies because he had no idea who they were? Well, Yamcha helped him open his eyes many times. He has watched over him where Goku's innocence was not enough, and using his own bandit-like nose in his favor, Yamcha has gotten him out of little and big trouble. The only reason I don't call him paternal is only because the age difference is minimal, but certainly the drawings from long ago help to better convey the idea of how much Yamcha's stature shielded Goku's pudgy little body.

I always found this moment tender because Bulma, Yamcha and Goku look just like mommy, daddy and son. Therefore, it is not at all strange to imagine that all this kind of love felt for Goku has also projected toward his son. However, this time the fatherhood is definitely evident, both because the age difference between Yamcha and Gohan is greater and because it could only be otherwise. We said that Yamcha's mission is to take care of everyone, right? So do you think he could have ever backed down from helping the son of the man who led him to the path of good?

It is the most natural thing Yamcha can do. As he loved Goku when he was small and innocent now he loves his son. He owes it to him. Personally, I do not consider it an accident that it is Yamcha himself who takes Gohan in his arms. He could have taken care of Trunks' body, but since Yamcha is Goku's guardian he could only take care of his child. Ultimately we can say that Yamcha, in this saga, has taken care of the complete Son family. He cared for Goku during his illness, consoled and comforted Chichi, and finally helped Gohan when the evil had been defeated. I find it emotional that Gohan says thank you to him. It seems like a small thing, but considering Yamcha's treatment in recent years, it is nice to be able to see that characters once respected him for what he did.

As evidence of his value, there is also this brief exchange of words between Yamcha and Tien in which Yamcha's good heart is emphasized even more. Despite suffering from the fight against the Cell Juniors, one of whom even broke his arm, Yamcha ignores these painful wounds and equally takes the boy in his arms as if nothing happened. It really seems that his desire to protect Gohan is stronger than the suffering he is experiencing physically. Seriously, at this point I really cannot believe how it is possible for such a pure character to be brutally hated or mocked.

Guys, we are almost finished. Actually I would have gone on even longer than that, but I don't want to bore you so much. I just think Yamcha deserves all this attention, and since we possess few moments of him I feel that dwelling on his seemingly tiny actions is essential to redeem the character. When I say make Yamcha great again I really mean that he was once great in earnest, and I hope that this will be noticed someday even by those who did not understand him enough. Also by reading all of this or other people reflections in the web.

Now let's go back and address an equally historic friendship, that between Yamcha and Krillin.

Yamcha and Krillin share a deeper bond than people think. For example, many people do not remember that the two of them trained together under Muten's supervision, just as Goku and Krillin did long before; also always together they experienced the Fortuneteller Baba adventure, climbed Karin's tower, and finally trained at the same time in Kami's palace. We can safely say that Yamcha and Krillin share many more moments together than Krillin experienced with Goku, and while this does not necessarily make them best friends, it does not mean that the love they have for each other is any less.

The result of this important relationship is found once again in the Cell Arc. I told you, this is where Yamcha plays all his cards and shows that he has done everything for everyone.

The scenes between Yamcha and Krillin are also the simplest in this entire analysis, but I still would not take them for granted. For example, here we witness a psychologically devastating moment for Krillin. His guilt over not pressing the remote control button that would have destroyed Android 18 grips him to the point where he makes the decision to confront Cell and thus repair the damage done, but once again Toriyama Muten stops him because it is not his place to fight. So we see him distressed, angry with himself and in the throes of an impending nervous breakdown, but suddenly a hand rests on his shoulder and with that simple warmth tries to sweep away all his frustration.

Yeah, it is Yamcha again. Once again he steps in to lift someone's spirits, and while it may not necessarily make Krillin really feel better, it is still to be appreciated that Yamcha did not make him feel alone and guilty at an absolutely sensitive time. I mean, the world was also falling apart because of that fatal decision by Krillin. It is normal that he felt wrong, but Yamcha immediately puts himself in his friend's shoes and without a second thought rescues him as much as he can, because he cannot accept Krillin's collapse. Controlling every single emotion continues to be crucial.

Be that as it may, I find this scene as touching as it is sad. It is touching because once again Yamcha is there for his friends, but it is sad because if we go back over and review the scene where Yamcha feels impotent in helping Tien, no one rests a hand on his shoulder to make him feel better. Toriyama Muten remains quite impassive and this only increases the sense of uselessness that is intended to be given to Yamcha. I swear to you, writing all this makes me really sick. It's like I see myself in this kind of unfair loneliness that never seems to want to let him go.

Well, however, this is not the end of the story. Actually I would say that now the most depressing part of the topic begins. When I say that Yamcha was destroyed in every possible way, I really mean in every possible way. Although this saga indeed contains so many good moments of him, it is also the arc that definitively marks his death. In fact, from this moment on, Yamcha is deprived even of his only purpose, which is to get married, because he is given over to Krillin himself. The decision to tie him to Android 18 is as beautiful as it is sadistic, if we see the whole situation from Yamcha's point of view. Krillin has never expressed a desire to marry and fall in love. From the beginning, he has always seen martial arts as an excuse to impress girls, and while this does not mean that he should not find a woman for life, it is quite unfair that once again Yamcha's wish has gone unheeded. This would have been the perfect opportunity to fulfill his dream, but for who knows what reason (come on, we know why by now…) they decided that it should be Krillin who should get married. Mind you, I am absolutely happy for him. The Krillin/18 couple is one of the most beautiful. All I am saying is that it is not fair to a character who has ALWAYS sought love. His misfortune in love is no longer funny. Being a positive character, I think it is fair to give him at least a win, but as we will see somehow Yamcha will make his case in other ways. He is not the type to be so easily put down, and that is why his many facets make him one of the most interesting characters in Dragon Ball.

This is one of the most tender moments in Dragon Ball but also one of the most misunderstood. Yamcha comes off as a bit of a fool in this scene because he is the only one who is afraid of Android 18, but I defy anyone not to have smiled a little at his comedy. After so many episodes where we have been with dread in our eyes because of Cell, Yamcha's lightheartedness is a breath of fresh air. In a way, it is as if he takes us back in time, when in Dragon Ball we rejoiced over little. He is the fighter who keeps the soul of OG Dragon Ball alive.

But Yamcha doesn't just make us laugh. Yamcha shows us that after all the hatred felt for Cell it is love that is what remains. Love and hope. Although Goku is gone, the world keeps turning and it is absolutely necessary to continue to have faith and live life even more than before. Therefore Yamcha does not hesitate and, as a good friend, does everything to help Krillin hope. If it were not for his encouraging words, Krillin would have left the palace disappointed to have missed an important opportunity. Instead, Yamcha instills in him a small chance, helps him notice that Android 18's does not feel like a farewell, and most importantly, he does not make him feel unworthy. A similar thing happens in the videogame FighterZ, where Yamcha and Krillin have a conversation about women and it turns out that Krillin has an attraction to female androids. He seems ashamed of this, but Yamcha doesn't mind. On the contrary, he reassures his friend to never make him feel wrong, because at the end of the day, love has no limits and he knows well that. He supports him. He supports everybody, but unfortunately nobody supports him. That's why we have to do it!

I have always found this lovely. Yamcha always cheered for his friends, even when they managed to get married. He was never envious, never tried to stand in the way of their happiness, always smiled for them. This is the most beautiful characteristic of Yamcha, especially when we consider that it is highly likely that this disproportionate love he feels for others goes hand in hand with his sense of loneliness. It is as if helping others distracts him from the sense of failure he feels for himself.

Like here. It almost seems as if Krillin is apologizing for stealing his chance to get married. As if he's trying to say "hey man, sorry I'm the one who found love and not you. I am so sorry that your fate in this story is so bad. You don't deserve it, friend". It's just a figure of speech, because obviously there is no connection between Yamcha and Android 18, but I think you get my point.

Yamcha even calls him silly. Not only because one should never apologize when it comes to love, but especially because it is not his style to stand in the way of the feeling that most represents him. Oh please, let's ignore that Yamcha has to give an expensive necklace to his "girlfriend." I gather from these few words that she is definitely not the kind of woman he deserves, but we will talk about that another time. Regardless, it is good to see Krillin smiling thanks to Yamcha, since until recently he was sad about losing Android 18 and especially his close friend Goku. He would have returned to the Kame House in the wrong mood, and we all know how a bad day can be fatal. Who knows, maybe it is because of this nudge from Yamcha that Krillin and Android 18 got together.

We end this long journey in the present with this beautiful frame of Krillin saying thank you to Yamcha, just as Gohan had done. I think this is the saga where he is finally given the gratitude he deserves, and all in all it's okay. It's just too bad that this is the last time Yamcha will be respected. And as I have already reiterated, it is unfortunate that few people have noticed this. We will see a little something in the Buu Arc, but it certainly won't be enough.

I want to conclude this analysis with a simple reflection. I hope everyone is aware that the main theme of the Androids and Cell saga is hope. Hope is what drove Mirai Trunks to the past, and as I have already said, hope is the only thing that remains in his future.

If we focus on this word, doesn't it seem to you that Yamcha is the total reincarnation of this feeling? Think about it. He is the only one who has never stopped hoping. He has hoped for Goku and because of his trust he has reassured Chichi as well; he has hoped for Gohan, for Tien, for Kuririn and finally for other characters that we will analyze in the last chapter.

In short, Yamcha is the bearer of hope in the present. He is the one who kept it alive so that the world would not fall apart as it did in the future. Yamcha is hope itself. So... If hope is absolutely indispensable in Trunks' horrendous future, why shouldn't we think Yamcha is indispensable for Dragon Ball?

Well, thank you for getting here.

See you for the last chapter: The Future.

[duhragonball]

What do you think of the Saiyan's overall redesign in the DBS Broly Movie? Personally, I didn't like how they really stuck to that, "All Saiyans have black hair," thing. I thought the original King Vegeta and Saiyans surrounding him looked more interesting in DBZ. They even had a blonde guy when KV blew up those planets lmao (if only they knew)

I know the guy your talking about. He's from the flashback montage right before Vegeta dies.

Of course, his pal over there is rocking an SSJ4 Gingergeta look too, so this shot is pretty wild for a bunch of reasons. And then King Vegeta raises his hand and blows up three planets, including the one they're standing on, so I don't know what to make of that.

Anyway, as far as the hair color goes, the black-hair-only rule came from the scene where Vegeta disputes Trunks' claim to be a Saiyan, so the rule didn't exist back when DBZ Episode 86 was made. We can still interpret this in a few ways.

Vegeta was just stone cold wrong. I say this a lot, but it bears repeating: Most of what we know about Saiyans comes from Vegeta, but he's not an infallible source. There's bound to be things he doesn't know or couldn't know, and he probably still clings to a lot of propaganda fed to him in his youth.

The flashbacks aren't meant to be taken literally, and this could just be a coloring error in an otherwise consistent portrayal of the Saiyans.

The blonde guy could be a half-Saiyan like Trunks.

The blonde guy just likes to bleache his hair.

He's got some kind of medical condition that discolors his hair

Nonetheless, once Toriyama laid down the black hair rule, it appears to have been followed pretty closely, except...

Nion, one of the scientists in the nursery in DBS: Broly, has dark blue hair. Maybe indigo? You get the idea. I don't think this is a trick of the light, either, since King Vegeta's in this scene, and his hair looks black. Nion clearly has a different hair color.

At first, I wondered if this meant she wasn't a Saiyan. Nion doesn't appear to have a tail either, and her uniform is too form-fitting for her to stuff it inside her clothes like her robed co-workers. But by all accounts, she seems to be a Saiyan character, and it makes sense. She speaks rather hopefully of Broly possibly becoming the next Super Saiyan, and one of Frieza's bootlicks wouldn't be nearly so enthusiastic when speaking of such a thing.

So what's up with Nion? Well, it's probably the same story as that blonde guy from DBZ 86. She colors her hair, or she's got some alien ancestry, or maybe there's more to Saiyans than Vegeta knew. My guess is that the movie was trying to show that there's a particular fashion among Saiyan scientists. The men in this scene all had very short, more "conventional haircuts". They also wore long choir robes. Nion has a different look, but there's like nine other women in the nursery with the exact same style, suggesting that they all wear that look to signify their profession. So maybe the blue hair is part of that, or Nion picked it up while she was at space college or something.

So from a hair standpoint, I think they just kind of ended up back where they started. Pure-blooded Saiyans may all start with black hair, and most of them stay that way, but a few Saiyans seem to develop an interest in coloring their hair for cosmetic reasons.

No, the main change I noticed from the Broly movie was that most of the Saiyan uniforms we saw were black and/or blue, which is kind of a shame, because I liked the various colors used in DBZ. Bardock had his green and black armor, Fasha/Seripa had pink, Towa had Carolina Tarheel blue, and so on. The movie also did Paragus dirty, because Paragus looked like the fuckin' man in Movie 8, and his DBS looks were all a downgrade.

At least Gine got pink wristbands and sort of a dark teal outfit. That might be closer to green, but I can't tell. Anyway, I get it, they're uniforms. The whole point is that everyone looks the same. Still, I liked the idea that someone could requisition a hot pink and lime green armor and it was totally cool.

Ultimately, flashback scenes like these don't carry that much weight, since they're always susceptible to another retcon. One of these years, they'll do some "Andor"-style series about the Saiyan/Tuffle War, and we'll see a whole other depiction of Saiyans that will turn all of this on its ear, and I'll probably be coming up with some other rationale to make it all fit together.

Mostly, I'm just glad we got a peek into Saiyan culture beyond the front-line warriors in the DBZ flashbacks. Nion and her colleagues raise more questions than answers, but I'm still grateful for the questions. I think fans have postulated characters like Beetz and Gine for a long time, and the movie confirms that there was definitely more to Saiyan society than fighting.

[hells-greatestdad]

Give us the tea on the way that the Dragon Ball fandom treated Goku

Oh. Damn. Well. You asked for it!

Look. Even Toriyama (God rest his soul) did Goku did dirty in recent years. So I'm not gonna put all the blame on the fandom - but also. Yes I am. Cuz the source material is right fucking there and has been for over 30 years at this point!

(Caveat, if you disagree with me on this stuff, we're still friends. I'm not petty. Just maybeee don't try and talk Dragon Ball with me.)

A lot of this is also driven by the popularity of DBZ Abridged - and credit where due, DBZA is fucking great! But the fandom is fucking stupid and treats DBZA as the canon because they don't wanna actually watch the actual show or read the actual manga!!!

First. Reducing Goku to "just wants to fight" and reducing Goku's views on morality to "don't care, fight me"

Like. I get it Dragon Ball Super does it. But Dragon Ball Super fucking sucks and outright flies in the face of decades of established canon in multiple areas. FUCK DRAGON BALL SUPER. She's dead to me.

I had/have a whole sideblog on my main account dedicated to the Dragon Ball manga - @iamhumantoafault It's not active anymore, but I use it almost like an archive. And I have lots of posts demonstrating Goku's views on morality as shown in the manga itself

Suffice to say - Goku does NOT only care about fighting. That's a big drive of his, yes. But it's demonstrably not to the point where he'll let people die for a good fight - which is something the fandom wholeheartedly believes he'll do!!

Second - yes, it's about Goku being a father.

Look. Imma be frank. Goku is objectively a better father than Lucifer. He is absent for a lot of his kids' life, yes - but he has far more justifiable reasons than Lucifer does.

Though, you wouldn't know it by the way the fandom speaks of Goku. And they will defend this point to the nth degree. It actually pisses me off how sincere they are about being OBJECTIVELY WRONG

Goku not only loves his sons, he spends time with them. Yes, including in the manga. His sons, especially Gohan, adore him. Gohan's love for his dad is like.... so pure, man. It's one of my favorite things. And it just... it's obvious. How do some people not see it.

Even when Goku comes back after 7 years being dead, Gohan is legit over the moon ecstatic to see him. That's a bond, man. We love to see it.

....that's my messy af essay.

[sweetescapeartist]

DOES TENSHINHAN REALLY TRAIN ALL THE TIME?

The short answer... "NO." The long answer...

DRAGON BALL Z:

In the Cell Saga, Tenshinhan had expressed multiple times that he felt useless. In fact, the guy who many in the DB fandom inaccurately claim trains non-stop actually lost confidence in himself so much so that Tien even REJECTED training in the RoSaT.

Tien could've gotten 1 year's worth of training in 1 day, yet he straight up refused. That alone proves that Tien DOES NOT train all the time like a Saiyan as so many people suggest. They are misinformed or willfully ignorant.

After Goku died, Tien felt depressed & lost some motovation to train (others felt depressed as well). He told his friends that they would probably never see him again. Then, he disappeared for 7 years & only reappeared briefly during the Buu Saga.

Why was Tien absent during majority of the Buu Saga?

Why did Tien choose to stay out of the 3 day battle until the very last moment while being fully aware of the situation from day 1 due to Babidi's telepathy?

TENSHINHAN WAS DEPRESSED & many fans fail to realize this. Tien even calls himself "USELESS" again in the Buu Saga. Tien did not want to join the fight because he had lost his fighting spirit. So, what exactly was Tenshinhan doing during the 7 year time-skip? Well, Toriyama actually tells us what Tenshinhan was doing...

TORIYAMA INTERVIEW:

Toriyama explains in an interview that in addition to Tenshinhan's training, he mostly farms & Chaozu helps him. (Even Yamcha occasionally stops by to help out when he isn't being a freelance bodyguard.)

Read the full article for yourself here.

And when you examine Toriyama's words closely, he says that "[Lunch] wasn't cut out for farming, and Tenshinhan has no interest in romance, so she left after a few days." Lunch was last mentioned to be chasing after Tenshinhan at the begining of the Saiyan Saga. This implies that Tien had actually been farming at some point soon after the 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai if not sooner.

Not to mention that "mostly farms" means that Tien does other things too.

Tenshinhan DOES NOT constantly train as many fans falsely claim. The only ones who Toriyama said train all the time are Goku, Vegeta, & Piccolo. And the series supports this statement.

DRAGON BALL SUPER:

The Resurrection F manga & the 7th ending for DBS reaffirm Toriyama's statements that Tenshinhan & Chaozu are indeed farmers.

Furthermore, we are shown in DBS EP 89 that Tenshinhan has also opened his own dojo & is teaching advanced martial arts to 12 students (+ Yurin later).

CONCLUSION

The notion that Tenshinhan trains all the time is purely fan conjecture that is taken as gospel.

Tien has been farming for at the least since the begining of DBZ.

Tien started a martial arts school at some point after the Universe 6 vs Universe 7 Tournament.

Many in the DB fandom don't fact check most statements made in the fandom. Then, they end up believing and regurgitating misinformation. So, HERE ARE THE FACTS! For those of us who know that Tien DOES NOT constantly train, this post/images/links can be used as evidence during disputes & discussions.

I'm tired of this fandom spewing inaccuracies as truth without getting checked. And many falsely claim that Tien trains all the time in order to make the argument that Tien deserved to be the strongest Earthling instead of Krillin & so that others believe the misinformation. They attempt to use Krillin as some sort of stepping stone with false information, but these fans do so at the expense of Tien's character development that they conveniently overlook.

If your feelings aren't validated by facts, then you are wrong. Once you are corrected, you are now right. If you want to be right, often times you have to be corrected.

[EXTRA]

It appears that Toriyama revealed that Tenshinhan was a farmer soon after the Freeza Saga when Freeza came to Earth. Tenshinhan & Chaozu were shown in a mountainous area while wearing clothing that resembles a Chinese winter farmer's attire along with some sort of carrying bag tied around their torso that they store their winter crops in. Not to mention that Trunks arrived in the past during a winter month, so them wearing winter farming attire makes sense given we know they are farmers. {I'm open to being corrected on this nugget of info if needed because I don't have extensive knowledge of historical Chinese attire.}

TENSHINHAN, CHAOZU, YAMCHA, & KRILLIN: They are still marital artists at heart, but there was 7 yrs of peace. If there was no enemy to fight, doesn't retiring from fighting make sense? Although, their retirement was only temporary as we saw in DBS. People hate on Krillin & Yamcha for retiring, yet forget that Tien and Chaozu retired too. All had good reasons to retire, but they all still did some form of martial arts during their retirement even if it wasn't anything too extreme; Krillin training with his wife & being a legal crime fighter without using weapons against armed criminals. Tien & Chaozu training & farming & later starting a martial arts school. Yamcha being a freelance bodyguard & occasionally helping Tien and Chaozu farm (possibly training with them occasionally too).

With Tien being depressed after the Cell Games, it makes sense why Launch still visited him from time to time even if he didn't want a romantic relationship with her. She was another friend to help him out.

[mdhwrites]

Why the Name Belos?

So this isn’t entirely criticism with some research and more of a showers thought sort of thing but it started with me realizing that Belos could have foreshadowed something... And didn’t. I’ll reveal it after getting into what his name actually means.

So Philip genuinely is just a basic bitch, English name. It means Friend of Horses which we never see anything of. Wittebane is actually obvious if you think about it as yes, it does in fact translate either to ‘White Tormentor” or to “Witch tormentor” if the Wiki is right at least. That’s pretty standard and the like so *shrug*.

But then there’s Belos. The name he gave himself. Now there are three ways to interpret it. One that theoretically takes into account his background, one that fits the same way Wittebane does and one that I think fits both and is a lot more sly. First: Belos is from the New Testament to mean “Javelin, Dart, Arrow, a missile”. This is why it’s more just “This does fit for his background as a religious extremist but not really for deeper meaning.” He isn’t very direct or targeted in his methods after all. This meaning would be a lot better if he were a specter, assassin, or just did a lot more of his dirty work himself to reflect the single purpose and single target drive of the items it correlates to. One could claim he has the singular purpose but even that isn’t just about murdering witches as he does reveal his goal is as much about titles and fame that it will gain him back home or else he wouldn’t care when Luz gets the title wrong. Also he’s just really bad at his goal so that also hurts the case.

The one the wiki states and that a name definer relates it to is an Ancient Greek term for Lord or Ruler. It’s like when Toriyama named the god of his world Kami. It does work, even if bluntly (though I’ve used the same sort of trick to inspire names I’ve used before) and it is imposing and it fits his egotism. Kind of my only real issue is that while he does become the emperor... His goal isn’t conquest. It’s murder. Worse yet, it’s not like the people of the Isles would know what it meant so it means nothing to them and doesn’t have a double meaning except for making title “Lord Lord” and Belos doesn’t seem like the one to want his name to be a literal joke. Why not make it a sly warning then? Have the people call him what would eventually doom them all?

So here’s the third way: Phonetically what it sounds like. Belos is pronounced effectively the same way as Bellows. You know, those things you use to strengthen and stoke a fire in a furnace. Or a pyre perhaps? And this was the shower thought: Why wasn’t Belos’ big final move fire? It is his backstory that he is a WITCH HUNTER. Witches weren’t just shot or the like on the spot. They were burned. Or stoned admittedly I believe but famously they were mostly burned.

Why not burn away the Isles, with his power, influence, etc. like that as the bellows that helped stoke the fire that saw it all burn away? If you want to go more metaphorically, why not fuel the flames of rebellion? He clearly didn’t have the most amount of control over his lands despite being a tyrant, or told to us to be one since his actions don’t actually correlate with one, so he could have been trying to make a rebellion happen. Killing Eda, the most famous wild witch, and petrifying her could do both. Solidify the terror in believer’s hearts while also enraging those who believed this was too far.

Of course that would have required everyone rallying to Eda to actually make... sense at the end of S1? Like this isn’t a desire that’s unfounded due to S1′s finale very much so feeling like it’s setting up for the entirety of the Isles to rebel against Belos when that never happens. Of course, the claims even in the show are pretty fucking weak. Like for this crime to be unjust, Eda would have to not be a know, actual criminal who did do more, at least supposedly, than just being a wild witch. She would have actually had to have had allies and friends and not been a complete bitch to literally everyone she met, including Luz and King for the first half of the season, for the entirety of S1.

Again, as far as the name goes, it’s fine. Belos works as just being a cheeky reference to him being the Lord of the Isles and it fits the general naming scheme of TOH. King is literally a King of sorts. Luz was at the beginning the light of the show and looked like she was meant to bring light to a dark place which... Yeah, that’s a different blog. Amity is amicable (as well as maybe Amityville?) very quickly and that closeness feeds into her being the love interest. Even Willow is named after a tree that is known to look sad and pathetic while being actually really strong.

It’s just interesting to me that a witch hunter’s name coincidentally also sounds like something that helps fuel fires. You’d think that’d be on purpose or someone might have noticed, though admittedly I didn’t until today so *shrug*. Again, not the biggest deal in the world, just kind of started making my brain buzz a bit.

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I also have an Amazon page for all of my original works in various forms of character focused romances from cute, teenage romance to erotica series of my past. I have an Ao3 for my fanfiction projects as well if that catches your fancy instead, If you want to hang out with me, I stream from time to time and love to chat with chat.

And finally a Twitter you can follow too!

[soyouareandrewdobson]

Why do you think Dobson's art got noticably worse? I mean so much worse. There's a reason why people often think his older stuff looks better; because it does (okay when he's not making mistakes like wrong number of fingers, angles, inconsistencies, etc.). I know he wanted to move away from his manga-influenced art but I don't think that explains everything.

I think the advantage of his older art is mostly that Dobson was simply being more simplistic in his early days than later on. Only that his attempts to be more detailed and move away from his "manga-influenced" art also involved him mixing too many things together all at once, creating just ugly art in general.

There is in my opinion a bit too much going on as to answer it in just a few lines, but I will try: First, the statement "Dobson was manga-influenced" always rubbed me off the wrong way because I don't think that is quite the case. Dobson was definitely influenced in his art styl and writing by certain mangas he read -Slayers and Ranma 1/2 primarily- but a handful of manga by an even smaller pool of artists to draw from, does not encompose the sheer variety of linework and aesthetics that have been within manga. For example, no one would be able to mistake a Go Nagai artwork for one by Akira Toriyama or Gosho Aoyama, because they have vastly different drawing styles. Confusing an Endo however with an Arakawa would likely be more the case. And don't get me even started how manga is often times writen differently from most western comics of the 70s-90s in term of drama, plot etc. What rather was the case, was that Dobson took aspects of the most simplistic, surface level aesthetics of manga in art and drawing, and hoped it would lead to success. Which it didn't, because of different reasons like a lack of commitment to the writing and nothing making it visually really different from a newspaper strip comic, but with characters making silly faces associated with late 90s comedy anime.

Second, when Dobson tried to reinvent himself, I think he tried too hard to get into more details or add shadows, wrinkles and stuff to his art. It is hard to explain, but the way it looks to me (particularly in stuff like his KorraSami pics) Dobson tried to draw characters at times with more "realistic" details like wrinkles in the face, but because the characters he drew are style toons, they started too look uncanny or exagerated. Which is another problem: When you look e.g. at his Ladybug comics, he didn't even get the proportions of the characters from the show not right by comparison, especially when it came to size of heads and eyes. Which if he had just gone full chibi style wouldn't have been as obvious to most people. But Dobson was always stuck in a weird halfway there state, where the characters were neither cartoonish but proportional, or too cartoonish and unproportional that the former balanced out the later. And he never figured the problem out.

Third, Dobson was just lazy when it comes to scenery I mean, I agree partly with Dobson that at times you don't need to draw a very detailed background when the focus of a story is in one panel focused on two characters looking at something off screen, them talking, or being in thought. But when you really think about it, when did Dobson ever for example really put effort into drawing e.g. a panel where the scenery was meant to tell more of a story or a storybeat, than the characters talking? Or when was a panel ever drawn from a different ankle than simply straight face forward. Like, has Dobson ever even heard of "overhead shot", dutch ankle or POV?