For lack of a title: Bla and bla

[Dayspring]

What prompted the anime ppl to choose the Saiyan saga to call the show Dragonball "Z"? Why not "Dragonball 2" or just keep it Dragonball? Why not the 23rd budoukai when they all become adults?

Also, why does VIZ call it Dragonball Z? The manga never changed names.

[PsyLiam]

This came up in another thread, didn't it?

Viz quite change the name, so much as release two eras of the manga at once. When they started, there was this show, "Dragonball Z", famous all over the US. People knew what it was, whereas the number who knew about Dragonball was far smaller.

If they had just released Dragonball, they might have confused people, who would have wondered why the comic was so different from the cartoon that they watched.

So, they decided to release both issues of the manga that people would be familiar with (the "Z" era) and the first issues (the "DB" era) at the same time. And so as to not confuse things, they decided to call the "Z" era of the manga "Dragonball Z".

It also means that they can release the manga twice as quickly. Woo!

[Dayspring]

That was actually the question I wanted answered the least in comparison to the others. I figured as much for VIZ, but wanted to make sure. I don't suppose you know about the anime?

[Zackarotto]

I'm pretty sure the anime changing names was also covered in another topic... maybe even by me, I know I said something about that, somewhere.

Maybe you could say that the 23rd Budokai would have been a better place, but I disagree. The only reason for it being at the 23rd is because of Goku's new image, but at least if you start where they did, it is after the ordeal with both Piccolos. Also, Gohan is now around, and you know what they say, Toriyama was trying to make Gohan the main character for a while.

Why change it at all? TOEI wanted to make it a whole new thing out of it once the new saga started. So, BAM, now there's a Z to show that it ends the series. (although it actually doesn't after all)

[Dayspring]

Also, Gohan is now around, and you know what they say, Toriyama was trying to make Gohan the main character for a while.

Where/when did Toriyama say this? The only times where Gohan's the star of something is in filler eps to bridge the gaps of long periods of times (like training for a year before Saiyans arrive, between their return to Earth and arrival of Mech Freeza, etc). If he were the star, why end the series on a note about Goku?

[Zackarotto]

When was there an attempt of Gohan being made the main character, you ask?

•There might have been an attempt when Gohan was training to Piccolo and Goku was dead from the fight with Raditz.
•There might have been an attempt when Namek exploded and Goku was presumed dead, and Gohan now being back to earth with potential unlocked from that Namekian Elder. What was his name again...?
•There might have been an attempt after the Cell games when Goku sacrificed himself and Gohan killed Cell.
•There might have been an attempt after Gohan unlocked his Mystic powers.

That's all I can think of... at least for now.

[PsyLiam]

Well, you could look at the "We Got Power" beginning. Look, there's Gohan on Shenron! Look, there's several shots of Gohan at various ages! Look, there's Gohan riding a bike! And so on and so forth.

As to why the series ended on a note about Goku...that's what the fans wanted, so that's what Toriyama did.

[SonGohan-san]

I think, I could be wrong, but the question seemed to be referring to Toriyama's plans for the original ending (at the Furiza Saga), which obviously made Goku seem more like the series' posterboy. So, I guess the question is really whether Toriyama ORIGINALLY wanted to make Gohan the main guy, or if he just began tinckering with the idea after Furiza.

[Zackarotto]

I would bet that Toriyama took a liking to Gohan early on, so that there were always plans to change the main character. Either way, Goku seemed to have always been on the minds of people, and he gave up on Gohan.

I didn't really see that much of the japanese version, but Gohan was always kind of a wimpy crybaby compared to the more adorable and adventurous Goku when he was younger. I only really liked Gohan when he was the golden haired warrior in high school... the nerd years weren't much better than the wuss years.

Whenever I think of Gohan though, the first word that comes to my mind isn't "nerd" or "wimp" though. It's "potential". I think that's what effect Toriyama was trying to create when he made Gohan, yet it still didn't make him feel like the lead chara.

[PsyLiam]

I think, I could be wrong, but the question seemed to be referring to Toriyama's plans for the original ending (at the Furiza Saga), which obviously made Goku seem more like the series' posterboy.

True. But even then, there was a big deal made out of Gohan, such as when Vegeta goes to the Namek Elders place, thinks that Goku is in there, but it's actually Gohan. He's, like, as powerful! Dude!

And Gohan does come back and fight Freeza for a bit. Plus I remember reading somewhere that Toriyama wasn't sure whether there was going to be an actual "Super Saiyan transformation" or not. He was making it up on the fly.

[Jerseymilk]

In a way, Toriyama was indeed thinking of making Gohan Goku's successor if he was planning on ending the series with Goku dead after Namek's destruction. I've always found everything better planned out up to the end of the Freeza saga. Sure there are still some plotholes here and there, but it's a lot worse during the Cell and Buu sagas. And Gohan is not a wimp or a nerd! I will not have untrue things said about my little Gohan! Yes when he first started out he was a very sheltered and pampered little boy, but he lost that very quickly during his time with Piccolo, and gained so much innner strength.