GT Writer Atsushi Maekawa Story Q&A

[ABED]

I was wondering everyone's thoughts on this interview: http://www.kanzenshuu.com/translations/ ... -story-qa/

I loved it. I love writers' insights into the decisions they made. The first thing I'll say is I love interviews like this because instead of assuming (often wrongly) what the writers were thinking, we get it in their own words. It also proves the point that it's all about execution because there are a lot of good ideas in here, but it's the execution that's off. For instance, I know a lot of people don't like the choice of Goku, Pan, and Trunks as the group to go into space, I like the idea and the logic behind the choice, but it's execution is what was lacking.

[TheMikado]

I was wondering everyone's thoughts on this interview: http://www.kanzenshuu.com/translations/ ... -story-qa/

I loved it. I love writers' insights into the decisions they made. The first thing I'll say is I love interviews like this because instead of assuming (often wrongly) what the writers were thinking, we get it in their own words. It also proves the point that it's all about execution because there are a lot of good ideas in here, but it's the execution that's off. For instance, I know a lot of people don't like the choice of Goku, Pan, and Trunks as the group to go into space, I like the idea and the logic behind the choice, but it's execution is what was lacking.

I loved this interview. It really shows the tremendous amount of thought and reverence they paid to the original works. It shows in the product as well. GT was written by fans of the series. It shows inside and out.

I don't even really like Gohan, but this want screen they wrote out alone explains why these writers truly understand the characters they were writing. Even Chi-chi's relation to it:

Around the Super 17 arc in the animation, he came back as a super-warrior all of a sudden, but actually, I personally wanted to put in a heroic episode telling the reason he started fighting again. For instance, people he loved, like Videl, had been hurt, and when in the depths of anguish, he happened to open up his wardrobe, inside was his dōgi from fondly-remembered times. Together with the line, “To think there’d come a day I’d wear this again…”, he brushes off Chi-Chi, who in tears is trying to stop him, and makes a shocking, lightning entrance on the battlefield. Considering the status of the character, I wanted to spend one or two episodes showing that level of resolve, and I recall having even written the plot for it. But it’s a subplot that diverges from the main story, I guess you could say, so due to various circumstances, it never came to fruition, and it ended up stopping at the level of, he takes off his glasses, and takes on the eyes of a warrior. (laughs)

[Kinokima]

If GT was actually focused on the relationship between Goku & Vegeta I may have enjoyed it better but even if that was their thought it really wasn't. Vegeta barely got to do anything really significant in GT except "turn evil" again for an arc (although I did love the I am an earthling with the pride of a Saiyan line) Turning Goku into a child again also hurt this relationship. Also I wish they did focus on Gohan and Piccolo. I don't think it would have been impossible to focus on both pairs of characters. I think GT didn't know how to use its large ensemble cast well. Everything can come back to Goku but it doesn't mean the other characters have to be neglected but GT really struggled with this.

I also like their reasoning for why they chose Goku, Pan, and Trunks, it's well thought out. But in the other part of the GT interview why they decided to make Pan the heroine to be rescued by Goku makes me really annoyed. That was definitely an awful idea. I don't understand why Goku couldn't be the hero without having to rescue his granddaughter. Yes he might have rescued Gohan & his other friends at times but their role wasn't to be rescued by the hero. So as it comes down to it it's just because Pan was a girl and they completely missed the opportunity to make Pan a great strong female role and instead regulated her to a damsel in distress.

[Michsi]

I both loved and hated it. It was great to see all these behind the scenes thought processes, yet at the same time got really upset at some of the choices they made.
What grinds my gears the most though was his reply to why Piccolo was shelved (I was actually surprised this issue was brought up point blank )and all it did was confirm one of my greatest fears : from the studio's perspective, Piccolo is seen mostly as Gohan's accessory. Vegeta's role is tied to Goku. What's worse is that the original manga never treated these character interactions so rigidly. Piccolo acted independently from Gohan most of the time, Goku was never that interested in Vegeta's presence. They said they were given a lot of freedom, but it doesn't feel like they did much with that freedom and just stuck with using old elements that were popular in the old show after adding just a new coat of paint.

[Kinokima]

I both loved and hated it. It was great to see all these behind the scenes thought processes, yet at the same time got really upset at some of the choices they made.
What grinds my gears the most though was his reply to why Piccolo was shelved (I was actually surprised this issue was brought up point blank )and all it did was confirm one of my greatest fears : from the studio's perspective, Piccolo is seen mostly as Gohan's accessory. Vegeta's role is tied to Goku. What's worse is that the original manga never treated these character interactions so rigidly. Piccolo acted independently from Gohan most of the time, Goku was never that interested in Vegeta's presence. They said they were given a lot of freedom, but it doesn't feel like they did much with that freedom and just stuck with using old elements that were popular in the old show after adding just a new coat of paint.

See I actually agree with them here. Vegeta is secondary to Goku, Piccolo to Gohan. Maybe the Vegeta/Goku thing really started most strongly in the Buu arc but it was definitely there all throughout DBZ and they definitely do have a strong relationship. That doesn't mean Piccolo's character only has to be about Gohan or Vegeta about Goku but having those type of relationships actually strengthen the characterization in my opinion. We don't just care about these characters for their personalities and fighting power but how they relate to each other.

I know a lot of people complain that Goku/Vegeta and Gohan/Piccolo are getting old but they will personally never get old to me. I love both these relationships and they add a lot of heart for me to the series. And there are several other relationships in Dragon Ball that are also really special to me (like Goten & Trunks and Goku and Kuririn and all the families that have formed)

[Grimlock]

One thing about that interview that intrigues me is this part.

In that episode, Goku, who takes Yi Xing Long‘s attack, sinks to the bottom of a deep hole. That is the turning point. Afterward, Goku still continues the battle, but what’s different from before is that he’s cloaked in an aura that won’t let any attack near him.

It might be that he died there, or it might be that he became something else entirely. I’ll leave that decision to the imaginations of everyone who watched. However, the Goku up to that point that everyone knows clearly does not appear after that.

Man, that was unexpected. Never in my wild dreams I would thought of that, but they really should have put more effort in that situation, being more clear about it, that would make end of GT more impactful because of it.

[namekiansaiyan]

I both loved and hated it. It was great to see all these behind the scenes thought processes, yet at the same time got really upset at some of the choices they made.
What grinds my gears the most though was his reply to why Piccolo was shelved (I was actually surprised this issue was brought up point blank )and all it did was confirm one of my greatest fears : from the studio's perspective, Piccolo is seen mostly as Gohan's accessory. Vegeta's role is tied to Goku. What's worse is that the original manga never treated these character interactions so rigidly. Piccolo acted independently from Gohan most of the time, Goku was never that interested in Vegeta's presence. They said they were given a lot of freedom, but it doesn't feel like they did much with that freedom and just stuck with using old elements that were popular in the old show after adding just a new coat of paint.

I actually can't believe they think Vegeta can only appear with Goku and Piccolo only with Gohan. It just shows how baf Toei are and is exactly why we need Toriyama to write his outlines for arcs in more detail.

All 4 of these are seperate characters and Toei should always think that way. They don't need each othet and should act on their own.

It basically proved my point in the Super threads where I say all the time that this Gohan and Piccolo obsession thing is 100% Toei and not Toriyama.

See I actually agree with them here. Vegeta is secondary to Goku, Piccolo to Gohan. Maybe the Vegeta/Goku thing really started most strongly in the Buu arc but it was definitely there all throughout DBZ and they definitely do have a strong relationship. That doesn't mean Piccolo's character only has to be about Gohan or Vegeta about Goku but having those type of relationships actually strengthen the characterization in my opinion. We don't just care about these characters for their personalities and fighting power but how they relate to each other.

I know a lot of people complain that Goku/Vegeta and Gohan/Piccolo are getting old but they will personally never get old to me. I love both these relationships and they add a lot of heart for me to the series. And there are several other relationships in Dragon Ball that are also really special to me (like Goten & Trunks and Goku and Kuririn and all the families that have formed)

As a Piccolo fan I want him to relate to other character like Goku and Vegeta and I am sure Vegeta fans want the same thing. This is all a Toei obsession and they completely misinterprete Toriyama.

I just want Piccolo to have a decent fight and interaction with another character which doesn't involve Gohan. This should be the same for any 'pairing' tbey make such as Goten and Trunks.

Fans though what about all these relationships. But when they write the series they shoulf never limit themselves to them and only have them interact if it makes sense to the episodes they write.

[ABED]

I'm not sure that's what they were saying concerning Piccolo and Gohan. While I like trying new dynamics, Goku and Vegeta's rivalry as well as Piccolo's relationship with Gohan are strong aspects of the series. Tying those characters together doesn't mean they don't have their own agency.

Regarding the issue of Pan, I did read the previous interview and it does come off as misguided. I'm not averse to the story of the guy saving the girl, but it's often overdone. By the same token, "strong female character don't need no man to save her" can be just as hackneyed and misguided as well. It's all dependent on execution.

[Michsi]

I both loved and hated it. It was great to see all these behind the scenes thought processes, yet at the same time got really upset at some of the choices they made.
What grinds my gears the most though was his reply to why Piccolo was shelved (I was actually surprised this issue was brought up point blank )and all it did was confirm one of my greatest fears : from the studio's perspective, Piccolo is seen mostly as Gohan's accessory. Vegeta's role is tied to Goku. What's worse is that the original manga never treated these character interactions so rigidly. Piccolo acted independently from Gohan most of the time, Goku was never that interested in Vegeta's presence. They said they were given a lot of freedom, but it doesn't feel like they did much with that freedom and just stuck with using old elements that were popular in the old show after adding just a new coat of paint.

See I actually agree with them here. Vegeta is secondary to Goku, Piccolo to Gohan. Maybe the Vegeta/Goku thing really started most strongly in the Buu arc but it was definitely there all throughout DBZ and they definitely do have a strong relationship. That doesn't mean Piccolo's character only has to be about Gohan or Vegeta about Goku but having those type of relationships actually strengthen the characterization in my opinion. We don't just care about these characters for their personalities and fighting power but how they relate to each other.

I know a lot of people complain that Goku/Vegeta and Gohan/Piccolo are getting old but they will personally never get old to me. I love both these relationships and they add a lot of heart for me to the series. And there are several other relationships in Dragon Ball that are also really special to me (like Goten & Trunks and Goku and Kuririn and all the families that have formed)

They got old to me (and I actually really like Piccolo/Gohan relationship, overused best green dad jokes and all ) and a lot of it has to do with the fact that nothing new or interesting is being done with them. I agree, fun and engaging character interactions are what matter to me most as well, but I can love a certain dish to pieces and still get severely sick of it after it's been served to me the seven thousandth time.
Piccolo has a solid friendship with Goku too, and he actually had more to do with him, even in the Buu Saga, than with Gohan. Gohan and Vegeta had some interesting interactions at the beginning of the Buu Saga, and his diatribe during Gohan's poor performance against Dabura could have been a great starting point for something between them other than "I know you exist."
It's just a load of missed opportunities IMO.

[Kinokima]

As a Piccolo fan I want him to relate to other character like Goku and Vegeta and I am sure Vegeta fans want the same thing. This is all a Toei obsession and they completely misinterprete Toriyama.

I just want Piccolo to have a decent fight and interaction with another character which doesn't involve Gohan. This should be the same for any 'pairing' tbey make such as Goten and Trunks.

Fans though what about all these relationships. But when they write the series they shoulf never limit themselves to them and only have them interact if it makes sense to the episodes they write.

I get what you are saying but with the exception of Goku most characters don't have strong relationships with every character. Goku as the main character of course has the wealth of strong relationships in the series.

Anyways Piccolo does have scenes with Goku, Vegeta and the other Z warriors so it's not like he only has a relationship with Gohan but that Piccolo & Gohan relationship is a particularly strong and well developed one. I am not saying I don't love when characters have interaction with characters we aren't used to and yes that also adds characterization but I do think Piccolo's relationship with Gohan is one of his defining features and I don't think this is a negative at all. Gohan is the son of Goku and one of the main characters. Be happy there is that relationship with Gohan because as long as Gohan is relevant so is Piccolo.

Piccolo certainly has it way better than Tien whose main relationship in the series is arguably Chiaotzu. Strong relationships are one of the most important thing about giving a character depth and keeping them relevant to the plot.

[ABED]

I get the analogy to food, but the food doesn't change. It's more akin to something like a dog. They are pretty much the same day in and day out, but we love them and don't tire of them. Sure, Piccolo and Goku do have an interesting friendship, but much of that is through Piccolo and Gohan.

[namekiansaiyan]

As a Piccolo fan I want him to relate to other character like Goku and Vegeta and I am sure Vegeta fans want the same thing. This is all a Toei obsession and they completely misinterprete Toriyama.

I just want Piccolo to have a decent fight and interaction with another character which doesn't involve Gohan. This should be the same for any 'pairing' tbey make such as Goten and Trunks.

Fans though what about all these relationships. But when they write the series they shoulf never limit themselves to them and only have them interact if it makes sense to the episodes they write.

I get what you are saying but with the exception of Goku most characters don't have strong relationships with every characters. Goku as the main character of course has the wealth of strong relationships in the series.

Anyways Piccolo does have scenes with Goku, Vegeta and the other Z warriors so it's not like he only has a relationship with Gohan but that Piccolo & Gohan relationship is a particularly strong and well developed one. I am not saying I don't love when characters have interaction with characters we aren't used to and yes that also adds characterization but I do think Piccolo's relationship with Gohan is one of his defining features and I don't think this is a negative at all. Gohan is the son of Goku and one of the main characters. Be happy there is that relationship with Gohan because as long as Gohan is relevant so is Piccolo.

Piccolo certainly has it way better than Tien whose main relationship in the series is arguably Chiaotzu. Strong relationships are one of the most important thing about giving a character depth and keeping them relevant to the plot.

I have never liked the Piccolo and Gohan connectiom and have always thought that this relationship overall brings down Piccolo while increasing.

Just look at current Super arc right now, [spoiler]Piccolo trains Gohan and makes another character stronger than him. Piccolo does not get to fight 1 on 1 like 17, 18, Frieza and Goku as he has to stay with Gohan. Even Roshi got 3 1 vs 1 fights. In episode 103 he gets one easy fight so Gohan can have 2 fights and show that he does not need Piccolo's help even though in episode 106 Piccolo has to protect him. Piccolo does not get to interact and fight the Namekians by himself even though Frieza gets to finish of Frost, Vegeta gets Cabba and Goku gets Caulifla and Kale. This article jusy confirmed what I always know and that is this a Toei Obsession 100% and not Toriyama. If Toei made the Universe 6 vs 7 tournament then Piccolo would have not participated due to Gohan not being in it as well.[/spoiler]

What does Piccolo gain from this connection to Gohan apart from getting killed or hurt and being mocked for babysitting pan? At least Vegeta gains something like being able to train with Whis to get stronger.

[ABED]

He gains a sense of humanity. Before Gohan, he was a demon who wanted to destroy the world and kill everyone.

[Kinokima]

I'm not sure that's what they were saying concerning Piccolo and Gohan. While I like trying new dynamics, Goku and Vegeta's rivalry as well as Piccolo's relationship with Gohan are strong aspects of the series. Tying those characters together doesn't mean they don't have their own agency.

Regarding the issue of Pan, I did read the previous interview and it does come off as misguided. I'm not averse to the story of the guy saving the girl, but it's often overdone. By the same token, "strong female character don't need no man to save her" can be just as hackneyed and misguided as well. It's all dependent on execution.

When I say strong female character I don't mean a character who doesn't ever need help or is perfect with no flaws. I wouldn't want a male or female character like that.

I mentioned Goku sometimes rescuing Gohan to say just rescuing a character doesn't make them a "damsel" it's as you say all in the execution. Gohan was a strong well developed character who got to be a hero in his own right even if sometimes his dad came to his rescue. He also had his own doubts he had to overcome. This is the type of characterization I would have liked to see with Pan.

He gains a sense of humanity. Before Gohan, he was a demon who wanted to destroy the world and kill everyone.

Completely agree I love Piccolo's relationship with Gohan. It's one of the best developed ones of the series.

Sure I would also love to see new aspects & development of Vegeta/Goku and Gohan/Piccolo but I definitely do not want the series to ever move on from these relationships.

[Michsi]

I get the analogy to food, but the food doesn't change. It's more akin to something like a dog. They are pretty much the same day in and day out, but we love them and don't tire of them. Sure, Piccolo and Goku do have an interesting friendship, but much of that is through Piccolo and Gohan.

Not really. The only time they interacted because of Gohan was during the Cell games and later in the Buu arc when they all thought Gohan was dead and Piccolo asked Goku to pass on his condolence.
Does nobody remember that Goku made Piccolo perform the fusion dance with him and Piccolo looked like he wanted to crawl inside a hole in embarrassment? That was great. Or how Piccolo knew that Goku had been holding back when he went to face Buu the first time. Or how Goku was ready to give the Kaioshin a piece of his mind because he thought he had been rude to Piccolo and Piccolo flipped out. That is the type of fun and silly interaction that I loved and severely miss.
A lot of people assume that Vegeta already fills up the position of foil to Goku and that he and Piccolo are too similar to both be shown alongside them, but that's exactly the kind of shoehorned, color-coded archetype driven storytelling that I dislike.

He gains a sense of humanity. Before Gohan, he was a demon who wanted to destroy the world and kill everyone.

Yes to that, but as an addition to what I said above : remember that he mentions Goku along side of Gohan as the reason for him learning that humanity right before he dies.

[Kinokima]

[
Not really. The only time they interacted because of Gohan was during the Cell games and later in the Buu arc when they all thought Gohan was dead and Piccolo asked Goku to pass on his condolence.
Does nobody remember that Goku made Piccolo perform the fusion dance with him and Piccolo looked like he wanted to crawl inside a hole in embarrassment? That was great. Or how Piccolo knew that Goku had been holding back when he went to face Buu the first time. Or how Goku was ready to give the Kaioshin a piece of his mind because he thought he had been rude to Piccolo and Piccolo flipped out. That is the type of fun and silly interaction that I loved and severely miss.
A lot of people assume that Vegeta already fills up the position of foil to Goku and that he and Piccolo are too similar to both be shown alongside them, but that's exactly the kind of shoehorned, color-coded archetype driven storytelling that I dislike.

Goku and Piccolo do have a relationship & history (because like I said Goku is the character that has a relationship with practically everyone) but personally I do think Goku & Vegeta have a lot more chemistry and play off each other a lot better than Goku & Piccolo do. More because Vegeta is a lot less of calm character than Piccolo is which leads to a lot more humor than Goku & Piccolo could. Vegeta's personality just works better with Goku in my honest opinion and they really are a popular pairing (not to mention the fact that they are both Saiyans and yet opposites in many ways)

Personally I don't think Vegeta took over for Piccolo at all because Piccolo's "rivalry" with Goku ended pretty quickly and the set-up of Piccolo with Gohan happened as early as the Saiyan arc (in fact I would argue this happened before Vegeta became a main character so another reason why I don't think Vegeta took Piccolo's place at all in the story)

For me Piccolo's relationship with Gohan is definitely a defining part of his character. Not really sure why people see this as a negative thing though. Gohan's sweetness is also a good contrast to Piccolo's character and we can see how that rubbed off on Piccolo.

[TheMikado]

I'm not sure that's what they were saying concerning Piccolo and Gohan. While I like trying new dynamics, Goku and Vegeta's rivalry as well as Piccolo's relationship with Gohan are strong aspects of the series. Tying those characters together doesn't mean they don't have their own agency.

Regarding the issue of Pan, I did read the previous interview and it does come off as misguided. I'm not averse to the story of the guy saving the girl, but it's often overdone. By the same token, "strong female character don't need no man to save her" can be just as hackneyed and misguided as well. It's all dependent on execution.

I completely agree. It's obvious that they consider them their own characters but also both of these villains find redemption in their respective counter part.
It does not mean they should always be linked together at the hip and that's why I like GT. Vegeta and Piccolo's independence is still respected, but on a spiritual level they are linked. It's shown through their internal monologues in various episodes. So they don't need to be onscreen hanging out with each other to establish this.

As for Pan, the issue is they tried to make her like Bulma which I understand. The issue with Pan is that there really isn't much to work with besides being "strong". Pan really didn't have much to contribute to the team unlike Bulma who was helpful even in the Namek arc. I just really wish they could have given Pan a niche beyond the troublemaker. Bulma filled that role too to a certain extent. However the story literally couldn't have continued without her.

[Kinokima]

As for Pan, the issue is they tried to make her like Bulma which I understand. The issue with Pan is that there really isn't much to work with besides being "strong". Pan really didn't have much to contribute to the team unlike Bulma who was helpful even in the Namek arc. I just really wish they could have given Pan a niche beyond the troublemaker. Bulma filled that role too to a certain extent. However the story literally couldn't have continued without her.

Well yes and that is what I mean about strong female character. Bulma is a perfect example of this. She isn't a fighter but is arguably Dragon Ball's most developed and strongest female role. But unfortunately DB does struggle with female characters (and this is certainly not just an issue with GT).

[ABED]

Not really. The only time they interacted because of Gohan was during the Cell games and later in the Buu arc when they all thought Gohan was dead and Piccolo asked Goku to pass on his condolence.

I was referring more to the very reason they have a good relationship to begin with is because Gohan changed Piccolo. I don't think Piccolo would've trained with Goku for the cyborgs had it not been for Gohan.

A lot of people assume that Vegeta already fills up the position of foil to Goku and that he and Piccolo are too similar to both be shown alongside them, but that's exactly the kind of shoehorned, color-coded archetype driven storytelling that I dislike.

Not sure exactly what you mean by this.

As for Pan, the issue is they tried to make her like Bulma which I understand. The issue with Pan is that there really isn't much to work with besides being "strong". Pan really didn't have much to contribute to the team unlike Bulma who was helpful even in the Namek arc. I just really wish they could have given Pan a niche beyond the troublemaker. Bulma filled that role too to a certain extent. However the story literally couldn't have continued without her.

Agreed. Bulma and Pan's personalities are similar, but the inciting incident for DB was Bulma running into Goku. She provides the tech savy. That's not to say Pan wasn't a good choice, but it seems like she's only there for Goku to save, which if that's true, you could've done it with anyone. I like the idea of a character like Pan going on the journey with them and it changing her for the better. Sadly, that's not what we got. There's a little of it, but not enough.

[namekiansaiyan]

I get the analogy to food, but the food doesn't change. It's more akin to something like a dog. They are pretty much the same day in and day out, but we love them and don't tire of them. Sure, Piccolo and Goku do have an interesting friendship, but much of that is through Piccolo and Gohan.

Not really. The only time they interacted because of Gohan was during the Cell games and later in the Buu arc when they all thought Gohan was dead and Piccolo asked Goku to pass on his condolence.
Does nobody remember that Goku made Piccolo perform the fusion dance with him and Piccolo looked like he wanted to crawl inside a hole in embarrassment? That was great. Or how Piccolo knew that Goku had been holding back when he went to face Buu the first time. Or how Goku was ready to give the Kaioshin a piece of his mind because he thought he had been rude to Piccolo and Piccolo flipped out. That is the type of fun and silly interaction that I loved and severely miss.
A lot of people assume that Vegeta already fills up the position of foil to Goku and that he and Piccolo are too similar to both be shown alongside them, but that's exactly the kind of shoehorned, color-coded archetype driven storytelling that I dislike.

He gains a sense of humanity. Before Gohan, he was a demon who wanted to destroy the world and kill everyone.

Yes to that, but as an addition to what I said above : remember that he mentions Goku along side of Gohan as the reason for him learning that humanity right before he dies.

ABED, so beacuse of that interaction way in the past Piccolo is never allowed to do anything by himself?

Piccolo has a connection with Goku so there is no reason why he can't interact with him at anytime.

This Gohan and Piccolo thing is why as a Piccolo fan I hope that Gohan is not involved in some future arcs so Toei can't force this interaction and will have to listen to Toriyama's script like they had to for the Universe 6 vs Universe 7 tournament.

Goku and Piccolo do have a relationship & history (because like I said Goku is the character that has a relationship with practically everyone) but personally I do think Goku & Vegeta have a lot more chemistry and play off each other a lot better than Goku & Piccolo do. More because Vegeta is a lot less of calm character than Piccolo is which leads to a lot more humor than Goku & Piccolo could. Vegeta's personality just works better with Goku in my honest opinion and they really are a popular pairing (not to mention the fact that they are both Saiyans and yet opposites in many ways)

Personally I don't think Vegeta took over for Piccolo at all because Piccolo's "rivalry" with Goku ended pretty quickly and the set-up of Piccolo with Gohan happened as early as the Saiyan arc (in fact I would argue this happened before Vegeta became a main character so another reason why I don't think Vegeta took Piccolo's place at all in the story)

For me Piccolo's relationship with Gohan is definitely a defining part of his character. Not really sure why people see this as a negative thing though. Gohan's sweetness is also a good contrast to Piccolo's character and we can see how that rubbed off on Piccolo.

So you only like the Gohan and Piccolo relationship because of how nice they are to each other? They is ridiculous. If Piccolo was your favourite character then you would realise why I hate this relationship. Toei are basically saying to Piccolo fans that if you ever want to see Piccolo fight or anything else then you have to have Gohan involved as well.

That means I will never get a good Piccolo solo ever again if Toei had their way. No other character is treated like this by Toei. It is why as a Piccolo fan I want Toriyama to write very detailed scripts as he does not have this obsession with this connection. The proof of this is in the original Dragon Ball series and the movie versions of Battle of Gods and Resurrection of F.