Characters and their fandoms.

[DBZAOTA482]

It's an unusual topic but I does it. Here's the fandoms I rep and don't:

Goku

Honestly... it's rare you'll find sane, rational views on Goku nowadays strangely enough for being the main character. His fanboys cling to his good qualities while refusing to acknowledge his flaws while others generally don't acknowledge these flaws without absolutely tearing him apart. He's also been the center of much controversy for the last few years due to his portrayal in Super making him appear much more selfish and battle-hungry than he was in Z. Some hardcore fans argue it's consistent with how he was in the manga/subbed versions but to me, it's just flanderization at its finest.

Goku at his core character was always a simple-minded country bumpkin who wanted nothing more in life than to fight strong opponents but he knew when to get serious, had the heart of gold, was shown to be a fast-learner, and had a (deep) special affection for his family/friends. He now rarely if ever shows these traits in Super but it's only in the anime (which puts more emphasis in his stupidity) when it ever shows as opposed to the manga where he's basically a dumber Cell Saga Vegeta.

One thing to note is FUNimation themselves downplayed his less admirable qualities to make him a more atypical superhero when they first dubbed Z probably because they believe the audience couldn't handle heroes who enjoy their job... maybe they were right. Fans have shown themselves as very easily offended though that could them being disillusioned by the dub. In the end, his fixation for fighting only showed when it was really obvious which didn't jell well with his dub character well.

Gohan

Being the son of our hero and having more potential as a fighter than any other recurring character, Gohan is naturally one of the most popular characters in Dragon Ball but not too many fans seem to like him for who he really is- a mild-mannered, peace-loving rice boy with a strong sense of justice. Of course now they have good reason to complain but the issue is that they're simply not making it. Instead of asking modern Dragon Ball to show basic respect for the character and his fans, they just want him to be top dog.

Vegeta

He is one of my, if not most, favorite characters alongside Krillin and now I think very few would be against this position. His character is unarguably the most dynamic in the entire series as he went from an uncaring and ruthless space pirate (even by Saiyan standards) to a proud man who has learned humility and accepted he has people to care for. My only issue is that his characterization in Super all over the place- in the manga, he's too passive while in the anime, he's regressed back to his Pre-Boo Saga self (refuses to show affection for his family and Goku-obsessed).

Also, I will never be sold Vegeta x Bulma as this glamorous love story no matter how much modern Dragon Ball tries to make people believe. I only like the relationship for the individual characters and what they gained from it.

Bulma

The most significant female character no doubt, but that doesn't necessarily mean she's the most likable ("Oh, she occasionally moves the plot forward! Worship her!!") so there's no need to rep her fans- if anything, modern Dragon Ball I'd argue gives her more attention than deserved. I also don't like how the series shows she can use and abuse lesser characters because of her position, someone of which the original Dragon Ball punished her for, and just throw money at people's problems but seeing how Vegeta treats her in Super I can't be annoyed with it.

Another thing is some fans tend to take their love for the character too far by stepping on other characters to make her look better, especially Yamcha and Chi-Chi the resident target practices for character bashing.

Lastly, R.I.P Hiromi Tsuru.

Yamcha

Let's be fair, Yamcha fans- he's always been a punchline among the community for being a jobber but the franchise always treated him with a level of respect. However, TFS had set that sucker (his meme status) in stone particularly for western fans and it also doesn't help Toriyama just doesn't seem to care at all about him, but at least the franchise does.

Chi-Chi

I could use this as another platform to rant about how her haters are big meanies who demonize her over the dumbest things, but I won't. I've ultimately accepted there's really no solution to the matter so the only thing that can be done is hope for the best, but until then don't expect me to get along with the haters or anyone who's all sympathetic with them.

My only regret is I didn't speak out on them sooner. The haters have been a problem for quite some time and I had a premonition that things would take a turn for the worst since that abomination of a side-"story" (Dragon Ball: Minus) first came out. Why didn't I respond before the situation got out of control- was it fear of being judged for liking a character so many people seem to have problems with or was I too nice?

What other characters' fandom are you interested in talking about? Post it for yourself.

[Dbzfan94]

Goten fans

There arent that many of us but as for me, I just want him to 1) actually be shown, 2) age and 3) give him something to do that isnt fuse. I've always said that he deserves at least one arc of spotlight that Gohan got in Z. (Or hell even what Gohan got in DBS despite not being that much.) He gets railed on for having no personality, which I disagree with but I believe if they gave him a chance to shine he'd be more liked. like with 17

[ShadowBardock89]

A notable fandom is for Future Trunks. I mean, VegettoEX's wife, Meri, started Temple O' Trunks as one of the notable Character Shrines of the late 90's:
http://www.templeotrunks.com/
I'm sure she is not the only one who found Trunks to be a heart-throb.
Plus, his story is compelling.

Then there are the two fandoms that have been marketed since Budokai 3,
Broly and Bardock. I don't I need to go into further detail other than to post these:



I rest my case on those two.


As for me,
well....
I have been a fan of my boy since this game:

It all started when my friend made the comment that Raditz was the weakest character in the game, I disagreed when Mark clearly was.
I was determined to prove him wrong by beating the tournament mode with him.
Surprisingly, Raditz was shown some love in video games in the last decade with Attack of the Saiyans and Harukanaru Densetsu with his afterlife hi-jinxes and, of course, Budokai Tenkaichi 2's "Fateful Brothers" story and the Mullet Ape.
Then, Heroes gave him SS3. It is good time to be a Raditz fan.

[Michsi]

Goku

Look at this whole Goku fatherhood debate that's been reaching fairly critical levels lately. It works pretty well as an analogy when it comes to fan reception. He is either called the worst father ever or considered to be this misunderstood sweetheart of a man that doesn't deserve an iota of the criticism thrown his way.

However, TFS had set that sucker (his meme status) in stone particularly for western fans

The Japanese fandom has been doing that long before TFS. You'd see him getting parodied in other media as well (ex. Gintama) If there is one joke that I feel didn't need their help at all in spreading, it was Yamcha treatment.
Having said that, damn do i wish it would stop, on all sides.

[TrunksTrevelyan0064]

I'm not sure if this is in line with what you intend this thread to be about, but: I have a soft spot for characters that have untapped potential. And by potential I don't mean "battle power", but how much enjoyment could have been gotten out of them as characters. Some examples:

Tenshinhan - an extremely talented martial artist who got left by the wayside in favor of bigger, badder rivals for Goku such as Piccolo and Vegeta. He had mastered so many different interesting techniques, yet his third eye was never really explored for some reason. You'd think it would come with special, unique powers that would be awakened upon his redemption during the 22nd Tenka'ichi Budôkai final, when he "sees the light", so to speak. It is also my own personal "headcanon" (for lack of a better word) that he learned the basic gist of the Kaiô-Ken - perhaps not mastered it fully - and applied it to the Kikôhô, resulting in the Shin Kikôhô.

The Ginyu squad - they show up... and die. Come on! They were so much fun! Can you imagine how great a spin-off series about their glorious wacky adventures would be?

Dabra - with the way he ended up rebelling against Bobbidi (or Boo, at least), it could've been so interesting to have him temporarily side with Gohan & co. until the threat of Majin Boo was dealt with. He'd remain evil, of course, but that would just have made the whole dynamic all the more compelling.

[GamerSkull]

Goten fans

There arent that many of us but as for me, I just want him to 1) actually be shown, 2) age and 3) give him something to do that isnt fuse. I've always said that he deserves at least one arc of spotlight that Gohan got in Z. (Or hell even what Gohan got in DBS despite not being that much.) He gets railed on for having no personality, which I disagree with but I believe if they gave him a chance to shine he'd be more liked. like with 17

I feel the same. In fact, I like him far more than Kid Trunks personally.

[MajinMan]

The fandom I rep is Dragon Ball.

[ulisa]

Interesting topic!

Goku I think you touched on the major points here but I will say Goku is a great character when written well. He has great strengths as well as great weaknesses but sometimes, it feels like only one or two of his traits get focus and thus, he feels flanderized. I personally see this in Super a lot though it is not all the time. Writing Goku with good balance of these traits seems to be more rare but when it does happen, it’s great. Personally I think this is why early Z Goku is typically considered to be the best—he has a pretty evened out trait Library.

Gohan I’ll be the first to admit Gohan is my favorite but from what I’ve seen, his fans seem to fall into two or three categories—Those who prefer his Android Saga and before characterization, those that prefer his Buu Saga And after characterization and those who just want to see him destroy stuff. I really don’t think the fans are to blame for this division though because there is an obvious difference in how he is written pre and after the Cell Games. Much as I love the fight with Cell and I DO understand how the fight could be interpreted many different ways, I am most certainly am in the Pre-Cell characterization camp. It just felt much more coherent and supported by the narrative plus the overall idea of Gohan being influenced by both his father and Piccolo to create a new type of fighter was intriguing. I don’t argue his peace loving nature; I argue the characterization that totally dismissed the Saiyan blood he carries. His latest Super characterization seems to be acknowledging both sides.

ChiChi I think she has similar problems to the Goku camp—she’s either a vindictive bitch or a loving wife but much like Goku, her traits are usually flanderized. When she’s written well, her positive traits and negative traits work together but unfortunately, she’s typically pushed into the “education Mama” role to the extreme. Now, is she my favorite character? No, not by a long shot but while she has traits I despise and wish were addressed (her rejecting her kids’ and by extension her husband’s Saiyan nature really bugs me) she is also shown to have very good intentions that often get dismissed.

Goten They just need to do something with Goten! He’s interesting in that he isn’t exactly like Kid Goku despite having similar traits but he’s usually pushed aside or overshadowed by Trunks. I’d love to see some of Goten on his own.

Yamcha/Tenshinhan/Krillin I lump these three together because I totally understand wanting to make them stronger in the grand scheme of things. They all have a unique history with Goku so I’d love to see more of them. I loved seeing Krillin and Yamcha interact with Gohan, brief as some of it was, because of that history. In my opinion, the Saiyans are unfortunately shown as this “master fighting race” when in reality, there should be something unique about each race that lets them be threatening in a battle. For Saiyans, yes they have raw power. So why not give humans something additional ki abilities that Saiyans don’t have (except maybe the half breeds to sone extent due to their mixed blood) or something like that...

[sintzu]

Vegeta all the way. He's my favorite DB and anime character and so far has been the best handled apart from Goku in the franchise. I can't wait to see what else we'll get form our future king (seriously, someone needs to make him king already).

Long live Prince Vegeta.

[SuperCyan2]

Super Saiyan 4 Bardock looks awesome but how did he get from Super Saiyan 1 to Super Saiyan 4? Who cares, I dig that. I'd not mind if Bardock SSJ4 became a character in FighterZ.

[ShadowBardock89]

Super Saiyan 4 Bardock looks awesome but how did he get from Super Saiyan 1 to Super Saiyan 4? Who cares, I dig that. I'd not mind if Bardock SSJ4 became a character in FighterZ.

Oh, Super Saiyan 2 Bardock

and Super Saiyan 3 Bardock

are in the Heroes (with two different Bardocks: the Bardock we all know and Xeno Bardock, who comes from a different reality).

[Pickle_Jar]

I joke that Piccolo is my green husband a lot. He's got fangirls too and I'm one of 'em.

[emperior]

My opinion:

Goku - Most of his fans acknowledge what his character is about and like him for that. They don't care if he wins all the fights or not, they still love him. Some aren't happy when his childish attitude shows up too much, and that's perfectly understandable but when he gets serious it's so much more epic just because we are always used to his goofyness.
Haters dislike him because he hogs the spotlight of their favorite characters, because he is the main protagonist and so has "plot-shield" and because they realized he was never the hero of justice Funimation portrayed him to be. These are all silly complains in my opinion.

Vegeta - He has the most vocal fanbase. They desperately want him to beat a main antagonist and always get mad when he doesn't. They can't accept anything for him than to always be the best and can't stand it when he "jobs", so much that some extreme fans went out to express their disappointment with his recent treatment in episode 128 by insulting Toshio, the writer of the episode, on Twitter.
I agree that Vegeta should get a main win sometimes, he's a very important character so it makes sense for him to finally be the hero of a story arc, but he doesn't necessarily need to beat the main big bad to be a good character, and I think Super has shown it well enough.

Gohan - Some of his fans can't accept the reality of his character and want him to be as obsessed with battles as Goku and Vegeta. They always hope he will achieve a new power-up which brings him back to his Cell Games glory days. Most of his fans are rightfully sad to see how Gohan has been treated in modern material.

Piccolo - The few fans he has left just wish he would get a better treatment and a power-up, considering he has all the means to get stronger through some new Namekian-only power, as we know his race is still a very mysterious one. I still hope that one day Piccolo will get back to glory, but I know the chances are very slim and that's such a shame.

Freeza - The fans really don't want him to become a good guy, and that's perfectly fine but I would say that if he became neutral and stayed like that it would actually be a good direction for his character. I can't see him ever becoming a good guy but hey, that worked for Vegeta and I'm quite sure that if Toriyama handles it well, it can work for Freeza too. Just think about how much we would have lost had Vegeta stayed an evil guy forever.

Future Trunks - The fans who wanted him back and couldn't stand him getting some actual character development are honestly the worst fans ever. I mean, what did these people expect out Future Trunks? They seem to prefer Toyotaro's lame treatment of his in the manga, where Trunks is just the same old character from the Androids arc, who doesn't do anything but be there to hype up Goku and Vegeta after going back to the past crying for their help once again. I actually absolutely loved how he was treated in Super, and it justified him being brought back.

[Cure Dragon 255]

My opinion:

Goku - Most of his fans acknowledge what his character is about and like him for that. They don't care if he wins all the fights or not, they still love him. Some aren't happy when his childish attitude shows up too much, and that's perfectly understandable but when he gets serious it's so much more epic just because we are always used to his goofyness.
Haters dislike him because he hogs the spotlight of their favorite characters, because he is the main protagonist and so has "plot-shield" and because they realized he was never the hero of justice Funimation portrayed him to be. These are all silly complains in my opinion.

Vegeta - He has the most vocal fanbase. They desperately want him to beat a main antagonist and always get mad when he doesn't. They can't accept anything for him than to always be the best and can't stand it when he "jobs", so much that some extreme fans went out to express their disappointment with his recent treatment in episode 128 by insulting Toshio, the writer of the episode, on Twitter.
I agree that Vegeta should get a main win sometimes, he's a very important character so it makes sense for him to finally be the hero of a story arc, but he doesn't necessarily need to beat the main big bad to be a good character, and I think Super has shown it well enough.

Gohan - Some of his fans can't accept the reality of his character and want him to be as obsessed with battles as Goku and Vegeta. They always hope he will achieve a new power-up which brings him back to his Cell Games glory days. Most of his fans are rightfully sad to see how Gohan has been treated in modern material.

Piccolo - The few fans he has left just wish he would get a better treatment and a power-up, considering he has all the means to get stronger through some new Namekian-only power, as we know his race is still a very mysterious one. I still hope that one day Piccolo will get back to glory, but I know the chances are very slim and that's such a shame.

Freeza - The fans really don't want him to become a good guy, and that's perfectly fine but I would say that if he became neutral and stayed like that it would actually be a good direction for his character. I can't see him ever becoming a good guy but hey, that worked for Vegeta and I'm quite sure that if Toriyama handles it well, it can work for Freeza too. Just think about how much we would have lost had Vegeta stayed an evil guy forever.

Future Trunks - The fans who wanted him back and couldn't stand him getting some actual character development are honestly the worst fans ever. I mean, what did these people expect out Future Trunks? They seem to prefer Toyotaro's lame treatment of his in the manga, where Trunks is just the same old character from the Androids arc, who doesn't do anything but be there to hype up Goku and Vegeta after going back to the past crying for their help once again. I actually absolutely loved how he was treated in Super, and it justified him being brought back.

"The few fans he has left?" Wait WHAT? I know Piccolo doesnt have the most fans or the most vocal ones at that. But he is QUITE popular!

[CJStriker_CBR]

My Fandom Represents ~~~~ Ribrianne/Brianne, Kamikaze Fireballs and Universe 2 Fans!

We are small and not surprise New Fandom, but after being around the net the last few Month growing more steadly then I would have believed.

Mostly Me saying this but by some of the Fans I have meet they would likely say similar things to about our Fandom; We Enjoy our characters of U2 for their Support of Each other, their Ideals of Love that shows them as the best Supporting each other team in the ToP and their Homaging of the Magical Girl Mythos in every form it is both Serious and Silly moments.

We have fun enjoying our Characters and the Life they have brought to the DB Franchise!

What we want if for them to continue to be apart of the DB Mythos, to Come back and to lead to more development for them, bonding with members of other Universes, mainly U7 and Increasing their power to show they are a force to be noticed in the DB Mythos, but also to have fun and enjoy what life offers in happiness as well!

[Lightdasher]

"The few fans he has left?" Wait WHAT? I know Piccolo doesnt have the most fans or the most vocal ones at that. But he is QUITE popular!

Yeah! Quite the special one, he was even Toriyama's personal favorite (though, I don't know if this is still the case), so his fandom can lay claim to including him. If nothing else, it's nice that Piccolo's low power in comparison to the mainest of main characters hasn't greatly diminished his time in the shows as it has with many other characters.