This is a very good point. Dead Zone is a wonderful movie, but the Black Water Mist Arc filler is so, so awful. I'd like to say the movie works because of it's position as a bridge between vols 16 and 17, so that characters like Kami-sama can still be relevant; and that the Black Water Mist arc failed because Garlic was just not a credible threat after the havoc of the Saiyans.Fishman wrote:Being completely serious, Turles/Tullece. I feel like he gets a pretty bad rap just for looking like Goku.
I'd say Garlic Jr. as well, though we saw what happened when they tried to make an anime arc out of him. It pretty much fell completely flat next to his film appearance.
However, it's likely that if all movies were turned into filler arcs, they would be awful too.
I would have for sure liked to have seen more of the Androids though. Maybe while bug-cell is creeping through villages and 17 and 18 are off joy riding in random trucks. We could see 14, 15, and 13 fight the main cast. Also I think it would have been cool to see more Saiyans canon. The jump in power between Raditz and Nappa is a bit ridiculous, I mean, they can literally grow cabbage-goblins as strong as him in 5 minutes. Would have been cool to see Tullece pop in to say hullo, without his henchmen though. Coola makes complete sense, in fact I think it would have been much "cooler" (i'm so sorry) to have seen him rather than Mecha-Freeza and King Cold. Also with his squadron's scouters we would have an excuse for more powar levuls. Also, his Form 5, just so sick. Definitely scratch Metal Coola though.
I feel like Dr Wheelo would have worked a lot better as filler rather than Garlic. First of all, it would make more sense that he is searching for the "World's Strongest" and picks up Muten Roshi, because Goku would be off-world. Secondly it would have been a great way to keep minor characters like Roshi relevant. Maybe utilize some of the other cast like Yajirobe and Popo since everyone else is on Namek or dead.
Slug is difficult to place, but I think maybe he would have had more effect if his character was radically altered, and he became another Namekian able to put up a fight to Freeza's minions. After all, Nail was basically the only one, and even though he was extremely badass, he was a pushover. Instead of constant deus ex machinas like Gohan and Kuririn's "unlocked potential" (groan) and Vegeta springing back from near death as excuses for non-Goku characters to double in power, if not x10. We could have Slug in the mix. Idk
As for Janenba, Tapion, and Gogeta... I feel like they would have been really cool in GT, had the series taken a different direction.