Which Goku Is A more likable Character: Funimation Goku Or Original Japanese Goku:

[BlueBasilisk]

Which original Japanese Goku?

What I mean by that question is that, according to Akira Toriyama, not even Toei got his vision of the character completely right.

...Basically, Son Goku from Dragon Ball doesn’t fight for the sake of others, but because he wants to fight against strong guys. So once Dragon Ball got animated, at any rate, I’ve always been dissatisfied with the “righteous hero”-type portrayal they [as in Toei] gave him. I guess I couldn’t quite get them to grasp the elements of “poison” that slip in and out of sight among the shadows.

So really, if we want to be that technical, there's three Gokus: Toriyama Goku, Toei Goku, and FUNimation Goku. What's interesting is that, to hear Toriyama tell it, it sounds like Toei Goku is "FUNimation Goku Lite."

As others have noted, though, "FUNimation Goku" is a thing of the past. Sure, he still has some lines in the dub here and there that perhaps could have been adapted better, but instead of being a completely different character, this time around it's the same character...just with some occasionally questionable script adaptation choices.

Personally? My favorite version is Toei Goku. Just enough goodness in him to be likable without being over-the-top, but still motivated primarily by the will to fight strong opponents and improve himself. I would argue that Toriyama Goku is a little too one-dimensional in that fighting is all he cares about, whereas FUNimation Goku is too one-dimensional on the opposite end of the spectrum. Having a Goku that's occasionally conflicted between protecting the ones he loves and fighting strong opponents--even if fighting strong opponents ultimately ends up being the victor of his internal conflicts most of the time--presents the version of Goku that's the most likable and deep, in my opinion.

I think you could further subdivide Toei Goku into "Series Goku" and "Movie Goku" with Movie Goku skewing a bit more toward heroism than the normal Series Goku.

[ABED]

Because even though he was heroic in the dub he also still loved a good fight, which was also something that was outright stated early on during his fight with Vegeta and also his fight with Frieza.

And I think the excuse he gives about Gero in the dub works fine to maintain his heroic portrayal. Your points about the past of the RRA and Gero already working on the Androids are true, but Goku even in the dub is a simple minded guy who just wouldn't look that deep into it. Remember that Goku in the dub was willing to let Frieza live twice immediately after all the horrible things he'd done on Namek just because he didn't like killing. If he let Frieza live and even saved his life the same day he'd murdered Krillin then I can totally buy him not wanting to kill Gero in cold blood based on stuff that happened over a decade ago.

He doesn't have to kill him to stop him! The dub character is at odds with Goku's actual actions.

Maybe they wouldn't need to kill him, but at the same time Goku doesn't need to be flawless to still be heroic. He can want to have a good fight while still having every intention of saving the earth, which he fully believed he could do in that scenario. And even heroes can let their pride get in the way of their judgement sometimes. Take Batman for example who sees himself as a hero but often makes questionable choices because of pride or anger or even overconfidence.

This isn't like that at all. Goku is a character who will let three whole years go by so he can fight against beings whom he had been given warnings about in advance. Goku didn't make a mistake out of pride. His goal was never to fight for the "greater good".

[90sDBZ]

This isn't like that at all. Goku is a character who will let three whole years go by so he can fight against beings whom he had been given warnings about in advance. Goku didn't make a mistake out of pride. His goal was never to fight for the "greater good".

In this particular instance he does make a questionable choice I'll admit that. But what makes you so sure that pride has nothing to do with it? Despite being a hero he's also a martial artist who seeks to challenge himself. There's no reason why he can't have conflicting ideals like many people do in real life. He can aspire to be that great protector while still aspiring to be the best fighter possible. Sometimes he falls short of achieving the former while trying to achieve the latter.

This actually reminds me of another dub line in the Buu saga where he says to Babidi "We never would have let you revive Buu if we'd known he'd be this powerful". This is him taking responsibility and acknowledging he'd underestimated Buu, and actually admitting he'd do things differently if given the chance again.

[ABED]

Goku doesn't do it because he believes he's better than he truly is. He fights them to challenge himself. that's it. If he's out to protect people, his methods aren't merely flawed, it's stupid. Also, if he was out to protect people, others would be able to come up with far better ideas than waiting three years and doing nothing proactive to stop them. If saving the world was his goal, he picked just about the dumbest method of achieving his goal.

As we know, saving the world isn't his fundamental goal. He wants to fight the cyborgs and that's why he waits and trains.

On second thought, I should of written "arrogance" or "hubris" instead of pride.

This is him taking responsibility and acknowledging he'd underestimated Buu, and actually admitting he'd do things differently if given the chance again.

Also a dumb line because he didn't intentionally let Buu out. That one is on Vegeta.

[90sDBZ]

Goku doesn't do it because he believes he's better than he truly is. He fights them to challenge himself. that's it. If he's out to protect people, his methods aren't merely flawed, it's stupid. Also, if he was out to protect people, others would be able to come up with far better ideas than waiting three years and doing nothing proactive to stop them. If saving the world was his goal, he picked just about the dumbest method of achieving his goal.

As we know, saving the world isn't his fundamental goal. He wants to fight the cyborgs and that's why he waits and trains.

On second thought, I should of written "arrogance" or "hubris" instead of pride.

This is him taking responsibility and acknowledging he'd underestimated Buu, and actually admitting he'd do things differently if given the chance again.

Also a dumb line because he didn't intentionally let Buu out. That one is on Vegeta.

It might be a dumb method but Goku IS dumb. And if you want to take the logic that seriously then there's countless moments like that throughout the original story that could also be picked apart. One major one is the fact that nobody, not even Piccolo thinks of the Time Chamber until later rather than during the Android preparation. He even merges with Kami before considering it which is nuts considering his character.

And when I mentioned Goku's pride I didn't mean overconfidence, I meant proving to himself he can win. And yes also challenging himself like you said, neither of which prevent him from having heroic intntions too. It's basically a 2 birds 1 stone scenario, saving the world and testing himself at the same time. It isn't the best method obviously, but things don't have to be totally black and white.

And both he and Vegeta played a part in Buu's revival to different extents.

[ABED]

He's not so obtuse that in the three years before their arrival, not one of his friends couldn't have pointed out the idiocy of such a plan. His friends don't just blindly follow his lead. I don't know what your point is anymore. Goku's drive isn't to save the world when he lets Dr. Gero complete his cyborgs. That's a dub idea. "Goku's dumb" isn't some catch all argument.

And both he and Vegeta played a part in Buu's revival to different extents.

This and the Room of Spirit and Time are both retcons. Of course the characters didn't think of it. Toriyama hadn't thought of it. Toriyama is a pantser. He hadn't thought of SSJ3 by the time Goku fought Vegeta.

I find Goku way more interesting than dub Goku. Is he more likable? Depends on what you mean by that. In real life I would like the guy that doesn't let bad things happen for the sake of a fight, but this is fiction so the rules are different.

[90sDBZ]

He's not so obtuse that in the three years before their arrival, not one of his friends couldn't have pointed out the idiocy of such a plan. His friends don't just blindly follow his lead. I don't know what your point is anymore. Goku's drive isn't to save the world when he lets Dr. Gero complete his cyborgs. That's a dub idea. "Goku's dumb" isn't some catch all argument.

And both he and Vegeta played a part in Buu's revival to different extents.

This and the Room of Spirit and Time are both retcons. Of course the characters didn't think of it. Toriyama hadn't thought of it. Toriyama is a pantser. He hadn't thought of SSJ3 by the time Goku fought Vegeta.

I find Goku way more interesting than dub Goku. Is he more likable? Depends on what you mean by that. In real life I would like the guy that doesn't let bad things happen for the sake of a fight, but this is fiction so the rules are different.

It's obvious that his friends have a certain degree of respect for him so I can easily see them biting their tongues. And besides that the likes of Vegeta, Piccolo, and Tien are also proud warriors who want to fight the Androids, which would make it even harder for someone like Krillin or Yamcha to speak up against against the majority vote.

And you say that he's not dumb enough to think that way. This is the same guy who TWICE IN THE SAME DAY let Frieza go and turned his back on him with the genuine belief that he wouldn't go on to cause harm. Given that I can easily buy into the "Goku doesn't want to go after someone who technically hasn't done anything wrong yet" idea.

And something being a retcon doesn't excuse it from being judged as it is in-universe. I know it often undermines the initial intention for the characters, but ultimately when a character is portrayed a certain way as the direct result of a retcon the character becomes that portrayal.

[ABED]

They want to fight the cyborgs because they are like Goku. They aren't out to save the world.

And you say that he's not dumb enough to think that way. This is the same guy who TWICE IN THE SAME DAY let Frieza go and turned his back on him with the genuine belief that he wouldn't go on to cause harm. Given that I can easily buy into the "Goku doesn't want to go after someone who technically hasn't done anything wrong yet" idea.

First, he doesn't genuinely believe Freeza wouldn't go on to cause harm. He hopes so, but he's mostly hoping Freeza won't try anything against him and the people he cares about. As long as he doesn't hear about Freeza, he's fine. Second, that's the same day within a matter of minutes. Goku can't come up with a better plan in three years? And lastly, Gero had done something wrong by then. He was a member of the RRA. Even if he wasn't, there are means of stopping him without killing him.

And something being a retcon doesn't excuse it from being judged as it is in-universe. I know it often undermines the initial intention for the characters, but ultimately when a character is portrayed a certain way as the direct result of a retcon the character becomes that portrayal.

But it's an inconsistent portrayal. It says more about the writer than the character.

[90sDBZ]

They want to fight the cyborgs because they are like Goku. They aren't out to save the world.

And you say that he's not dumb enough to think that way. This is the same guy who TWICE IN THE SAME DAY let Frieza go and turned his back on him with the genuine belief that he wouldn't go on to cause harm. Given that I can easily buy into the "Goku doesn't want to go after someone who technically hasn't done anything wrong yet" idea.

First, he doesn't genuinely believe Freeza wouldn't go on to cause harm. He hopes so, but he's mostly hoping Freeza won't try anything against him and the people he cares about. As long as he doesn't hear about Freeza, he's fine. Second, that's the same day within a matter of minutes. Goku can't come up with a better plan in three years? And lastly, Gero had done something wrong by then. He was a member of the RRA. Even if he wasn't, there are means of stopping him without killing him.

And something being a retcon doesn't excuse it from being judged as it is in-universe. I know it often undermines the initial intention for the characters, but ultimately when a character is portrayed a certain way as the direct result of a retcon the character becomes that portrayal.

But it's an inconsistent portrayal. It says more about the writer than the character.

And in the dub they are also like Goku. Wanting to do both because of their conflicting ideals.

Now you're making a pretty big assumption about Goku. What makes you think he'd be fine with Frieza going on to kill countless innocents and essentially turning a blind eye to it as long as it didn't directly affect him? Even in the Japanese version that's a big stretch. I know Goku doesn't actively patrol the universe for evil but if he already knows about an evil as bad as Frieza then he's not going to be okay with him going on a killing spree even if it is light years away. And there's always the possibility that Frieza could simply destroy the earth from outer space without having to fight Goku again.

And it doesn't matter if we're talking a matter of minutes or 3 years. In the Frieza situation Goku had experienced his evil first hand and had watched Krillin get murdered before his eyes. That alone should have made killing him a no brainer, especially when you factor in how fresh Goku's anger was.

Gero on the other hand is a guy Goku never actually came face to face with before and never even knew existed before Trunks mentioned him. If he was dumb enough to let Frieza go under that context then he's dumb enough to leave Gero be for 3 years.

And if we're still taking the logic dead seriously then can you tell me why in the Japanese version didn't Bulma/Krillin/Yamcha just go behind Goku's back and stop Gero themselves in 3 whole years?

[ABED]

It's not a big assumption. Goku lets bad people go free all the time. He knows they will do evil things, but he does it anyway because stopping evil has never been his fundamental goal. He's very concrete bound. If it's not in front of him, he's not going to stop it. If the last few sentences in your first paragraph were true, he would've let Kuririn kill Vegeta.

Goku doesn't let Freeza go because he's dumb. Where did you get that idea? You are making a huge leap to say he's so stupid that he literally can't think of a single thing to do to stop Gero in THREE YEARS. And yes, the amount of time absolutely matters if their goal is to save the world.

And if we're still taking the logic dead seriously then can you tell me why in the Japanese version didn't Bulma/Krillin/Yamcha just go behind Goku's back and stop Gero themselves in 3 whole years?

They aren't out to save the world! This question has me confused.

[Sin]

Now you're making a pretty big assumption about Goku. What makes you think he'd be fine with Frieza going on to kill countless innocents and essentially turning a blind eye to it as long as it didn't directly affect him? Even in the Japanese version that's a big stretch. I know Goku doesn't actively patrol the universe for evil but if he already knows about an evil as bad as Frieza then he's not going to be okay with him going on a killing spree even if it is light years away. And there's always the possibility that Frieza could simply destroy the earth from outer space without having to fight Goku again.

It's not a big stretch at all, him stopping an evil tyrant-dictator is just the bi-product of him wanting a good fight.

[90sDBZ]

It's not a big assumption. Goku lets bad people go free all the time. He knows they will do evil things, but he does it anyway because stopping evil has never been his fundamental goal. He's very concrete bound. If it's not in front of him, he's not going to stop it. If the last few sentences in your first paragraph were true, he would've let Kuririn kill Vegeta.

Goku doesn't let Freeza go because he's dumb. Where did you get that idea? You are making a huge leap to say he's so stupid that he literally can't think of a single thing to do to stop Gero in THREE YEARS. And yes, the amount of time absolutely matters if their goal is to save the world.

And if we're still taking the logic dead seriously then can you tell me why in the Japanese version didn't Bulma/Krillin/Yamcha just go behind Goku's back and stop Gero themselves in 3 whole years?

They aren't out to save the world! This question has me confused.

You're taking the whole "If it's not in front of his eyes he doesn't give a shit" too literally. No he doesn't care to go out looking for new evil guys to stop. But if it's someone as colossally dangerous as Frieza who he already knows very well on a personal level and also knows that he's the only person in the universe who can stop him then he wouldn't just say "Aw fuck it".

The situations with Piccolo and Vegeta were different because Goku actually intended to rematch them and stop them again and again if necessary. He made it clear he never wanted to see Frieza again so he must have felt pretty certain that Frieza would be too scared to try anything after his defeat.

If you still think Goku couldn't give a rats ass what Frieza did after then why does he directly tell him to stay out of trouble in a threatening way? If he didn't care then he'd have just said "Go ahead and kill whoever you want. Just don't do it in front of me okay." The idea that Goku even in the original would actively turn a blind eye to someone as bad as Frieza is beyond ridiculous.

In the example I used I specifically mentioned Krillin, Yamcha and Bulma. Bulma obviously doesn't intend to fight the Androids for fun, and neither do the other 2. Even if they don't care about saving the world you can be damn sure they care about saving their own asses, so why didn't they go after Gero? Because like countless other times in the story the logic of alternate possibilities isn't fully explored or even taken seriously and that situation in the dub is just the same. In a story that already requires a regular suspension of logic the fact that Goku in the dub didn't think of anything else for 3 years isn't difficult to accept.

Now you're making a pretty big assumption about Goku. What makes you think he'd be fine with Frieza going on to kill countless innocents and essentially turning a blind eye to it as long as it didn't directly affect him? Even in the Japanese version that's a big stretch. I know Goku doesn't actively patrol the universe for evil but if he already knows about an evil as bad as Frieza then he's not going to be okay with him going on a killing spree even if it is light years away. And there's always the possibility that Frieza could simply destroy the earth from outer space without having to fight Goku again.

It's not a big stretch at all, him stopping an evil tyrant-dictator is just the bi-product of him wanting a good fight.

Is that why even in the original he starts the fight by saying "For all the people you killed I'll defeat you!"?

[ABED]

You're taking the whole "If it's not in front of his eyes he doesn't give a shit" too literally.

It was a logical conclusion from his actions over the course of the whole story. He lets Vegeta, Piccolo, and Dr. Gero create the cyborgs because he wants a fight. The situation with Vegeta and Piccolo were no different. He lets them go not to stop them later, but so he can fight them. In the meantime, people were bound to get hurt before the rematch. He tells Kuririn that he knows what he's asking isn't right.

I'm not saying Goku doesn't care, but it's not his primary driver to stop bad guys. You can make claims that it's beyond ridiculous that he would turn a blind eye, but what evidence do you have to support that?

Because like countless other times in the story the logic of alternate possibilities isn't fully explored or even taken seriously and that situation in the dub is just the same. In a story that already requires a regular suspension of logic the fact that Goku in the dub didn't think of anything else for 3 years isn't difficult to accept.

Or you refuse to accept the very obvious fact of them wanting to take part in or witness the fight. There's willing suspension of disbelief in the type of world DB is (over the top, mystical, and often silly), but not of basic characterization. Goku has ALWAYS been driven to fight first and foremost. The reason the alternate solutions isn't explored is because that isn't their goal. They say flat out what their goals are! I can not buy the idea that if their goal was to stop the cyborgs that they are all so incredibly dense that they couldn't come up with a better solution after one friggin discussion. Really, you buy that in three years, they don't even broach the subject of a better idea than to wait for 3 years? That's too big of a leap. Thankfully that's not their goal and they wait and train for three years because (as always) their primary aim is to challenge themselves as martial artists. Their actions are fully consistent with their goals.

To keep this on track, perhaps that view might turn some off to Goku, I certainly don't find it a likable quality that he lets bad shit happen, but I find interesting, especially as an alternative to the superhero genre.

Is that why even in the original he starts the fight by saying "For all the people you killed I'll defeat you!"?

Freeza was a situation that was right in front of him. He didn't seek Freeza out to stop him. He was going to Namek anyway to join his friends. Freeza happened to be there. If the situation was different and Goku happened to hear rumblings of a being as powerful as Freeza and his friends weren't in danger, Goku would eventually seek him out not to stop him but because the prospect of fighting a being that powerful excites him.

[90sDBZ]

As far as Japanese Goku goes I never said his primary goal was to stop bad guys, but there's a big difference between something being a secondary goal to outright not caring about it at all. With Piccolo he knew that Piccolo would come after HIM again, and even early on felt that he wasn't as bad as King Piccolo which he tells Gohan at some point. He knew deep down that Piccolo cared more about revenge than world conquest so wouldn't go killing innocents randomly.

With Vegeta he also believed that Vegeta would return to challenge him and had no way of knowing he'd go to Namek. Funnily enough during the Japanese Buu saga Vegeta even says during his "You are Number 1" speech "It's almost as if you knew I'd come to have a heart", which further supports the idea that Goku is optimistic about people to a fault even if he did want a fight too.

With Frieza he completely overpowers him to the point where he's helpless and has no reason to believe he could ever be a match for him again. He has absolutely nothing to gain from sparing him and yet he does purely out of the goodness of his heart. Even after he turns on him Goku is still nice enough to not only spare him again but also to save his life. Just think about that for a minute. Someone murders your best friend in cold blood and you save their life. I'd say that makes you a pretty damn nice and compassionate guy. For someone that nice and compassionate to outright disregard the lives of Frieza's potential future victims just doesn't ring true at all.

And again you're ignoring the fact that Bulma, Krillin, and Yamcha aren't battle obsessed maniacs and make it clear on countless occasions that self-preservation matters greatly to them. And where did you get the idea that any of them wanted to witness the fight? Next you'll be saying they were placing bets too.

And when does Bulma ever state that her goal is to enjoy a fight? During the Pirate Cave arc in DB she even says that her own survival is more important to her than Goku so why doesn't she stop Gero behind Goku's back? She could have used her resources to take down Gero.

[Polyphase Avatron]

I also disagree with the notion that Goku is Superman in the dub. I never felt that at all, his actions don't even sound like Superman. I mean even his one liners about justice aren't Superman at all.

People really don't understand Superman in the Dragon Ball fanbase.

It sounds like Superfriends/golden age Superman.

I think you mean Silver Age. Golden Age Superman was more along the lines of the brutal, take-no-prisoners, casually killing criminals type. Same with Batman (he even used guns!).

[ABED]

I never even implied Goku doesn't care, just that he doesn't go out of his way. I also never said he wasn't good hearted or uncompassionate.

Of course Goku was counting on Piccolo coming after him, but he's not naïve to think Piccolo wasn't going to cause any problems in the meantime. Hell, even Piccolo Jr. caused a lot of death and destruction. He destroyed Papaya Island and there's no way everyone was able to get off the island between when he reveals his identity to the crowd and when he blows up the island. Same applies to Vegeta.

Vegeta was a threat to the whole Earth. There's no way Goku can just assume Vegeta would B line it for him and not cause death and destruction. He flat out states he knows it's a bad idea to let Vegeta go given the kind of person he is. Plus, Goku got his ass handed to him. He unambiguously lost their battle. The whole team won by a VERY slim margin. Goku's great, but there's absolutely no guarantee Goku could win. That's a lot to risk.

And doesn't he also tell Freeza to brush up on his skills? He does show mercy in that moment, but it's a mix of things. Freeza's one of the few Goku shows mercy to, but he didn't stop the fight several times out of mercy. He stopped because he got bored of fighting.

For someone that nice and compassionate to outright disregard the lives of Frieza's potential future victims just doesn't ring true at all.

It will when you disregard the times he does disregard potential future victims.

I'm not the one ignoring anything. Kuririn is the one that makes the speech to spur everyone on about the cyborgs. The ONLY dissenting opinion is Bulma's! You constantly ignore their explicit reasons. Everyone is in favor of training for three years in preparation for the fight against the cyborgs.

And where did you get the idea that any of them wanted to witness the fight?

Because they say so. What do you think they are there for? They know they can't do a thing. They show up to watch, like they do at the Cell Games.

I think you mean Silver Age. Golden Age Superman was more along the lines of the brutal, take-no-prisoners, casually killing criminals type. Same with Batman (he even used guns!).

The Golden Age isn't limited to the first few years after their creation. The Golden Age lasts until the mid-50s.

And when does Bulma ever state that her goal is to enjoy a fight? During the Pirate Cave arc in DB she even says that her own survival is more important to her than Goku so why doesn't she stop Gero behind Goku's back? She could have used her resources to take down Gero.

That's a better question for you. Why do you think she didn't stop Gero? Is it because you think she's dumb like Goku? She created the Dragon Radar at 16, but can't figure out how to stop Gero in three years? Don't buy that.

[Polyphase Avatron]

And when does Bulma ever state that her goal is to enjoy a fight? During the Pirate Cave arc in DB she even says that her own survival is more important to her than Goku so why doesn't she stop Gero behind Goku's back? She could have used her resources to take down Gero.

That's a better question for you. Why do you think she didn't stop Gero? Is it because you think she's dumb like Goku? She created the Dragon Radar at 16, but can't figure out how to stop Gero in three years? Don't buy that.

Vegeta would be angry with her.

[Cure Dragon 255]

Vegeta is a little bitch. Goku should have curb-stomped his ass like he promised to Krillin. There.

[Kataphrut]

Funimation Goku is more dad-like. The masculine voice combined with skipping OG Dragon Ball on the first run and the fact that eveyrone's always waiting on him to come and save the day makes Dragon Ball Z as it's best known in the West a story about the relationship between fathers and sons. The first half of the series (which started with Raditz doncha know) is about a boy and his various masculine authority figures (Goku, Piccolo, Raditz, Krillin, Vegeta on Namek) and how he needs to find the right guidance. The second half introduces Trunks and Vegeta as a counterpart story, being about a man redeeming himself via his relationship with his son.

Goku in Funimation's original DBZ is the ideal father figure, giving advice and flying in to save the day, which actually makes him more analogous to Superman than any 'hope of the universe' speech does. It's also why the Western fanbase is more critical of moments where the dub couldn't hide his true self like giving Cell the senzu bean, or coming back to replace Gohan at the end of Buu. It goes against the coming of age story they thought they were getting.

Of course now it's a different story and Funimation's Goku is pretty much identical to the Japanese version. Luckily the change in direction coincided with Sean becoming a better actor and balancing the goofy and serious side of Goku.

[90sDBZ]

I never even implied Goku doesn't care, just that he doesn't go out of his way. I also never said he wasn't good hearted or uncompassionate.

Of course Goku was counting on Piccolo coming after him, but he's not naïve to think Piccolo wasn't going to cause any problems in the meantime. Hell, even Piccolo Jr. caused a lot of death and destruction. He destroyed Papaya Island and there's no way everyone was able to get off the island between when he reveals his identity to the crowd and when he blows up the island. Same applies to Vegeta.

Vegeta was a threat to the whole Earth. There's no way Goku can just assume Vegeta would B line it for him and not cause death and destruction. He flat out states he knows it's a bad idea to let Vegeta go given the kind of person he is. Plus, Goku got his ass handed to him. He unambiguously lost their battle. The whole team won by a VERY slim margin. Goku's great, but there's absolutely no guarantee Goku could win. That's a lot to risk.

And doesn't he also tell Freeza to brush up on his skills? He does show mercy in that moment, but it's a mix of things. Freeza's one of the few Goku shows mercy to, but he didn't stop the fight several times out of mercy. He stopped because he got bored of fighting.

For someone that nice and compassionate to outright disregard the lives of Frieza's potential future victims just doesn't ring true at all.

It will when you disregard the times he does disregard potential future victims.

I'm not the one ignoring anything. Kuririn is the one that makes the speech to spur everyone on about the cyborgs. The ONLY dissenting opinion is Bulma's! You constantly ignore their explicit reasons. Everyone is in favor of training for three years in preparation for the fight against the cyborgs.

And where did you get the idea that any of them wanted to witness the fight?

Because they say so. What do you think they are there for? They know they can't do a thing. They show up to watch, like they do at the Cell Games.

I think you mean Silver Age. Golden Age Superman was more along the lines of the brutal, take-no-prisoners, casually killing criminals type. Same with Batman (he even used guns!).

The Golden Age isn't limited to the first few years after their creation. The Golden Age lasts until the mid-50s.

And when does Bulma ever state that her goal is to enjoy a fight? During the Pirate Cave arc in DB she even says that her own survival is more important to her than Goku so why doesn't she stop Gero behind Goku's back? She could have used her resources to take down Gero.

That's a better question for you. Why do you think she didn't stop Gero? Is it because you think she's dumb like Goku? She created the Dragon Radar at 16, but can't figure out how to stop Gero in three years? Don't buy that.

Piccolo could have attacked the earth as soon as he was fully grown to draw Goku out but instead opted to wait and face him in a Tournament. I never really felt that he truly cared about world domination, just killing Goku. I always got the impression that his "interest" in ruling the world was kind of forced and he only acted that way to honor his fathers wishes. Notice how when the crowd recognise him as Piccolo he at first seems more irritated than anything and then goes on to give a 2 dimensional villain speech that seems like he's just playing the role. He definitely wanted Goku dead, but even Goku picked up on him not being the irredeemable monster his father was and could have been pretty damn sure he wouldn't suddenly go on a killing spree (which he actually doesn't).

Vegeta was a proud Saiyan warrior who got messed up by 2 lower class warriors. He was vengeful and would have made killing Goku his top priority if the Namekian dragonballs hadn't come to his attention.

Goku only tells Frieza to brush up on his skills as a taunt to piss him off in the heat of the moment, and that's before he loses his legs and arm. Sparing him again after he's lost his legs and arm couldn't possibly have anything to do with a potential rematch.

And again there's a clear difference between Piccolo/Vegeta and Frieza being spared. He assures Kami that he's prepared to stop Piccolo over and over, and he assures Krillin that he'll stop Vegeta when he returns. With Frieza he's being optimistic to a fault and trusting him to behave with no intention of a rematch.

You're leaving out one important point about Krillin's "motivational speech" before they leave to train, and that's the fact that he only made it to stay on Piccolo and Vegeta's good sides which he admits to Gohan under his breath. Even then he was thinking about self preservation so why doesn't he stop Gero?

And you can't just disregard Bulma's opinion because she alone could have stopped a still human Gero with her resources.

You made it sound like they wanted to watch the fight for entertainment. They only want to watch it to be there to support their friends, and if the fight wasn't happening in the first place they'd have no reason to want it to happen just to watch it.

I don't understand what you're getting at with that last comment about Bulma. My whole point in the first place was that it was illogical for her to do nothing, which I used as an example to show that the logic in the series shouldn't be taken too literally like you were doing with dub Goku and Gero.