Why do they seem to be pushing Mai x Trunks?

[TheGreatness25]

and realize that it's fiction so everying is acceptable. Duly noted.

This is the kind of thing that's basically unacceptable here. At least three times you've gone, "OK, fine, just ignore me, whatever, I see how it is, OK guys, sure." That's... not a conversation. Please remember where you are: this isn't a place to dump your one-line opinion and call it a day. We ask more of you here.

I see your viewpoint, and that's fine. It's your viewpoint. I disagree with it entirely, at least so far as the "why her not someone else?" part. I've already used the example of Toriyama introducing them in BoG versus random bandits, and I stick by that good analogy. Furthermore, I don't buy the "but she's not strong enough!" point. Characters are more than just their strength, even in a dumb strength-based show like Dragon Ball. I'll take an interesting, weak character above an uninteresting, strong character any day of the week. I hope that's where they're going here.

Yeah I'm trying to get people to take the focus off of me and carry on. I'm basically repeating the same thing over and over again in response to people quoting me. It's like beating a dead horse at this point. And I have cute little smart-assy comments directed toward me about reading comprehension and being adults and whatnot. I could just simply stop responding. Really, what has the conversation been about for the last page or so? About my opinion, whether it is my opinion, whether I formulated it up to standards, etc. Yes, please, move on. But okay, I can just stop responding too. If that's up to standard, of course.

[Anime Kitten]

I liked their thing in BOG, and I'm kinda glad they're carrying it into the new arc. Just curious as to how long they've been together (not that I think they're married).

VegettoEX, can I just say you're awesome?

[JulieYBM]

And who's to say BoG Mai's interest in Trunks is even sexual in nature? I saw it as a cute little grade-school romance, even knowing full well about Mai's history.

We know straight from Toriyama's mouth he doesn't put much interest or thought into romance, so yours is a reading not entirely impossible, either!

Jacob's seemingly-pro-pedo viewpoint creeps me out a bit, but that's a discussion for another day. I'm more in line with metamoss here where the BoG relationship really just seemed like a dumb jokey childish thing, and that was super fine with me.

Woaaaahhh there nally. That's not at all what I said. At all. Zero. Nada. Zilch. I'm illustrating that one isn't going to prevent any sort of social collapse by making one's cartoons different, which is what my understanding of what TheGreatness25 is aiming at. Actual pedophilia has nothing to do with this subject.

Now, do I think Toriyama has a [joking] bent towards playing Mai as some sort of pedophile? I wouldn't be surprised if he does, based on his past, but I also don't think the Mai and Trunks thing is being played deeper than it seems. Toriyama isn't the sort of guy to consider the greater ramifications of what he writes, which is something his readers in the west tend to overlook. It's an automatic assumption that writers are all the same and can be pigeon-holed into a specific way of creating and thinking.

I find it perversely interesting that we can consider the moral conundrums of Mai being a potential pedophile with such grave words, yet treat the actual murderous, bloodthirsty and immoral main characters without such seriousness. Put more simply, I think we all look like a bunch of hypocrites as a result.

[MetaMoss]

Now, do I think Toriyama has a [joking] bent towards playing Mai as some sort of pedophile? I wouldn't be surprised if he does, based on his past, but I also don't think the Mai and Trunks thing is being played deeper than it seems. Toriyama isn't the sort of guy to consider the greater ramifications of what he writes, which is something his readers in the west tend to overlook. It's an automatic assumption that writers are all the same and can be pigeon-holed into a specific way of creating and thinking.

I find it perversely interesting that we can consider the moral conundrums of Mai being a potential pedophile with such grave words, yet treat the actual murderous, bloodthirsty and immoral main characters without such seriousness. Put more simply, I think we all look like a bunch of hypocrites as a result.

And if we really want to get into the ramifications of this pairing, we should also consider that Mai de-aged to a prepubescent state. At this point in the her life-cycle, Mai's hormones wouldn't have developed to the point where she would have sexual attraction.

[WittyUsername]

I have to admit, I didn't expect this thread to get as heated as it seems to have become. I kind of just assumed that this thread would maybe get a few replies before quickly being forgotten.

[JulieYBM]

Now, do I think Toriyama has a [joking] bent towards playing Mai as some sort of pedophile? I wouldn't be surprised if he does, based on his past, but I also don't think the Mai and Trunks thing is being played deeper than it seems. Toriyama isn't the sort of guy to consider the greater ramifications of what he writes, which is something his readers in the west tend to overlook. It's an automatic assumption that writers are all the same and can be pigeon-holed into a specific way of creating and thinking.

I find it perversely interesting that we can consider the moral conundrums of Mai being a potential pedophile with such grave words, yet treat the actual murderous, bloodthirsty and immoral main characters without such seriousness. Put more simply, I think we all look like a bunch of hypocrites as a result.

And if we really want to get into the ramifications of this pairing, we should also consider that Mai de-aged to a prepubescent state. At this point in the her life-cycle, Mai's hormones wouldn't have developed to the point where she would have sexual attraction.

Or consider the gag about Mai's character has always been her infantile personality and position as a member of a fourth-wall breaking gag trio.

I have to admit, I didn't expect this thread to get as heated as it seems to have become. I kind of just assumed that this thread would maybe get a few replies before quickly being forgotten.

Obscurity is for the fortuned.

[MetaMoss]

And if we really want to get into the ramifications of this pairing, we should also consider that Mai de-aged to a prepubescent state. At this point in the her life-cycle, Mai's hormones wouldn't have developed to the point where she would have sexual attraction.

Or consider the gag about Mai's character has always been her infantile personality and position as a member of a fourth-wall breaking gag trio.

Get out of here with your reasonable assessment of character portrayals.

I have to admit, I didn't expect this thread to get as heated as it seems to have become. I kind of just assumed that this thread would maybe get a few replies before quickly being forgotten.

Character pairings seem to be a hot topic in any sort of internet fandom, from my experience. Shipping has been a huge thing in fandoms for a long while now, after all.

[Anime Kitten]

Get out of here with your reasonable assessment of character portrayals.

Instant sig. Thanks.

[ryou766]

I just appreciate how Mai was willing to become a decoy against someone who was obviously out of her league just so Trunks could escape.

[Gyt Kaliba]

My point, and the point of many others, was not to take away your own opinion TheGreatness. We are merely doing the same thing as you, stating our own side of things, and hope for a calm, reasonable debate about the differing opinions on it. That's supposed to be one of the fun things about a forum. But like so many other issues, it seems to be getting far too heated at least from your end of things, because as has been said already, whether you mean it to or not your posts come across as really combative when they don't need to be so. It's just not the best way to have a conversation.

And I believe I understand what JulieYBM is getting at too - a character appearing in something that does or says something not socially acceptable (for good reasons in the case of something that is absolutely, irredeemably disgusting in real life like pedophilia is) is not an advocate for people to do the same or say the same or be the same in real life. I understand that fiction does have some effect on reality, but any sane person should also be able to tell the difference between reality and fantasy as well. It's the same reason I have never bought into the 'violent video game' argument either.

That and, it's not like we've actually seen evidence of Mai feeling that way about Trunks (especially not with our younger versions of the characters). That is just people projecting either way. For all we know, it's Trunks that pursues her (he was the one that came up with the girlfriend lying angle after all), and they don't become an item until both are of age again.

Character pairings seem to be a hot topic in any sort of internet fandom, from my experience. Shipping has been a huge thing in fandoms for a long while now, after all.

Ohhh yes. Some of the most bloodthirsty internet conversations I have ever seen way back when were over shipping in Pokemon and Digimon for crying out loud. It was...an interesting time, to say the least.

[gogeta97]

I just appreciate how Mai was willing to become a decoy against someone who was obviously out of her league just so Trunks could escape.

Ew, people still say that?


My thoughts on this pairing is that it's weird they seem to be pushing it seriously. In Battle of Gods it was still weird but in a funny kind of way. A pretty Toriyama-esque gag if you ask me. But the push for a more serious pairing is admittedly odd to me even is just fictional characters, plus either it feels really forced to me.

But it doesn't really matter anyway considering she's dead now.

[VegettoEX]

But it doesn't really matter anyway considering she's dead now.

Considering Eiko Yamada recently said she's going to be on the show every week, I wouldn't necessarily count on that!

[ryou766]

I just appreciate how Mai was willing to become a decoy against someone who was obviously out of her league just so Trunks could escape.

Ew, people still say that?

Yes.

[ABED]

But the push for a more serious pairing is admittedly odd to me even is just fictional characters, plus either it feels really forced to me.

Do you think they don't have chemistry?

[gogeta97]

But the push for a more serious pairing is admittedly odd to me even is just fictional characters, plus either it feels really forced to me.

Do you think they don't have chemistry?

That's exactly what I'm saying. I mean it's not the first couple that's felt forced. Hell in my honest opinion Krillin x 18 is the only pairing Toriyama did well, and even then it's not perfect.

[ABED]

But the push for a more serious pairing is admittedly odd to me even is just fictional characters, plus either it feels really forced to me.

Do you think they don't have chemistry?

That's exactly what I'm saying. I mean it's not the first couple that's felt forced. Hell in my honest opinion Krillin x 18 is the only pairing Toriyama did well, and even then it's not perfect.

Gohan and Videl had chemistry and even Vegeta and Bulma had chemistry. I don't know if it's necessarily romantic as there wasn't enough shown to get a real reading on it, but I bought it when he yelled, "No one hits MY BULMA!" I don't know if your opinion falls into this camp but I think too many (falsely) believe that for a couple to make sense there has to be build up to it, otherwise it's "out of nowhere" and doesn't work.

[gogeta97]

Gohan and Videl had chemistry

Oh yeah I forgot about them. They do have pretty good chemistry.

I bought it when he yelled, "No one hits MY BULMA!"

Honestly it felt a bit forced in BOG but much more natural in Super because of the episodes with the couple prior to it(even if the scene is much more drawn out and not as cool in Super).

I don't know if your opinion falls into this camp but I think too many (falsely) believe that for a couple to make sense there has to be build up to it, otherwise it's "out of nowhere" and doesn't work.

I mean I guess you could do it without build up and have the couple develop from there, but it feels more natural(and is frankly better writing) to build it up to some degree. Even Bulma x Vegeta was built up a little with Bulma calling him kind of cute. But Trunks x Mai is like a bad fan pairing. By the way, what chemistry do they have at all. Just because two characters like each other doesn't mean they have good chemistry at all.

[ABED]

I don't think it's axiomatically better if there's build up. I just believe the writer is taking a risk that it works, and sometimes it doesn't which can be fine. People break up because of a lack of chemistry and that is a perfectly good story. It's really truly forced is when you have two characters express their feelings for each other but it doesn't sound believable. It's usually because the actors don't work well together.

I never felt like it was forced in Battle of Gods. It was silly and fun and oddly sweet.

[Anime Kitten]

Two characters liking each other is usually enough for me. Tails and Cosmo in Sonic X started liking each other for absolutely no reason... and some here know where that's escalated. I'm not trying to use Sonic as an absolute here, just a minor example.

[Kanassa]

It's a little difficult to not feel "singled out" when I'm quoted and told how my opinion doesn't make sense. It makes sense to me and that's pretty much all I need to say. I don't need to have an explanation for why I don't like something. And call it "engaging" all you want, but come on lol You could say that I'm engaging your engaging of my opinion

So... Your definition of being singled out is what anyne else would call a discussion. Many peple enjoy seeing others expand upon their opinion and question it to gin a better understanding, or to provide their own insight. It's not singling out when it happens to everyone else on this thread.