Db manga adult Goku is very much different from super anime goku

[Akeem]

After watching super and the broly movie(recently) then rereading the db manga I can say without a doubt in my mind that there is a big difference between supers goku who is very childlike and carefree and the adult db manga goku who is more mature/wiser and less carefree. This is noticeable not just in his actions but also the dialogue. Go reread the chapters when he came back to earth for one day, or after he came out the ROSaT before his fight with cell and compare those chapters with his little diagolue with vegeta at the start of the broly movie (where they talk about frieza), or with any other non fighting scene in super. Even in some fights he doesn't seem as clever or smart as in the db manga. seriously how did he not figure out right away(or at all) he was fighting beerus dressed as Monaka?

To me hes portrayed more like kid goku in super, maybe even more childish. Like look again at the scene in the broly movie where bulma says the location of the last dragon ball ''the ice continent'' with Goku responding in a curious kiddy voice ''The ice continent'' just like kid goku . Its as though Toei has an obsession with kid goku. this is shown first in GT where he was turned into a kid, now instead of turning into a kid physically he's become one mentally in super.

What do you all think? do you think theres a big difference? and do like that he's more child like?

[Jord]

I agree and to add to that; in GT he acted like a wise, veteran Goku but had the body of a child. Seems like the reverse of Super.

[Dbzfan94]

I've thought the same thing. In DBS he acts much more like a child yet in GT he's in his child body but acts like an adult.

[Whis]

That's why I like UI Goku so much when he's stone cold serious.

[Thani]

To be fair, Goku has always been very carefree when not serious.

Plus he's a lot older than DB Goku, but still younger than GT Goku by a goooood margin. Meaning, he's at a point in time where he's enjoying life more. Both in DB and GT there were always a crisis so he never could really afford to goof around.

But yes, it does feels like he's more "childish" when compared to himself at those points in time. It annoyed me regularly at first, but now I really like to think he just enjoys goofing around. Sure, the anime exaggerates it, but I think in essence that is the case.

[supersaiyanZero]

The Super anime needed a cheap caricature of what they thought would resonate with 4 year olds - which is why he is the way he is.

[PerhapsTheOtherOne]

At the same time, anime DBS Goku is a much more compassionate and friendly individual.

He's a much better family person by virtue of actually supporting and not ridiculing what they want to do.

[emperior]

This is clearly not just Toei’s fault considering Goku acted like he did in Super in the movie which was written by Toriyama.
It seems like after 20 years Toriyama has a slightly different idea of Goku, but it’s also true that Goku has always acted a bit differently based on the situations he found himself in.
I don’t think Goku has been out of character at all but they have surely overemphasised his childlike traits.

[wolflonnie]

I disagree.
I recently bought all the DBS manga volumes and read them in one go. I don't think they're that different.

DBS manga Goku still acts goofy and childish a lot of times in almost every arc, and, what's more, he seems more selfish than DBS anime Goku. Not to mention, in the ToP he seems flat out braindead sometimes.
DBS anime Goku just happens to act in a childish manner in more occasions than his DBS manga counterpart, but he doesn't seem as selfish in return. He can be more annoying but he means well.

[Tai Lung]

After watching super and the broly movie(recently) then rereading the db manga I can say without a doubt in my mind that there is a big difference between supers goku who is very childlike and carefree and the adult db manga goku who is more mature/wiser and less carefree. This is noticeable not just in his actions but also the dialogue. Go reread the chapters when he came back to earth for one day, or after he came out the ROSaT before his fight with cell and compare those chapters with his little diagolue with vegeta at the start of the broly movie (where they talk about frieza), or with any other non fighting scene in super. Even in some fights he doesn't seem as clever or smart as in the db manga. seriously how did he not figure out right away(or at all) he was fighting beerus dressed as Monaka?

To me hes portrayed more like kid goku in super, maybe even more childish. Like look again at the scene in the broly movie where bulma says the location of the last dragon ball ''the ice continent'' with Goku responding in a curious kiddy voice ''The ice continent'' just like kid goku . Its as though Toei has an obsession with kid goku. this is shown first in GT where he was turned into a kid, now instead of turning into a kid physically he's become one mentally in super.

What do you all think? do you think theres a big difference? and do like that he's more child like?

I think you should remove the moments of absurd humor from that analysis ... because they are not made to be taken seriously because if not ... we have things like goku believing that kaiosama is a monkey in the manga

[Koitsukai]

I don't think is an ANIME vs MANGA discussion. To me is more like original DB/Z/GT run vs DB Super. The non kissing non sense was in both mediums, and that would've never worked in the original run.

[SupremeKai25]

When this topic is brought up, I always point out how Goku treated Zamasu when they first met. Super Goku in the anime is a very selfish dude, his behaviour becomes borderline harassment at some points.

[Lord Beerus]

Goku can still very much display maturity and intelligence in battle and outside of battle in Super, it's just those moments are overshadowed by the handful of character beats that terribly written for him by Toei, Toyotaro and Toriyama.

[HeroR]

I've thought the same thing. In DBS he acts much more like a child yet in GT he's in his child body but acts like an adult.

That's only really true of Super Saiyan 4 Goku. When he's a child, he acts far more silly. Like not knowing that he was 'kidnapped' in the second episode of GT and apparently having trouble timing a count to three.

[Dbzfan94]

I've thought the same thing. In DBS he acts much more like a child yet in GT he's in his child body but acts like an adult.

That's only really true of Super Saiyan 4 Goku. When he's a child, he acts far more silly. Like not knowing that he was 'kidnapped' in the second episode of GT and apparently having trouble timing a count to three.

Not really. I remember plenty of times where “Kid” Goku in GT acted pretty mature.

[HeroR]

I've thought the same thing. In DBS he acts much more like a child yet in GT he's in his child body but acts like an adult.

That's only really true of Super Saiyan 4 Goku. When he's a child, he acts far more silly. Like not knowing that he was 'kidnapped' in the second episode of GT and apparently having trouble timing a count to three.

Not really. I remember plenty of times where “Kid” Goku in GT acted pretty mature.

Those times were far between, especially compared to the amount of times where he was very immature and acted like OG Kid Goku. But for some reason, no one really remembers these moments.

[Deity]

This is a great topic. As a person who finds the best thing about dragon ball to be the characters / story (and not so much the fighting / transformations), this really pushes my buttons. And it's not just Goku: Chi-chi all of a sudden wants Goten to study and not fight? Since when is kid Trunks dumb? Wasn't Ten Shin Han a crazy skillful and knowledgeable martial artist (same can be said for Piccolo)?

One thing that has always irritated me in Super is how easily Goku can lie. He has always lived his life according to the teachings of his grandfather. I guess he learned to lie when he got himself a girl still, I'm surprised he can still ride the kinto un given how much he lies now.

I really loved the character development and character interactions in dragon ball. Dragon ball super unfortunately didn't care much about this aspect of the series. I still think that the show did well in bringing in aspects of the early series (kaioken, mafuba, yajirobe), but they dropped the ball in terms of continuity, more specifically with character traits and their development.

[Dbzfan94]

That's only really true of Super Saiyan 4 Goku. When he's a child, he acts far more silly. Like not knowing that he was 'kidnapped' in the second episode of GT and apparently having trouble timing a count to three.

Not really. I remember plenty of times where “Kid” Goku in GT acted pretty mature.

Those times were far between, especially compared to the amount of times where he was very immature and acted like OG Kid Goku. But for some reason, no one really remembers these moments.

Considering I just rewatched GT about two months ago, its pretty fresh in my mind. Those immature moments you're talking about were rare. Yes there were times he acted goofy or dumb, but not nearly to the level or constant frequency that DBS did.

[HeroR]

Not really. I remember plenty of times where “Kid” Goku in GT acted pretty mature.

Those times were far between, especially compared to the amount of times where he was very immature and acted like OG Kid Goku. But for some reason, no one really remembers these moments.

Considering I just rewatched GT about two months ago, its pretty fresh in my mind. Those immature moments you're talking about were rare. Yes there were times he acted goofy or dumb, but not nearly to the level or constant frequency that DBS did.

Goku even in Super didn't act constantly immature. In fact, I can named every moment in Dragon Ball Super were Goku acted off and it's nowhere near the amount that people keep pushing.

In comparison, there was never a moment in Super that matched Goku not realizing that he was kidnapped, not recognizing his own granddaughter despite the fact that he should have realized who she was based on her ki, having problems during a three count attack which never made sense, and that entire stitch he had in Hell.

[HeroR]

This is a great topic. As a person who finds the best thing about dragon ball to be the characters / story (and not so much the fighting / transformations), this really pushes my buttons. And it's not just Goku: Chi-chi all of a sudden wants Goten to study and not fight? Since when is kid Trunks dumb? Wasn't Ten Shin Han a crazy skillful and knowledgeable martial artist (same can be said for Piccolo)?

One thing that has always irritated me in Super is how easily Goku can lie. He has always lived his life according to the teachings of his grandfather. I guess he learned to lie when he got himself a girl still, I'm surprised he can still ride the kinto un given how much he lies now.

I really loved the character development and character interactions in dragon ball. Dragon ball super unfortunately didn't care much about this aspect of the series. I still think that the show did well in bringing in aspects of the early series (kaioken, mafuba, yajirobe), but they dropped the ball in terms of continuity, more specifically with character traits and their development.

When did he lie? the only time I can think of is Goku telling everyone that the TOP has prized money and he only did that because Beerus and Gohan told him to lie. And he was terrible at it too. That and I don't remember Goku saying Grandpa Gohan told me to never lie.

Also, Chichi wanted Goten to study because he's actually in school and not home school. I mean he's in an actual public school going by Goten having the day off on Sunday.

Not sure when Kid Trunks was dumb outside having problems with math.