Unfortunately, I don't agree with any of this. While I would have agreed with the meditation issue being slightly annoying, it's fixed in the manga.ChronoTwigger wrote: ↑Tue Jul 04, 2023 10:25 amProfit is nothing. Mafia is doing a lot of profits right now. So mafia is correct?ClutchBangstrip wrote: ↑Sun Mar 05, 2023 10:27 amGoku is still arguably Dragon Ball's most popular character, to this day. Likely the most popular character in all of anime and manga. The franchise has reached new heights whilst relying heavily on him. Also something people on this very minute section of the internet constantly complain about. Despite it being cash-money... Largely because of Goku...LoganForkHands73 wrote: ↑Thu Mar 02, 2023 7:38 pm
How many people actively praise Goku's dumber characterisation, though? Is this really something that fans around the world hanker for out of their Dragon Ball media, or is it just a peripheral element that people grin and bear through to get to the more appealing aspects of Goku's character (e.g. friendly personality, amazing powers, love of strong opponents), amongst all of the other things that make Dragon Ball an internationally beloved IP? While I think the latter is more likely based on interactions I've had with fans both online and in real life, it's impossible to say with any certainty because you're making an extremely broad, generalised assumption here based purely on box office figures.
I'm not here to deny that Goku's social cluelessness is a big part of his character, but it was a strange move to suddenly start arguing ad populum here. Of course users on a niche fan forum are going to overthink and take umbrage with trivial things that general audiences don't spare a single stray thought towards, but it doesn't make their opinions any less valid. On an entirely subjective level, I just don't find many of the "dumb Goku" jokes very funny, particularly when they're used to undermine his overall characterisation as we understand it.
These facts clearly outweigh whatever a section of the fandom thinks on the internet. People grin and bare his comical idiocy to continue to prop him up as arguably the greatest anime character of all time, even after several decades?
That sounds like a reach. Most people enjoy the fact that Goku is comically stupid. The creators wouldn't keep doing it if that wasn't the case. It's a joke. That's a far easier assumption.
Idk if people are leaving Dragon Ball and watching/reading other anime/manga and coming back, forgetting what Dragon Ball is/was or what.
It's not One Piece or Bleach. Dragon Ball's really silly. Goku and Arale are neck & neck.
Is not about comedy. As you, I like more original than DBZ.
It's a matter of COHERENCY.
Vegeta = hot headed, rushing, blast-all proud prince of Sayan. He just learned to channel his destruction instinct.
Goku = naive but strongly scrupulous Earthling hero. Whatever Toriyama say, Goku save the Universe coming with ideas on the fly, driven by feels.
Now you'll see Vegeta the savvy student, Goku unaware of meditation training, and WTF how they didn't came with that some years ago? Not wasting energy? How Goku didn't noticed?!?!
Let's rewrite the scene.
Vegeta clash with Broly, just to lose.
-Why I cannot win?-
He notice Goku meditating and tell him that's not actual training and he's wasting time. Goku explain what he noticed while fighting Jiren (as it was Goku that *mostly* fought Jiren!): efficient KI management.
(Now for the comedy)
Vegeta: -So you're meditating to keep KI under control?-
Goku: -Meditating? No, right now I was just waiting for food. Soooo hungry!-
Vegeta shout, Goku eating babbling "You cannot meditate with an empty stomach". Just later again, Goku seems to meditate, while instead falling asleep for digestion. Vegeta angry again.
Finally, in DB style, Goku *really* meditating, and everyone notice a change in his KI signature. Wow!
Comedy served, DB mood delivered, and everyone still in role.
Do you understand now the issue? Is not the amount of comedy, is how they force comedy BADLY.
Practically, Toriyama and the staff have no more sense of humor and lost the grip on their characters.
Why so? You can age badly.
Goku is not unaware of meditation, he's just surprised to see someone like Vegeta doing it with his own eyes.
