Would you still like Dragon Ball if it hadn’t been retooled into a martial arts story?

[Kunzait_83]

because it's just kinda weird when people casually respond to a fun what if thread and then see a Drive By Essay

Like I said before: fair enough, another time and another thread perhaps.

[JulieYBM]

My comment was mostly based on half-memories of what issues I do recall with the work that bother me. Poor understanding of gender is something of a hallmark of not merely JUMP but cishet folks.

[MasenkoHA]

because it’s just kinda weird when people casually respond to a fun what if thread and then see a Drive By Essay about how wrong they were because they didn't phrase it a certain way.

Tbf, the original point of contention was because Dragon Ball was shonen that automatically meant Goku would have to fight villains as if that’s a hard and fast rule for being published in a weekly publication aimed at grade and middle school boys.

[WittyUsername]

I imagine that even if Dragon Ball hadn’t transitioned to full-time fighting, there would still be antagonists. If we assume that looking for the Dragon Balls remained the central driving force of the series, it only makes sense to have the protagonists compete with other people who may want them for more nefarious purposes. I could even picture the Red Ribbon Army still being a thing, although the arc they’re featured in would likely go through some changes.

[DBPirate]

Is it really retooling if it became a "martial arts story" in the second arc? Though to answer the OP, probably not. I like the Pilaf arc but not enough to be invested for as long as Dragon Ball has run.