Episode #0254 (10 April 2011)

[VegettoEX]

Episode #0254 (download MP3) (rss feed)
70:30; 96 kbps, mono; 48.7 MB

Episode #0254! VegettoEX and Julian discuss the announced sale of FUNimation, a new "DragonBall SD" chapter on the horizon, and all the international "DragonBall Kai" delays. Herms joins us for part two of our discussion about Toriyama's intended endings to the series, this time from the Cell arc through the end of the Majin Buu arc. Did the author ever actually say he wanted to end the series during any point within these two story arcs? Referenced sites:

• DBSD Chapter 2 Announcement @ Shonen Jump
• Australian "Kai" Part 4 Delay Announcement @ Madman
• FUNimation DB Season 2 Price Drop @ RightStuf
• FUNimation Sale Announcement @ Navarre
• Toriyama's Intended Endings @ Kanzentai
• FUNimation DBZ TV Dragon Box 5 @ Amazon
• German DBZ DVD Box 9 (R2 PAL) @ Amazon Germany

As a wise robot once said, "I'm back, baby!" Enjoy part two of the discussion we started up last time. w0rd.

[JulieYBM]

"It's the Internet Age! If it's not on Twitter nobody knows what it's about!!"

I dunno gang, I really like Second Form Cell myself. Maybe not as much as First Form, but I think he's pretty cool.




I feel like the face has a lot of strength...character to it. I wish we could have seen more plot go on with this form.

[CashmanX]

Awesome, downloading now!

So, does this mean we're back to our regular schedule of a podcast every Sunday?

[VegettoEX]

So, does this mean we're back to our regular schedule of a podcast every Sunday?

No way. It's worlds easier on me to get them out on Monday. I just happened to record the topic with Herms Thursday and happened to have it edited by Friday, and the other stuff was easy enough to crank out... so... done!

[JulieYBM]

Oh wow, an interview? Awesome, I hope it works out.

Maybe it's Horikawa Ryô?[/pipe dream]

[VegettoEX]

It wasn't listed in the actual section on Kanzentai, but since we talked about it on the show, I'll toss it here just to show that it's legitimately out there. From this article on the DB Wikia:

[Piccolo Daimao]

I dunno gang, I really like Second Form Cell myself. Maybe not as much as First Form, but I think he's pretty cool.

Yeah, I do feel it gets too much hate, compared to other controversial character designs. It's really not as bad as some of the others. My opinion towards it is apathetic. Although I do like how, similar to Freeza, his second form emphasized more on the character's strength and build, before transforming to a less intimidating and smaller final form.

[Michsi]

Regarding popularity polls, especially Gohan's case , while I am in no way the most knowledgeable person on the topic of the inner workings of WSJ, I might have an explanation:

I'm also pretty acitve in the Bleach fandome and around 2 or 3 years ago WSJ conducted a popularity poll for this series. If memory serves, voting stopped sometime at the end of August but the results where shown early January, three months later. If this similar to how popularity polls were conducted back then, with months long gap between the voting deadline and publishing the results, it may explain why Gohan hadn't made it in the top 5. There hadn't been enough time for the fandome to react to Ultimate Gohan and have that reaction influence the poll. It was too early.
But as I mentioned, things might have been differently back then.

[MetaMoss]

Loved the podcast, these kind of general discussions on Dragon Ball is always fun to listen to. I also feel that the second form of Cell is underused. He could have ran away when he realized that Vegeta was too much for him, and then come up with some plan to get #18, or something. I always think to myself "Too soon!" when Cell turns into his final form.

[Chibi Gohan]

Regarding popularity polls, especially Gohan's case , while I am in no way the most knowledgeable person on the topic of the inner workings of WSJ, I might have an explanation:

I'm also pretty acitve in the Bleach fandome and around 2 or 3 years ago WSJ conducted a popularity poll for this series. If memory serves, voting stopped sometime at the end of August but the results where shown early January, three months later. If this similar to how popularity polls were conducted back then, with months long gap between the voting deadline and publishing the results, it may explain why Gohan hadn't made it in the top 5. There hadn't been enough time for the fandome to react to Ultimate Gohan and have that reaction influence the poll. It was too early.
But as I mentioned, things might have been differently back then.

In my opinion Gohan did become really lame after the Cell Games up until he fights Buu in his ultimate form, so his place in the poll is expected...

[Herms]

I'm also pretty acitve in the Bleach fandome and around 2 or 3 years ago WSJ conducted a popularity poll for this series. If memory serves, voting stopped sometime at the end of August but the results where shown early January, three months later. If this similar to how popularity polls were conducted back then, with months long gap between the voting deadline and publishing the results, it may explain why Gohan hadn't made it in the top 5. There hadn't been enough time for the fandome to react to Ultimate Gohan and have that reaction influence the poll. It was too early.

That's interesting. The Boo era poll also came out in January 1995 (on the 16th, and that issue was only the second one to come out that month). The previous August saw chapters 479 to 482, covering Bulma and co. wishing the people Vegeta killed back to life, up to Gohan pulling out the Z Sword. I could see why if the poll was closed then that Gohan wouldn't make the top 5.

On the other hand, if the Cell era poll also was taken over a similar time frame (it came out on March 8th, 1993), then it would mean Gohan was already the most popular character even before he took Goku's place at the Cell Games and became Super Saiyan 2, which would be pretty notable.

[Michsi]

On the other hand, if the Cell era poll also was taken over a similar time frame (it came out on March 8th, 1993), then it would mean Gohan was already the most popular character even before he took Goku's place at the Cell Games and became Super Saiyan 2, which would be pretty notable.

That's what I thought too and I figured this could this have been a reason why Gohan had been chosen to be the hero of that arc. I always thought that his turn in the spotlight was a bit sudden. He was left out for most of the arc and then suddenly placed center stage.

[Herms]

That's what I thought too and I figured this could this have been a reason why Gohan had been chosen to be the hero of that arc. I always thought that his turn in the spotlight was a bit sudden. He was left out for most of the arc and then suddenly placed center stage.

Though if that were the case, it would mean Gohan was capable of being the most popular character even without doing much. So if that were true in the Cell arc, why did it change during the Boo arc? Could kid Gohan pull that off but not teen Gohan? Could be, though I 'm still skeptical that Gohan's popularity in the Cell era poll isn't due to it being taken after he started fighting Cell. But I guess we'll probably never know for sure.

It wasn't listed in the actual section on Kanzentai, but since we talked about it on the show, I'll toss it here just to show that it's legitimately out there.

On that note, I was infinitely amused to find this while looking through the "Ask Daizenshuu EX" archives. This too.

[Michsi]

That's what I thought too and I figured this could this have been a reason why Gohan had been chosen to be the hero of that arc. I always thought that his turn in the spotlight was a bit sudden. He was left out for most of the arc and then suddenly placed center stage.

Though if that were the case, it would mean Gohan was capable of being the most popular character even without doing much. So if that were true in the Cell arc, why did it change during the Boo arc? Could kid Gohan pull that off but not teen Gohan? Could be, though I 'm still skeptical that Gohan's popularity in the Cell era poll isn't due to it being taken after he started fighting Cell. But I guess we'll probably never know for sure.

This wouldn't be the only time something like this happened in a popularity poll. I go back to my examples for Bleach. The character Hitsugaya is, according to the lastest polls, the most popular figure of this series. A popularity poll started very shortly after he was introduced and he got so many votes that even the author was surprised. He would keep growing in popularity and in the next 2 polls surpass the protagonist withouth having had any significant increase in importance in the story (although I think the author increased his screen time). Gohan at least had 2 entire arcs where his presence was very noticeable. It was just in the Cell arc that he suddenly got left aside for a while.

There are just some characters that are inherently popular and appeal to a large number fans because of certain traits.
If Gohan's quiet, polite and serious demeanor (an the fact that he is a kid character)is what made fans like him then yeah, his attitude and appearence might have turned off a few of his fans. Tbh, he is almost a completely different character in th Buu Saga.
But yeah, we will probably never know for sure.