Homosexuality and brotherhood in DBZ

Aurek · Post by **Aurek** » Thu May 19, 2005 8:25 am

Ok this could be a bit of a dodgy subject but I think we can all remain level headed and discuss this rationally.

This is not a thread about homosexuality in general so please don’t try to discuss that, this thread is only about its possible role or interpretation of it in DBZ. That out of the way lets discuss it.

To western audiences the relationship between Tien and Choutzou could be construed as homosexual. Is this at all accurate or is it just the cultural differences between the west and Japan? Is their relationship merely a Confucius style brotherhood/friendship?

Zarbon is very camp, was he deliberately intended to be seen as homosexual. I’ve seen characters like him in other Shonen anime, do Japanese boys simply find this funny?

I think it just comes down to cultural differences, but I have a hard time explaining this to certain types of fans.

Sun_Wukong · Post by **Sun_Wukong** » Thu May 19, 2005 9:04 am

This isnt uncommon. Give me an anime and I can show you a "homosexual" pairing, or a very femenin(sp?) male.

SpaceKappa · Post by **SpaceKappa** » Thu May 19, 2005 12:07 pm

Nothing homosexual about two guys caring deeply about each other. I'm not anti-gay in ANY sense of the word, but Tenshinhan and Chouzu have more of a big brother/little brother relationship than lovers.

Demi · Post by **Demi** » Thu May 19, 2005 2:42 pm

Wasn't General Blue or whatever his name is gay?

SpaceKappa · Post by **SpaceKappa** » Thu May 19, 2005 3:06 pm

As was Otoko Sukii.

B-kun · Post by **B-kun** » Thu May 19, 2005 3:13 pm

Well, with the name "Otoko Sukii"...

But yeah, I've always seen Tenshinhan and Chaozu as a brother-type thing.
And who says everything in DBZ is for boys? That's like saying the short skirts in Sailor Moon are for 6 year old girls. (Wukong, no anti-SM rants)

Ultimate Saiyan Trunks · Post by **Ultimate Saiyan Trunks** » Thu May 19, 2005 3:31 pm

Have they ever kissed? Or engaged in sexual activity? No, they are just like brothers.

The S · Post by **The S** » Thu May 19, 2005 10:17 pm

Zarbon is very camp, was he deliberately intended to be seen as homosexual. I’ve seen characters like him in other Shonen anime, do Japanese boys simply find this funny?

I believe he's supposed to be a narcisist. They are often shown as bishonen in anime/video games, and often mistaken for homosexual.

But Blue Shogun and Otoko Sukii are obviously in the gay category.

*PINHEAD* · Post by ***PINHEAD*** » Fri May 20, 2005 12:45 am

Heheh...General Blue. I remember that he got all worked up about Bulma trying to come on to him.

I don't think Tenshinhan or Chaotzu were gay. As for Zarbon...he's probably just one of them "metrosexuals." In the words of the Governator of California, a "girlie man."

Super Sonic · Post by **Super Sonic** » Fri May 20, 2005 1:41 am

Tien and Chaozu were just friends. I also used to say on how some people would question their sexuality by watching "Mystical Adventure". Yeah it's not canon but still, he's hitched there.

DBW · Post by **DBW** » Fri May 20, 2005 1:47 am

Super Sonic wrote:Yeah it's not canon but still, he's hitched there.

Yeah, but he's married to a doll. Honestly, I don't know what the hell was going on with that. Was that actually supposed to be his wife (like they had a wedding and a honeymoon and everything) or is it just some kind of cultural reference that I'll never understand?

Gamingdevil · Post by **Gamingdevil** » Fri May 20, 2005 1:50 am

Wasn't Tenshinhan Chaozu's bodyguard? Doesn't that create a bond?
I think (like most others) that Tenshinhan and Chaozu and I too think Zarbon is more like a narcist, like The S does.

Chuquita · Post by **Chuquita** » Fri May 20, 2005 2:00 am

Tenshinhan and Chaoutzu? No. I think they're more like brothers than anything else. Nothing non-platonic there.

Bulma trying to get to General Blue by at one point saying she was a man and Blue's reaction to that--something along the lines of him looking extremely freaked out made me laugh though.

Sun_Wukong · Post by **Sun_Wukong** » Fri May 20, 2005 8:29 am

DBW wrote: Yeah, but he's married to a doll. Honestly, I don't know what the hell was going on with that. Was that actually supposed to be his wife (like they had a wedding and a honeymoon and everything) or is it just some kind of cultural reference that I'll never understand?

Yeah I was really wondering about that myself. What was Toei thinking?

Fuujin · Post by **Fuujin** » Fri May 20, 2005 11:15 am

General Blue IS gay, it's so heavily implied that even a trained monkey would notice it. Same with Otoko Sukii. Tenshinhan & Chaozu - their close friendship may leave some material for fanfic writers, but there's nothing in DB that would tip the scale in the shonen-ai way. It's open to speculation, but doubtful. Recoome is pretty flamin' in Polish manga, with quotes like "Let's go, Vegeta-chan! Our lovely kiddies can help if they want, anything goes!".

Jerseymilk · Post by **Jerseymilk** » Fri May 20, 2005 11:38 am

DBW wrote:
Super Sonic wrote:Yeah it's not canon but still, he's hitched there.
Yeah, but he's married to a doll. Honestly, I don't know what the hell was going on with that. Was that actually supposed to be his wife (like they had a wedding and a honeymoon and everything) or is it just some kind of cultural reference that I'll never understand?

I always assumed that it was just a big joke. Like the whole time, the kidnappers have his "wife" and we all think it's a very serious crisis. Then, in the end it turns out to be a doll. And perhaps it was sort of like a security blanket to Chaozu? Like Linus and his baby blanket.

Speaking of "gayness", many would say that Freeza comes across as gay. And the dub line of "Whatever turns you on, big boy", didn't help.

Aurek · Post by **Aurek** » Fri May 20, 2005 11:46 am

heh, indeed. I havent seen any origional episodes from the Frieza saga. What was his va like?

Super Sonic · Post by **Super Sonic** » Fri May 20, 2005 11:47 am

Sun_Wukong wrote:
DBW wrote: Yeah, but he's married to a doll. Honestly, I don't know what the hell was going on with that. Was that actually supposed to be his wife (like they had a wedding and a honeymoon and everything) or is it just some kind of cultural reference that I'll never understand?
Yeah I was really wondering about that myself. What was Toei thinking?

I think they just decided to make him a spouse who looked somewhat like him. She only came off as a doll since she was given no lines or anything. Also on the Frieza thing, mostly the gay comments from the "whatever turns you on" line mainly come from fanboys whose minds are in the gutter in my opinion.

SpaceKappa · Post by **SpaceKappa** » Fri May 20, 2005 12:20 pm

Freeza only seemed gay in the dub, really. He didn't come off near as feminine in the original.

kenisu3000 · Post by **kenisu3000** » Fri May 20, 2005 3:32 pm

Aurek wrote:heh, indeed. I havent seen any origional episodes from the Freeza saga. What was his va like?

Can't remember his name off the top of my head (sometimes I have a rough time with Japanese names), but in the Japanese version, Freeza has a considerably deep male voice. If you've seen the DB Piccolo saga in Japanese, I'm pretty sure the voice for Tambourine is the same guy. In any case, I don't seem to remember any gay-ish lines from Japanese Freeza. And also, on a side note, Jp. Freeza speaks with a psychotically polite dialect... that is until the battle begins with Vegeta