#Goku child Super Saiyan 3

[juridical-angel-blog]

Special Wallpaper Dragon Ball GT!

[tobiasdrake]

Dragon Ball Daima, episode 5. Time to meet the new girl for realsies.

For like forty years.

Goku's leaving out information that's extremely relevant to the new girl's question. The reason he has the skills of a middle-aged martial arts master is because that is literally what he is.

We're still going to the castle? I thought we turned around to go chase the Dragon Ball instead. Maybe I misunderstood.

Gloom n' Doom was trying to leave her behind but we all know who the real star is, and he accepts bribes in exchange for friendship.

He also accepts friendship without bribes. He's just nice. But he's not gonna turn down some onigiri if you're offering.

We have a name! Between Glorio and Panzy, it seems the denizens of Daimakai have flowers for their name pun theme.

(Goku, you named your son after rice. You have no room to talk.)

Not sure if the exchange over whose name is weirder is meant to be a parallel to Goku's first meeting with Bulma. Very rarely do the punny names get called out as funny in-universe.

They're going the "Everyone has their own unique superpower" route for the Majin, I see. And Panzy's is....

Telekinesis.

We've seen telekinesis a few times. Chiaotzu and Guldo are the most prolific telekinetic characters. But they're also...

Like. They both kinda fall into the category of "Characters who got exactly one fight and then fucked off or died." We've never had a character who was important to the plot and had abilities centered around psychic powers.

I hope that's about to change but Dragon Ball is notoriously terrible with its female characters so I'm not taking anything for granted.

Panzy is completely ruining Glorio's vibe as our solemn guide to the demonic lands and he can die mad about it. XD

Weird thing to have a character say before cutting to a montage of everyone pleasantly sightseeing with no trouble whatsoever while happy fun-time music plays in the background.

The front gate is HUNGRY OM NOM NOM NOM

Is....

...is the plan to raise Baby Dende like an ordinary child over the course of many years so that he imprints on Gomah and comes to see this castle and its occupants as his home and family?

Is that what we're doing here?

(Wouldn't he still have his memories? Goku and the others do.)

Oh, she is definitely like the king's daughter or something. There's a reason she happens to know the most convenient way to and from the castle. Glorio needs to learn how to read a room.

You know, I really thought they were gonna tease that out a bit longer.

She's got her own distinct style to her but she's definitely a bootleg copy of Bulma. Child genius female super-mechanic who attaches herself to Goku after seeing how powerful he is and happens to be the daughter of the most rich and powerful family in the region. There's visibly a lot of Bulma in her character DNA.

Even her logo on the front of her shirt often looks like a C because of the stuff covering it.

Which is kinda making me start to wonder if Glorio is a bootleg copy of Future Trunks. Grim and serious demeanor, showing up out of nowhere in a magical fantasy vehicle, leaning on a weapon but also being able to fight without it, that jacket... Huh.

HAHAHA NO

Goku, sure, but Kaioshin is one whole Fuck No in the realm of fighting Majin Buu. It is thoroughly established that he'd be up shit creek without a paddle in a straight fight with Buu.

...

In fact, so is Goku. The only form of Buu that Goku has ever been a match for is Fat Buu. And that is strictly hypothetical, based on Goku's impression of Buu versus how strong Super Saiyan 3 is supposed to be..

Strictly hypothetically, his Super Saiyan 3 could waste Pure Buu too. We all saw how well that worked out.

"Wait but wasn't Goku holding back so Vegeta could have a turn?"

Common misconception but no. Vegeta accuses Goku of that, but Goku was sincerely giving Buu his all and getting wrecked. Super Saiyan 3 is the only form Goku has that can match Buu on paper, but Super Saiyan 3's drawbacks prevent it from being able to match Buu in practice.

So. Uh. No. There is not a single person in this room that can cash the check that Glorio's stupid mouth has written. Not counting sequel series that haven't taken place yet at this point in the timeline, the only time Goku has ever been on Buu's level was when he had Vegeta to fuse with.

Seems legit. I like the cut of his jib. We should definitely make him king.

He commodifies women as bargaining chips to be bought and sold by their fathers. I don't like the cut of his job. We should not make him king.

Goku proving himself by fighting all the royal guards at once is a fun fight, well animated, and nicely paced. But I particularly enjoyed this moment.

Goku transforming to Super Saiyan not to actually go Super Saiyan but just to use the burst of ki that comes from it as a radial attack to blow the goons away. Weaponizing the power-up itself.

Some real "Shazam hits his opponent with the transformation lightning bolt" energy going on here.

...

I legit thought this guy was going to, like, reveal some sort of power that lets him teleport directly to Earth and then bring back Vegeta, Bulma, and Piccolo in a snap.

I'm looking forward to having Panzy on the team. Especially when Bulma gets here. I can't wait for Bulma to meet Discount Bulma.

[rjoynesjr]

No matter where this is being posted, it’s been a minute, hasn’t it? The long and short of it is that over the last few years, I went from having a job with a ton of downtime to jobs with varying degrees of less downtime, to one where I had downtime I couldn’t effectively use. Currently, my situation is one where sometimes I’ll have a lot of downtime I can effectively use. Anyway, absurdly late as it is, this is my tribute to one of my heroes as an artist, Akira Toriyama who passed nearly a year ago. Here’s a breakdown: In the first panel, we see a version of Goku who is intended to be the ultimate incarnation of him. I mixed elements of his clothing from Xeno Goku and Capsule Corp Goku (from Super Dragon Ball Heroes). He also wears the colors and symbol of Zeno from Dragon Ball Super. His hair is a mix of Super Saiyan 4 (from Dragon Ball GT) and Ultra Instinct (from Dragon Ball Super) with a hint of the colors from Zeno’s face. In the second panel we see the Toribot character that Toriyama used to represent himself in his works. Panel 3 shows the Toribot character revealing that he is Toriyama himself. Panel 4 shows Goku reverting to the original version of himself as a child at the site of his creator. The panel is an homage to the moment where Goku discovers his Grandpa Gohan has been brought back to life for a day in Dragon Ball. Panel 5 is an homage to the moment where Goku hands the 4-star Dragon Ball to his descendant Goku Jr. from the TV special Dragon Ball GT: A Hero’s Legacy. The final panel of the first page features Arale from Toriyama’s first incredibly successful manga Dr. Slump. Here she is breaking the 4th wall and literally pulling to edge of the page to see what is next. This is the type of stuff Toriyama would often do in his work. The first panel of the second page features King Kai, Goku’s parents Bardock and Gine, and Launch. Here I’m referencing a running joke in Dragon Ball Super where Goku doesn’t use opportunities to wish King Kai back to life after inadvertently causing his death; fandom discussions of Goku wishing back his parents; and Launch being a forgotten character whose name in Japan is actually Lunch. If you look carefully at the back Launch is holding you can see the somewhat obscured logo to “Spacey’s” a running gag from the Youtube Dragon Ball Z reinterpretation of Dragon Ball Z abridged. Finally, in the last panel as Arale pulls on the edge of the page again we see Crono from Chrono Trigger, the legendary RPG which Toriyama provided character designs for.

[duhragonball]

Dragon Ball Daima: Oops! All Babies

I think the word is already out on this thing. Turns out all the rumors about a new Dragon Ball anime featuring a de-aged Goku were mostly true. But it's not "Dragon Ball Magic", it's "Dragon Ball Daima". And while the Supreme Kai is in the trailer, so are a lot of other characters, so it remains to be seen if he's in the lead like the "Magic" rumors had suggested. As far as the name goes, "Daima" is apparently a word Toriyama made up, so "Magic" may have been a best-guess attempt to translate it into English, or maybe it was a working title used behind the scenes, sort of like how they called "Return of the Jedi" by the name "Blue Harvest" during production.

Anyway, the trailer features lots of characters being turned into small children, not just Goku. Some characters are unaccounted for, most notably Gohan. I'm not sure how to interpret this. It could mean he's not in the show at all, and he was unaffected by whatever caused this. But my guess is that they only had so much footage they could put in the trailer, and someone decided Kid Gohan wasn't very helpful from a promotional standpoint. I mean, we saw a lot of Kid Gohan in DBZ. Showing a Kid Gohan in Daima might have led to confusion about the show's continuity.

I'm not... particularly interested in the adults-turned-to-kids gimmick. I don't hate it, but it doesn't mean much to me. The characters look adorable, and that's great, but it's not exactly groundbreaking.

What does interest me is the message from Akira Toriyama at the panel where they unveiled the trailer. I like it because it gives me some assurance that Daima won't fall into the same pitfalls as GT. Let's discuss.

A transcript, first, in case you couldn't read the image at the top of the post:

Hello. I’m Akira Toriyama.

I’m currently working on a new Dragon Ball. The Title is “Dragon Ball DAIMA”.

“DAIMA” is a made-up term, which in Japanese characters would be “大魔” or in English would be something like “Evil.”

Due to a conspiracy, Goku and his friends are turned small. In order to fix things, they’ll head off to a new world! It’s a grand adventure with intense action in an unknown and mysterious world.

Since Goku has to make up for his petite size, he uses his Nyoibo (Power Pole) to fight, something not seen in a long time.

I came up with the story and settings, as well as a lot of the designs. I’m actually putting a lot more into this than usual!

Things will unfold that close in on the mysteries of the Dragon Ball world. Hope you enjoy these different-from-usual battles that are cute and powerful!!

— AKIRA TORIYAMA

All that really matters here is the part where he says why the characters get turned into kids. "Due to a conspiracy, Goku and his friends are turned small. In order to fix things..."

I spent like two months this year complaining about Dragon Ball GT, and pointing out all its various flaws and shortcomings, and here Toriyama sums it all up without even really talking about GT at all. The big problem with GT was not that they turned Goku into a child. The problem was that they turned Goku into a child and then did nothing about it.

I know a lot of fans like GT, but that isn't the point. The point is that when Goku turns into a kid in the first episode, it's presented like a big problem, an obstacle the hero must overcome. The implication is that Goku has to go on a quest to restore himself to normal. Except that's not the problem. The Black Star Dragon Balls are the problem, and Goku can't even think about using them to turn himself back, because they'll destroy the Earth.

So the viewer might be led to assume that the show is actually about Goku learning to adapt to this second childhood. Well, no, because he very quickly decides that it doesn't matter much to him. The only real drawback to his kid body is that for some reason he can't teleport or use Super Saiyan 3. But then he discovers Super Saiyan 4, which can teleport and it's stronger and stabler than SSJ3, so yeah he's arguably better off than he was before.

So what was the purpose of making Goku a kid in GT? I don't know, I guess Toei thought he would look cool that way. Well, fair enough, but that's like giving Goku a haircut, or a new pair of shoes. You don't market a show on a mere cosmetic change. GT presented Kid Goku like a problem that would be central to the series, and then did their best to ignore it for the next 63 episodes. And this hurts everything else they tried to do with the show, because all of the villains and aliens and battles ring hollow when they don't have anything to do with Goku being turned into a kid. If GT could have fixed that fundamental problem, it might not have fixed everything I hated about GT, but it would have at least made the show feel more satisfying to watch.

What I'm driving at here is that Toriyama understands that you can't just de-age your characters for no reason. There has to be a plot-driven reason behind it, or it's just a cheap gimmick. And there is a reason in Daima. There's a conspiracy, and somehow it led to Goku and the gang getting turned into kids. This isn't just Emperor Pilaf making a stupid wish without thinking. Someone did this on purpose. I don't know why someone would do this. Maybe it's an unintended side effect of some other action, but it's still a deliberate action that will set the plot into motion.

And this version of Goku may not care about being de-aged, just like the GT Goku didn't care, but Daima Goku is still going to do something about it. We know this because "In order to fix things, they’ll head off to a new world!" The conspiracy is a problem to be solved, and Goku's going to go to this "new world" to solve it.

This is important. I can't stress it enough. This is why Akira Toriyama is so good at what he does. I'm not saying he's flawless, but most of the criticisms I see leveled at Toriyama don't hold water. The guy knows how important it is to connect all the story beats together.

Of course, Daima could still fall flat. I mean, the Zamasu arc was terrible, so maybe this thing will turn out to be a stinker too. But at least I can rest easy knowing this won't just repeat all the mistakes GT made.

[ddrqoyote]

How I'd Rewrite DBZ's Fusion Saga

I like the rest of the Buu Arc, but the Fusion Saga's a hot mess (the part with Super Buu). This is how I wish the story had gone.

Buildup

Gotenks is hyped a little less. He's still presented as stronger than Goku and their best chance to beat Buu, but he's not stronger than Super Saiyan 3 as a regular Super Saiyan or anything. Piccolo figures if he can reach Super Saiyan 2, he'll be able to beat Buu. This adds some tension to his training and to the part of the fight where he screws around in weaker forms. Is he really on Buu's level or not? And the emphasis on Super Saiyan 2 makes it more shocking when he blows right past that to 3.

The scene from the anime where Krillin buys time for everyone and Buu turns them into candy anyway is here, cause that isn't actually in the manga. Goku and Gohan are watching through the crystal ball hoping they can revive them with the Dragon Balls, but Supreme Kai says no. If any power in the universe could bring the Kais or all of Buu's victims back "from the outside", he would have done it millennia ago, but once Buu eats someone they're absorbed into him. Even killing him wouldn't separate anyone.

Goku's horrified and demands to go back to Earth, and Supreme Kai wishes there was a way… then Elder Kai says just give him your life force if you want it that bad. Facepalming at everyone's blank stares, he explains Supreme Kais can trade their life for someone else's. Supreme Kai does it, Goku's returned to life, and we get the gag where Supreme Kai is still there cause this is the afterlife. However, Elder Kai tells Goku not to go back to Earth yet because his Super Saiyan 3 power is limited and he needs to save it for the right moment. (He really wants his champion Gohan to get all the glory, but he doesn't say so till later.)

Once Gotenks goes Super Saiyan 3 he's stronger than Buu, but it's immediately clear it won't last. His ki is erratic, burning up inside. Super Saiyan 3 isn't supposed to exist. There's a reason it looks so ridiculous, shortens fusion time and Goku can't use it right with a living body. It's pushing things too far, past Saiyan limits, past any mortal's limit (and it's Toriyama taking the piss on his own powerscaling, just like Goten and Trunks being Super Saiyans). The point is it wouldn't last a whole episode. Just like canon he defuses just as he's about to land a big blow.

Gohan arrives. Unlike canon, he doesn't play with his food. First, we just saw that with Gotenks. Second, that was the mistake that got his dad killed with Cell. Third, the stakes are even higher: all his friends and family are either killed by Buu or about to be. Lastly, Gohan's supposed to be all grown up in this scene, so why is he acting like a child? It's insulting to his character to have him do the same thing again. The outcome is similar, but the mood is different. Eventually Buu explodes, baits Gotenks into fusing, and absorbs him and Piccolo like in canon.

But this time, it's part of the plan.

The Better Buu Fight

We get a flashback. Piccolo's been talking to everyone telepathically. Gohan told him about Buu's absorption ability, and Piccolo figures he'll try to absorb them if he's losing. Piccolo's absorbed people himself, so he understands how it works, and he has a little of that Dragon Clan magic in him. He can put a spell on Gotenks so he'll be able to move around inside Buu when he gets absorbed, and hopefully get everyone out. Then Gohan and Gotenks can kill him and save the world.

Unfortunately, there are two snags in the plan. First, Buu's magic is more powerful than Piccolo's. Gotenks gets defused and Buu takes most of his power, leaving Goten and Trunks alone inside. Second, Piccolo underestimated Buu's appetite; he's absorbed too. Gohan is all alone to fight a hyper-powered eater of worlds.

Here's where we get into how Buu's absorption works. He doesn't change outfits or faces or personalities, he doesn't get smarter. Erratic, impatient predator Buu is way more interesting than Cell 2.0. What he can do is read memories. He taunts Gohan with these like a deep-sea fish dangling a lure, not fully understanding them but knowing they get a reaction. Stolen techniques, voice impressions, callbacks to previous moments. He's got Chi-Chi, Piccolo, Krillin and Goten in there. There's a LOT to work with.

This is the big centerpiece fight of the Fusion Saga, Gohan's first even fight ever, a grieving son vs a cornered animal, both using every trick in their arsenal. There are no Potaras in this version. Gohan is the world's last hope. Their powers are equal, but combine the emotional warfare with all Buu's broken abilities and Gohan has no chance at winning. He doesn't have to, though. He just has to survive long enough for Goten and Trunks to pull everyone out of him… however long that takes.

The whole time Goku's watching from the Kai world. Now he knows how all his friends feel when he fights. He was sidelined against the androids, sure, but he knew he had a way to get stronger. This time there's nothing he can do but watch. But he's amazed at how strong and brave his son's gotten. Even Goten's doing his part. He regrets not being there to watch them grow. The story doesn't dwell on it but it's there.

Meanwhile Goten and Trunks are inside Buu, having similar adventure hijinks Goku and Vegeta did in canon, complete with Trunks' fear of worms. There's underlying tension in the silliness, though, cause instead of seasoned veteran heroes it's these two little kids in the world's strangest place. Occasionally there's booming noises from the battle outside. They both put on brave faces for each other. Still, this is mostly a break from the Gohan vs Buu nonstop action, and a last bit of adventure before the series ends.

Eventually, just as Gohan uses up the last of his strength, they make it to where all the pods are stored. Before they can blast anyone down, though, Buu appears inside and defends them. There's nothing the boys can do… until Piccolo bursts out of his pod and grabs him from behind. He used his spell on himself to stay conscious and waited for the right moment. Buu shakes him off fast, but not fast enough to stop the boys from freeing everyone. As Buu howls in anger and confusion, they childishly decide to free Good Buu to see what will happen.

As everyone escapes, Buu's roars shake the Earth. Everyone congratulates themselves on saving everybody and their friends… except Buu's reforming. He's weaker, yes, and less intelligent, no match for Gohan or Gotenks at full power… but they're not. Everyone's completely drained. Panting and bent, they stare up at Kid Buu charging up his Planet Burst and know there's nothing they can do about it. As the ball comes down they feel Goku's faint ki. He's back on Earth after Elder Kai finally admitted he was just making things more dramatic, but Super Saiyan 3 would take too long. He only has time to save Dende and Mr. Satan. Gohan thinks to himself, "We softened him up for you, Dad. Do what you do best." The Earth is no more.

Supreme Kai teleports Vegeta to his planet, and the Kid Buu fight plays out like canon, except Goku never says he could've killed Fat Buu at any time in their last fight. That was dumb. He tried his best, he just couldn't do it alone. And yes, the god sacrificing himself to bring the main character back to life does nothing on Earth (Supreme Kai could've gone to Earth to save people like he did in the anime) and makes the Kid Buu fight harder. One last gag for the road.

What's the point of this?

Goku was right to give the next generation a chance and trust them in a real battle. They can't live their whole lives in his shadow. But just because his sons are ready doesn't mean he needs to disappear. Different generations have to live together and work with each other. That's what happens here. The Fusion Saga and Kid Buu Saga feel more like two halves of an extended final battle. With Piccolo's help, Gohan and Gotenks finish the first leg of the fight so Goku and Vegeta can take it home. Neither group can beat Buu alone. It'd also explain why Goku's fine coming back at the end, because he's learned that lesson too.

P.S. I wish I could've put Vegito in somehow, I love the fanservice, but I think it's worth it not having him. I also like the idea that no one actually beats Buu at full power one-on-one. He's the god-killing final villain, he should feel intimidating. And I'm sure the Toei movie makers would've loved being the only ones to have a Goku/Vegeta fusion. They made some good stuff at the end of the Buu Arc, throw them a bone lol.

[silvertws]

My friend just spent 3 hours explaining to me the full on Dragon Ball lore.

My opinions on that:

Goku is a fucking self centered mf who is a HORRIBLE father to both his sons and doesn't particularly care for anything other than proving himself and protecting his friends and family.

Vegeta is not bad, he's definitely a better father than Goku that's for sure. He might also be a self centered asshole. BUT AT LEAST YK HE ACTUALLY WAS THERE WHEN HIS PARTNER WAS EXPECTING HIS CHILD.

All the kids are great, Goku, I have no idea how your kids turned out this nice oh wait, I do. YOU WEREN'T THERE TO RAISE THEM.

Can we talk about how the first time Goku comes back after YEARS of being away, the first thing he does, is SENDING HIS FREAKING 11YO SON TO FIGHT SOME POWERFUL ASS GUY??? "It was to help him unlock his Super Saiyan-" stfu. He could have died, like how reckless of a father do you have to be to send your CHILD to fight an op mf?! Nah he'll nah, Gohan, boy, I say you go no contact with this man.

I like how Goku's youngest son and Vegeta's are like, not bad, and can fuse or something, I like them, they're silly. I liked when Vegeta hugged his son when he had to sacrifice himself another proof he's the best dad there. Which isn't a lot but YK it's still, BETTER THAN GOKU.

Hey DBZ fandom, don't come for me, I literally DGAF if anything here offends ya.

No I will not be posting DBZ content I've already had my spare share of toxic fandoms <3.

LMFAO Y'ALL HOW DO YOU EXPECT THIS GUY TO TELL ME EVERY DETAIL IN THE DBZ SAGA IN 3 HOURS like use common sense ToT

Not the "I chose to ignore" MF I DIDN'T KNOW

Lemme clarify.

Everyone in this series is a shitty ass dad.

I just personally prefer Vegeta from the way my friend explained.

Gods there's no way y'all take this so seriously ToT

[pleasantspark]

Welcome To My Blog!

For starters, hello, my name is Orion, I go by many handles, 16xOrion, PleasantSpark and sometimes just Orion. I make content for Welcome Home, Sims, DDLC, Mega Man, Hazbin Hotel, Transformers... You get it all, but mainly I am fixated on DBZ.

Things You Should Know About Me

I own Over 9000 AUs, I own a fair share of OCs, and well. I have a personal artist who does not want to be credited (Mainly because they are and I quote "A Child" (They are 13) and they don't want to be out there.))

My favorite things are somewhat mixed bag.

I also use AI ART AS A TOOL.

DNI If You...

I am finna get hate but please DNI if you're a Minor (This falls under only this Tumblr bc I am mostly SFW on other platforms Minus A03, Wattpad... On Discord I am FULLY SFW).

Do not Interact if ur a Proshipper (I don't have issues with y'all its just I don't want to interact with people and get the other side pissy at me, bc I don't take sides.)

DNI if you're a bigot, Racist, Transphobe, Homophobe...

AND REMEMBER.

BE KIND.

Selfshipping Info

I licherally forgor to share shit.

Romantic Husk - Hazbin Hotel (Shipped with my Self Insert Nyx) Husk/Angel Dusk - Hazbin Hotel (Shipped with my Male Self Insert Moon) Beerus - DBZ/DBS (Shipped with my Self Insert Chi/Chiara) - Married Whis - DBS/DBZ (Shipped with my Self Insert Athena/G.O.D. Brandi) - Married Alastor - Hazbin Hotel (Shipped with my Self Insert Pandora Morningstar) - Married Adam - Hazbin Hotel (Shipped with my Self Insert Nyx) - Formerly Married (In Left Behind) Liquiir - DBZ/DBS (Shipped with my Self Insert Kuras [Sister of Beerus and Champa, all are triplets]) - Mates The Main Six (Rung, Rodimus Prime, Skids, Swerve, Kup, Whirl) - Transformers MTMTE (Polyship, Shipped with my Self Insert Comet) - Sparkbonded Goku - DBZ/DBS (Shipped with my Self Insert May, Only in selective versions oi an AU) - MARRIED, FUCK YOU CHI CHI Yamcha - DBZ/DBS (Shipped with my Self Insert Goki [Goku's Twin Sister]) - Married Vegeta - DBZ/DBS (Shipped with my Self Insert Calypso Briefs (Twin sister of Bulma) - Married Zamasu/Goku Black - DBZ/DBZ (Shipped with my Self Inserts Maru/Goki Black respectively) - Married, semi Polycule Hit - DBS (Shipped with my Self Insert Colbat [Beerus and Champa's DAUGHTER?! Yeah, Colbat's Mom cheated on Beerus and ended up going with Champa and they are unsure who the father is.]) Grand Priest/Whis/Vados/Mohito/Kusu/Sour/Camparri/Cognac/Cukatail/Kusu/Marcerta/Martinu/Merus - DBS [Polyship, All Relationships a LOOONG V shaped. None of them are dating each other, only me.) - MARRIED (Wait how does that work? I dunno.) Grand Priest - DBS (Shipped with my Self Insert Angel) - MARRIED Android 16 - DBZ (AU where he didn't die, bc fuck canon, shipped with my self insert Orion) - MARRIED Fu - DBS/XV2/DBH (Shipped with my Demon Self Insert Echo) - MARRIED Alan Orion/John Doe/Alastor/Zamasu/Caine/Jack Walten/Jax/Astarion/Monika/Mateo/Ford/Wally Darling/Peter - My Dear Hatchet Man, John Doe, Hazbin Hotel, Dragon Ball Super, The Amazing Digital Circus, The Walten Files, Buldar's Gate 3, Doki Doki Literture Club, Steampunkochi, Welcome Home, Your Boyfriend (Shipped with my Isekai'd Yandere AU Protag, Orion) - MARRIED? Shinzu - OC? Canon Character? DBZ/DBS (Shipped with my Kai Self Insert Aura, alternatively with Beerus and Chi) - MARRIED Jack Walten - The Walten Files (Shipped with my Self Insert Orion Walten) - MARRIED Frieza - DBZ/DBS (Shipped with my Self Insert Frostbyte [Female Freiza Race, Often but mainly May my Saiyan OC.) (There's probably OVER 9000 others but too lazy) (Expect a Caard soon. Or a website.) Familial Liquiir and I's Kits - Children Chocolate & Ankho - Beerus' and I's Children Gohan, Goten, Gine the II, Goki The II, Goshin - Goku and I's Children Rose - Adoptive Daughter Fizz & Deni - OC and I's Twin Children King Vegeta, Vegeta, Tarble, Queen Salz (Mother of Vegeta, May and Tarble) - May/My Family Raditz & Goki - Sibling In Laws Bardock & Gine - Parent In Laws Calypso & Bulma - Sibling in Laws Trunks & Bulla - Nibling in Laws Yamcha Jr, Cody, Miracle, Goku The II - Nibling In Laws Matt - Grand-Son Android 16 (May) - Son in Law Whis (Orion) - Adoptive Father Kuriza & Hale (May) - Sons Champa & Beerus (Kuras) - Twin Older Brothers (I am the triplet younger sister)

[tapioca-puddingg]

Broly, the Legendary Super Saiyan: A Brief Dragon Ball Z Analysis

EDITED 3/12/2023

Yo, it's me again. So I'm still on a break from my Drakengard analyses, which I haven't forgotten about! Those require a lot of research and time, so I'm keeping them on the back burner for now. But instead, I'm here with a pretty unexpected analysis. I've never talked about Dragon Ball Z on my blog before, so this'll be the first time. Today I wanted to talk about Broly from the original Broly: The Legendary Super Saiyan movie. The reboot was a fantastic movie and they did a great job at making him more human. I may very well do another analysis on the new Broly one day.

I wanted to give my take on Broly's character from the original movie, since the movie itself doesn't even attempt to. Let me preface this by saying that this is just my opinion based on the character's backstory and behavior. I'm certain someone will disagree, which is fine. Do let me know your thoughts and let me know if I get something wrong. SPOILERS AHEAD: READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!

The Start of Broly and Paragus

So, let's talk about it. By now, everyone and their mother has already criticized Broly's original backstory, and for good reason! It's literally the worst backstory I've ever seen, so fans are right to dislike it. Lemme explain his backstory briefly: when Broly and Goku were born, Broly had an abnormally high power level of 10,000. King Vegeta felt ashamed that his power level exceeded that of his own son, so he sought to have Broly and Paragus (Broly's father) executed. I don't know why he would try to kill him and not just make use of him later on, but okay. So Paragus and Broly are attacked and left out to die. That also happened to be the same day that Frieza destroyed Planet Vegeta, and Broly managed to get them both to safety. Paragus wants revenge on Vegeta (understandably), but Broly wants revenge on Goku for disturbing him with his crying when they were newborns.

My take on this: All of that makes sense except for Broly's... strange fixation on Goku. This heavily implies that he had a high level of sentience as a newborn; to be able to acknowledge that another newborn is crying near him and remembers this newborn well into adulthood. As humans, we don't gain that level of self-awareness until age 4 or 5. We see this again when he saves himself and Paragus. Although I don't think he knows exactly what's happening, I believe he is aware that they are in danger, and he sorta goes into fight or flight mode. So by that logic, would he not remember that King Vegeta nearly stabbed him to death? He was able to recognize Goku's face and name as an adult, so would he not recognize that Vegeta looks exactly like his father? The more I think about it, the more it doesn't make sense. Anyways though, let's move on.

The Life of Broly and Paragus

It goes without saying that Broly and Paragus' lives have never been easy. Broly has always had this unfathomable amount of power inside of him that he can't control. He's a loose cannon, to put it mildly. And this overwhelms Paragus. Rather than Paragus training him to hone this power, he chooses to use a mind control device as a quick means of "calming" Broly when his temper gets out of line. What lesson does this teach Broly? It teaches him that his anger is unacceptable; that his emotions are wrong. And it also forces Broly to be completely dependent on Paragus, stunting his maturation and effectively making him a man-child. Even though Broly is the same age as Goku (mid to late 30's is my guess), he never leaves his father's side for very long and only speaks when spoken to. This is such an abusive parent-child relationship.

Even when Broly is first introduced, he appears docile and unassuming. When he speaks, his voice is devoid of any emotion, with a lack of emotional facial expressions to boot. He's been forced to suppress his emotions for years because he will be punished for doing so. No doubt that this may have caused some deep-seated resentment. But alas, his strange hatred for Goku made him snap. The device broke and there was nothing to hold back his rage. What happens when a child who has been raised by a controlling parent gains freedom? They lose control. He lost control. It is the first time in his life that he actually has autonomy. The dam had been broken, and all of his pent-up rage and emotions came flooding out, and nobody could stop it. Paragus' lack of trust and fear of his own son brought about the very fate that he had hoped to avoid. It was a disaster waiting to happen, and boy did it.

Aside from completely wrecking the shit of our main heroes, he also finds and kills Paragus as he attempts to flee; he crushes him inside the space pod and hurls it toward the nearest planet. I believe that deep down, Broly developed feelings of hatred and resentment towards Paragus for all the years of abuse he suffered. And when he snaps, it's like "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde." The seemingly harmless Broly is no more, but is instead replaced by a savage, ruthless and cold-hearted killer. Or in other words, evil. It's for the best that he was put down by Goku. Who knows how much more destruction he would've caused had he still been alive? Let's not forget that he decimated an entire galaxy at the very start of the movie.

Now, I sympathize with both Paragus and Broly at times. I understand that they both had incredibly difficult lives. Between being wrongfully mistreated by King Vegeta, left out to die after almost being killed, losing his entire home planet in a matter of minutes, and having to raise a son whose power level is beyond the scale of anything that he's ever dealt with, it makes sense that he would turn out this way. And then here we have Broly, a person that was raised by a toxic, controlling parent who never let him express his emotions or act independently. Their story is one of tragedy. It doesn't justify either of their actions. It's just an explanation. I could talk more about how Saiyans are raised in families devoid of love and affection, but that's another analysis for another time. But hey, that's just my two cents.

Final note: If you've made it this far, thank you so much for reading and giving this the time of day! I do hope that you enjoy my take on things and be sure to leave your comments if you enjoyed. I wanted to pop in real quick and talk about this. I've had some feelings about this for some time and wanted to get em out there. Until next time!

[sweetescapeartist]

What do you think of MasakoX's What If Nappa Turned Good?

I watched some of it. Maybe up until the Buu Saga, I think. Wasn't a fan of it after a while. Nappa being subservient makes sense due to him pretty much being Vegeta's attack dog. So him kinda being a bodyguard of the Son family makes sense.

HOWEVER... Nappa was an evil guy. Know how long it took Vegeta to become a good guy. Over 16 years. Nappa isn't as stubborn as Vegeta, but I imagine it would take Nappa a few years less than Vegeta to become good. And why would Nappa stay on Earth? After he is healed, he would do 1 of 3 things;

Challenge Goku and get his butt kicked because Saiyans are too prideful (arrogant).

Leave the planet in shame as well as wanting revenge on Vegeta for betraying him.

Return to Vegeta to try to be in his favor again. There is a Saiyan hierarchy & both of them follow it religously. Even if Nappa was upset, he understood his rank.

I don't see a scenario where Nappa becomes friends with Goku and company unless you change Nappa's personality from what it was. And if my memory is right, I think MasakoX had Nappa train with Goku on the way to Namek? If so, that makes no sense to me.

Now regarding Super Saiyan Nappa. Or more specifically, Legendary Super Saiyan Nappa... wasn't a fan of that. Reason being that most Saiyan would never be able to achieve the Super Saiyan state due to how they live and how they just aren't genetically gifted like Vegeta who was the prodigy among elite Saiyans or Goku who has had decades of spiritual training that ended up helping him meet the requirements for Super Saiyan. Nappa would need years upon years to become a Super Saiyan. Look at Paragus in DBS: Broly. Paragus as an old man was as strong as Nappa. Meaning Paragus was stronger in his youth from training with Broly. Yet Paragus never got SSJ. To become a Super Saiyan, you need to meet the right requirements. Nappa does not have the pure heart, wasn't a prodigy who surpassed the King when he was just a child, didn't have years of spiritual training like an Earthling, and with new information... his S-Cells count was low as it was for most full blood Saiyans.

I know video games show that every Saiyan can become a Super Saiyan, but they can't. Most of the Saiyans can only become Oozaru. So that should've been Nappa's power in a what if. He either becomes an Oozaru or he somehow uses Oozaru power in his base form similar to Broly in DBS. But a Legendary SSJ? Nah. Makes no sense for Nappa to get that. (Idk if the what-if story came out before or after DBS: Broly. I think it was afterwards.)

Also, Nappa being a gardener? I guess that's okay. Its only based off of the fact that he planted Saibaimen. But all he did was poke a hole in the ground with his finger, plant the seed, poor some kind of liquid on it. Nappa is mid class. Gardening isn't something a mid class Saiyan warrior would likely do. They would do more fighting while the low class Saiyans who are unfit for combat do gardening and other stuff like ship maintenance or meat distribution. It also seems like Nappa being a "gentle giant" was supposed to resemble Android 16 and how he valued nature. The idea of a Saiyan being a gardener isnt bad. I just think it fits more for somebody like Tarble who is considered a disgrace to the royal family & a very low class member warrior race & would have a job like gardening instead of being a wartior.

Lastly, my memory of the what if might be wrong in places. Its been a long time seen I've seen those videos. So if I need correction, correct me.

[twobellsilence]

Alright, I finished all available Daima episodes. Honestly? It was really fun! Even if it's giving off GT 2.0 vibes at the moment, which isn't inherently bad, but as a diehard fan of GT it makes me a little salty that they straight up ripped off ideas like the Tamagami which totally aren't just the black star dragons but not evil or the new gang landing on different whacky locations. This is just me being very high on copium and not a valid critique of the show by any means though lmao... ANYWAY, my more serious and in-depth and VERY long feelings (and maybe a little ranting) below the cut

I really like that Toriyama decided to place this immediately after the Buu saga. One of my biggest gripes with Super and one of the major reasons why I ultimately dropped the series in the Black saga was how... Pointless everything became. By introducing the Absolute Ruler of everything, Zeno-sama, and not only making him Goku's friend but also giving him a convenient way to call him AND also demonstrating that Goku can convince him to do literally anything he wants, Toriyama and Toyotaro made it so that nothing going forward could have any impact whatsoever, at least in my opinion. Why should anyone worry about anything if Goku can just call the Maker Of Everything and make the problem disappear at the snap of a finger?

You could argue Zeno's way of doing things is a bit of a monkey's paw situation because of his chaotic and innocent nature, like what happened to OG Future Trunks' timeline, or that Saiyan pride wouldn't allow Goku to actually press the button in the first place. But my issue with this has never been whether or not the button would ever be pressed (which could be an interesting, if not currently relevant, debate in and on itself) but rather its, and Zeno's, existence in the first place. I know the Dragon Balls are criticized as a massive crutch, and I would agree, but they at least have some set limitations and rules even if they're taken for granted by this point. Shen Long can revive the dead and undo everything a bad guy did, yes, so things like death don't carry the impact they probably should. But it's up to the Z Fighters to end the bad guy itself for that to even be possible. Zeno felt like an ultimate, stupidly overpowered version of the Dragon Balls to me, a being that could do whatever the hell Goku wants whenever he wants it, villains be damned, and so anything going forward was zero stakes as a result.

I suppose Toriyama realized this, or at least thought the current state of things in Super wouldn't allow for the story he wanted to tell to develop properly, and made the wise decision to backtrack a little, before gods of destruction and rulers of the universe and beings that can literally wipe out everything on a whim if they so wanted, so he could craft a way more grounded narrative by expanding on previously known, if only in passing, concepts such as the Demon Realm and its inhabitants. Which is honestly incredibly smart given the way they tie into previous narrative bits like Dabura, and where the Kais came from, and why Piccolo Daimao referred to himself as a Demon, and so on. I also really like how organic the de-powering, or however you want to call it, of the gang's power level feels, especially when it comes to Goku. Yes, he seems to have gotten used to his smaller body by episode 3, but I would definitely believe it if he was suddenly overpowered by a bad guy because of how many factors there are against him. The atmosphere, the imbalance, his child body physically being unable to be as strong as his adult one... He's at a fundamental disadvantage, and if we were to take what we've seen of Glorio's power and agility as a baseline for future enemies, it's clear he'll have to struggle at least a little later on.

The worldbuilding itself is also fascinating. The Demon Realm, from what we've heard so far, is presented as this ancient place where many of the most powerful beings that make up the hierarchy of the universe originate, and that not only presents some clues as to just how strong some of the people Goku will encounter throughout the story will be , but it also adds SO MUCH flavor to Outer Realm and the Dragon Balls themselves that we didn't necessarily need, but is undeniably cool to have regardless. Now you can go back and look at characters like Enma Daio-sama, or Kaio-sama or even Mr. Popo, and you will know that they came from the Demon Realm and just why they're so powerful, and it really makes me wonder what the Outer Realm looked like before this exodus of DR inhabitants. I think it's great how, while Super made me want to ignore as much of its lore as possible because it made everything worse, Daima is actively making me want to delve more into it, and I feel like it's scratching some of my original DB/Z itch in that way.

As for the characters... I think they're alright. I don't think they're uninteresting by any means - I Need to know how Gomah got to the position of heir to Dabura's throne and what Arinsu is working on and what Glorio's Actual deal is. But they don't catch my attention like Raditz or the Androids or, say, Baby, ever did. I am quite interested in is Degesu, however, especially his relationship with Kaioshin. I would include Arinsu in here because my following thoughts could technically apply to her as well, but I don't really care about her as a character at the moment outside of whatever she's doing, so I'll just talk about Degesu (and Shin). It's incredibly obvious that he's planning something, and that he really, really likes Gomah being in power. I am inclined to assume it's a classic "subordinate manipulates the leader" plotline, but what actually intrigues me the most is why. Why does he want to remain beside Gomah? And in the case that he does want to "control" him then why, exactly, is he still acting like a subordinate in the demon realm, instead of fleeing to the Outer Realm and ruling over a planet or a system or anything else like his brethren apparently did so he didn't have to depend on someone else? Why does he seem to resent Shin? I refuse to believe it's just because he disapproves of the lattler meddling with mortal affairs. Maybe it's because he Did get to oversee a whole universe all by himself and Degesu is jealous about it? Cliché, but it's what I can come up with at the moment. There is an interesting past here, and I can't wait to find out his and Shin's backstory (and Arinsu's too, I guess) and what exactly his plan is. This is a bit of a tinfoil hat take, but I'm thinking he might be Kadan (the ruler of the Third Demon World) or he was pretending to be him when he ordered Glorio to go fetch Goku, or maybe Glorio is in cahoots with him. Or maybe I'm just stuck in bed with a debilitating cold and my neurons aren't connecting so I'm either missing something Very Obvious or making things up. SO many possibilities. So little answers at the moment...

Oh, and a little tangent before I wrap this post up... This series only cements my belief that a "next-gen" show in the style of the original DB, with Goten, Trunks and Marron (even Bra and Pan too if you fast forwarded more) would be Banger. I adore Geico, don't get me wrong, I feel like by this point they've ran out of ideas as to how to push him further. They already made him a child in GT and here, and they made him turn into a god then into a guy with Angel Instincts (tm)... A show like this, with younger characters and a lower power level and more whimsy, feels so incredibly fresh and actually tense and it really makes me wonder why they won't try a spin-off. I mean, Super Hero proved people Will tune in for a Goku and Vegeta-less narrative, and Daima proves, at least so far, that DB can still capture a sense of wonder without bending over backwards to do so. I wish they'd used this premise to leave the heavy hitters out of commission so the new kids could shine and develop more, especially Marron, even if they had to age them up a little... But then again I also wish Mai died in a ditch so Tru/mai stopped existing and that's never gonna happen so this will probably never be anything more than wishful thinking lmao

ANYWAY, YEAH. DB Daima. Pretty enjoyable so far! I quite like the chemistry between Goku, Kaioshin and Glorio, with Goku being oblivious while Shin Knows something's up, and I'm curious as to how they'll introduce the demon girl character that appears in the intro / outro / ad cards. It's not as captivating as any of the group dynamics in previous DB shows quite yet, but it's literally only been three episodes, and I'd be a fool to deny that there's A LOT of potential for more. And I'm not gonna lie, as a Kaioshin fan, I'm incredibly happy he has an important role once again.

[cc-vegeta]

// Haloed Return [Vegeta x Bulma] - Part 7

"Hey, this is King Kai! I can connect you to the guys fighting Majin Buith my telepathy!" a familiar voice echoed in Bulma's head

Meanwhile, Goku had run out of power from using Super Saiyan 3 fight Buu, leading Gotenks to tag in, to show off his own Super Saiyan 3. "I figured that was their move, Buu used those ghosts on me after he absorbed them," Gohan commented as Gotenks used his Super Ghost Kamikaze Attack

"Using Super Saiyan 3 after the fusion dance, all that power must have cut down the time limit drastically in exchange. That's too bad, they almost had it," he added later. Gotenks had defused before using a finishing mouth wave move to try a vaporiser Buu for good. "Alright, guess it's my turn now!"

"Tch." Vegeta was watching patiently on the sidelines, as the only one obviously dead with a halo over his head, it was safest for him to fight last as a last resort. He was hopeful, but it was a gamble to rely on children to save the universe.

"What? Is that you, Bulma? How talking inside my head?" Vegeta wondered at Bulma's telepathic message. "Doesn't matter, this is the plan. First, tell the dragon to restore the Earth, and use the second wish to revive all the good and innocent people who were killed since the tournament."

He did think of using the last wish to revive himself, but at this point, he'd rather save that in case things went south again. As he watched Gohan fight the child like Buu, he could tell despite Gohan being much stronger, that he was tiring out faster than Buu. This battle was not about strength, but endurance, and it seemed not enough to power through the Majin's regeneration too.

"Damn it, at this rate we might really have to use our trump card," Vegeta growled, then turned to Goku.

"Kakarot, ready the Spirit Bomb."

Bulma had to admitt that her Namekianwas a bit rusty, it been many years since she had to use the languge. Yet she was able to comunnicate about Earth needing help, about a new threat. Dropping Goku’s name helped to.

Things on the alien world were difffrent she knew that and even using the radr didn’t mean the locals trusted her fully, but she was able to find some allies to help her gather the bigger dragon balls.

Bulma hoped her communictor worked.

“Hello anyone out there i just about have all the dragon balls, just send me word on what to do.”

@cc-vegeta

[juridical-angel-blog]

Goku child Super Saiyan 3!

[witchofcustom]

Hiya!! May I request some dating Vegeta, Goku or Gohan hcs?? Please and thank you! Hoping you are having an excellent day or night! <3

Dating Headcanons: Goku, Vegeta, and Gohan

CW: None!

Son Goku:

-Dating Goku is a ton of fun! It can be a bit hard to keep up with him at times, but he’ll do his best to accommodate you.

-He loves to train with you. It’ll actually be one of his favorite things to do with you as a couple.

-If you don't like to train or fight, he'll be a bit let down, but understanding. In a sense though he will be a bit relieved, since it means you won't put yourself in danger.

-Of course there's one thing, besides you, that Goku loves more than training, food!

-It doesn't matter what you cook, he'll love it. You might need to cook a bit more than usual though...

-Goku is a family man, so he'll want to get married and start a family with you.

-When and if you do start a family, he'll be overjoyed and all the more affectionate!

"I love you so much, (Y/N)!"

-Right as you have your first child Goku will look forward to training them, it's in his Saiyan blood after all.

Vegeta:

-Practically the polar opposite of Goku, Vegeta is quite the difficult man to win over. So consider yourself lucky when this prideful warrior has given you the time of day.

-However, it'll take quite a bit for him to show affection.

-SUPER territorial, he won't let anyone have his woman and isn't willing to share at all.

-He doesn't really like going on dates, but won't turn down the offer to do so.

-Like Goku he also enjoys fighting, but he wouldn't want you to train with him. Not just because he doesn't want you to get hurt in battles, but because he feels as if his Saiyan level of training is too intense for someone like you.

-But if you bring him snacks while he trains... He might just fall for you even more.

-Regardless of how he presents himself on the outside, Vegeta secretly adores you and is more than willing to do anything for you, even if he wouldn't like to admit it.

"Hmph, fine. I enjoy being around you. Is that enough, princess?"

Son Gohan:

-He's similarly kind like his father, but less dumb and even kinder. (No offense Goku XD)

-Puts family first, and that includes you!

-Sometimes he'll spend a lot of time cooped up studying, so make sure that you check up on him.

-Loves cuddling! I headcanon that all Saiyans love to cuddle, but Gohan in particular loves to do so.

-He might make you dress up and play around as the Great Saiyaman. If you don't want to it's okay... Though he might be a little sad.

-Like his father he wants to get married and have a family as soon as he can, probably even moreso.

-Overall 10/10 bf sweetest boi ever

"I'll protect you (Y/N)! No matter what happens!"

[duhragonball]

Dragon Ball GT 04

✨GT Stands for Grand Theft✨

Last time, Episode 3 was fuckin’ terrible, and this episode is also horrible.  The gang is stuck on Imecka, because their spaceship was damaged, and now it’s being towed away.  Trunks doesn’t want to lose sight of the ship, but for some reason he doesn’t think to use his super powers to fly after it.  Instead, Goku suggests they intercept the tow truck with Instant Transmission.  Except, no, that doesn’t work, which is another prime example of...

✨”Good” “Ideas”, Poorly Executed.✨

Okay, so I’m not entirely clear on why Toei wanted to de-age Goku for GT.  Most likely, it was a simple nostalgia play, but that never quite rang true for me, since Adult Goku was extremely popular too, so doubling back to Kid Goku doesn’t sound like it would move the needle that much.  But one other possibility is that Toei thought Goku was getting a little too powerful, and this was a way to nerf him just a bit.  So we get this scene here, where Goku discovers his child body can’t perform Instant Transmission properly.  Like, he can vanish and reappear somewhere else, and even take people with him, but he only teleports like a few feet straight up, instead of where he actually wants to go. 

And really, Toei kind of had to take that power away from Goku in order to make the show work.  If he could teleport like he could in the latter half of Dragon Ball Z, then he could just zip back to Earth whenever he wanted.  The ship needs a new part? Goku could just teleport back to Capsule Corp and return with the item they need.  The ship is about to be destroyed in a disaster?  Goku can evacuate himself, Trunks and Pan and be safe on Earth while the ship explodes.  Is Pan lonely?   Goku can teleport her back to Earth to visit her parents for a weekend, or he could just leave her behind, since she wasn’t supposed to be on this trip in the first place. 

So is it a good idea?  Hell no.  The fact that they had to do it only proves that the spaceship journey was poorly conceived.   It’s just one bad idea with a second bad idea to patch the first one.  Two wrongs don’t make a right. 

This is supposed to be a show about Goku.  He’s the main character, and the plot and premise ought to be designed to support and promote him.  Instead, GT keeps changing Goku in a vain attempt to shoehorn him into this awkward storyline.  He has to turn into a kid, he has to lose one of his powers... Who does this serve, exactly?

Also, the way he discovers this predicament is really stupid.   Back in Episode 1, he told Dende and Popo that he didn’t mind being a kid.  And that’s probably accurate characterization.  Goku isn’t worried about how big he is or what he looks like.  But he is concerned with getting stronger and improving himself as a martial artist, so you’d think he would be frustrated if it turned out his younger body couldn’t do all the same things he could before.  My point is that you would think Goku would have tested his new kid body to see if he lost any power, since that’s his main priority.  And yet, this episode shows that he hasn’t even tried to use Instant Transmission in over a week.  It never occurred to him that he might not be able to do it anymore. 

And why can’t he teleport, anyway?  The implication is that his younger body lacks the fortitude or maturity to handle the technique, but it’s not like Instant Transmission was physically demanding on Goku’s body.   It’s not like he would teleport and then have to stop and rest because it was so hard to pull off.  It’s mentally challenging, which is why it took Goku a whole year to learn how to do it, but once he got the technique down he could pretty much spam it at will.  And Goku’s mind wasn’t affected by the wish that made his body younger.  He still remembers how to do Instant Transmission; it just doesn’t work anymore.

And yet, Goku can still use all his other abilities.  We see him do a Kamehameha in this episode, and he turns Super Saiyan in the next one.  And those techniques do take a toll on his stamina, so why is he still able to do them without a problem, but Instant Transmission doesn’t work?

Also, I just want to point out that this episode takes a loooooonnng time to establish that Goku can’t teleport anymore.  Like, he suggests it, and Trunks is all “Oh wow, you’re going to use Instant Transmission”, and then he prepares himself for like a full minute, and it doesn’t work.   And then he tries it a second time and basically repeats that whole nonsense.  It’s just a huge waste of time, and for what?  Why is so much of this episode dedicated to showing us what Goku can’t do?

And why don’t they just fly after the truck that’s hauling their ship away?  Why don’t they fly instead of just falling on their faces when Goku’s teleport doesn’t work?  Oh for fuck’s sake...

✨Is it Worse than The Roaming Lake?✨

I went back and reread my recap of Dragon Ball Episode 29, just to be certain and man, it really sucks.  And yet, at least when characters can’t fly, it’s because they’re not supposed to.  And Goku doesn’t lose powers for the sake of the plot, either.  He doesn’t whip out his Nyoibo and nothing happens and then he goes “Whoops!  Looks like my Nyoibo won’t get longer like it’s supposed to!”

Heaven help me, but this episode is

WORSE

Than the Roaming Fucking Lake.  GT is down 0-4.

Meanwhile, the mastermind behind all of Imecka’s problems, Don Kee, talks to his security goons.   The short brown guy is Gale, and the pink lady is Sheila, although I don’t think she ever got called by name in Episodes 4 or 5, so I’m wondering if this is a dub-ism.   Anyway, it turns out Don Kee has possession of the GT gang’s ship, and all he cares about is how much money he can get out of it.  Since there’s nothing aboard that’s especially valuable, and no sign of a crew, he orders the ship to be scrapped for raw materials.   You’d think it would be worth more in tact, but Don Kee isn’t interested in spaceships that work.

Meanwhile, the good guys decide to take their ship back, and they follow it to Don Kee’s impound lot, or whatever it is.  And they still refuse to fly.  They just leap around like that’s somehow sneakier.  Also, why are they sneaking around?  They’re far and away the strongest people on the planet. As it turns out, their stealth doesn’t last long, so they have to fight their way out of this place anyway.  Well, at least there’s a little action in this episode.

During the battle, Pan commandeers the big green tow truck thing and drives it out of the city.  Wouldn’t it be simpler for them to just carry the ship and fly it out under their own power?  I’m pretty sure Pan is strong enough to lift the ship by herself, but even if she’s not, how in the hell does a kid like her know how to drive an alien truck?

So they shoot their way out, and Goku even fires a Kamehameha to get past Gale and Sheila.   This is noticed by a third security good named Ledgic, who suspects that Goku and his group are Saiyans.

Later, Don Kee gets the bad news and he dresses down Gale and Sheila for failing to stop the intruders, but he’s very careful not to say anything mean to Ledgic.   Basically, Ledgic is supporting Don Kee’s corrupt regime for a fee, but Don Kee has to be careful not to piss Ledgic off, since he’s kind of the lynchpin of his entire rule over this planet.

Meanwhile, Goku, Trunks and Pan have their ship back, but it got pretty banged up in the caper they pulled the night before.  So Trunks fixes as much as he can, but they have to go back into town to buy more parts.  But this time, no one wants to do any business with them, because they’re now considered wanted criminals.  There’s posters of them and everything.

Then the local authorities start coming after them, and they have to run away.   Oh, for fuck’s sake!  Pan’s been a holy terror this whole series.  She barged into a hostage situation because it kept her from seeing a movie.  She stowed away on a spaceship because she wasn’t getting enough attention. But she won’t fight cops on a planet that’s clearly corrupt and dishonorable?  That’s the line she won’t cross?

✨Positivity Page✨

Man, the Imecka episodes are liquid death.  As bad as the Roaming Lake was, at least it wasn’t a three-parter.   I came up with this positivity bit as a way to say “no hard feelings” to GT-likers, but we’re only four episodes into this turkey and I’m really struggling here.

You know, I’ll give some love to these wanted posters.  I wish the real GT Pan was more like the knife-weilding maniac in this image.  She’s carve Don Kee a new smile or three, and that’d be pretty satisfying. 

Actually, with that vicious smile and the fingerless gloves, she almost reminds me of Pan’s great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great granny Luffa.  So that’s a good thing, I guess.  For me, at least.   The rest of you are on your own, I suppose.  Self high five?

✨The Blade Braxton Memorial Haiku*✨

Blade Braxton (1975-2021) was a legend in the field of pro wrestling podcasts.  Among his many talents was the uncanny ability to condense a week’s worth of wrestling gossip and rumor into a quick, easy-to-read poem.  Since I wish to spare others the hassle of watching Dragon Ball GT, I have decided to perform a similar service in honor of Mr. Brakestown-sensei’s memory.

Some Imeckians

Don’t have noses.  They couldn’t

Afford the payments.

[dragon-ball-meta]

I have a headcanon for Super Saiyan 4.

So, to achieve Super Saiyan 4, the Saiyan needs to be able to become a Super Saiyan and be able to transform into a great ape and regain their consciousness while in their Oozaro form, like how Goku and Vegata did.

But my headcanon is that Super Saiyan 4 is the TRUE Super Saiyan form.

While not a major factor during the series, a Saiyan's tail can be both their greatest strength but also their Achilles heel and losing their tail is basically unthinkable and shameful, such as when Raditz got upset about Goku losing his tail.

The tail helps the Saiyan's stamina, as evidenced by kid Goku being able to hold his Super Saiyan 3 form once he regrew his tail, before he couldn't hold it because of his younger child body.

When Vegeta talked about the legendary transformation in the namek saga, you could see a golden ape as the Super Saiyan form, which is what Goku transformed into when he fought baby in GT

Also the design of Super Saiyan 4, it seems to go more into the idea of the Oozaro form, such as the fur. The hair also remains the user's original hair colour (Black for Goku and dark brown for Vegeta (Vegeta does have dark brown hair, passed on from his father, you can see it rarely and with Vegito, I think its just easier for the artists to do it black))

It's also the case of why Super Saiyan 4 is so radically different in design compared to the other forms. (I know one could say Toriama wanted to make something fresh).

I mainly think this because you need to be able to transform into a Super Saiyan and a great ape in order to achieve this form, having Super Saiyan 2 and 3 isn't a necessity. (The only Saiyan who skipped a transformation level was Gotenks, not having a Super Saiyan 2 form, only 1 and 3)

So having a great ape and Super Saiyan are key elements to achieving the TRUE Super Saiyan form.

I dont know, maybe I'm reading into it too much but I personally like the idea of Super Saiyan 4 being Super Saiyan in its truest form.

What do you think?

Well that's an interesting idea, but I don't think it holds up. For one, the idea of having to be in control, and the sort-of calm Goku seems to exhibit when in that form, seems to run the exact opposite of how Super Saiyan was described before. It was born from rage, the user risking becoming lost in it to the point of possibly destroying themselves.The idea of this being a "true" Super Saiyan form that somehow no one ever knew about just seems off to me as well. That also changed how tails were supposed to work, as their only real purpose was actually holding the glands that provided the bodily chemical that triggered the Oozaru transformation. Having it suddenly be a stamina manager would kind of be a bit random? And given the things Toriyama's said himself about Saiyan tails, I don't know if that holds up. Also, Super Saiyan 4 was actually designed by Katsuyoshi Nakatsuru, a character designer at Toei. Toriyama did famously do a drawing of it, but it was actually meant as a gift to the production team wishing them luck/success than anything else. it's a pretty non-Toriyama-esque design though, imo, so I'm not too surprised. But hey, that's just me. If you want to headcanon that, you absolutely can.

[livefreeforfun]

The Ultimate Form, Its Evolutions, And How It Lives Up To Its Name (DBS: Super Hero Spoilers Ahead)

Dragon Ball is a show with many different power altering techniques and transformations, from Kaioken to Super Saiyan to even fusion. Knowing this, many characters use these different forms and techniques in their goal of attaining further strength. But which is the best and why is it the best? If you were to ask me, that honor would go to the Ultimate form.

The Ultimate form has been and is known as many things throughout Dragon Ball’s lifespan: Potential Unleashed, the Mystic form, Power Unleashed, Power Awakening, and obviously Ultimate. Essentially, the form draws out all of a person’s hidden potential and even heightens a person's senses, as Gohan was able to see without his glasses after transforming in Super Hero, but his eyesight reverted to being poor once he powered back down into his base form. As if that wasn’t enough, the form seemingly doesn’t take any stamina away from the wielder to use. The form is typically gained through enduring Elder Kai’s ritual, but Piccolo showcased the ability to be granted the form from Shenron via a wish.

In no uncertain terms, the power that this transformation can grant its user is absurd. Gohan was able to outclass Super Saiyan 3 Goku’s power as soon as he received the form, beat Super Buu before he absorbed Gotenks, and after further training in Dragon Ball Super it was shown to be able to keep up with Super Saiyan Blue.

As if the form wasn’t crazy enough, Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero gave us the fun information that just like Super Saiyan, the Ultimate form can evolve into separate, more powerful transformations. While this has caused some confusion in the fanbase, as the Ultimate form is already supposed to draw out all of a person’s latent potential, episode 90 of the DBS anime implies that Super Saiyan can be combined with the Ultimate form.

My point being that just because the Ultimate form brings out all of your latent potential doesn’t mean that your power can’t be further amplified. That being said, I think that’s what these evolved forms are doing: simply amplifying the user’s power after bringing forth their latent potential.

But that’s not all these evolved forms have to offer. When I said “just like Super Saiyan, the Ultimate form can evolve into separate, more powerful transformations”, I didn’t mean something like an Ultimate 2, Ultimate 3, etc etc, I meant that everyone who evolves their Ultimate form gets a transformation (seemingly) entirely unique to them. While it’s never directly stated why in Super Hero, I think the reason is pretty obvious: the transformations are themed around the sources of the character’s potential, and different character’s potentials come from different places. Gohan’s Beast form is unlocked in a moment of rage at seeing Piccolo hurt by Cell Max, just like the rage boosts he would experience as a child.

Piccolo’s potential comes from his Namekian heritage, but more specifically, his fusions with Nail and Kami. Think about it: his Orange form was granted to him by Shenron, the eternal dragon originally created by the Nameless Namekian who would eventually split into Piccolo and Kami. By fusing back with Kami, that means that Piccolo has returned to being the Nameless Namekian, so Shenron helping out his creator with a new transformation makes sense. You could also argue that Piccolo’s fusions not only made him stronger in the moment, but increased his potential, allowing him to grow further and faster than he would have been able to without undergoing them, but that’s a discussion for another time.

It should come as a shock to no-one reading that these transformations are ridiculously powerful. Given how Gohan’s Ultimate form allowed him to keep pace with Goku’s Super Saiyan Blue, amping the power of the form beyond that is insane to think about, and it’s no small amp either. Before Gohan obtained the form, he seemed pitiful in comparison to Cell Max, but once he transformed he was able to tank a punch from Cell Max without even flinching. I think it’s safe to say that the amp in power provided by Gohan’s Beast form outclasses the amp that Goku’s Super Saiyan Blue Kaioken x20 amp gives him, which putting it simply means that I think that Beast’s amp is greater than x20 the power Gohan’s Ultimate form provides him.

Orange Piccolo isn’t as powerful as Gohan, but that doesn’t mean he’s a slouch either. The Orange form gives Piccolo enough power to easily defeat Gamma 2, who was stronger than him in his Ultimate state. I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that the Gammas are stronger than Android 17 who, get this, was also able to fight evenly with Goku’s Super Saiyan Blue form. Given how Orange Piccolo knocked out Gamma 2 with one punch, I’m gonna go out on a limb here and say that Piccolo’s Orange form gives him a similar amp to Gohan’s Beast form. I’m not saying that Orange Piccolo and Beast Gohan are equal in power, just that the amp their forms provide are similar.

So let’s summarize the main points just to make sure we got everything nice and tidy: the Ultimate form draws out all of the user’s latent potential with minimal to no stamina usage which can be further amplified by other powers, such as Super Saiyan. The form can also evolve into a new, unique form depending on the source of your potential, and these evolved states amplifies the user’s already drawn out power to ludicrous levels.

And that does it, really. That’s why I think Ultimate is the, well, ultimate form to strive for to increase your power in the world of Dragon Ball. I don’t really know how to end this other than saying that this is just my interpretation of the forms based on the information I know about Dragon Ball and that if you have a different interpretation then more power to you. I’m not trying to convince anyone that they have to agree with me, just sharing my own personal thoughts and ideas. I plan to write more short essay stuff like this as well, I think my next one will be talking about the human Z-Fighters!

If you’ve read this far, thank you so much! This is the first time I’ve ever sat down and wrote something like this and while I’m not expecting it to do super well, it’s cool knowing that maybe someone will read it and agree with me. If you see this, have a great day!