Things have gotten too weird - Mai

[Majin Whis]

You know, although it was pretty awesome that we got a Trunks arch with black Goku and a post apocalyptic future (again). However, when it comes to Mai and Trunks things start to get confusing and don't make sense. At first when I saw Mai in the future, I thought it was just some other woman who just happened to look like Mai (creatively bankrupt). When I found out it was actually future Mai, it just made things weird and awkward.

First off, how is "young adult Mai" even in his "future"? I thought the timelines split during the android saga and thus made it a completely different alternate timeline universe?

One could argue that her gang in future trunks timeline used the dragon balls to restore their youth. Let us take a closer look, lets assume they used the dragon balls BEFORE the androids appear; which is the only way that could of happened. Since Trunks was born in 766, one year before the androids appear, Mai would be roughly 5 years old if she wished JUST before the androids appear. So it would make since they are around the same age if we consider this.

Even though Trunks is dating who is essentially an old lady, he probably wasn't aware of this considering his whole world at the time was getting murdered by black Goku. Bulma probably forgot who Mai was, probably barely even remembers what she looked like. Even if she did remember, she probably wouldn't ruin it for Trunks since they live in a post apocalyptic world and he probably doesn't have a lot of other options. The only real way he would figure out Mai was an old lady who's a criminal; is if Mai spilled the beans herself. Mai wouldn't want to spill the beans since it's probably not in her best interest to do so. Think of it as like a fresh start of sorts.

When he goes back to the present timeline in super, things get really weird. With 5 year old Mai and her gang of misfits, things get mind blowningly stupid. When kid Trunks grabbed Mai's hand and that "love" moment happened, things went out the window with this arch.

Mai is nearly 80 years old and she falls in love with a "7" year old kid. Did Toei even think this through? The weirdness keeps going on with future Trunks and 5 year old Mai having their moments together.

You know, this has gotten so bad, I wouldn't watch this around anyone. I am not going to sit there and explain that this 5 year old kid is really 80 years old. Even though they are technically adults, this is manifesting in a form of a CHILD which makes the weirdness go up 100000%

There is no way to fix this, this has gotten too far out of hand. I really hope that in the American release they skip all the moments with 5 year old Mai. Disgusting and stomach turning this has become, what a train wreck.

[precita]

Its fine. Mai grows up again and falls in love with a boy her age.

[TheGreatness25]

Been there, done that, got the t-shirt. I've expressed this before, but people seem to like it. Oh well. You can't change it and it's actually happening. If you want to continue watching the series, you'll just have to swallow this turd, strap yourself in, and try to think of all the other reasons you want to watch because the Mai thing is real and it's not going away no matter how many times you close your eyes.

[Majin Whis]

Its fine. Mai grows up again and falls in love with a boy her age.

Did you not read what I just posted? Shes 80 years old, shes older then Bulma and Goku. It would be one thing if they used a completely different character.

You know, there was a guy posing as a football high school player and even sneaked his way into the school to get high school girls, no one knew the difference. You know what the law did when they caught him? They arrested him. So how is this automatically any different when we apply this to something else? it is weird no matter how you slice it.

Bad animation and bad story telling is one thing, but this is bad on a completely different level. Even though its happening, doesn't mean you have to accept it or stand for it.

[TheGreatness25]

What I meant by it's happening is that you're not going to change it. If you want to watch the series, you'll have to learn to live with it. You are only working yourself up.

To be fair, while I don't like the idea either, she is legitimately in a young body, so she's not really posing as a little girl; she is one.

[Boo Machine]

Kid/present Mai is kinda stuck in this weird middle ground with all sides having a weird angle.

Despite technically being ,like, at least 50 or so, her future self is still an adult and so is future trunks so I have no problem with it.

But with the kid/present version, she is creepy to some if she is with kid trunks because even though she is in a younger body, she is mentally an adult.

But people also find it creepy if Future trunks so much as interacts with kid/present Mai because she is in a younger body and considered a kid to some people.

At this point I'm just rolling with it. Not like anyone is going to go any further than hand holding.

[TheGreatness25]

You have two options: just roll with it or drive yourself nuts over something that won't change. The choice is yours.

[Majin Whis]

You have two options: just roll with it or drive yourself nuts over something that won't change. The choice is yours.

No, we don't have control over what they do. However, hopefully funanimation might be able to do something with the American release.

[TheGreatness25]

Yeah that's not going to happen because there is a much more horrible uproar that would rise against that.

[Zephyr]

I think you're overreacting a bit.

Mai wasn't even an old lady when she was returned to a kid (was she?). She never became an old lady. Therefore, she doesn't have the experiences, physical or mental, of an old lady. Therefore, she's not mentally an old lady.

I don't think Dragon Ball can really get too weird. The in-universe causal chain is tied inexplicably to incredibly ridiculous gags. It's been silly from day one. Even when it gets serious, the fact that a serious story could even be forged in a world like this is silly in itself. It's inescapable. I mean, if they were playing up the age gap thing in a fetish-y way, then I'd agree that it's getting weird. But you don't have Mai monologue-ing about how it's "so hot" to be with a kid way younger than her (mentally), or with a guy way older than her (physically), or Trunks doing the same about a girl way younger than himself (physically). There's none of that. It's all just another silly and absurd combination of things.

[flashback0180]

Really ? People are alright with x-men movies where a 140+ year old wolverine makes out and has sex with 20 year olds , but its unacceptable when a cartoon does the same ?


Many popular anime are just screwed up like this , in inuyasha , the dude is nearly 200 years old yet marries a 15 year old . Not mention his older brother sesshomaru...

[Scarlet Spider]

I think you're overreacting a bit.

Mai wasn't even an old lady when she was returned to a kid (was she?). She never became an old lady. Therefore, she doesn't have the experiences, physical or mental, of an old lady. Therefore, she's not mentally an old lady.

I don't think Dragon Ball can really get too weird. The in-universe causal chain is tied inexplicably to incredibly ridiculous gags. It's been silly from day one. Even when it gets serious, the fact that a serious story could even be forged in a world like this is silly in itself. It's inescapable. I mean, if they were playing up the age gap thing in a fetish-y way, then I'd agree that it's getting weird. But you don't have Mai monologue-ing about how it's "so hot" to be with a kid way younger than her (mentally), or with a guy way older than her (physically), or Trunks doing the same about a girl way younger than himself (physically). There's none of that. It's all just another silly and absurd combination of things.

Pretty much bolded. Though when Bulma asked Mai how old she was, she immediately said she was 41. She's near old lady age, but mentally she's always been immature. Present Trunks/Mai is more silly than anything.

Honestly, it's mostly Future Mai and Future Trunks that has me weirded out. Not sure how to explain why.

[SSJ Human]

I don't know why everyone has been making a big deal out of it. No matter how much we analyze it, they are being moved into canon couples and I don't see an issue since Future Trunks and Mai are both adults. The one in the present's a different story however but I can live with it.

[Pantalones]

You know, there was a guy posing as a football high school player and even sneaked his way into the school to get high school girls, no one knew the difference. You know what the law did when they caught him? They arrested him. So how is this automatically any different when we apply this to something else? it is weird no matter how you slice it.

There's kind of a difference between an adult pretending they're in high school for sketchy reasons and someone who summoned a magic dragon, wished to become young again, and ended up getting turned into a little kid.

It's definitely not a situation of Mai being a creepy pedo who did it on purpose, for one thing -- the Pilaf gang just wanted to be younger, becoming children was a case of them not wording their wish specifically enough and Shenlong screwing them over as a result. Plus for the most part she actually seems to think like a little kid, too, rather than being a regular adult in the body of a kid. The only thing "adult" about her is the fact that she still has memories of her lifetime before the wish happened.

[Valerius Dover]

There is no way to fix this, this has gotten too far out of hand. I really hope that in the American release they skip all the moments with 5 year old Mai. Disgusting and stomach turning this has become, what a train wreck.

Yeah, that's definitely not happening. Remember Battle of Gods? This is Funimation we're talking about. Not Saban. Not Dentsu. Not 4KMedia. The very idea that Funimation would do anything less than an accurate translation in this day and age is simply ludicrous. As for the subject matter, one should take into account that the Pilaf Gang were not exactly very mature to begin with even as adults. Furthermore, the mind, being part of the body, would also de-age lowering their mental ages even further. I really think you're thinking too way too deeply about this. There are plenty of weird things that happen in this series, and this is just another one of them.

[Captain Strawberry]

You know, there was a guy posing as a football high school player and even sneaked his way into the school to get high school girls, no one knew the difference. You know what the law did when they caught him? They arrested him. So how is this automatically any different when we apply this to something else? it is weird no matter how you slice it.

There's kind of a difference between an adult pretending they're in high school for sketchy reasons and someone who summoned a magic dragon, wished to become young again, and ended up getting turned into a little kid.

It's definitely not a situation of Mai being a creepy pedo who did it on purpose, for one thing -- the Pilaf gang just wanted to be younger, becoming children was a case of them not wording their wish specifically enough and Shenlong screwing them over as a result. Plus for the most part she actually seems to think like a little kid, too, rather than being a regular adult in the body of a kid. The only thing "adult" about her is the fact that she still has memories of her lifetime before the wish happened.

You have to remember, because she's in a body of a child than she would be affected by her brain; the desires and such of a child.

[TheZFighter]

Typically I initially took quite a simple view to this and I was just happy to see Mai, such a comparably insignificant character when compared to other villainous character, or just other characters in general, being used again, and adding a bit more depth to the Future Trunks character. Obviously when you look at the fact that Mai was an older-teenager/ adult in Dragon Ball, it does seem a bit odd on the surface, but there is clearly more going on.

For reasons that I'm not sure have been explained yet, the Future Mai character appears to be younger than Mai appeared on Dragon Ball, or at the very worst she is the same age as her Dragon Ball self. I'm not even 100% sure how or why Pilaf, Shu and Mai have appeared as children in the main timeline. Has that been explained at all? I'd appreciate it if somebody could clear this up for me.

Regardless, if she has became younger somehow, through a wish or other means, I don't really see this as being any weirder than anything else that is going on the world of animes and manga.

[dbzfan7]

I find the think more childish mindset to not hold much weight, when our main character Goku, is a man child himself.

[LightBing]

Mai doesn't have the maturity of an adult, she never had. I remember when she was scandalized at Bulma during the first arc. Currently, besides the joke here and there about her being an adult, she's basically a child. The whole Pilaf Gang are.
That's enough to take all the ick factor away. Age is irrelevant if people are conscious and responsibly enough. Or else 18 year olds wouldn't date 50 year olds, for example.

If you think this is too much, I have to remind you when 16 year old Bulma offered to show her panties to Kame-Sennin in exchange for a Dragon Ball, Kame-Sennin who got a much better deal than offered.
Then there's Oolong drugging Bulma and almost being successful in molesting her.

[FoolsGil]

I've gotten over it kinda. I'm more disturbed by this love triangle that sprouted though. Holy Shit Japan. only you.