The core thing I would really change about the Namek arc is not have it drag on for so long. I wouldn't have the Ginyu-Goku body switch last more than part of an episode. I would have also changed up the setting. Make it so that Namek does have a day/night cycle, and so that it has a more diverse environment. Oh and I would also have had Krillin at least attempt the Taiyoken + Kienzan combo a couple of times.
thatdbzguy wrote:The things I called repetitive were repetitive because they typically went on for too long and were too formulaic, and the henchmen were just one-dimensional punching bags for Vegeta.
I'll agree that the minions were pretty generic, in terms of personality. But the way they were handled wasn't terribly formulaic. Sure, Cui and Dodoria both beg to team up with Vegeta, and then run away, but that's about it. One is started because Cui was literally going after Vegeta, the other started because Vegeta ambushed Dodoria while he was looking for someone else. Cui had no idea that Vegeta was more powerful than before when their fight started, while Dodoria did. Cui was killed my Vegeta blowing him up from the inside out, Dodoria was simply killed with a blast. Cui lacked any reasonable bartering chips, but managed to trick Vegeta into thinking Freeza was behind him. Dodoria didn't use that kind of trickery, but had what he thought was a bartering chip in the form of information on Planet Vegeta's destruction.
While it's evident that his first two fights against Freeza's minions play out similarly, they're also different when you look at the details. Whether or not this number of similarities in relation to the number of differences makes it "
too formulaic" is an entirely subjective judgment, and is far from evidence of "why the Namek/Freeza arc is objectively bad". Also, his "exchanges" with Zarbon, Guldo, Recoome, Burta, and Jheese are all even more different, and I really hope I don't need to explain why.
Next you brought up Freeza's transformations. Whether they went on for
too long, is, again, entirely subjective. Were they formulaic? Freeza transforms, the heroes get beat up, some miracle happens and they catch up with Freeza, only for him to transform again. I'm assuming this is the formula you're purporting that
every one of his transformations follows? Because that's not correct, if so. If not, by all means elaborate on what you mean.
But hey, we're getting somewhere. I think.
thatdbzguy wrote:The problem with DBZ isn't that it's imperfect, it's that it's just embarrassingly bad. There are plenty of shows thought to be for little girls that have exceptional writing, and yet DBZ can't even match those in writing quality.
We've been through his many times in other threads. Most of the common reasons you give for it being "bad" (in an objective sense) are either subjective or flat out incorrect. The remaining valid and sound evidence you had were enough to objectively qualify it as imperfect, but not bad, as you're missing the premise of "how many imperfections makes something bad". I mean, then there's also you tossing out "embarrassingly", which is also entirely subjective.
