Yuji wrote: ↑Wed Mar 29, 2023 3:43 pm
I really like how flippant everyone seems to be regarding the death of innocents in the Boo arc. Bulma tells Goku Boo is coming to West City? Calm down, we can wish them all back. Boo deflects a Kamehameha and blows a chunk off the Earth, killing millions? Goku doesn't even react to it even when Babidi points it out. Need to waste time for Gotenks to get ready? Piccolo tells Boo to kill everyone on Earth. Admittedly Piccolo was more reactive here but more-so because it was in vain.
It really highlights how at this point these characters are such veterans in dealing with world ending threats that murder civilians to the point they're beyond desensitized and already look to the dragon balls as the reset button.
I also like this, but I have a different interpretation from yours. When Bobbidi the Warlock put out a global warrant for Goten and Trunks, Piccolo expressed his dissatisfaction and said he couldn't stand to see innocent civilians sacrificed. He wanted to go find Buu, but Goku stopped him. In the manga, Goku's words were that he wanted him to stay and teach the kids fusion, and that the dragonballs could reset everything. But this was just literal excuses to comfort Piccolo. In reality, Goku wasn't fighting for the sake of Earth's people. He was saving the world indeed, but he never had a deliberate intention to save all mankind. So Goku doesn't need the gratitude of someone, nor does he care about their misunderstandings. The
Diamond Sutra in Buddhism states that a Bodhisattva saves people without holding onto the concept of "住相"(attachment to form), and the core belief in Taoism is similar: you can do good things, but don't hold onto a deliberate attachment.
Mr. Satan is a negative example, who always needs an audience to do something. He'll set up a tripod and take selfies if there isn't a camera crew broadcasting. It's like how people these days are so focused on sharing photos online that they forget to enjoy the beauty and food right in front of them.
Vegeta used to be obsessed with his noble prince status and only had his sights set on surpassing Kakarot. But at the end of the Buu arc, when he let go of these thoughts, he suddenly realized that since he wasn't fighting for the sake of someone, why not let Earth's people themselves take responsibility for once? This is what sets Dragon Ball apart from other manga. There's no such thing as JUSTICE RESPONSIBILITY or DREAMS here. Just doing things for a certain purpose makes it easy to neglect the essence of things.
After Goku heads back to the afterlife, Piccolo doesn't hesitate to let Majin Buu kill all the Earthlings. Rather than taking over Goku's position as the strategic commander, he returns to Kami-sama's philosophical heights — he wouldn't actively
stretch his hand to manage specific affairs in the world (even though he could). In the real world, we often see government policies that were originally well-intentioned but lead to tragic consequences. In the Taoist management concept, "letting nature take its course" is a better method, no matter it's becoming better or worse. So Piccolo and Goku are not confused by this issue, but it does not mean they are desensitized.
When Goku was young, Kami-sama told him not to rely on the dragonballs, so Goku never once made a personal request to Shenlong, even for his own resurrection. As a DB fan, if I had the chance to make a wish to Shenlong, I might say, "This is fine. Things are good as they are now." The Z-warriors did not become reckless because of the dragonballs, as they had already learned to let go of their own desires and view things around them with an ordinary heart. Of course, the manga still exaggerates for the sake of dramatic conflict, but I think Dragon Ball is the outstanding story that best embodies this philosophical thinking.
Therefore, my favorite (and most overlooked) quotes is after the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament, when Kami-sama wanted to kill Piccolo with his own hands but was stopped by Goku — on the surface, Goku said that if Piccolo died, Kami-sama would die too, but in reality, sacrificing oneself is not difficult for someone with ideals or justice, and Kami-sama was willing to die for his innocent and upright reputation. What's really important is what Master Roshi said next — Kami-sama created the dragonballs, which led to the adventures of Goku and others, creating a YIN and YANG balance circle. We shouldn't break this cycle.(Especially considering Piccolo once killed Shenlong.) So Kami-sama changed his mind and praised Goku's master in person. Later, we also saw that the dragonballs were the source of all hope, as well as the ominous things which brought Vegeta and Frieza. Like a coin, there is always a HEAD and a TAIL.
Master Roshi's words are not only the end of a chapter, but also the starting of the next chapter. Only a person with a very high perspective and a deep understanding of the world can say such a thing.
Goku also tried to break this cause-and-effect cycle by staying in the afterlife, because of realizing that he, as a righteous person, was one of the reasons for the emergence of bad guys. But in the end, he doesn't cling to living there. Whether at Kaiō's place, at home, or at Uub's place, it doesn't matter. What is important is the unbound mind, to do one's current things well and to live each day happily and fulfilled, just as Master Roshi said that morning.