Dragon Ball arcs in general have zero consequence. Any kind of collateral damage created in the arc is always mitigated with the Dragon Balls either in the very arc where shit hits the fan or in the very next arc. I wouldn't call it bad writing in those scenarios where cast fall back on the Dragon Ball to sort any mitigating problem caused by circumstances of the story arc. Especially since the Universal Survival arc makes it very apparent very early on that winner of the Tournament Of Power will get any wish they desire with the Super Dragon Balls.Robo4900 wrote:Indeed. Though, Super had set a pattern of zero consequences, so it was pretty obvious the reset button was going to be hit at the end, despite everything else about the story up to that point indicating that yes, all deaths are final, all universe erasures are non-reversible, etc. etc.
It's a turn that hits a reset button in a way that doesn't gel with the arc up to that point. It's bad writing; the entire point of the arc, everything everyone is fighting against, everything the whole story is built around, all reversed in one moment, and ultimately it's not a clever subversion or turn. It's predictable, in fact; they've done the exact same thing before, so not only is it a single example of bad writing, but it's an example of the same piece of bad writing being recycled continually, which -- even for a piece of good writing -- would be tiresome.
A reset button with zero other consequences, even if it did fit in with the entire set-up and everything the stakes of the arc are built on, is troublesome. Hell, if Piccolo hadn't died and Goku hadn't been stuck as a kid, I'd be throwing these same criticisms at the Baby arc... In fact, y'know I think I honestly could just throw these criticisms at the Baby arc anyway... But criticising GT is overplayed at this point, and at least it only made that mistake once, and it did make the effort of doing stuff like what it did with Piccolo to mitigate it, even if it was a bit out-of-no-where, superficial, and weird... Super doesn't try much harder than "don't even worry about it. everything is okay now but we have to continue getting stronger anyway y'know bro"
I can understand if you personally don't like how any potential consequence are negated because of a set of Dragon Balls. But I wouldn't isolate the Universal Survival arc as a special case of this being bad. It's just Dragon Ball wrapping up its story arc in the most convenient fashion possible. I mean, by the time Majin Boo arc occurs, the cast are quite meta with their approach of the potential consequence regarding the antagonist they may encounter as they adopt a "use the Dragon Ball to fix everything" mentality so much they're willing to let billions of die on the virtue
The winner of the Tournament Of Power was granted any wish one wish with the Super Dragon Balls. It wasn't etched in stone that no one could used the Super Dragon Balls to reverse Zeno's actions. It was only a suggestion, that at best, wasn't advised given the unpredictably of how Zeno would react to such a wish being made. The stakes of the universes being erased at the time aren't gone because it's undone. That's like saying in any arc when the Dragon Balls are used to reverse the damage caused or the lives lost removes the stakes of the arc. It doesn't. The drama is still existed.Robo4900 wrote:The thing is, Zeno had already destroyed everything. It was established from the beginning that all losing universes are erased, and throughout the tournament, Zeno showed with all the casual brutality one would expect, his willingness and ease to simply wipe out all the losing universes from existence. We see these universes go; a big deal is made out of it in every case. Then suddenly at the end, #17 wishes everyone back, which had never been even remotely hinted as a possibility, it completely contradicts all of the stakes of the arc, and ultimately undercuts everything that happened here... The only thing that happens as a result of the TOP occuring is Goku has a new colour he can switch his hair to.
The stakes of the arc were built against the idea of there being an easy reset button that would be pressed at the end with zero other consequences. And yet, here we are.
The stake of the Universal Survival arc weren't built against the idea of there being an easy reset button that would be pressed at the end with zero other consequences. The stakes of the Universal Survival arc were simply built in the fact that eight universes were fighting to survive in a tournament, with the winner having carte blanche with a set of wish granting plot device that have unlimited capabilities in their wish granting. I mean, the Universal Survival began because a mortal (Goku) defy the suggestions and requests of a deity (Beerus) and the arc ended with a mortal (#17) defying the suggestions and requests of a deity (Zeno). I think at the very least there's some thematic consistency with this arc that prevents the ending arc from seemingly being out of left field.
As far as what can taken from the Tournament Of Power for the long term, well, the jury is still out on that one as Super is still an ongoing story, at least in one medium.
The Universal Survival arc itself served the purpose of working in juxtaposition of the themes tossed around the Future Trunks arc of the questionable morality of mortal throughout the multiverse. Zeno was looking for a virtuous mortal who would act with empathy when presented with an opportunity, and given total freedom, to act with absolute selfishness with a wish that had no limitations, would forgo they own personal wants and desires and instead shown and immense amount of sympathy and grant an extension of life for several other universes. it's not deep or profound by any storytelling means, but I find the whole "secret test of character" angle wholesome enough to Dragon Ball's large themes of camaraderie, and pragmatism balanced with empathy to make the arc itself worthwhile.
I'd understand if you don't agree with me on any of this, but that's just my two cents.
