Does Goku need to go to High School?

[TheUltimateVegito]

So I was having a discussion the other day, I said one of the reasons why Goku is a great character because he represents the perfect mindset for a worker through his training, but then the person I was talking to said he needs to go to High School because characters can't live happily via growing up in the woods, and getting stronger means little for some reason even though being strong is an essential part of fighting, he also said that Goku can't learn wrestling moves and read because he's brain damage.

Personally, I don't see how any of this relates to Goku's mentality, going to college of high school isn't going to change what Goku represents in any way so it's pretty much pointless to do so. Training has a great point since it's far more important for a fighter, and his mentality applies to different forms of work as well (Eliminating weakness, valuing hard work, and forming the most efficient schedule) but going to high school doesn't add anything to it which makes it pointless and unnecessary, it's like saying every comic book or fantasy story has to be exactly like real life to get its point across.

His brain damage was only memory loss and personality change, he was proven to be a genius fighter who learns fast and relies and cunning as well as strength, then he says they retcon it so that he's disabled so he won't be able to train because it means more and that Goku doesn't use cunning because he doesn't study, how? I'm pretty sure studying doesn't magically make you a smarter fighter/faster learner. Also, I'm pretty sure having the right training/manager to guide you is much more important than going to school for fighters, which Goku had via Grandpa Gohan and Master Roshi.

He also said him not going to high school makes him train like a kid, which makes no sense to me because athletes don't stay in school forever, when they go pro they focus sorely on training, by that logic training in itself is not work which is really an insult to sports and athletes in general. It's like saying the X-Men don't have a message/theme because mutants are powerful instead of being black people in the 50s because it's "Not like the real world". Pretty much saying that going to school is somehow the only thing in storytelling that has to be exactly like real life for some reason.

He then went on to say training should be banned from DBZ, why I ask? Because he trained for a year with Roshi to be the runner up in the tournament he says. There's no logic in this to be honest, for starters Goku and Krillin were training before they met Roshi (Roshi himself said he's doing the advance Roshi style training because they already learn the fundamentals of Martial Arts), there are talented fighters which goes with the whole next generation theme of the arc and one year is a long time for strict training.

He also went on to say MMA has to be in it, because apparently DBZ is the only martial arts show that needs wrestling. Ignoring the fact that there are fighting styles that are striking based, Goku and Krillin clearly know how to defend against wrestling due to their training, but he says they can't do it without studying because wrestling is apparently not power based when in fact it's MORE power based than striking.

Goku's message is not about living like he does, he's clearly not a perfect person, no character has to be. It's about applying his mindset in your own work shown by his training - two widely different things. Living like he does would include living in the woods and studying but that's not the message so none of it matters! He also tried saying you can't do anything without studying, well duh, you can't live in the woods too.

So what do you guys think? Does Goku need to go to school to be a great character or not?

[Danfun64]

I don't think Goku is the kind of person who would even want to go to school. Remember his reaction when Roshi taught him and Kurilin basic reading, writing, and arithmetic?

"I hate this stuff!"

[Kuririn Fan]

Hell no, fuck the education! Goku is awesome just the way he is.

[MozillaVulpix]

In-universe, even if Goku was forced to go to school, I would imagine him ditching it any time he could.

The whole point is that Goku isn't human. It's not entirely fair to assume the same human standards from him.

[Lord Beerus]

We already went through that.

[Dbzfan94]

We already went through that.

And once was more than enough for me.

[Nejishiki]

Very well, the next stop for this concept to go is college!

[Nightmare Wheel]

What this person you were talking with seems like it would just drag the series down. Dragon Ball is not the type of series that should tackle realistic brain damage. To be honest, it sounds like this person wants to see a completely different franchise and doesn't understand what Dragon Ball is really about.

[TheUltimateVegito]

What this person you were talking with seems like it would just drag the series down. Dragon Ball is not the type of series that should tackle realistic brain damage. To be honest, it sounds like this person wants to see a completely different franchise and doesn't understand what Dragon Ball is really about.

I agree. He said without realistic brain damage or school the series cannot be deep or great and it's all about power.

[Chuquita]

I don't think Gokû would want to go to high school. Of anything he could have mentioned, not wanting to go to high school after they beat Buu was the point he brought up as the downside to the idea of fusing with Gohan using the earrings.

[Cetra]

Well, yes, Goku definitely NEEDS to go to highschool. If anyone needs it, it is Goku. But of course it is obviously not actually necessary. So in that context, no.

[DBZAOTA482]

No, fuck school. That ain't something he needs at all.