Why do the characters mourn?

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roscaifed
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Why do the characters mourn?

Post by roscaifed » Mon Feb 10, 2014 3:22 pm

This is kind of a silly question but I have always found it strange. When someone mourns it is because they fear that they will never see a person again. Now in DB, the main characters know that they will more than likely be able to restore their friends lives with the dragon balls, and even then if they can't they know that there is definitely life after death, and a good one at that. Plus the fact that they are able to communicate with them still via Kaio-sama.

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Re: Why do the characters mourn?

Post by VegettoEX » Mon Feb 10, 2014 3:35 pm

There's still mourning over the fact that they died so painfully. No-one wants someone they love to have to experience pain and horror in the face of death.

Kaio also isn't necessarily a two-way "telephone", so to speak. I get the impression more often than not that when it's beneficial to HIM (or other deities) for dead folks to be communicating, then it's OK to do so. Well, I mean, Goku can usually open-up a dialog whenever he wants, but it's not like we ever got a chance to see Gohan go, "Hey Kaio, is dad there?" Not seeing it happen doesn't mean it CAN'T happen, but I get the feeling that's how it mostly works.

There are also the times when they didn't know / weren't sure if a particular set of Dragon Balls would bring back someone in particular.
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Re: Why do the characters mourn?

Post by Gyt Kaliba » Mon Feb 10, 2014 3:35 pm

It'd still be pretty emotional I'm sure. Even if you know they're doing fine on the other side, there's still the fact that you'll never see them again until you die as well.

That and, even though we know from the outside looking in that someone will always be revived, in-series the characters don't always know that. When Bora was killed, nobody yet knew if Shenlong could really revive someone. When Kuririn, Roshi, and Chaozu are killed, Shenlong is gone as well so for a time, it sure doesn't seem like they'll be coming back (not to mention, Goku's rage just over Kuririn's death earlier shows how traumatic it would still be). When half the gang is killed in the Saiyan arc, they don't have Dragon Balls due to Kami's death, and are unsure if they can get to Namek. Then they're not sure if they'll even survive to use the Balls, since Freeza's there. During the Cell arc, they learn the real issues of it when Goku can't be brought back without another trip to Namek, and then he turns that down. Go to the Boo arc, and then you start losing a lot of people who aren't even involved in the fight, and eventually the entire planet - there's no way that's not traumatic.
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Re: Why do the characters mourn?

Post by rereboy » Mon Feb 10, 2014 3:40 pm

It should not have nearly as much impact as it has in real life (and it doesn't) but its still emotional because they know they won't see them possibly for a long time (and the mere notion of death is very unpleasant).

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Re: Why do the characters mourn?

Post by Strife1 » Mon Feb 10, 2014 3:43 pm

Give it a dramatic effect. Death doesn't have consequences in Dragonball, but that doesn't mean Toriyama wants you to think that. That defeats the purpose of someone dying. If their friends are just like "no big deal, let's just wish him back, get a burger while collecting the balls." then there would be no purpose in killing the character off.

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Re: Why do the characters mourn?

Post by RandomGuy96 » Mon Feb 10, 2014 3:54 pm

In the King Piccolo and Freeza arcs, Goku went berserk when Krillin was killed.

In the Buu arc, Super Buu kills Krillin along with 18, Bulma, Chi Chi, Maron, Popo, and Yamcha on the Lookout, but Goku doesn't give a fuck. In fact, in contrast to the berserk rage he showed against Tambourine, Piccolo, and Freeza, he just cowers in fear of Super Buu whenever they share a scene.

Conclusion: by Buu, no one really cares, because they know that it's reversible.
The Monkey King wrote:
RandomGuy96 wrote:
dbgtFO wrote: Please elaborate as I do not know what you mean by "pushing Vegeta's destruction"
He's probably referring to the Bardock special. Zarbon was the one who first recommended destroying Planet Vegeta because the saiyans were rapidly growing in strength.
It was actually Beerus disguised as Zarbon #StayWoke
Herms wrote:The fact that the ridiculous power inflation is presented so earnestly makes me just roll my eyes and snicker. Like with Freeza, where he starts off over 10 times stronger than all his henchmen except Ginyu (because...well, just because), then we find out he can transform and get even more powerful, and then he reveals he can transform two more times, before finally coming out with the fact that he hasn't even been using anywhere near 50% of his power. Oh, and he can survive in the vacuum of space. All this stuff is just presented as the way Freeza is, without even an attempt at rationalizing it, yet the tone dictates we're supposed to take all this silly grasping at straws as thrilling danger. So I guess I don't really take the power inflation in the Boo arc seriously, but I don't take the power inflation in earlier arcs seriously either, so there's no net loss of seriousness. I think a silly story presented as serious is harder to accept than a silly story presented as silly.

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Re: Why do the characters mourn?

Post by ABED » Mon Feb 10, 2014 4:08 pm

Goku doesn't give a fuck.
That's a stretch. He's not overcome with emotion but he still feels something and is concentrated on the task at hand.
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Re: Why do the characters mourn?

Post by Gaffer Tape » Mon Feb 10, 2014 4:12 pm

I seem to recall Goku giving quite a fuck when he watches on the crystal ball Boo eating everyone.
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Re: Why do the characters mourn?

Post by RandomGuy96 » Mon Feb 10, 2014 4:34 pm

Gaffer Tape wrote:I seem to recall Goku giving quite a fuck when he watches on the crystal ball Boo eating everyone.
Maybe him having no reaction at all was an exaggeration, but do you honestly think Goku would have reacted like that if Krillin and the others couldn't be easily brought back after (in his mind) Gohan defeats Buu? Can you imagine Goku just kinda brushing off Freeza killing Krillin after a quick shock, then proceeding to cower before Freeza, yell at Piccolo for even thinking about suggesting Goku fight him, and later beg Freeza for a "time out" while looking like a scared schoolgirl?

He also had a very understated reaction when Dabra killed Krillin (and Piccolo) earlier, even beforehe was told that the... "condition" could be reversed.
The Monkey King wrote:
RandomGuy96 wrote:
dbgtFO wrote: Please elaborate as I do not know what you mean by "pushing Vegeta's destruction"
He's probably referring to the Bardock special. Zarbon was the one who first recommended destroying Planet Vegeta because the saiyans were rapidly growing in strength.
It was actually Beerus disguised as Zarbon #StayWoke
Herms wrote:The fact that the ridiculous power inflation is presented so earnestly makes me just roll my eyes and snicker. Like with Freeza, where he starts off over 10 times stronger than all his henchmen except Ginyu (because...well, just because), then we find out he can transform and get even more powerful, and then he reveals he can transform two more times, before finally coming out with the fact that he hasn't even been using anywhere near 50% of his power. Oh, and he can survive in the vacuum of space. All this stuff is just presented as the way Freeza is, without even an attempt at rationalizing it, yet the tone dictates we're supposed to take all this silly grasping at straws as thrilling danger. So I guess I don't really take the power inflation in the Boo arc seriously, but I don't take the power inflation in earlier arcs seriously either, so there's no net loss of seriousness. I think a silly story presented as serious is harder to accept than a silly story presented as silly.

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Re: Why do the characters mourn?

Post by Gyt Kaliba » Mon Feb 10, 2014 4:51 pm

RandomGuy96 wrote:He also had a very understated reaction when Dabra killed Krillin (and Piccolo) earlier, even beforehe was told that the... "condition" could be reversed.
They weren't really 'killed' there though, were they? Strange as it is to think that they wouldn't be, all evidence in the show/manga itself seems to imply they were only petrified, and somehow didn't die from...well, lack of oxygen during that time, or anything.
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Re: Why do the characters mourn?

Post by RandomGuy96 » Mon Feb 10, 2014 4:52 pm

Gyt Kaliba wrote:
RandomGuy96 wrote:He also had a very understated reaction when Dabra killed Krillin (and Piccolo) earlier, even beforehe was told that the... "condition" could be reversed.
They weren't really 'killed' there though, were they? Strange as it is to think that they wouldn't be, all evidence in the show/manga itself seems to imply they were only petrified, and somehow didn't die from...well, lack of oxygen during that time, or anything.
Pretty sure they fit the technical definition of "dead" while they're stone.
The Monkey King wrote:
RandomGuy96 wrote:
dbgtFO wrote: Please elaborate as I do not know what you mean by "pushing Vegeta's destruction"
He's probably referring to the Bardock special. Zarbon was the one who first recommended destroying Planet Vegeta because the saiyans were rapidly growing in strength.
It was actually Beerus disguised as Zarbon #StayWoke
Herms wrote:The fact that the ridiculous power inflation is presented so earnestly makes me just roll my eyes and snicker. Like with Freeza, where he starts off over 10 times stronger than all his henchmen except Ginyu (because...well, just because), then we find out he can transform and get even more powerful, and then he reveals he can transform two more times, before finally coming out with the fact that he hasn't even been using anywhere near 50% of his power. Oh, and he can survive in the vacuum of space. All this stuff is just presented as the way Freeza is, without even an attempt at rationalizing it, yet the tone dictates we're supposed to take all this silly grasping at straws as thrilling danger. So I guess I don't really take the power inflation in the Boo arc seriously, but I don't take the power inflation in earlier arcs seriously either, so there's no net loss of seriousness. I think a silly story presented as serious is harder to accept than a silly story presented as silly.

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Re: Why do the characters mourn?

Post by Marco Polo » Mon Feb 10, 2014 5:05 pm

Let's not forget that keeping your body after death was only for exceptional cases. In most cases the dead were losing their body and were destined to lose their memories and get reincarnated into completely different beings.

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Re: Why do the characters mourn?

Post by rereboy » Mon Feb 10, 2014 5:15 pm

Marco Polo wrote:Let's not forget that keeping your body after death was only for exceptional cases. In most cases the dead were losing their body and were destined to lose their memories and get reincarnated into completely different beings.
No, only bad people reincarnate. Good people don't keep their body but they go to heaven. And heroes and such can keep their bodies in the afterlife besides also going to heaven.

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Re: Why do the characters mourn?

Post by Mr. Piccolo » Mon Feb 10, 2014 6:12 pm

rereboy wrote:No, only bad people reincarnate. Good people don't keep their body but they go to heaven. And heroes and such can keep their bodies in the afterlife besides also going to heaven.
Do non-embodied but good dead people keep their personalities? I guess this would make a big difference. So for example, if you are Goku and you are dead and Chi-Chi is dead but Chi-Chi does not keep her body and is only a little spirit cloud without the same personality, memories, etc. that would be a big disappointment. My assumption was that you either got to keep your body and your personality or you became a little spirit cloud but lost your personality.

On the other hand I remember in the anime Chi-Chi and I think Bulma were shown as spirits from the waist down but I have no idea if this is filler or if it is also in the manga.
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Re: Why do the characters mourn?

Post by Friezacooler » Mon Feb 10, 2014 6:29 pm

Gohan vs Cell i recall Goku stating don't worry about the earthlings we can use the dragonballs to bring them back.

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Re: Why do the characters mourn?

Post by mAcChaos » Mon Feb 10, 2014 6:39 pm

Look at it this way.

If a loved one breaks an arm or suffers an accident, you know they will eventually heal and be all right, but you still are affected by it. It's the same when they die.
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Re: Why do the characters mourn?

Post by Adamant » Mon Feb 10, 2014 6:42 pm

Mr. Piccolo wrote: On the other hand I remember in the anime Chi-Chi and I think Bulma were shown as spirits from the waist down but I have no idea if this is filler or if it is also in the manga.
Every single scene of some random person having a body and consciousness and... being there at all is nonsensical filler that goes completely against what's stated in other arts of the series. Same with any scene that portrays Heaven or Hell in any way, shape or form... which is also mostly where this entire "why should people care about death, being dead is pretty much like being alive anyway, you just get a halo over your head and live with your dead friends and family instead of your living friends and family" thing comes from. All this stuff is invented by the anime.
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Re: Why do the characters mourn?

Post by superfunk » Mon Feb 10, 2014 6:55 pm

RandomGuy96 wrote:


Conclusion: by Buu, no one really cares, because they know that it's reversible.
Chi chi and Bulma have strong reactions to Gohan and vegeta dying in the buu saga.

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Re: Why do the characters mourn?

Post by Saiga » Mon Feb 10, 2014 10:37 pm

mAcChaos wrote:Look at it this way.

If a loved one breaks an arm or suffers an accident, you know they will eventually heal and be all right, but you still are affected by it. It's the same when they die.
That's the way I've always looked at it. If people are allowed to be upset over someone getting beat up, well dying is just worse than that. And that's without going into all the times where there is no guarantee of revival.
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Re: Why do the characters mourn?

Post by TheOverlyMadHatter » Tue Feb 11, 2014 2:12 am

Well, in Kuririn's case, it really was the first real loss to gang (Only Goku was acquainted to Bora), so that had to have some amount of impact. After that point, it's usually a case of there being a presumption that there is no chance of revival, like the deaths of Chaozu (first and second), Roshi, Yamcha, Tenshinhan, Kuririn (second), and Goku (second) because either they were already revived once or the Dragon Balls had presumably turned to stone without shining ever again. Even without that, I would find there being more wrong in not being shocked by the sight of a dear friend being brutally murdered, possibility of resuscitation or not.

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