zarmack wrote:
Zamasu was built up be other characters to be some kind of prodigy among the Kais in both mediums of the series.
You bringing this up as some kind of counterargument just tells me that you're failing to understand the purpose behind this plot element and perhaps the red herrings of Toriyama's stories in general.
The entire point of Zamasu's build-up as a supposed prodigy was to establish that Zamasu,
even as a prodigy amongst Kaioshin, was utterly incapable of defeating a mere mortal. In the anime, this is shown through direct combat. In the manga, it's conveyed through Godtube (I'll freely admit that it was actually the
anime in this case that communicated this particular scene more effectively). That doesn't change his portrayal throughout the rest of the arc; be it his values or just his standing as a god, almost nobody ever comes to believe he's nearly as special or as important as he thinks he is. The sole exception is Gowasu, a guy who repeatedly admitted that he was blinded by his affection for his pupil.
You mentioning that the manga makes him come across as more pathetic is honestly more of a concession to my point. All that means is that the manga did its job remaining consistent with his characterization.
reecehoward wrote:His moves and grandiose techniques were all a reflection of what he had believed himself to be
That "reflection" bit is the entire problem. That's not who Zamasu is.
Zamasu's arrogance isn't just unwarranted self-importance, it's delusional hubris. He's supposed to be such an egocentric character that he's completely, ironically and often hilariously oblivious to how other characters perceive him. Adding in a bunch of flashy final boss techniques for the sake of fanservice fundamentally misses the entire narrative point that Zamasu is, in fact, just as pathetic after merging as he is before. He's not going to be putting up some grand facade if he never felt like that was necessary. He didn't suddenly start being full of himself post-fusion.
That's not mentioning the fact that it's also nonsensical in-universe. Gods in
Dragon Ball don't run around with stereotypical halos and wings unless they're already dead... which also applies equally to some mortals, so it's not even a "godlike" thing. It's just out-of-place wank.
reecehoward wrote:Think we may have to taje this discussion to the Anime vs Manga thread before we end up derailing this thread past the point of return.
I'm not derailing this thread and I won't be posting in the other one. I'm specifically talking about the manga and its execution, irrespective of whether I have to bring up the anime to discuss which medium failed where the other succeeded. The general thoughts behind my posts were, are, and always will be completely on-topic as far as I'm concerned.