DragonBall Z Abridged

[Hellspawn28]

Bardock TV special was pretty good and I agree that the dub of it is awful. I still don't mind DB- since DB- is Toriyama's take on Goku's origins which he never did in the 80's and 90's. Bardock was still a bad guy in DB- and people act like bad people can't care about their love ones. Look at Al Simmons from the Spawn comics for example. Al was a cold blooded murder and yet he still love his wife and his best friend before his death. I don't see how someone like Bardock can still be bad and still love his family.

[batistabus]

"Now let's return to some more light-hearted fare, shall we?" World's Strongest confirmed #1...there better be something that I'm missing!!

Despite strongly disagreeing with this choice, I really loved this DBcember. It was always the first thing I checked when getting home from work. Considering the DBZA audience, I think these reviews might actually do some good in providing insight to dub fans. Thanks TFS, and I'm really looking forward to what you guys come up with next year.

[jcogginsa]

Eh, I've never read Minus so I can't speak to how well it does or doesn't jive with the special.

But the idea of Bardock having someone he loves among his own people isn't 100 percent incompatible with the special. Bardock clearly cared for his comrades a great deal. I think it was non-saiyans he had no compassion for

[Mewzard]

Yeah, I have no issues with any of the actual plot points of Minus...the issue is though...that's what it is, a checklist of plot points (like he made an outline of things to do for a whole manga only to be told he was getting 15-20 pages, and having to slam it all together quickly).

If that one chapter were made into a volume or so that slowly build up some character bits, having Bardock piece things together about Freeza's plan, showing the contrast of his savage nature of slaughtering people in the backdrop to a man who learned what love is only later in life, a good fight or two, and maybe showing a bit later into what happened after Goku was sent away, I feel like it would have been far more well received (whether or not people still preferred the Bardock Special over it). Wouldn't hurt to also expand on Raditz and Vegeta's end of things and show us what Nappa was up to.

But given that Toriyama talked about how hard even doing the one volume of Jaco was for him...I guess that's just a case of too little, too late (unless such a thing is expanded upon in animated form). Would love to see Jaco as a whole animated.

But yeah, otherwise, enjoying this solid list counting down Dragon Ball specials. I have an idea what's next based on that ending hint, so it'll be fun to see if I'm right or not (if so, not quite the #1 I'd pick, but hey, to each their own).

Oh, Kaiser, if you don't mind me asking...if/when you guys ever get to Plan to Eradicate the Super Saiyans, where would you release it in comparison to the rest of the show/movies? Would it be while Gohan is still young, or is it being saved for after Z?

[BlazingBarrrager]

Honestly with Minus I'm just glad we to see Goku's canon mother, because the fan's outakes of her can get really...ridiculous. Some other things I liked about Minus is how Bardock's worry about his race's annialation is going by his gut and not psychic powers. Yeah Bardock being out of character (somewhat seeing as how he's still enjoying his job) and the entire thing just being another "Superman origin" copy were some of the negative aspects of the one-shot, but I felt it was still a good one-shot that didn't have a big impact on the series.

[KaiserNeko]

I also despise Gine having a gentle nature. Really, the entire thing just seems to undermine the true nature of the Saiyans as we've been lead to believe, hurts Goku's overall backstory, and just... ugh, makes it an EVEN WORSE RIPOFF OF SUPERMAN THAN IT ALREADY WAS.

[BlazingBarrrager]

I also despise Gine having a gentle nature. Really, the entire thing just seems to undermine the true nature of the Saiyans as we've been lead to believe, hurts Goku's overall backstory, and just... ugh, makes it an EVEN WORSE RIPOFF OF SUPERMAN THAN IT ALREADY WAS.

Like this isn't the first time we had a gentle Saiyan? *points to Tarble* Still, I get your point.

[Doctor.]

I don't really have a problem with gentle Saiyans as a concept. What I have a problem with is that one of Goku's parents is a gentle Saiyan.

[KaiserNeko]

I don't really have a problem with gentle Saiyans as a concept. What I have a problem is that one of Goku's parents is a gentle Saiyan.

This. I just undermines Goku's contrast with his race.

...

SO YEAH, DBcember has been an interesting ride for us at TFS.

[Doctor.]

SO YEAH, DBcember has been an interesting ride for us at TFS.

How has the fan reaction been? I've only checked this thread, I didn't check the comments on the site, Youtube or Twitter. I imagine that some of the more controversial choices have generated at least a bit of hate, no?

[Super Saiyan Swagger]

The only thing that I actually hate about Minus is that Goku was sent to Earth for his own safety rather than being sent there to wipe out the civilisation. I've always loved how Goku was portrayed as this incredibly strong innocent boy in Dragon Ball but early on in the Saiyan arc it's revealed that he was never meant to be like that and his purpose was to kill everyone. I love that reveal because it came out as a shock because that is something that Goku would never do, so you become intrigued in his backstory and the history of the Saiyans. Minus just says "oh no, he was sent to Earth for his own protection, not to kill everyone." I hate that. I hate that so much. The problems of this being that one, as KaiserNeko stated, it made Goku's backstory an even bigger rip off of Superman. And two, it contradicts material that so many of us thought was canon.

It's amazing how much of a little story by the creator can change so much of what a fan thought.

[batistabus]

Goku having a gentle parent makes it seem as if it's in his nature to be the way he is. Before Dragon Ball Minus, it seemed to be suggested that Goku would have destroyed earth and ended up like Raditz had gravity and Gohan not interfered. While these things can still be relevant, these circumstances are certainly downplayed. Goku instead becomes a blend of his parents' personalities.

[Kid Buu]

It's the contents that are the problem. Everything about it is a spit in the face of Goku's original origin story, Bardock's original character, and colors Goku's existence in a different, less satisfying (to me) color. Gaffer talked about it at length in the second to latest Dragon Ball Dissection video.

It's Toriyama though, we know he's just not concerned with consistency and continuity. I thought people would have been used to this by now.

I agree with you that the more Toriyama seems to go into Goku's backstory, the more Superman parallels seem to up. Personally I always viewed Goku as like a weeaboo's Superman, lol. Yes, I know, Moses did it first.

[coola]

For next DBcember you guys should do Top 24 DB Video Games Bet this one would be pretty low https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bO9RGx-zIZQ

[ekrolo2]

Would anyone else find the idea of Saiyan's going Vulcan interesting? GT has the whole "arriving from the destroyed Planet Saiya" concept which could be use to explain other Saiyan's who, instead of being inspired by the Super Saiyan's power, renounce it and become emotionally deprived, focusing more on intellect than combat obsession.

[FoolsGil]

For next DBcember you guys should do Top 24 DB Video Games Bet this one would be pretty low https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bO9RGx-zIZQ

Or, Top 24 filler episodes. Cuz there are some good ones.

[jcogginsa]

I'm guessing top 24 favorite Characters

[Lord Beerus]

How about top 24 battles in the entire franchise?

[Gyt Kaliba]

I don't want to bring it back up again really, but as far as Minus goes, I really do understand the arguments against it - but for me at least, it's not really that offensive. It has the potential to be - I dread if we someday get something where Goku somehow finds out about how he was really sent to Earth, and takes solace in that fact, or something - but as it stands now, it's just a point of interest for me. That and Bardock is still pretty happily killing other races for profit, so...caring about his son or not, he's still kind of a murderous asshole regardless.

As far as suggestions/ideas for next year's DBcember, I'd definitely love to see a top 24 favorite characters one done. I love discussions about the characters and what makes them tick, stuff that goes deeper than 'yeah so this character is really strong and thus I love them', and I'd definitely be curious to see who'd come out as #1 for you guys.

[Hellspawn28]

I also despise Gine having a gentle nature.

Well not all Saiyans are evil. How come it's okay to have both good and bad humans, but it's wrong to have both good and bad saiyans ?