Discussion, generally of an in-universe nature, regarding any aspect of the franchise (including movies, spin-offs, etc.) such as: techniques, character relationships, internal back-history, its universe, and more.
I honestly don't think they are at all after the freeza saga and that's if you believe in the free saga power levels which are the same as the daizenshuu power levels
Last edited by dbzfan7 on Tue Aug 07, 2012 5:58 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Why Dragon Ball Consistency in something such as power levels matter!
Spoiler:
Doctor. wrote:I've explained before, I'll just paraphrase myself.
Power levels establish tension and drama. People who care about them (well, people who care about them in a narrative) don't care about the big numbers or the fancy explosions. If you have character A who's so much above character B, who's the main character, you're gonna be left wondering how in the hell character B, the character we're supposed to care and root for, is going to escape the situation or overcome the odds. It makes us emotionally invested.
If character B doesn't escape the situation in a believable way that's consistent with previous events, then that emotional investment is gone. It was pointless tension, pointless drama made just to suck in the viewer. It has no critical value whatsoever. The audience is left believing that the author can just create whatever scenarios he wants and what happens to the characters is decided by whatever the author wants to happen, regardless of the events that happened in the story. Which, in fairness, is what happens, but the audience wants to be fooled. The audience wants to know that the world they're following has rules. That the world they're invested in isn't going to bend to external factors that are irrelevant to them.
An author can do whatever he wants with the characters, that's not false. But the author should also have the responsibility to make sure it fits in cohesively with the other events in the narrative he has created.
Son_Gohan wrote:The first one is a fake and the others only pertain to a videogame.
Thanks, I took the first one down. I wasn't really sure if it was real or not but I put it up anyways in case it was.
Last edited by dbzfan7 on Tue Aug 07, 2012 9:09 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Why Dragon Ball Consistency in something such as power levels matter!
Spoiler:
Doctor. wrote:I've explained before, I'll just paraphrase myself.
Power levels establish tension and drama. People who care about them (well, people who care about them in a narrative) don't care about the big numbers or the fancy explosions. If you have character A who's so much above character B, who's the main character, you're gonna be left wondering how in the hell character B, the character we're supposed to care and root for, is going to escape the situation or overcome the odds. It makes us emotionally invested.
If character B doesn't escape the situation in a believable way that's consistent with previous events, then that emotional investment is gone. It was pointless tension, pointless drama made just to suck in the viewer. It has no critical value whatsoever. The audience is left believing that the author can just create whatever scenarios he wants and what happens to the characters is decided by whatever the author wants to happen, regardless of the events that happened in the story. Which, in fairness, is what happens, but the audience wants to be fooled. The audience wants to know that the world they're following has rules. That the world they're invested in isn't going to bend to external factors that are irrelevant to them.
An author can do whatever he wants with the characters, that's not false. But the author should also have the responsibility to make sure it fits in cohesively with the other events in the narrative he has created.
No, they predate and conflict with more recent official things like the SEG multipliers for Super Saiyan 2 and three, and they're really just there to serve as hype for video games. But like I pointed out last time the topic came up, there's an interesting thing about these three powers. The ones for Coola and Broly are each possible on their own, but they're incompatible with each other.
The one for Coola would require very large and rapid gains in power. With Coola at 470 million, to beat him so easily Goku would be at least somewhere between 500 and 600 million, probably closer to the latter. And keep in mind that this would be Goku, at the latest, right after the Trunks arc, and very very early into the 3 years of training for the Androids. So he hasn't even done that much since Namek, yet he's still already so much stronger. Then factor in the rest of the training period, then the Room of Spirit and Time, and Goku's going to be INSANELY more powerful if he keeps growing in power at that rate.
But the 1.4 billion number for Broly requires the opposite trend; one where increases in power are relatively reserved and small, and so are the gaps between characters' power. That way you're just barely surpassing the one billion mark by the time the Cell Games are approaching. Even if the heroes in Movie 8 weren't QUITE as strong as their Cell Games self, it's still too tight of a fit.
I could go into further detail, but the gist of it is that it's next to impossible for both levels to work together.
As for Gogeta, the main thing keeping that from working is the official SSj3 multiplier. Goku at 500 million minimum in Movie 6, then 8 times stronger for SSj3 equals 4 billion. That's a teeeensy bit stronger than Gogeta's 2.5 billion, and that's not even accounting for the obvious fact that Movie 12 Goku is a LOT stronger than Movie 5 Goku, even without Super Saiyan 2 or 3.
Well, the Broli one also got used in that one weird scouter-based game, so that's...I don't know, something. That game also had some other (very low) post-Freeza BP numbers. All this probably needs to be added to the Kanzenshuu BP guide. Someday.
Near as I can figure, with Coola they basically just multiplied Freeza's BP by 4, then Broli is 10 times as strong as Super Saiyan Goku during the Freeza battle, and Gogeta is just a billion higher then that. Then they just filed the serial numbers off the Coola/Broli numbers to avoid making it too obvious what they were doing.
dbzfan7 wrote: and that's if you believe in the free saga power levels
Herms wrote:Well, the Broli one also got used in that one weird scouter-based game, so that's...I don't know, something. That game also had some other (very low) post-Freeza BP numbers. All this probably needs to be added to the Kanzenshuu BP guide. Someday.
Near as I can figure, with Coola they basically just multiplied Freeza's BP by 4, then Broli is 10 times as strong as Super Saiyan Goku during the Freeza battle, and Gogeta is just a billion higher then that. Then they just filed the serial numbers off the Coola/Broli numbers to avoid making it too obvious what they were doing.
dbzfan7 wrote: and that's if you believe in the free saga power levels
What are those?
The power levels listed in the Daizenshuu 7. Some people choose to believe in them and some choose not to.
Why Dragon Ball Consistency in something such as power levels matter!
Spoiler:
Doctor. wrote:I've explained before, I'll just paraphrase myself.
Power levels establish tension and drama. People who care about them (well, people who care about them in a narrative) don't care about the big numbers or the fancy explosions. If you have character A who's so much above character B, who's the main character, you're gonna be left wondering how in the hell character B, the character we're supposed to care and root for, is going to escape the situation or overcome the odds. It makes us emotionally invested.
If character B doesn't escape the situation in a believable way that's consistent with previous events, then that emotional investment is gone. It was pointless tension, pointless drama made just to suck in the viewer. It has no critical value whatsoever. The audience is left believing that the author can just create whatever scenarios he wants and what happens to the characters is decided by whatever the author wants to happen, regardless of the events that happened in the story. Which, in fairness, is what happens, but the audience wants to be fooled. The audience wants to know that the world they're following has rules. That the world they're invested in isn't going to bend to external factors that are irrelevant to them.
An author can do whatever he wants with the characters, that's not false. But the author should also have the responsibility to make sure it fits in cohesively with the other events in the narrative he has created.
Well last I checked the V-jump power levels put Kami at 220. Kid Goku fought Piccolo at 260. Kami made Goku look like a fool even after training with Popo whom also toyed with Goku. Kami > Goku(Piccolo Damaio Arc), naturally these V-jump scans are unreliable. Furthermore even the Daizenshuu has 1 discrepancy, it's Raditz at 1,500 which also can't work since he feared a Mankankosappo at a level of 1,300+. Raditz is between 1,200 and 1,480. He is likley 1,220 since Toriyama said Raditz was slightly stronger than a Saibaman. I also recall V-jump putting Popo at 1,030... WHAT!?
Vegeta: "Funny... I seem to recall Kakarot being fed the same information right before he transformed; the distinct look on your faces when he went Super Saiyan didn't exactly inspire confidence. One does not predict or calculate power like ours." Youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/ThePrinceOfSaiyajins My 3DS Friend Code:
2707-1669-7946
TheMightyOzaru wrote:Well last I checked the V-jump power levels put Kami at 220. Kid Goku fought Piccolo at 260. Kami made Goku look like a fool even after training with Popo whom also toyed with Goku. Kami > Goku(Piccolo Damaio Arc), naturally these V-jump scans are unreliable. Furthermore even the Daizenshuu has 1 discrepancy, it's Raditz at 1,500 which also can't work since he feared a Mankankosappo at a level of 1,300+. Raditz is between 1,200 and 1,480. He is likley 1,220 since Toriyama said Raditz was slightly stronger than a Saibaman. I also recall V-jump putting Popo at 1,030... WHAT!?
That particular V-Jump power chart pertained mainly to the Saiyan arc, which was where the manga was at the time. So you could suppose that things have simply changed over time for Kami and Popo. Perhaps Kami has lost power over the years, while Popo's gotten a lot stronger from training Goku and the humans.
And Raditz at 1500 works fine. Always has, still does, always will.
TheMightyOzaru wrote:Well last I checked the V-jump power levels put Kami at 220. Kid Goku fought Piccolo at 260. Kami made Goku look like a fool even after training with Popo whom also toyed with Goku. Kami > Goku(Piccolo Damaio Arc), naturally these V-jump scans are unreliable. Furthermore even the Daizenshuu has 1 discrepancy, it's Raditz at 1,500 which also can't work since he feared a Mankankosappo at a level of 1,300+. Raditz is between 1,200 and 1,480. He is likley 1,220 since Toriyama said Raditz was slightly stronger than a Saibaman. I also recall V-jump putting Popo at 1,030... WHAT!?
Yeah, but Popo's dialogue implies that Goku is stronger than him and Popo is just blitzing him because he can hide his presence and stuff. God flicks him away when he's exhausted from the thin air, so Goku's PL could be much lower when he gets hit. I don't see a problem with Kami being 220. Popo's 1,030 makes sense if that's him after training with the humans for a year, since they all ended up above that. If 220 can't work for you for Kami's first appearance, remember that these battle powers were all given in the Saiyan Arc. Maybe he got weaker with old age, having let himself go after Goku surpassed him?
Raditz's PL makes sense. Piccolo's Makankosappo was still gathering ki, and the last it was reported at was 1,440. I have no problem with that piercing Raditz when it hit him square in the chest without him blocking at all. Plus Gohan had just injured the same area with a headbutt. But if that's not enough for you, you could say that Piccolo's ki kept increasing until it was over 1,500.
Darn it, Kaboom!
I'm re-watching Dragon Ball GT in full on my blog. Check it out if you're interested in my thoughts on the series as I watch through it!
Kaboom wrote:Perhaps Kami has lost power over the years, while Popo's gotten a lot stronger from training Goku and the humans.
That's exactly how I see it.
James Teal (Animerica 1996) wrote:When you think about it, there are a number of similarities between the Chinese-inspired Son Goku and that most American of superhero icons, Superman. Both are aliens sent to Earth shortly after birth to escape the destruction of their homeworlds; both possess super-strength, flight, super-speed, heightened senses and the ability to cast energy blasts. But the crucial difference between them lies not only in how they view the world, but in how the world views them.
Superman is, and always has been, a symbol for truth, justice, and upstanding moral fortitude–a role model and leader as much as a fighter. The more down-to-earth Goku has no illusions about being responsible for maintaining social order, or for setting some kind of moral example for the entire world. Goku is simply a martial artist who’s devoted his life toward perfecting his fighting skills and other abilities. Though never shy about risking his life to save either one person or the entire world, he just doesn’t believe that the balance of the world rests in any way on his shoulders, and he has no need to shape any part of it in his image. Goku is an idealist, and believes that there is some good in everyone, but he is unconcerned with the big picture of the world…unless it has to do with some kind of fight. Politics, society, law and order don’t have much bearing on his life, but he’s a man who knows right from wrong.
TheMightyOzaru wrote:Well last I checked the V-jump power levels put Kami at 220. Kid Goku fought Piccolo at 260. Kami made Goku look like a fool even after training with Popo whom also toyed with Goku. Kami > Goku(Piccolo Damaio Arc), naturally these V-jump scans are unreliable. Furthermore even the Daizenshuu has 1 discrepancy, it's Raditz at 1,500 which also can't work since he feared a Mankankosappo at a level of 1,300+. Raditz is between 1,200 and 1,480. He is likley 1,220 since Toriyama said Raditz was slightly stronger than a Saibaman. I also recall V-jump putting Popo at 1,030... WHAT!?
That particular V-Jump power chart pertained mainly to the Saiyan arc, which was where the manga was at the time. So you could suppose that things have simply changed over time for Kami and Popo. Perhaps Kami has lost power over the years, while Popo's gotten a lot stronger from training Goku and the humans.
And Raditz at 1500 works fine. Always has, still does, always will.
Umm how does 1,330 > 1,500 make sense to you? Even Piccolo's second Mankankosappo was lower than 1,500 and it killed him. Furthermore I don't see Kami losing that much power. Mr Popo surpassing Kami just doesn't sit well with me. I also find it a little hard to believe that Nappa at a level of 4,000 put up a decent fight against Goku's power level of 8,000+, he was more than twice as strong.
Vegeta: "Funny... I seem to recall Kakarot being fed the same information right before he transformed; the distinct look on your faces when he went Super Saiyan didn't exactly inspire confidence. One does not predict or calculate power like ours." Youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/ThePrinceOfSaiyajins My 3DS Friend Code:
2707-1669-7946
TheMightyOzaru wrote:Umm how does 1,330 > 1,500 make sense to you?
Piccolo's second Makankosappo was oven 1.300 (1.480 in the anime), and it's a piercing attack, so yeah, Raditz at 1.500 works fine.
James Teal (Animerica 1996) wrote:When you think about it, there are a number of similarities between the Chinese-inspired Son Goku and that most American of superhero icons, Superman. Both are aliens sent to Earth shortly after birth to escape the destruction of their homeworlds; both possess super-strength, flight, super-speed, heightened senses and the ability to cast energy blasts. But the crucial difference between them lies not only in how they view the world, but in how the world views them.
Superman is, and always has been, a symbol for truth, justice, and upstanding moral fortitude–a role model and leader as much as a fighter. The more down-to-earth Goku has no illusions about being responsible for maintaining social order, or for setting some kind of moral example for the entire world. Goku is simply a martial artist who’s devoted his life toward perfecting his fighting skills and other abilities. Though never shy about risking his life to save either one person or the entire world, he just doesn’t believe that the balance of the world rests in any way on his shoulders, and he has no need to shape any part of it in his image. Goku is an idealist, and believes that there is some good in everyone, but he is unconcerned with the big picture of the world…unless it has to do with some kind of fight. Politics, society, law and order don’t have much bearing on his life, but he’s a man who knows right from wrong.
TheMightyOzaru wrote:Umm how does 1,330 > 1,500 make sense to you?
Piccolo's second Makankosappo was oven 1.300 (1.480 in the anime), and it's a piercing attack, so yeah, Raditz at 1.500 works fine.
Piccolo's first was 1,330 in the manga and Raditz says he is incapable of taking the attack. Piercing or not, Raditz level would still be decently higher.
Vegeta: "Funny... I seem to recall Kakarot being fed the same information right before he transformed; the distinct look on your faces when he went Super Saiyan didn't exactly inspire confidence. One does not predict or calculate power like ours." Youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/ThePrinceOfSaiyajins My 3DS Friend Code:
2707-1669-7946
Saiga wrote:Kuririn cut off Freeza's tail and his power level wasn't over 1,000,000.
True but the Mankankosappo has failed where as the Kienzon hasn't. The Kienzon could be indestructible. You have a good point though Ill give you that.
Vegeta: "Funny... I seem to recall Kakarot being fed the same information right before he transformed; the distinct look on your faces when he went Super Saiyan didn't exactly inspire confidence. One does not predict or calculate power like ours." Youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/ThePrinceOfSaiyajins My 3DS Friend Code:
2707-1669-7946
Saiga wrote:Kuririn cut off Freeza's tail and his power level wasn't over 1,000,000.
True but the Mankankosappo has failed where as the Kienzon hasn't. The Kienzon could be indestructible. You have a good point though Ill give you that.
Where has it failed? Sure, Raditz dodged it, but practically everyone that the Kienzan was used on dodged it...
Saiga wrote:Kuririn cut off Freeza's tail and his power level wasn't over 1,000,000.
True but the Mankankosappo has failed where as the Kienzon hasn't. The Kienzon could be indestructible. You have a good point though Ill give you that.
Where has it failed? Sure, Raditz dodged it, but practically everyone that the Kienzan was used on dodged it...
The Kienzon has cut through things that should be much more powerful than it, I.E. Freeza's tail. I recall the mankan... screw this, special beam canon has failed to cause damage before.
Vegeta: "Funny... I seem to recall Kakarot being fed the same information right before he transformed; the distinct look on your faces when he went Super Saiyan didn't exactly inspire confidence. One does not predict or calculate power like ours." Youtube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/ThePrinceOfSaiyajins My 3DS Friend Code:
2707-1669-7946