Is Goku a self-insert?

[keyz05]

In any of the DragonBall source material, has people ever predicted that Goku could be part of one of Toriyama's life stories?

If not, then does anyone else have any evidence that Goku is a self-insert?

[Doctor.]

In order to be a self-insert, you either have to be as bland as possible and completely devoid of any personality, or a character who feels like a real person.

Goku doesn't fit the bill.

[DBZAOTA482]

I would pity Toriyama's family if he was.

[kinisking]

[spoiler]

[/spoiler]
If anything, Gohan in ROF was more of a self-insert. Maybe all the Gohan fans talking trash about ROF Gohan made Akira Toriyama mad and basically say fuck you to all the Gohan fans

[Chuquita]

Senbei Norimaki from Dr. Slump is who always felt like the author insert for Toriyama to me.

[Cipher]

While I'm certain Toriyama has ignored his family at points to draw manga, I doubt he's ever willfully endangered the world in doing so.

[CashmanX]

Not really.

You wanna see a real self-insert though? One so obvious the "creator"
complained he wasn't in a recent movie?

[RandomGuy96]

I'm pretty sure that Toriyama isn't a literal retard.

[RandomGuy96]

Not really.

You wanna see a real self-insert though? One so obvious the "creator"
complained he wasn't in a recent movie?

Koyama's whining about Broly not being in BOG was so amazing. He gives one paragraph of his review to the movie then says "But what about Broly? Anyone else miss Broly? I mean man, Broly. Sigh".

I was surprised right from the opening.
Once it started with the familiar “waves crashing into rocks” opening that is a byword for Toei, it then went into the 20th Century Fox opening, and continued with a credit for Toei Animation. Such wonderment. Actually, it’s because 20th Century Fox was involved in the production. I know the situation and some behind-the-scenes stories concerning that, but it’s top-secret information, so I can’t write about it.

And so, as for substance of the issue at hand…….

In handling the scripts for the films, what I always worried about each time was the problem of what to do about the opponent Goku fights against. That’s because, at the very least, they had to be stronger than [the ones from] the previous movie. After much hard work, I was unable to come up with an opponent stronger than Broli, and fell into a rut where I made him appear three times. That is to say, there’s the matter of questioning the idea of Broli as the strongest. As you are well aware, vehement opinions on the subject have been flying back and forth on this message board, as well as a variety of [other] websites.

For this time, Goku’s opponent, designed by Toriyama-sensei, was even a God of Destruction. In the world of Dragon Ball Z, that’s a setting where even Broli, before the God of Destruction, would face a gap like that between a Yokozuna and the very bottom of the sumo ranks. That Broli, reduced to a pushover.

Only, from the impression I got of the character on the screen, Broli was scarier, no contest. Am I the only one who found that Broli looked overwhelmingly frightening? Or am I just biased towards my own creation?

Any more than this would become a spoiler, so I’ll hold off on it, but Noppo would like to hear the impressions of the Broli fans….

My favorite part is how he takes offense at a movie villain being stronger than Broly, as if he didn't create Janemba and Hildegarn.

[Deathbringer]

Senbei is definitely more of a self insert, especially the way that he and Toriyama are both the creators of Arale which kind of reminds me of the Sorcerer's Apprentice in Fantasia where Mickey Mouse is taught by a powerful sorcerer whose name is "Yen Sid" (Disney spelt backwards) and is made to look like Walt Disney. Also apparently Toriyama himself even said that he may have based Senbei's design on himself, not just this but also whenever Toriyama is asked to describe himself he often makes himself sound like a lazy incompetent pervert which Senbei fits the bill for. On top of all this he made a thinly-veiled parody of his editor Torishima to be the villain.

[Abra kadabra]

Gohan is the self insert. It's painfully clear during the Cell arc

[VegettoEX]

Gohan is the self insert. It's painfully clear during the Cell arc

How does Gohan at any point in the series reflect Akira Toriyama in any way? What basis do you have for this assessment?

[Abra kadabra]

Gohan is the self insert. It's painfully clear during the Cell arc

How does Gohan at any point in the series reflect Akira Toriyama in any way? What basis do you have for this assessment?

I confused the term with reader insert lol

[B]

Masako Nozawa gave a recent interview(for either BoG or Super) where she comments on how alike Goku and Toriyama can be in there easy-going ways; neither of them spend too much time worrying or dwelling on the past. It might have been BoG, considering Goku is literally wearing Toriyama's blue tracksuit from his chin-down TV interview at the time.

I don't think it's a conscious decision; you write what you know.

[floofychan333]

Goku's no self insert. He's asexual while Akira Toriyama always calls himself an "old pervert."