I agree/disagree. Part of the problem with Super's approach as a whole is that Goku's locked into a character arc which has for twenty years been resolved in the very final pages of the manga -- and even then, in a very baby-steps, in-character sort of way. The arc that steadily builds for him from the Piccolo material all the way through the end of the Boo arc is an increasingly dangerous and burdensome sense of ennui, and the lengths he'll go to to relieve it.ekrolo2 wrote:I think the reason why Goku seems to be deadlocked is that if you lessen his wild desire for a good time, you've essentially got nothing left for him. For example, you take away Vegeta's bitchiness about being inferior to Goku and you can keep him largely the same, he'd still train and still make mistakes because he's out to prove himself. Once you have Goku learn the lesson of not messing around, what's left for him? It's probably a consequence of having a protagonist with such a simple goal/desire in life.
To that end, Goku will happily:
- Abandon his friends and family
- Allow supervillains he has no guarantee he can defeat or has only narrowly won against power up or escape while swearing vengeance
- Ignore or directly threaten friends and allies if they stand in the way of him allowing said supervillains to power up or escape (God, Kuririn, Kaio, Bulma, Kaioshin, most recently Beerus and Whis)
- Ignore potential risks and consequences when it comes to pre-empting threats or leaving well enough alone (the androids, Boo, Zenou)
It isn't resolved until the epilogue, wherein we can presume he finds a healthier outlet in Oob. Doesn't stop him from abandoning his family, but what're ya gonna do? That's Goku.
There are very much other places to take his character, especially if he takes a step back into the master role. They aren't necessarily ones that make him an interesting protagonist though, and they certainly aren't ones that work seamlessly with Super's midquel status. It's part of the reason Goku's felt unusually static throughout the new material.
Vegeta, in comparison, has his final arc capped off prior to the manga's epilogue, and while I'd argue we haven't seen much active change from him in the new material either, we at least get to witness and further understand the extent of his change. And the door is really wide open for further changes. I'd say his concern for Bulma's pregnancy in episode 77 and willingness to forgo keeping pace with Goku to remain present for it is actually a change from what we see at the start of Super.
If Super can't close or further Goku's character arc in a meaningful way, it can at least add greater impact to the resolution we've known for twenty years lies ahead, and at least highlight character-motivated conflict that responds to all the new storylines and stakes the series has introduced. To that extent, I'm thrilled we're getting an arc that feels like a natural outgrowth of Goku's personality interacting with the world Super has placed him in. I'm excited for it to, if it can't radically alter the character arc we've known, at least offer new perspective into its highs and lows.
So I suppose my response to the OP is a three-pronged: This is nothing new; it's all the series can do; I'm glad they're doing it.
This is simply a progression of where we left Goku before the epilogue to the Boo arc, but at least it's finally a progression.
[/spoiler]
