Something I noticed in the "Piccolo Is Gohan's real dad" fanbase

[Forte224]

Yes, they have quite a few running gags. They were pretty innocent when TFS first started doing the parody, but since it's exploded in popularity fans have basically adapted what they say to canon, and TFS hasn't done anything to rectify the situation.

Eh, if TFS wanted to rectify it, it'd require a lot of pivoting around their existing characterisations... It'd be a lot of work about some fans taking the wrong idea from a running joke in a fan parody.

I mean, they could just stop making the jokes, which largely are callbacks to their previous episodes, and instead focus on new jokes like they did when they first started out.

And "some fans" is a bit inaccurate. The impact TFS has had on the Dragon Ball fandom is not to be underestimated.

[Robo4900]

I mean, they could just stop making the jokes, which largely are callbacks to their previous episodes, and instead focus on new jokes like they did when they first started out.

Well, that's the thing about TFS -- they do focus on new jokes. They aren't Yu-Gi-Oh Abridged, original jokes are always massively prioritised over callbacks, but if they can do a really good callback, then why not, right? Having a mixture of different types of comedy is always a good thing.

And "some fans" is a bit inaccurate. The impact TFS has had on the Dragon Ball fandom is not to be underestimated.

Yeah.

Still, I don't think TFS could really do anything about the "Piccolo is Gohan's dad" or "Yamcha is lame" meme. It's gone far beyond TFS's reach. They do have a big impact on the fandom, but not to the extent that they can kill a viral idea, even if they created through those originally as innocent running jokes. Hell, to be honest, those jokes have been downplayed over the past few years. But people still spread the joke, and Super hasn't exactly helped that... >_>

[Michsi]

Yes, they have quite a few running gags. They were pretty innocent when TFS first started doing the parody, but since it's exploded in popularity fans have basically adapted what they say to canon, and TFS hasn't done anything to rectify the situation.

Eh, if TFS wanted to rectify it, it'd require a lot of pivoting around their existing characterisations... It'd be a lot of work about some fans taking the wrong idea from a running joke in a fan parody.

I mean, they could just stop making the jokes, which largely are callbacks to their previous episodes, and instead focus on new jokes like they did when they first started out.

And "some fans" is a bit inaccurate. The impact TFS has had on the Dragon Ball fandom is not to be underestimated.

I'm pretty sure that from the very start the joke was meant to lead up to the Goku giving Cell a senzu so there was no point in rectifying anything.

What people also tend to forget is that TFS also very much highlighted the problematic side Piccolo and Gohan's relationship in the beginning. This whole 'Piccolo is a substitute dad' didn't really start until the Android Saga. "Gohan...you're a good kid." was pretty much the first 'nice' thing Piccolo said to Gohan in their canon.

The whole thing seems so silly to me, both those who legitimately argue that Piccolo is Gohan's real dad and those who get their panties in a bunch whenever someone mentions it.

I mean, for crying out loud, Toriyama himself admitted that Goku is "completely unqualified to be a father." While the criticism is overblown I wish people would stop acting like TFS invented this perception of him.

[Cure Dragon 255]

Toriyama also invented that Beerus had Planet Vegeta destroyed and also is on the "YAMCHA IS A CHEATER!!!" side and therefore cannot be trusted on anything, ever.

[Michsi]

Fans not liking something doesn't make it wrong. And Goku's portrayal as the less than affectionate family man is very much present in the original story as well. I was dumbfounded when I first read the scene in the manga where Goku meets Goten for the first time. Toei tried to rectify it, and, well, we all know how Toriyama felt about that.

[TheGreatness25]

lol This entire thing is just silly. Such fans' perception is that Piccolo took care of Gohan more than Goku? Because Piccolo watched him for a year (not counting the time that Gohan spent alone)? Or because Piccolo had that heartfelt moment with Gohan? Because Goku had that as well. Some people would just jump onboard any bandwagon that hates on Goku.

[Michsi]

lol This entire thing is just silly. Such fans' perception is that Piccolo took care of Gohan more than Goku? Because Piccolo watched him for a year (not counting the time that Gohan spent alone)? Or because Piccolo had that heartfelt moment with Gohan? Because Goku had that as well. Some people would just jump onboard any bandwagon that hates on Goku.

There's definitely some 'hidden agenda' in some cases where people just don't like Goku as a character and want to make him look worse than he actually is, but most of the time Piccolo just seems to be more attached to Gohan. It all comes down to the 'senzu' scene.

[TheGreatness25]

Oh, I get it. But Piccolo hasn't actually done anything for Gohan past the Saiyan arc. Anyone can just stand on the sidelines and comment, but Goku has spent a significant amount of time with Gohan. Piccolo also trained with them, but he was more on the outside and at the end of the day, Goku chose Gohan to help him with his Room of Spirit and Time training. Now, if Piccolo launched himself in front of Gohan in a futile attempt against Cell, I'd see it more, but there really doesn't seem to be much of a relationship there past, "Hey, remember that time we spent a couple of months training together for the Saiyans? That was sweet."

[ulisa]

Oh, I get it. But Piccolo hasn't actually done anything for Gohan past the Saiyan arc. Anyone can just stand on the sidelines and comment, but Goku has spent a significant amount of time with Gohan. Piccolo also trained with them, but he was more on the outside and at the end of the day, Goku chose Gohan to help him with his Room of Spirit and Time training. Now, if Piccolo launched himself in front of Gohan in a futile attempt against Cell, I'd see it more, but there really doesn't seem to be much of a relationship there past, "Hey, remember that time we spent a couple of months training together for the Saiyans? That was sweet."

You raise a good point. I think the significance is more Piccolo and Gohan were one another’s first friends which does give their relationship some more weight but...yeah, it’s not the same as a father-son relationship. I see friendship, mentor-student, uncle-nephew type connection but nothing beyond that.

Goku on the other hand has been with Gohan most of his life. Their interactions are easily some of my favorites, in particular when they’re in the Room of Spirit and Time. I always felt that Goku had the strongest bond with Gohan out of his family and that Gohan returns that affection. The way they interact with one another, not just verbally but with simple body language speaks spades.

[MajinMan]

It’s not even the fact that this is a meme, it’s the fact that some people STILL find it genuinely funny. It’s like still finding “Over 9000!” to be funny. Or the Yamcha dead pose. It’s just not funny anymore, and you can even argue that it was never funny in the first place.

[Robo4900]

It’s like still finding “Over 9000!” to be funny.

...
Yes...
Of course...
Because I definitely don't still find that funny...
...
Definitely...
...

[Michsi]

Oh, I get it. But Piccolo hasn't actually done anything for Gohan past the Saiyan arc. Anyone can just stand on the sidelines and comment, but Goku has spent a significant amount of time with Gohan. Piccolo also trained with them, but he was more on the outside and at the end of the day, Goku chose Gohan to help him with his Room of Spirit and Time training. Now, if Piccolo launched himself in front of Gohan in a futile attempt against Cell, I'd see it more, but there really doesn't seem to be much of a relationship there past, "Hey, remember that time we spent a couple of months training together for the Saiyans? That was sweet."

I've seen people bring this up in debates and it's just not true. Sure, the anime does more, but that's the case with all characters and their bonds; the anime has more 'room', so characters get to interact more . Also, if anyone can stand one the side lines and comment, how come it wasn't Krillin or Trunks that said anything to Goku, but specifically Piccolo- because it was supposed to be someone who knew Gohan really well. Not to mention that yes, he was about to launch himself to help Gohan, it's Goku that stops him and tells him that he has no chance of winning.

As for the manga not having any moments with these two later on? I'll always give this example: remember when Piccolo destroys every camera on the tournament ground in the Buu Saga. He does this specifically to protect Gohan's identity so that in case his costume got destroyed his classmates wouldn't find out that he is the Great Saiyaman (pointless in the end, but that doesn't matter). Piccolo finds the Saiyaman gig ridiculous and he has no interest in the day to day life of humans, but he proactively gets involved for Gohan's sake. See, this wasn't even training related or anything. Not to mention that Goten know Piccolo well, which implies they see each other often enough. At the end of the Cell Saga Gohan specifically asks Piccolo, who thought he should stay at the Lookout, if he could come and visit him. Yes, they are close in the manga as well.

And before I forget "Goku chose Gohan to help him with his Room of Spirit and Time training" . He chose Gohan because he was about to let him fight Cell, you know, without telling him. I'm all for dismantling misconceptions, but let's not sugarcoat things here.

[Logania]

Now there is 2 continuities of what you believe.

If you believe Goku is his real dad, you have the anime where he's wearing Goku's clothes.

If you believe Piccolo is his real dad, you have the manga where he's wearing Piccolo's clothes.

Everybody wiiiiiins!

[ToshioWrites]

It doesn’t help when Toriyama himself says stuff like

“Goku is completely unqualified to be a father”

Puts stuff in his draft like Goku telling Vegeta to ditch his pregnant wife for training and that he wasn’t their for his kids birth or forgetting about Gohan for the ToP in Both versions until Vegeta/Piccolo remind him.

Tfs isn’t the only one to blame, the creator of the show goes out of his way to make Goku seem like a shitty family man every chance he gets

[OLKv3]

The worst part is that it bled into canon and now Toriyama himself agrees that Vegeta is a better father
I hate it, it used to be a funny joke but now it sucks

[Dr. Casey]

The only sticking point I have with Goku's fatherhood is that he never used Kaio to communicate with anyone during the seven years between the Cell and Buu arcs. That's a really gross level of completely unnecessary familial neglect. If I sweep that under the rug as just being a somewhat awkwardly handled way of making the reunion at the 25th Budokai more powerful, I think he has a perfectly good record as a father.

[ABED]

The only sticking point I have with Goku's fatherhood is that he never used Kaio to communicate with anyone during the seven years between the Cell and Buu arcs. That's a really gross level of completely unnecessary familial neglect. If I sweep that under the rug as just being a somewhat awkwardly handled way of making the reunion at the 25th Budokai more powerful, I think he has a perfectly good record as a father.

It's never been stated one way or the other that Goku can just contact his family whenever he wants. The times when he did were either in the middle of a crisis or during a very special exception.

[ulisa]

The only sticking point I have with Goku's fatherhood is that he never used Kaio to communicate with anyone during the seven years between the Cell and Buu arcs. That's a really gross level of completely unnecessary familial neglect. If I sweep that under the rug as just being a somewhat awkwardly handled way of making the reunion at the 25th Budokai more powerful, I think he has a perfectly good record as a father.

I always assumed the dead weren’t allowed to contact the living world unless they were either being wished back or allowed their 24 hour trip. Especially since very few dead, that we know of, are allowed to keep their bodies, it doesn’t seem like something they would be allowed to do just because. I know the movies are not canon per say but I’d like to think some of their ideas can still apply; when Goku opts to IT to save Gohan from Bojack, King Kai/Kaio sama makes it pretty clear that he just broke a major rule.

I’d think it would make things worse, honestly. To be able to contact/see your loved ones but not be able to interact or touch them? Seems like a version of Hell to me.

[namekiansaiyan]

This meme needs to go away immediately along with Yamcha one.

This Piccolo and Gohan thing was mainly only in the Saiyan arc.

Toei and their pathetic callbacks is the only reason why you see this crap in movies and Super and fans then get attached to it.