Why Was Gohan Handled So Poorly In The Cell Arc?

[ABED]

Gohan acts more like an adult than you give him credit for, especially by that point.

I'm aware that he is more smart & mature than his age, but he is still not even a teenager. He isn't an adult, he doesn't have the brain of an adult, no matter how you look at it.

This isn't the real world we're talking about, it's a fictional world, and Goku doesn't even act like an adult.

I think the way to present Gohan that makes the most sense is that he's unsure of himself, maybe gains a little more confidence during the fight, but isn't confident in his ability to draw out his own power. However, at the end, to show growth, even though his arm is hurt, he intends to go down swinging.

[DBZGTKOSDH]

This isn't the real world we're talking about, it's a fictional world

Irrelevant.

Goku doesn't even act like an adult.

There are countless adults that don't act like adults in real-life, and Goku also hit his head when he was a kid, and grew up in the wild alone.

[ABED]

This isn't the real world we're talking about, it's a fictional world

Irrelevant.

Goku doesn't even act like an adult.

There are countless adults that don't act like adults in real-life, and Goku also hit his head when he was a kid, and grew up in the wild alone.

Of course it's relevant. The real world rules about maturity don't really apply. If he's portrayed as mature enough, then he's mature enough. It's a fictional universe so trying to impose real world rules about child development on a fictional world with larger than life problems is inherently problematic. Gohan is portrayed to that point as smart enough to see the sorts of threat that Cell, Vegeta, and Freeza are. If a manchild like Goku can, surely Gohan can as well. Whether you buy it is a different issue.

[DBZGTKOSDH]

Of course it's relevant. The real world rules about maturity don't really apply. If he's portrayed as mature enough, then he's mature enough. It's a fictional universe so trying to impose real world rules about child development on a fictional world with larger than life problems is inherently problematic. Gohan is portrayed to that point as smart enough to see the sorts of threat that Cell, Vegeta, and Freeza are. If a manchild like Goku can, surely Gohan can as well. Whether you buy it is a different issue.

DB is unrealistic in many things, but we don't have to be unrealistic in things that it doesn't have to be. 11 year-old Gohan took a naive & stupid decision, because even though he is more mature & smart for his age, he is still a kid. You choose to disregard this for some reason, to create an inconsistency in the series? Why should I ever agree with that?

[ABED]

Of course it's relevant. The real world rules about maturity don't really apply. If he's portrayed as mature enough, then he's mature enough. It's a fictional universe so trying to impose real world rules about child development on a fictional world with larger than life problems is inherently problematic. Gohan is portrayed to that point as smart enough to see the sorts of threat that Cell, Vegeta, and Freeza are. If a manchild like Goku can, surely Gohan can as well. Whether you buy it is a different issue.

DB is unrealistic in many things, but we don't have to be unrealistic in things that it doesn't have to be. 11 year-old Gohan took a naive & stupid decision, because even though he is more mature & smart for his age, he is still a kid. You choose to disregard this for some reason, to create an inconsistency in the series? Why should I ever agree with that?

Goku is even less mature than Gohan. I'm not disregarding that he's a kid, I'm taking into account what we are shown, and you can't impose completely normal psychology in an not normal fictional world. What inconsistency are you referring to?

I'm not even sure what you think an 11 like Gohan couldn't comprehend that somehow Goku could.

[DBZGTKOSDH]

Goku is even less mature than Gohan.

And like I said before, he hit his head when he was a kid, he grew up mainly in the wild alone (and partially with one or two old men), he is stupid (minus fighting), his Saiyan nature makes him not give a shit about anything but fighting & food. Even in real-life, there are adults that are immature in real-life, like there are kids that are more mature. But a kid's brain isn't fully developed (no matter how mature they are), and they can't always take the correct decisions, which is why they need parents to guide them.

[ABED]

It doesn't matter why Goku is the way he is, he is what he is. This isn't about his Saiyan nature, he sees the threat that Cell possesses and wants to stop him. Both he and Gohan can see that the threat that is Cell needs to be stopped. It doesn't take an adult to see that.

[rereboy]

But his hidden powers were only shown in sort bursts of emotion which is beyond even his control, and he's so much more powerful at the Cell Games than he was on Namek so it's not like anything negative won't come of him using this time.

His SSJ2 is not his hidden power. They are different. Gohan did exactly the same thing he always did before, he let out his rage and he had a sudden burst of power. But this time, thanks to the burst, he reached SSJ2. Later, to kill Cell he once again has a burst of power from his hidden power (on top of his SSJ2) to kill off Cell, which once again proves that they are not the same thing.

[DBZGTKOSDH]

It doesn't matter why Goku is the way he is, he is what he is. This isn't about his Saiyan nature, he sees the threat that Cell possesses and wants to stop him. Both he and Gohan can see that the threat that is Cell needs to be stopped. It doesn't take an adult to see that.

Gohan was aware that Cell was a threat, but he was fool enough to think that Cell would get scared & stop doing evil things by telling him that he is stronger than him.

[ABED]

It doesn't matter why Goku is the way he is, he is what he is. This isn't about his Saiyan nature, he sees the threat that Cell possesses and wants to stop him. Both he and Gohan can see that the threat that is Cell needs to be stopped. It doesn't take an adult to see that.

Gohan was aware that Cell was a threat, but he was fool enough to think that Cell would get scared & stop doing evil things by telling him that he is stronger than him.

Then he's naïve.

[mAcChaos]

For all the "he saw genocide, he wouldn't be that naive!" you guys are forgetting GOKU HIMSELF let Freeza go after he killed Krillin, killed all the Namekians, killed Vegeta, etc.

This was Gohan's Freeza moment.

And as for Gohan being afraid of losing control: even if nothing bad happened in the past, by definition you are losing all control. So I would be afraid of what would happen if I was not able to control myself.

It's like saying, "Sure you got drunk a few times and nothing happened. This time let's get you so smashed you can't walk, and have you drive a car! What could go wrong!"

[Duo]

For all the "he saw genocide, he wouldn't be that naive!" you guys are forgetting GOKU HIMSELF let Freeza go after he killed Krillin, killed all the Namekians, killed Vegeta, etc.

This was Gohan's Freeza moment.

And as for Gohan being afraid of losing control: even if nothing bad happened in the past, by definition you are losing all control. So I would be afraid of what would happen if I was not able to control myself.

It's like saying, "Sure you got drunk a few times and nothing happened. This time let's get you so smashed you can't walk, and have you drive a car! What could go wrong!"

Freeza wasn't having a bunch of evil offspring hold figurative knives to the throats of most people he loved. At least Goku's stupidity at the time only affected him, as far as dying goes.

[mAcChaos]

For all the "he saw genocide, he wouldn't be that naive!" you guys are forgetting GOKU HIMSELF let Freeza go after he killed Krillin, killed all the Namekians, killed Vegeta, etc.

This was Gohan's Freeza moment.

And as for Gohan being afraid of losing control: even if nothing bad happened in the past, by definition you are losing all control. So I would be afraid of what would happen if I was not able to control myself.

It's like saying, "Sure you got drunk a few times and nothing happened. This time let's get you so smashed you can't walk, and have you drive a car! What could go wrong!"

Freeza wasn't having a bunch of evil offspring hold figurative knives to the throats of most people he loved. At least Goku's stupidity at the time only affected him, as far as dying goes.

But Freeza ALREADY killed everybody, that's even worse than a threat. Plus he could always come back and blow up the Earth, etc.

[Duo]

He killed Dende, Vegeta, and Kuririn. Goku didn't know the first and battled to the death with the second. When Freeza aims his finger at Gohan to kill him, Goku appears in the way and damn near breaks his wrist. He didn't mess around with direct threats. When he lets Freeza go, there's nobody left on the planet to be killed. Pretty different scenario. Also, Goku knew he could stop Freeza if he chased him to Earth.

Don't get me wrong, Goku was also being an idiot, just not nearly on the same level.

[mAcChaos]

In the beginning of the fight Gohan was using the same reasoning. "I'll give you a chance to back down since I know I can stop you."

But later when Cell is attacking everyone with the Cell Jrs., he realizes he can't bring it out like he wanted. Then he gets desperate. At that point he WANTS to fight, but he's still smart enough to know that the only way to actually win is to unlock his power. The only reason he flails wildly at Freeza and others is because that was all he had. In the situation with Cell though, trying to unlock his power was the smarter choice, than just charging at him (which already didn't work).

So it's not like he was just stupidly standing there doing nothing for no reason.

[DBZGTKOSDH]

It doesn't matter why Goku is the way he is, he is what he is. This isn't about his Saiyan nature, he sees the threat that Cell possesses and wants to stop him. Both he and Gohan can see that the threat that is Cell needs to be stopped. It doesn't take an adult to see that.

Gohan was aware that Cell was a threat, but he was fool enough to think that Cell would get scared & stop doing evil things by telling him that he is stronger than him.

Then he's naïve.

And when did I say that he isn't?

[rereboy]

For all the "he saw genocide, he wouldn't be that naive!" you guys are forgetting GOKU HIMSELF let Freeza go after he killed Krillin, killed all the Namekians, killed Vegeta, etc.

This was Gohan's Freeza moment.

And as for Gohan being afraid of losing control: even if nothing bad happened in the past, by definition you are losing all control. So I would be afraid of what would happen if I was not able to control myself.

It's like saying, "Sure you got drunk a few times and nothing happened. This time let's get you so smashed you can't walk, and have you drive a car! What could go wrong!"

So, he never did anything that he didn't like with his boosts, and now suddenly he has that fear, even though Cell is going to destroy the planet and kill all... Yeah, that's definitely not twisting Gohan's attitude to create tension and drama.

And Goku let Freeza go basically for the same reason that he left Vegeta and Piccolo go. He wanted to have them around as rivals and he dislikes killing in cold blood. Its not a very smart decision, its actually selfish, but Goku has been consistent about that and its consistent with his personality. And its totally different from the situation with Gohan.

[mAcChaos]

I don't think he ever wanted to see Freeza ever again, as a rival or anything. He never indicated it, unlike Piccolo or Vegeta.

[rereboy]

I don't think he ever wanted to see Freeza ever again, as a rival or anything. He never indicated it, unlike Piccolo or Vegeta.

He literally told him "If you want to settle this, you should go off and get your strength back. Learn a few more attacks."

And even if you ignore that reason, he doesn't like to kill in cold blood, like I mentioned. And that reason also has nothing to do with Gohan's situation.

[ABED]

That wouldn't be cold blooded to let Freeza die, it would be the sane thing to do. Freeza's still a danger regardless of how strong Goku is, and he didn't have one reason for letting Freeza live. He planned to let Freeza die on Namek until Freeza asked for help. Goku did it primarily as an act of mercy. That's not selfish, that's self destructive, but you are right that it's consistent with his personality. He's been known to let evil people go, or try to let them go.