Dragonball Question

[KakaR0T]

Which of the following would you say this series is mainly about?

A) The Story of Goku
B) Martial Arts and Strong Opponents
C) The Legend of the Dragonballs

I know it's really about all 3 but which one would you say the series is mostly about?

For me, I think it's mainly about B then A and C are about equal.

With that said I wonder if 'Dragonball' would be the best title for the series. We've gone by many episodes without the mention of dragonballs. When I'm watching these fights, I can easily forget that these dragonballs even exist in the series because I'm too focused on the fights and the training.

EDIT: By Dragonball, I mean the entire series (including Z)

[Scarz]

First it was about the Dragonballs, then Martial Arts, then it soon became the story of Goku. So I say "A" for obvious reasons. I can count on my fingers how many times the story focused on a character other than Goku.

[DbzFanboy]

If its the entire series then I say the last one on the list is B) Martial Arts and Strong Opponents because Dragon Ball in my opinion goes a lot deeper than your average martial arts story or two guys punching each other. The series in my opinion is mainly about A) The Story of Goku and then C) The Legend of the Dragonballs.

[Xyex]

The Dragonballs were the main focus of the first two adventures (Pilaf and RRA), a secondary element of the third (Piccolo), and a focus of the fourth (Namek) but then became merely background objects for the rest of series. And even when they were in the forefront of the story, with the exception of the first saga, the story was still more about Goku than the balls. Then, even with the introduction of Gohan and Goku's(/Toriyama's) attempts to make him the central focus, the story really still revolves around Goku.

The martial arts and the strong opponents are just the backdrop for the story, and the Dragonballs are just a plot device, so I'm gonna have to go with A.

Though I'm glad Toriyama didn't at the start, because calling the series "Goku" (ala Naruto) would be weird. Though I think the GBA games had a good grasp of things when they chose "Legacy of Goku" for a title. Something like that would probably be a more apt name for the series than Dragonball, given the final overall tone, scope, and course it took.

[Piccolo Daimaoh]

Yeah, I'll have to go with A. I mean, we see Goku in all of the stages of his life (childhood, fatherhood, grandfatherhood) and on all of his adventures. I'll have to say B next, especially in some of the earlier arcs.

[Questrider]

I'll go with A too.
If Goku was not the focus of a given episode, it certainly returned to him in a relatively short period of time.

B would be 2nd, followed by C.

I still think that Dragonball is the most appropriate title.
It's far less specific than calling the show something like: Goku's Adventures, which EASILY could have been the title.
Sounds lame though, right?

[Cipher]

I'd say it's fairly even between Goku and the Dragon Balls themselves.

Goku is the main character. There's no denying his importance. The Tenkaichi Budokai's have jack-all to do with the Dragon Balls and are all about Goku's progression as a martial artist and character.

However, the Dragon Balls are the titular objects, the thematic glue that brings the characters together, and just too much of a focus to be completely ignored. They and the way the are used become a huge part of the story. Every bit as important as Goku. Could you have a Dragon Ball story/series without Goku? Yes, and toriyama even tried to push it. Could you have it without the Dragon Balls? Something would definitely seem missing. It'd just be another superhero/martial art series. The balls are an important gimmick.

This is also why I'm comfortable with either the Z or GT ending (with slight preference toward GT).

Goku's perfect ending is the 28th Tenkaichi Budokai. Everything you need to know about the character and how far he's come is cemented there. He's come as far as he can possibly go, surpassed the gods of the universe, been literally to hell and back and nothing can interest him anymore. Taking on a student (as much for his own amusement as passing anything on) is the final step for his character, and it ending with him just taking off is kind of perfectly surreal. What really makes this ending for me is Piccolo's "He looked happy to me. The happiest I've seen him in a long time." If Dragon Ball is the story of Goku to you, and nothing more, stop here.

GT, however, is the perfect ending for the Dragon Balls, and I think through that, the better ending for the entire series. Continuing on does kind of ruin the great ending Goku gets with Uub, but the balls had become strangely underscored in the series and the characters' constant abuse of them is something that actually needs addressing. When the Dragon Balls are taken away and the characters are instructed to no longer rely on them, that is the ending the series really needs. It has nothing to do with the fact that Goku is taken away as well; that's kind of thematically inconsequential (though it works too). But the Dragon Balls, they needed to go.

Also, guys, titles are important to a story. The title is one of the most important elements a story has.

[Dayspring]

For me it's about how the Dragonballs brings all these events into motion and connects all these characters. Here's why:

Pilaf Saga: A Dragonball saga
Training for the 21st Budokai and the Budokai itself: a sequel/spinoff of the Pilaf saga, which is a Dragonball saga
Red Ribbon Saga: A Dragonball saga
22nd Budokai: a sequel to the 21st Budokai, which is in turn a sequel to the Pilaf saga, which is a Dragonball saga
Piccolo Daimao: a Dragonball saga
23rd Budokai: A sequel to the 21st Budokai, which is in turn a sequel to the Pilaf saga, which is a Dragonball saga. Is also a sequel to the Piccolo Daimao saga, which is a Dragonball saga
Radditz: A spinoff of the Pilaf saga (randomly strong kid randomly has a tail that is his weak point and the reason he transforms into a giant monkey -turn out it's cuz he's a Saiyan), which is a Dragonball Saga
Saiyan saga: sequel to Radditz, which is a spinoff of Pilaf, which is a Dragonball saga.
Namek saga: a Dragonball saga
Android saga: spinoff of the Red Ribbon Saga, which is a Dragonball saga
Boo saga: domino effect of the strength obtained in the Namek saga (SSJ being strongest in Universe), which is a Dragonball saga. Also a domino effect of the strength obtained in the Android saga (SSJ2s' strengths result in Boo being freed), which was a sequel toa Dragonball saga.

Since everything harks its way back to a Dragonball saga in some way, I say it predominantly a DB story.

[rereboy]

Its obviously Goku`s story. Just look at the first chapter and the last of the manga and remember what happened in between. The only time in the series where Goku had no focus whatsoever was in the Sayaman saga and that didn`t last very long.

[Piccolo Daimao]

Which of the following would you say this series is mainly about?

A) The Story of Goku
B) Martial Arts and Strong Opponents
C) The Legend of the Dragonballs

I know it's really about all 3 but which one would you say the series is mostly about?

For me, I think it's mainly about B then A and C are about equal.

With that said I wonder if 'Dragonball' would be the best title for the series. We've gone by many episodes without the mention of dragonballs. When I'm watching these fights, I can easily forget that these dragonballs even exist in the series because I'm too focused on the fights and the training.

EDIT: By Dragonball, I mean the entire series (including Z)

For the entire series (DB through Z), I would say it's mainly B, because it doesn't just focus on Goku, it certainly doesn't focus on Dragon Balls, it's more about Goku and his friends mastering their martial arts and breaking through the next ceiling of power. I think the mantra throughout the entire story is "Even when you think you've reached unthinkable power, there will always be someone more powerful than you." And that's exactly what happens. The Z-Senshi go through incredible training, reaching ridiculous levels of power, only to find someone who's even more powerful than them. And when they get stronger than that person, they find another person, even stronger. And they have to finding new training methods in order to become stronger to overcome the infinite ceilings of power, because every character can always do better, even when he thinks he's already as strong as he can become.

Just look at Super Saiyan 3. Everyone thought Gohan had become the be-all and end-all with Super Saiyan 2 and destroying Cell, but then Old Kaioshin brings out his full potential and becomes strong enough to defeat the indestructible monster that is Majin Boo. For the training methods, look at how Vegeta got it wrong trying to ascend Super Saiyan and increase his power, when mastering the Super Saiyan was a far better strategy in battle. Rather than trying to simply pump yourself full of power and strain your energy, it's better to know how SSJ works, learn to master every aspect of the transformation before going into battle.

If you're looking at just the first part of Dragon Ball (Goku Arc to 23rd Budokai Arc), then it's undoubtedly A, because the story focuses primarily on Goku, his training, meeting new characters, etc. C, the story of Dragon Balls, is more prominent in DB than it is Z, and at the beginning, it appears to be the main focus of the series, but after pretty much the Pilaf Arc, it fades away into a subplot, and then a plot device to bring the heroes back to lifee in Z. When all's said and done, it's not really even "Dragon Ball".

GT is A all the way.

[DbzFanboy]

Its obviously Goku`s story. Just look at the first chapter and the last of the manga and remember what happened in between. The only time in the series where Goku had no focus whatsoever was in the Sayaman saga and that didn`t last very long.

You can say that even the saiyaman arc has to do with Goku because its showing his son taking all the lessons his father taught him and using them as a man yet still thinking of his father. Its not specifically showing Goku but of all the lives he's touched.

[Cipher]

GT is A all the way.

Er, kind of. I mean, Goku obviously gets more spotlight than any other character, and the ending is very focused on recounting his life, but his character progression is pretty much finished at the start of the series.

I'd say GT is about C in a big way.

[Zionist]

Even when the story was clearly about Gohan it was still about Goku. Cell Games....Gohan vs Cell....oh Goku died so now I'm sad but Gohan still has to fight? WHAT? Oh, Goku is helping me through this. of course cause it's about him again.

Gohan gets Old Kai boost...herp derp absorbed....Vegetto fusion fail.....oh spirit Bomb right! Cause it's Goku.

Yea this is all about Goku. Right from the beginning. Because he's not your typical ruthless Saiyan

[Plague-Memories]

I say it's about the story of Goku.
That's the purpose of the entire series: tell the legend of Son Goku.
I love that.

Second in line is obviously the dragon balls. The dragon balls caused many a skirmish in the series, in fact they caused most of them.
Were it not for the dragon balls, we wouldn't have a series.
And if it weren't for Goku we wouldn't have a series.

So, to go back on what I said earlier, the series is equally about Son Goku and the dragon balls, and not so much about martial arts and strong opponents, though they do play a major factor in the series.

[Clockwork00]

You can't really define the entire series as just one of those, and even a mix wouldn't be entirely accurate, since certain parts contain heavy elements of one with very little focus on the other.

Dragonball really switches around. The first saga is mostly about the Dragon Balls with a little focus on Goku, followed by a saga focusing on fighting, then Dragon Balls, and so forth. As the series gets further it usually becomes either Dragon Balls+Goku or fighting+Goku.

Dragonball Z is pretty much the same as the end of Dragonball, in the way that Goku is typically the main focus accompanied either by fighting or Dragon Balls (usually the former), but I couldn't say it's always about Goku, since the other characters (Gohan, maybe Trunks too, although it's been a while since I've seen the Android Saga) get a small share of the focus.

Dragonball GT, at first, seems automatically like A, but it really is a mixture of all three. The beginning and end are more Dragon Ball-focused than Z ever was, the middle has a lot of fighting, and yes, Goku is a constant throughout.

Keep in mind that I wrote this about a series that I haven't watched seriously in some time, so I'm basing all of this on memory and whatever I've read on the site.