Does the Dragonball series treat its women with respect?

[Kid Buu]

I was wondering what DaizEx members feel about the series treatment do their female characters. Does it degrade them, or treat them perfectly fine? Should their have been more females?

Here's a list of notable female character.

Bulma: Doesn't fight, but makes strong contributions to the cast...such as building the time machine.
Chichi: Has a fight with Goku at the tournament, nothing really noteworthy besides that.
Lunch: Entertaining character, but I don't remember her doing much...even Toriyama himself seemed to forget about her!
Android 18: Gets to kick SSJ butt, and has a fun role fighting Mighty Mask in Buu arc. I like her role in Movie 11 as well.
Videl: Helped make the Saiyaman arc fun and a classic fight with Spopvich...well, I liked it at least.
Pan: Her slapping Goten around was funny, not really memorable but she did debut at the end.

[Chibi Gohan]

I didn't really see much in the line of mistreatment, so I'd say they were treated pretty well in Dragon Ball. Bulma is probably one of the most important Dragon Ball characters. There would be no Dragon Ball without Bulma. She built the dragon radar and introduced Goku to the world.

[Raithos]

If anything I'd say females ran the show at times. Bulma was huge for Dragonball as CG stated. Chi Chi is well Goku's wife and pretty much runs his ass along with Gohans... Launch would shove a gun in your face if you cross her, 18 beat up the f***ing prince of all Saiyans in his most powerful form (at the time), Videl is the daughter of Earth's mightiest hero who defended us all from Cell (insert ROFL here), and Pan is just Pan.

Even so I'd say DragonBall treats it's females very well, if not putting them on pedestals at times.

[MisterFlashdude]

Bulma: Girl who tried to persaude young boy into giving her a priceless artifact and only keepsake from his grandpa with a chance to touch her panties. Frequently resorts to slutty tactics to get what she wants or avoid danger. Unless she's off-screen creating something, she's never more than a liability who's major role in the story is who she's sleeping with.
Chichi: Obsesses over the same boy her entire childhood so she could have his baby, at which point she's overbearing and rarely displays anything other than contempt for her husband.
Lunch: Bi-polar. Disappears after trying to hunt down a guy she wants.
Android 18: Seemingly a turn-around in female usefulness, almost immediately gets overpowered and then demoted to background mother.
Videl: Strong, independent, savvy to the way of the world... gets one of the most brutal beatings in Dragon Ball and is subsequently useless to the end of the series.
Pan: Not around long enough to become useless.

Toriyama does not treat his female characters well.

[BlazingFiddlesticks]

Bulma: Girl who tried to persaude young boy into giving her a priceless artifact and only keepsake from his grandpa with a chance to touch her panties. Frequently resorts to slutty tactics to get what she wants or avoid danger. Unless she's off-screen creating something, she's never more than a liability who's major role in the story is who she's sleeping with.
Chichi: Obsesses over the same boy her entire childhood so she could have his baby, at which point she's overbearing and rarely displays anything other than contempt for her husband.
Lunch: Bi-polar. Disappears after trying to hunt down a guy she wants.
Android 18: Seemingly a turn-around in female usefulness, almost immediately gets overpowered and then demoted to background mother.
Videl: Strong, independent, savvy to the way of the world... gets one of the most brutal beatings in Dragon Ball and is subsequently useless to the end of the series.
Pan: Not around long enough to become useless.

Toriyama does not treat his female characters well.

It took three posts for someone to say this?

[Piccolo Daimaoh]

I don't think Dragon Ball denigrates its female cast. I can sort of understand why one would think this way, as characters with Y-chromosomes are ascendant and more influential on the plot. However, one must understand that Dragon Ball is a shōnen (boys') series and that this is conventional and not seen as politically incorrect.

[MisterFlashdude]

I can sort of understand why one would think this way, as characters with Y-chromosomes are ascendant and more influential on the plot. However, one must understand that Dragon Ball is a shōnen (boys') series and that this is conventional and not seen as politically incorrect.

No, no, no... no. You're not going to dismiss these horrible characters with the excuse "it's a boy's story!" You can have a male-dominated story and not have the women act like underhanded, useless, slutty kidnap bait.

The fact that shonen has the bar set so low does not excuse Dragon Ball from so easily gliding under it.

[GamingBuddha]

However, one must understand that Dragon Ball is a shōnen (boys') series and that this is conventional and not seen as politically incorrect.

Other shonen series do have strong women in leading roles though. Sakura and Tsunade in Naruto have superhuman strength. One Piece has Robin (sort of) in the crew and Jewelery Bonney as one of the Supernovas. Fairy Tail's Erza is one of the strongest in the guild. Yoruichi is a total badass in Bleach. There's no rule that the girls can't be as strong as males in shonen, and the only one that even comes close is Android 18.

[Chibi Gohan]

Bulma: Girl who tried to persaude young boy into giving her a priceless artifact and only keepsake from his grandpa with a chance to touch her panties. Frequently resorts to slutty tactics to get what she wants or avoid danger. Unless she's off-screen creating something, she's never more than a liability who's major role in the story is who she's sleeping with.
Chichi: Obsesses over the same boy her entire childhood so she could have his baby, at which point she's overbearing and rarely displays anything other than contempt for her husband.
Lunch: Bi-polar. Disappears after trying to hunt down a guy she wants.
Android 18: Seemingly a turn-around in female usefulness, almost immediately gets overpowered and then demoted to background mother.
Videl: Strong, independent, savvy to the way of the world... gets one of the most brutal beatings in Dragon Ball and is subsequently useless to the end of the series.
Pan: Not around long enough to become useless.

Toriyama does not treat his female characters well.

Someone forgot Ranfan.

[kei17]

Other shonen series do have strong women in leading roles though. Sakura and Tsunade in Naruto have superhuman strength. One Piece has Robin (sort of) in the crew and Jewelery Bonney as one of the Supernovas. Fairy Tail's Erza is one of the strongest in the guild. Yoruichi is a total badass in Bleach. There's no rule that the girls can't be as strong as males in shonen, and the only one that even comes close is Android 18.

They are all recent mangas. Things have changed a whole lot over the last two decades here. You should watch Hokuto No Ken, in which female characters do almost nothing.

[Eire]

However, one must understand that Dragon Ball is a shōnen (boys') series and that this is conventional and not seen as politically incorrect.

I'll fix that for you: Dragon Ball is a shōnen (boys') series written by author who didn't see woman in any role besides prize for a warrior. Don't blame genre, admit that it was author's fault that all the woman there seems to be a horny sluts hunting innocent warriors.

[Michsi]

Still, no other DB female comes close to Ranfan. Seriously.....

Also I think I've seen a short story once that people claimed belonged to Toriyama and the art did look like it was his about a female superhero that because of all the misfortune and lack of reward as a superhero decides to become a prostitute because it apys better.

A lot to the DB female cast are materialistic ( I can only hope this thread doesn't derail into "but women are materialistic" vs "you are a misogynist if you think that")

But tbh, I prefer Bulam and Chichi and 18 etc over a ton of other canon "mary sues" that are there to be so cute and so virtuos and so flawless and every boys dream.

[Eire]

A lot to the DB female cast are materialistic

That's not strange when you have children to feed and spouse who thinks that worrying about such a trivial matter is nothing comparing to everything else.

[SSJ YUSUKE]

Just because in dragon ball, females don't have such a large role, it does not mean that Toriyama is sexist. Just look at Dr Slump Arale was the main character in the story and she was not used for fan service or as a background character.

[Michsi]

That's not strange when you have children to feed and spouse who thinks that worrying about such a trivial matter is nothing comparing to everything else.

Even in 18 and Bulma's case?

Just because in dragon ball, females don't have such a large role, it does not mean that Toriyama is sexist. Just look at Dr Slump Arale was the main character in the story and she was not used for fan service or as a background character.

It's not about the fact that they didn't play a big role but to how they were portraid.

[Fox666]

Except for 18, there aren't really "fighters". Of course Chi-chi, Lunch and Videl scared some guys, but they don't truly play important roles as warriors.

But Bulma did plenty of contribuitions, she surely is a very important character

[Eire]

That's not strange when you have children to feed and spouse who thinks that worrying about such a trivial matter is nothing comparing to everything else.

Even in 18 and Bulma's case?

Do their partners care about that aspect onscreen? Someone has to. That doesn't mean that the couple where one is devoted to his passion and second take care of everything need to manage life can't work- that's a matter of agreement. Unfortunately in DBZ those who realizes that you won't eat and wear your skills and pride are threaten as inferior to those who never thought that food doesn't magically appear in a fridge.

[Michsi]

That's not strange when you have children to feed and spouse who thinks that worrying about such a trivial matter is nothing comparing to everything else.

Even in 18 and Bulma's case?

Do their partners care about that aspect onscreen? Someone has to. That doesn't mean that the couple where one is devoted to his passion and second take care of everything need to manage life can't work- that's a matter of agreement. Unfortunately in DBZ those who realizes that you won't eat and wear your skills and pride are threaten as inferior to those who never thought that food doesn't magically appear in a fridge.

I can understand Chichi's case, altough throughout the whole series they seem to be pretty well off. Not once did I get the impression they were in dire need of money.
But I repeat, what about 18 and Bulma. If 18 was so upset about their situation, then what stopped her from getting a job? And Bulma was spoiled but she still is materialistic when it comes her needs.

[NeoKING]

I don't think you guys should blame it on Toriyama being "bad with female characters." Back in the 80s, it was all about Rocky, Rambo, Die Hard, The Terminator, Super Mario Bros., and all that stuff in Japan. The 80s was a period of "manliness" in Japan's culture(some manga-ka even mention this period as a huge inspiration on their works today); the men were seen as tough guys that would rescue the damsel in distress, or the women would just be some supporting character. Compared to other popular Shōnen authors of that time in Jump, Toriyama's women were a step-up. Compare his treatment of women to Saint Seiya's Kurumada's or the guy who did Fist of the North Star.

[Deep Thought]

There is a difference between "mistreat" and "not respect." While I don't see Toriyama being sexist, I don't get how anyone can think that Toriyama pays respect to the female cast. Bulma is a stereotypical slutty character until she degenerates into Vegeta's spawning pit then her character somewhat ceases to be, Chi-Chi is the stereotypical love interest, having eyes only for Goku and caring little about her own endeavors, once when she degenerates into Goku's spawning pit, she becomes the stereotypical motherly character, focusing only on Gohan and she has little self-ambition besides (maybe) to get rich. Videl is Gohan's love interest who has mild daddy issues and she ceases to evolve into anything more. Cyborg 18 had potential to be interested but she was forced into an extremely minor role after fighting with Z-Warriors once.

I really don't get how people think that this is respectful characterization. Respect is a feeling of deep admiration for someone or something, usually warranted by witnessing their exceptional qualities. I find that the female characters don't really have have any of that.

A good way to analyze a character's personality is to describe them without describing their appearance or their occupation (that includes "love interest to blank").

Bulma: Promiscuous, hot-headed. EDIT: might as well add spoiled.

Chi-Chi: Hot-headed, caring (only applicable for her son).

Videl: Hot-headed, brave.

Cyborg 18: Malicious and cold at first, becomes somewhat opportunistic later on.

I tried to think of more personality traits, but none really came to me that made me think "Yeah, that's really fitting for Chi-Chi/Bulma/whoever." Look at Vegeta on the other hand;

Vegeta: Opportunistic, egotistical, vengeful, viciously brutal, cunning, hot-headed, prideful (including towards his family eventually), revealed to have the slightest of soft spots in his heart later on.

That's 8 unique characteristics, compared to the females' two (individually). This show, to me, that the female characters have little depth compared to the male characters, and that they pretty much serve as props. Honestly, out of all the mangas/animes I've watched, I'd have to say that Dragon Ball has the worst female characterization. Even Elfen Lied had better female characterization, so let's not get started on animes/mangas like fucking Akira, where the female characters are rightfully treated as the equals to the male characters in terms of characterization and development.