Aspects of the Dragonball series that piss you off

[Anonymous Friend]

After making a post in the topic about the fans I realized that there was also things about the series itself that upset me. It's not that I don't love Dragonball anymore but it's like being married for ten years and after a while the little annoyances that you completely ignored at first are always in you face and there's really nothing that you can do about them now.


One of the things would be the structure of the series inwhich most of the major enemies are defeated, not by some clever strategy, both by the heroes getting some last second power-up or something. The only story arc where this really isn't employed would be the Saiyan arc where Vegeta underestimated his opponents.

To go along with this is the fact that as soon as we reach a new plateau in power there seems to be an even stronger right around the bend. This I just happened to realize while watching the Trunks arc and how he effortlessly took out Freeza and his father. Then Goku shows up. And everyone's freaking out at the enourmous power levels of these four beings. But in about ten episodes we are introduced to characters who dispaches then rather easily (mainly 17 and 18 because the only reason Goku lost to 19 was because of the virus).

[Saiyavenger2941]

A gripe I have is that Gohan technically got screwed over at the end of DBZ. He's the strongest character, yet he's not even in the final battle. In a series thats supposed to be about him, don't you think he should've been the final victor?

It especially irks me, considering that his only major victory, over Cell, was at a point that I didn't like him. (I hated kid Gohan. Thankfully, adult Gohan was uber awesome.)

[Duo]

The lackluster effort that was "The Boo Arc" tends to get at me.

And yes, it would have been nice if some of the "ZOMG SUPER POWERUPS!!!" lasted more than 5 episodes before being outstripped.

The Cell Arc is the worst about this, but there's at least reasons there.

[Saiyavenger2941]

And yes, it would have been nice if some of the "ZOMG SUPER POWERUPS!!!" lasted more than 5 episodes before being outstripped.

Mystic Gohan, anyone? Within five episodes, he goes from super badass savior, to Buu's little bitch.

Incredibly, incredibly lame.

[Duo]

I don't know what "Mystic" is.

But you mentioned Boo, so you're talking about Saikyo no Gohan, then?

It was the most disappointing buildup of the entire series...one of the things I hold against the Boo Arc.

Even Vegetto didn't make up for that.

[Artificial Human #887]

I really hated the "everyone's getting their ass kicked, when is Goku going to get here" thing. It just happened too much (though not every time) and became far too predictable. There's a formula for it too.

Goku is conveniently missing for some reason.
Gohan, Kuririn, etc try to hold off the villain for a while.
They are all beaten to the point of near death.
Goku shows up with just enough Senzu to heal whoever is hurt.
Goku begins to kick ass, gets his ass kicked for a while, then gets enough power to defeat the enemy*


Booring.

* - Not always in that order.

[Saiyavenger2941]

I don't know what "Mystic" is.

But you mentioned Boo, so you're talking about Saikyo no Gohan, then?

Yep. I was incredibly, incredibly disappointed in that as well. Yes, I realize that having Goku get the final blow in the series was kind of a sentimental thing for Toriyama and some fans, but at some point, you have to fully pass the torch. DBZ was supposed to be Gohan's series. Everything was in place for him to be the hero of that battle, as well. He had the orange gi. The insane power-up. The girl he wanted to save. All of that, and yet he got screwed, pretty much.

[Rocketman]

I don't know what "Mystic" is.

A hurr hurr.

Even Vegetto didn't make up for that.

Lies. Vegetto made up for every bit of retardation and Gohan-centric shit (but I repeat myself) since DB began.

DBZ was supposed to be Gohan's series.

Also lies! It didn't become Gohan's series until after Namek's destruction and Goku's death miraculous escape.

[Kaboom]

AH#887: Well, Goku IS the hero of the series. Not really sure what else anyone would or should expect, to be honest.

Anyway, to contribute, I admit the constant topping of powers back and forth could have stood to be mixed up a bit every once in a while. But since I understand the reasons behind most of it, I'm okay with it. Heck, it makes DBZ what it is, IMO.


Also, I don't like how Super Saiyan ended up being devalued as the series went on and more levels were introduced. I mean, I *like* each and every one of them, don't get me wrong. SSj3, despite being the single one that actually made it extraneous, is one of the most awesome and badass things I've ever seen in anything. But I'd have liked to see some more variety and the like.

Then again, if you step back and look at them and the story behind them, it's not that bad as it'd seem. SSj1 was the big finale for Freeza. But during the entire Androids/Cell arc, the outclassed heroes' entire dilemma and goal was to find someway to transcend SSj so they wouldn't keep getting their asses kicked. Through trial and error, the eventual result was SSj2 at the end of the arc. So if you get my meaning, that stage actually had story and purpose behind it. Then SSj3 was kinda different; it didn't even really factor into the plot of or serve in the finale of the Buu arc, other than giving Goku and Gotenks a bit of a boost in their fights.

Then GT came along with SSj4. But SSj4 was actually really different; it wasn't just as if Goku or someone showed up again and said, "oh hey guys look what I can do now," or anything of that sort. I guess that's why I actually like SSj4 so much; it wasn't "just another stage."

I think the fans (and critics) of the series just tend to exaggerate with this factor. Which means this rant probably would have been better in the "fandom sucks" thread... <_<;;





Also, needs moar Piccolo. I woulda liked if he served some real purpose other than Gotenks' babysitter/drill sergeant during the Buu arc.

[Artificial Human #887]

AH#887: Well, Goku IS the hero of the series. Not really sure what else anyone would or should expect, to be honest.

I have no problem with that - but the formula was too cut and paste at times. I always liked it when there was an unexpected twist in the fight, not when I could predict exactly what was going to happen next.

[Raki]

One thing i hated was the lack of anime backstories for Vegeta and Piccolo. They could have made an OVA of Vegeta's life from birth to his arrival on Earth. The same could have been done for Piccolo.

[Rocketman]

One thing i hated was the lack of anime backstories for Vegeta and Piccolo. They could have made an OVA of Vegeta's life from birth to his arrival on Earth. The same could have been done for Piccolo.

I thought they did do that for Piccolo in DB.

[Vekurotto]

I hate how extremely lacking the comedy started to get as the series went on. In Dragonball I can name and remember things that sent me into laughing shock but in DBZ I only got a light chuckle out of things.

I don't hate anything else about the series. I'm just fine with how things turned out. Gohan, Boo saga, Devaluing of SSJ, and all.

[Raki]

One thing i hated was the lack of anime backstories for Vegeta and Piccolo. They could have made an OVA of Vegeta's life from birth to his arrival on Earth. The same could have been done for Piccolo.

I thought they did do that for Piccolo in DB.

Oops,i missed the final 30 something episodes of Dragonball. My mistake.

[TheGreatness25]

Aspects of the series that pissed me off. I guess it didn't piss me off, but it did make me slightly confused as to what to follow when they have plot holes. Like they forget things. For example, it started off where Goku was like the only person to keep his body when he died in like...God knows how many years. And he got to keep it because he was special and a hero. And then all the villains and even the heroes really, were allowed to keep their bodies. I found that to be pretty lame. Or the whole Trunks timeline. That was pure laziness. In DBZ, there's an episode where Trunks remembers what happened in his time... And it's different than the Trunks TV special! I also thought that little cheat about "Saiyans can't grow their hair since the day they're born" was stupid. Why is it a cheat? Akira Toriyama just didn't want to draw Vegeta with long hair and make him look like Raditz. At least that's how I see it. It was a very pointless thing. Especially since we've seen Nappa with hair in the TV special, and I'm sure that no Saiyan was born with huge hair. I doubt Raditz was born with long hair, and I doubt that Nappa was born with a mustache.

[Kid Trunks]

I hate how so much time is skipped. 1 year until the Saiyans arrive, another year for Goku to come home from space, 3 years until the androids arrive, 7 years until the Buu arc, and another 10 years until the very end. All of that time could have been put to better use.

Also, despite the fact that the series goes on for about 290 episodes, we really only see a few weeks at most in the characters lives. I for one find it incredible that the whole Buu arc takes place in about a day.

[Rocketman]

I also thought that little cheat about "Saiyans can't grow their hair since the day they're born" was stupid. Why is it a cheat? Akira Toriyama just didn't want to draw Vegeta with long hair and make him look like Raditz. At least that's how I see it. It was a very pointless thing. Especially since we've seen Nappa with hair in the TV special, and I'm sure that no Saiyan was born with huge hair. I doubt Raditz was born with long hair, and I doubt that Nappa was born with a mustache.

Goku never got a haircut.

[SonEric84]

In DBZ, there's an episode where Trunks remembers what happened in his time... And it's different than the Trunks TV special!

I don't really see how that conflicts with the special. I mean, I just figured it would be from a different day that wasn't shown in the special.

[Casual Matt]

DBZ was supposed to be Gohan's series.

Also lies! It didn't become Gohan's series until after Namek's destruction and Goku's death miraculous escape.

This seems right since Goku was the big hero during the Saiyajin / Freeza Arcs.

Now the Cell Arc was Gohan's Arc, and that's where he was the big hero.

[Kaboom]

Now the Cell Arc was Gohan's Arc, and that's where he was the big hero.

I dunno, even that wasn't apparent until the Cell Games.