Appreciating the team dynamics/motivations in the ToP

Discussion specifically regarding the "Dragon Ball Super" TV series premiering July 2015 in Japan, including individual threads for each episode.

Moderators: General Help, Kanzenshuu Staff

User avatar
LoganForkHands73
Advanced Regular
Posts: 1358
Joined: Wed Feb 12, 2020 8:54 pm

Appreciating the team dynamics/motivations in the ToP

Post by LoganForkHands73 » Tue Mar 03, 2020 7:24 pm

While rewatching the Universe Survival arc, one aspect that struck me just as it did back in 2017 was how much I love thinking about the team dynamics within Universe 7 and the characters' motivations, especially towards the end of the tournament when we're left with the strongest members of Universes 3, 7 and 11. Mainly when it's just Goku, Vegeta, 17, Frieza and Gohan remaining. There's something so relatable about it.

17
I think the character who sticks out the most on Universe 7's team is Jinzoningen Junanago. Erm, Android 17. He has no real connection to his teammates and has made a grand return as the true dark horse of the tournament. Prior to the tournament, he has not interacted with any of the main characters since the Androids arc -- hell, he'd never even met Goku until a few hours ago, and that was the guy he was originally programmed to kill. Oh, and that dude who looks just like Goku but with shorter hair? Brutally murdered by 17 in an alternate future.

If you the reader are Goku then 17 is quite literally your mate's wife's brother that you've never spoken to and only know by reputation who's mysteriously resurfaced... so you decide to invite him along. Surprisingly, he turns out to be super cool, you get on like a house on fire and, most importantly, he turns out to be incredibly competent.

17 has probably the least stake in the conflict out of anyone on his team. He doesn't even care that much about getting erased. But he still throws his lot in. I think this is best illustrated when he briefly joins forces with Frieza and they work as an effective team because they have absolutely zero baggage. Both the anime and especially the manga emphasise his professional approach to the tournament -- he just wants to get everything done as quickly and efficiently as possible so he can just get back to his island. I think anyone can relate to either having been 17 or having someone like 17 as an ally at some point, whether it's on a sports team or on a riotous night out on the town.

Frieza
Then of course we have Frieza. It's obvious that he's completely out-of-place dysfunctional on the U7 team because he's fucking evil and has no intention of repenting or making friends with anyone else. Unlike 17 with his cold efficiency, Frieza may hate the situation but he decides to have fun with it anyway. But by the final minutes of the tournament, his lone wolf "badass bystander" act isn't going to fly anymore -- he has to properly cooperate with his arch-nemesis, his nemesis's son, his treacherous understudy and some prettyboy park ranger he's never met. And most disgustingly, he can only just match up to the opposing team's third-fiddle, let alone the new hot-shit who's stolen his nemesis.

Gohan
If Frieza and 17 both represent bygone eras, I'd argue Gohan does too. He's been out of the game since the Buu saga but now he's back to kick some arse. He's technically the leader, but as always, his heart isn't really in the conflict in the same way as Goku or Vegeta's are. Like 17, he wants to be efficient and pragmatic but he's still reluctant to fight and only doing so because his reality's literal existence is on the line. While he has progressed in power, Gohan is still rocking the cool but kinda redundant Ultimate form and never evolves beyond it, unlike every other Saiyan who gains at least one new transformation (quality may vary). However, his designated role as The Responsible One shines through when he and Piccolo basically act as the clean-up crew for the stragglers that Goku and Vegeta are too busy to finish off, such as Obuni from Universe 10 and the Namekians from Universe 6.