Has Toriyama ever ran a joke into the ground?

[The Iron Fjord]

I was browsing stinky ol' Twitter recently and seeing these posts about Future Trunks being "the Drink" they started to annoy the hell out of me. Now, Dragon Ball fans have a tendency to run jokes into the ground (see: the aforementioned "the Drink", Over 9000, Gohan's Dad, and ESPECIALLY DBZA quotes) so they stop being funny, and become downright annoying, and it made me think if there were any times that Toriyama took a gag and ran it to the ground, but I couldn't think of any.

[Yuji]

Roshi's perv gags come immediately to mind, even if you don't find them all distasteful.

In fact a lot of part 1 DB's gags eventually became tiresome to me and I'd wager they probably contributed to Toriyama's shift to a more action oriented approach at least a little bit. Things like Lunch's gags and opponents surprised at Goku's strength.

In Super, we have no idea how much is Toriyama's input but Goku's naivety being played up, Beerus as comic relief, Yamcha being a joke character, Chi-Chi's temper, so on.

[90sDBZ]

Buu falling asleep before every major battle in Super.

You could also make the argument that everyone being terrified of Beerus has run its course.

And Goku being portrayed as overly naive and foolish in Super.

[Dragon Ball Ireland]

Buu falling asleep before every major battle in Super.

This 100%, I was looking forward to seeing more Buu in action. I get he's a gag character but that also leaves the opportunity open for more creativity and wacky Toriyama-style humour in the fights. The joke about Buu sleeping works once but it gets stale very quick. I hope we never see it again.

Master Roshi trying to harass women was bad at the time, but Dragon Ball writers need to let go of it now. Maybe keep the nosebleeds but it's really tiresome seeing him pull the same antics over and over again.

Roshi running around Tien's dojo in Super episode 89 trying to rape Yurin was an awful idea that I can't understand how that was seen as acceptable, let alone funny. Granted the Super TV anime was not strictly Toriyama and he shouldn't be held accountable but it's what comes to mind about how much the "haha Roshi wants to harass women" gag has exhausted itself and for the worst.

[JulieYBM]

Majin Buu going into hibernation was only done, what, twice? Thrice? It's, like, the most harmless one, too, so I've honestly never hated it.

[LoganForkHands73]

Goku's cluelessness about basic topics was such a dead horse that Toriyama curbstomped it in the second ever arc when Roshi decides to educate him. It pops up now and then at judicious moments, like when he still believes Chichi's marriage proposal was an offering of food, but he stopped overdoing it. Then the revival happened and he seemingly came back around to the joke because he once again ran it into the ground, now with mid-'40s Goku.

[The Monkey King]

Lunch was never funny or even a good character. Glad she was dropped from the series.

[Alruneia]

The first thing that comes to mind is that Pervert Roshi definitely got old. I guess it helps that I never really found it funny, that makes it feel stale and unwelcome very fast... so the fact that it came back in Super (Pre-ToP in the anime, Moro arc in the manga) honestly felt kinda unacceptable. It might not have all been from Toriyama, but the fact that it's present in both versions of Super isn't a good sign. Idiot Goku in Super also got old, and while I know it's not clear how much of it is directly from Toriyama, stuff like never kissing Chi-Chi and going "what are you doing lmao" about Vegeta meditating during DBSSH came from him for sure. I'm echoing other people's posts here, I know, but both of these immediately came to mind as terrible and overused bits.

[Envy]

The Master Roshi perv jokes certainly are yucky. Unfortunately, many anime to today seem to have taken that particular aspect and ran with it, some getting even worse.

Seeing as Launch disappeared entirely from the series after timeskip into Z, I suppose even Toriyama thought that the Launch gag was ran into the ground. Just... kinda weird how she flat out disappeared with no explanation IIRC.

[Lukmendes]

I was browsing stinky ol' Twitter recently and seeing these posts about Future Trunks being "the Drink" they started to annoy the hell out of me.

Haven't heard of that on, wonder if it's a good thing

Seeing as Launch disappeared entirely from the series after timeskip into Z, I suppose even Toriyama thought that the Launch gag was ran into the ground. Just... kinda weird how she flat out disappeared with no explanation IIRC.

Krillin mentions she was chasing Tien at the very beginning of saiyan saga, so she was intentionally writen out.

[Vhanos]

Majin Buu going into hibernation was only done, what, twice? Thrice? It's, like, the most harmless one, too, so I've honestly never hated it.

It was used to keep him out of the fights. Fat Buu became another character who took a back seat.

[super michael]

DBS Goku was super dumb in DBS, which got old, especially on things he should be smart on. Goku was really bossy and annoying, which also got old.

Boo hibernating when he is needed got old. He was asleep in RoF, he fell asleep in U6 Vs U7 and before the ToP when they made their team.

Chi Chi was annoying with her no training, sparring and competition rule. The worst was when she locked herself and Pan from everyone including Gohan the dad. She acted like she had more authority over Pan than Gohan, she didn't want Gohan to make any decision.
Chi Chi only cared about Bulma and Videl opinions, which is wrong, since Bulma isn't related in anyway to Pan. So in Chi Chi mind it seems Bulma choice > Gohan even though he is the father.

In DBS it is like the father can't make decision for their kids. Chi Chi didn't let Goten go to Whis Planet, even though Goku said yes. Chi Chi even got Bulma involved in stopping Goten.
Goku isn't allowed to spar with Goten or even have a friendly competition to race who gets the most vegetables.



Goten and Trunks only showing up, just to be told no they are not allowed got old. Why have them show up, to be told no or to go away. Then they kept secrets from them, so they wouldn't know of the danger.
Somehow they can't sense high power level in DBS, like in RoF and Moro Chapter, even though in DBZ they had no problem sensing Goku and Vegeta fighting.
Although at least this isn't a issue anymore, since they did battle in DBS Super Hero movie and manga.

[JulieYBM]

Majin Buu going into hibernation was only done, what, twice? Thrice? It's, like, the most harmless one, too, so I've honestly never hated it.

It was used to keep him out of the fights. Fat Buu became another character who took a back seat.

I'm aware. I don't care that he wasn’t in fights, because I am not invested in his character.

[coola]

Chi Chi returns to being Bi-Chi in Super, through i don't know if it was Toriyama or Toei?

[super michael]

Chi Chi returns to being Bi-Chi in Super, through i don't know if it was Toriyama or Toei?

In the manga of DBS, she has nothing against fighting, training and competition. She didn't locked herself and Pan away from Gohan and didn't lie about running out of money.
DBS manga Chi Chi didn't force Kuririn to pick vegetables, even though Kuririn was on the job as a police.

I believe that was all Toei. Although Toriyama had the power to make changes, which he didn't.

[super michael]

Majin Buu going into hibernation was only done, what, twice? Thrice? It's, like, the most harmless one, too, so I've honestly never hated it.

It was used to keep him out of the fights. Fat Buu became another character who took a back seat.

I'm aware. I don't care that he wasn’t in fights, because I am not invested in his character.

Even if you are not invested in Boo as a character, it is still bad that they chose Boo to have him sleep, so he doesn't fight. It happened 3 times in major events.

There are people that don't care about C18, but it doesn't make it good writing that she wasn't able to fight in RoF. It made no sense that the strongest fighter stay behind to watch their kids. They could have left Marron to someone that isn't fighting.
It would have been better to have C18 fight and Kuririn watch over Marron, if they didn't want to leave her to someone who wasn't going to fight.

[JulieYBM]

It was used to keep him out of the fights. Fat Buu became another character who took a back seat.

I'm aware. I don't care that he wasn’t in fights, because I am not invested in his character.

Even if you are not invested in Boo as a character, it is still bad that they chose Boo to have him sleep, so he doesn't fight. It happened 3 times in major events.

There are people that don't care about C18, but it doesn't make it good writing that she wasn't able to fight in RoF. It made no sense that the strongest fighter stay behind to watch their kids. They could have left Marron to someone that isn't fighting.
It would have been better to have C18 fight and Kuririn watch over Marron, if they didn't want to leave her to someone who wasn't going to fight.

The misogyny/sexism element makes these two situations very different. Furthermore, Artificial Human #18 has a lot more personality to invest in compared to Majin Buu. If Toriyama wanted me to give a damn about Majin Buu he would put in the effort. I'm just not invested in watching a story with a character that even he is going out of his way to write off until he feels compelled to later on.

[SHINOBI-03]

Going to agree with Muten Roshi's sexual fiend antics. At a younger age I saw them as your standard juvenile, immature humor not to take seriously. But as an older person who is more aware of the serious implications on sexual assault they're not funny anymore. And while Super "seemingly" fixed that issue with his "training" it doesn't take away how disturbing it was in the Yurin episode. With characters like Bulma, Lunch and Chi-Chi they add in the humor of giving him the punishment he deserves but Yurin wasn't familiar with him and pretty much acted like any sexual assault victim would react.

Naked kid Goku was another gag I never liked and glad Toriyama decided to retire it by the time Goku got a little older and learned how to use underwear, but GT is where it really pushed it for me from the times he had to go commando to watching it in the main intro song every episode.

[super michael]

I'm aware. I don't care that he wasn’t in fights, because I am not invested in his character.

Even if you are not invested in Boo as a character, it is still bad that they chose Boo to have him sleep, so he doesn't fight. It happened 3 times in major events.

There are people that don't care about C18, but it doesn't make it good writing that she wasn't able to fight in RoF. It made no sense that the strongest fighter stay behind to watch their kids. They could have left Marron to someone that isn't fighting.
It would have been better to have C18 fight and Kuririn watch over Marron, if they didn't want to leave her to someone who wasn't going to fight.

The misogyny/sexism element makes these two situations very different. Furthermore, Artificial Human #18 has a lot more personality to invest in compared to Majin Buu. If Toriyama wanted me to give a damn about Majin Buu he would put in the effort. I'm just not invested in watching a story with a character that even he is going out of his way to write off until he feels compelled to later on.

I agree with you that C18 is a better written character than Boo. However it is irrelevant which character is better written, how they are written to not be able to fight is bad.

Chi Chi (grandmother) didn't allow Gohan (father) and Mr Satan (grandfather) to choose how to raise Pan, why because they are male? Chi Chi wanted to hear how Bulma would choose how to raise Pan over Gohan the actual father. How is that not sexism?


Goku the father can't choose what he wants do with Goten, only Chi Chi has the power to do as she likes. How is this not sexism?
If Goku wants to spar with Goten, that is a no. If Goku wants a friendly competition that is a no. If Goku wants to train with Goten in another planet that is a no.

[Dbzfan94]

A lot of DBS gags, if you want to give the credit to him for those. Also Roshi’s gags are usually in bad taste (even though I don’t hate them like most people do) but most of the egregious ones are in DB/Z filler