Could a "Dragon Ball: Next Generation" show work?

[miguelnuva1]

My main problem with Gohan and this is mostly to do with I personally don't like the direction Toriyama has taken Goku and Gohan in despite still liking the characters is

In the Cell saga Gohan doesn't want to fight but 16 shows him why you sometimes have to fight, then he inability to control his SSJ2 powers gets Goku killed. Gohan's reaction to this is to sit on his butt for 7 years and his lack of control over this same SSJ2 power leads to Vegeta becoming Majin Vegeta due to him not being able to finish of Dabra fast enough and Piccolo and Kuririn remaining stone.

It has a smaller effect but he is also powerless against Buu, later he is bailed out when he becomes Ultimate Gohan and his inexperience leads to him being absorbed/excluded from the Kid Buu fight. This part is not as bad as the above but then despite his lack of training and experience causing two problems before hand,

We get to Super and he still has not started training which leads to him looking like a Fool against Frieza and getting Piccolo killed. One of the main reasons I see people not getting behind Gohan is it's the same thing with him, he has the power to do something but chooses not to. He doesn't have to train and not have a life like Goku does but there is a balance he didn't find till the TOP arc and now it's the Goku and Vegeta show.

Honestly is Toriyama knew the Buu saga was it for Dragonball maybe he should have just had Goku and Vegeta stay dead. Either Gohan and Gotenks destroy Buu or Vegito is dead when we see him and Kid Buu follows Goku and Vegeta back to otherworld. They could have even had Vegito free Gohan and the others and then explain this is the last time Gohan and the boys can rely on Goku and Vegeta. Finish Buu off now.

[It_Is_Ayna_You_Flips]

If you think being proactive means being a superhero, then sure. However, that's never been his primary goal. His drive is to get stronger. In that way, he takes every step to achieve that goal. He meets people and friends along the way.

And this isn't remotely true. The last thing I'd ever call Gohan is proactive. He does wait for thing to happen to him and he doesn't take any steps in the direction of being proactive, even at the end of the Cell arc, nor does he take any steps to get out of his father's shadow. The first time since his adventures on Namek is he actually proactive is when he re-applies himself to martial arts before the Tournament of Power.

I;m not saying Gohan was a proactive character. I'm saying Gohan's background and experiences should have pushed him towards being a proactive character and that him staying a passive character (someone whom things just happen to instead of someone who causes things to happen) is part of the problem.

And while I don't think a proactive character has to be a hero (Vegeta is a proactive character after all) I do think it's worth noting that Gohan becomes an actual superhero.

We get to Super and he still has not started training which leads to him looking like a Fool against Frieza and getting Piccolo killed. One of the main reasons I see people not getting behind Gohan is it's the same thing with him, he has the power to do something but chooses not to. He doesn't have to train and not have a life like Goku does but there is a balance he didn't find till the TOP arc and now it's the Goku and Vegeta show.

Yeah. Gohan comes across as incredibly irresponsible. If he doesn't want the power/potential he has... well there's magical wish granting jewels lying around. Maybe give that power to someone else? Instead he lets down every one of his friends and puts their lives in jeopardy. Goku is hugely irresponsible too but at least he has the muscle to pull out a win whenever the situation gets too dire.

[ABED]

I think it's only an issue insofar as Toriyama trying to push Gohan as the hero. It was a mistake to begin with and him remaining a reactive character makes it worse.

[funrush]

DBS Broly is a better written character than most of the ones in this franchise. He's got an interesting backstory, and a whole future story arc set up and everything.

I don't agree on any of those counts. What was interesting about his backstory? Why does backstory matter that much? And what future story arc has been set up with him?

It's kind of a Tarzan fish out of water backstory but he was wronged and has to learn to adapt to society while also dealing with resentment towards what happened to him. It doesn't matter that much but in a series where only a small handful of characters get any development at all, he's already in the upper echelon.

The setup I'm talking about is that at the end of the film Freeza says he's gonna come back for Broly, so there's probably gonna be another Broly-focused arc sometime in the near future.

I don’t really get the argument that Broly’s new backstory is particularly better than the old one. Both backstories still boil down to his father wanting revenge on Vegeta’s family. If anything, I’d argue that his new backstory is more cliched.

DBS Broly's backstory is far, far better than "He went insane because Goku cried next to him for a couple hours when he was a baby"

[ABED]

I don't recall much if any resentment. It felt like a stock tragic back story. He has no development. He doesn't change. He simply gets angry and strong. I would hardly call him in the upper echelon. He's boring. A sad backstory doesn't make a character interesting.

I don't care about whatever story they are going for with Broly and Freeza. For one, Broly is boring in any incarnation and Freeza being turned into a Saturday morning cartoon is a huge mistake.

DBS Broly's backstory is far, far better than "He went insane because Goku cried next to him for a couple hours when he was a baby"

I don't think Broly being exiled and mistreated by his father is a great backstory. It's an obvious way for the writers to drum up sympathy for him and turn him into a victim.

[WittyUsername]

DBS Broly's backstory is far, far better than "He went insane because Goku cried next to him for a couple hours when he was a baby"

I’m pretty sure that’s not the reason he was insane. His insanity had more to do with his uncontrollable power and his general Saiyan bloodlust.

[Mad Swami]

Let me just add my two sense on Broly real quick. Broly's character work and backstory are great because the writers made something simple but good. I mostly think his character is what makes him good and less his backstory but it is good. He like Goku grew up on a alien planet, this one was just littered with monsters. His back story is a child neglected emotionally by his father and turned into a weapon due to his father's rage. His character is sweet innocent brute, he cares for his father regardless of his wrong and is respectful. He deeply loves his abusive dad no matter what, nothing will change that for him. He won't agree with what he's done but he will love his father. As for anyone saying DBZ Broly is as good or better, just no. Broly in that is just stupid. His backstory is being a living legend who as a baby rescued both his father and self from a blowing up planet. He has psychotic tendencies and a forced hatred of the Son family. Like I get Goku's crying is supposed to be association with a terrible moment, but let's be real it's baby Broly hated the crying. It's pure crap. Sure it's the same basic idea but no care put into the Z version, really it's not comparable.

As for plotlines they set up with him..... his alignment literally seems like he could be the main overarching plotline. Every arc after that includes Broly seems as though it will make him think about his place in the universe. He is a mutant of his people with so much power, people like Frieza will try and use that. Super 2 might be a power struggle where Frieza tries to manipulate him to join where Goku just tries to befriend him. Aside from that, Broly is kind of a ticking time bomb, he could maybe go off at any point. He isn't in full control.

[Mad Swami]

I don't recall much if any resentment. It felt like a stock tragic back story. He has no development. He doesn't change. He simply gets angry and strong. I would hardly call him in the upper echelon. He's boring. A sad backstory doesn't make a character interesting.

I don't care about whatever story they are going for with Broly and Freeza. For one, Broly is boring in any incarnation and Freeza being turned into a Saturday morning cartoon is a huge mistake.

DBS Broly's backstory is far, far better than "He went insane because Goku cried next to him for a couple hours when he was a baby"

I don't think Broly being exiled and mistreated by his father is a great backstory. It's an obvious way for the writers to drum up sympathy for him and turn him into a victim.

About what you said about Broly. I would say he get's character development. His father's death forces him to search and discover what he wants, life as he knows it has been radically changed. He wasn't meant to be like Vegeta or Piccolo changing dramatically. His change will be at the forefront of Super 2, his growth is crucial to the future of DB

As for Frieza, yeah I agree. I mean apart of me likes it because I think they are decently handling his character and it gives room for him to create Kuriza and plant seeds for future generations but aside from that it's meh. Like it shouldn't of happened, but since it did it's ok what they're doing

[ABED]

About what you said about Broly. I would say he get's character development. His father's death forces him to search and discover what he wants, life as he knows it has been radically changed. He wasn't meant to be like Vegeta or Piccolo changing dramatically. His change will be at the forefront of Super 2, his growth is crucial to the future of DB

I guess... ... ... I don't really care enough to, well... care. I don't have a desire to see where he goes. I'm more interested in seeing where Gohan, Goku, and Vegeta go from here.

[Mad Swami]

About what you said about Broly. I would say he get's character development. His father's death forces him to search and discover what he wants, life as he knows it has been radically changed. He wasn't meant to be like Vegeta or Piccolo changing dramatically. His change will be at the forefront of Super 2, his growth is crucial to the future of DB

I guess... ... ... I don't really care enough to, well... care. I don't have a desire to see where he goes. I'm more interested in seeing where Gohan, Goku, and Vegeta go from here.

fair enough

[Lord Beerus]

People may say that Dragon Ball wouldn't work without Son Goku, but I'm certain there is a professional writer and/or director out there that could make it work very well. All it takes is finding the best pool of writers, along with a series composer who has understanding of the core themes of Dragon Ball, and you can have a show based around a new cast of characters. The quality of any show always comes down to the talent involved.

[Psajdak]

For me, both versions of Paragus are better characters than any version of Broly, same as Toppo being better than Jiren.

I mean, DBS Broly is fine, he is a quiet guy (who becomes madness because, well, he is Broly), but he only works that way together with Cheelai, and Lemo who are way more talkative than him.

[Mad Swami]

For me, both versions of Paragus are better characters than any version of Broly, same as Toppo being better than Jiren.

I mean, DBS Broly is fine, he is a quiet guy (who becomes madness because, well, he is Broly), but he only works that way together with Cheelai, and Lemo who are way more talkative than him.

I for the most part agree. Z Paragus was bad but still better than Z Broly, I would say Super Broly is better though. At least in my opinion

[miguelnuva1]

Broly is just Gohan condensed into one film and his human motivations taken away and made an antagonist.