Okay… I don′t know why everyone is hyping about the newest DB Super episode that much (Ep 43).. I watched it and immediately shut off because of bad jokes, disrespectfullness and a Goku who behaves totaly OOC to me… What the hell TOEI?!? Why?!? What happened? o.O I′m…confused… Really confused….
Are we now that far with bad jokes on sexual ways with treating your female characters like shit?!? Really?!?
It’s like op has never read/seen the original Dragon Ball.
Really now.
It’s like… Just because someone has observed a culture for a period of time does not make one automatically integrated and familiar with all the nuances of that culture. Goku has always been insensitive. Goku does not care one iota about being politically correct. Goku has no concept of feminism and the values of that particular political movement (yes, political) are not even an issue in Dragonball/Z/Super so don’t even try to make it an issue because it’s not the friggen point of the DB-verse. Do you see the women lamenting their positions or treatment? NO! They all choose their roles. They also fight back against anything that does make them uncomfortable.
It’s a work of fiction. A work of fiction that takes into account how absurd the actual world/universe really is and tries to highlight those things. (I.e. Master Roshi being the greatest martial artist and also being a pervy womanizer - this duality is used to HIGHLIGHT differences and absurdity {and also makes for well-rounded, complex characters}).
So I read Goku’s “out of line”/OOC comments here as an aspect of his characterization shining through and morphing - yes he’s being a jerk, but it’s not directed specifically at Bulma but at Vegeta because he’s trying to rile Vegeta because Goku is a fucking troll who likes to fight people for fun. This is nothing new.
Believe me, I have seen original DB but I expect an adult Goku to grow up a lil bit at least. I was just saying my own opinion to the episode that gone too far for my thoughts. I wasn’t expected that. That’s not the way of jokes I like.
“Goku has no concept of feminism and the values of that particular political movement (yes, political) are not even an issue in Dragonball/Z/Super so don’t even try to make it an issue because it’s not the friggen point of the DB-verse.”
Okay. But to quote Jane Espenson: “…if we can’t write diversity into sci-fi, then what’s the point? You don’t create new worlds to give them all the same limits of the old ones.”
Although I wasn’t personally bothered by the joke, it’s a complete and total cop-out to say that a tasteless joke is justified because “that’s not the point of the DB-verse”. The DragonBall universe does not exist in a bubble. It exists in the real world – THIS ONE. And tactless Goku didn’t make the joke – A WRITER DID. A writer from THIS REALITY. In this world, the feminist movement exists. Women DO lament their positions, and rightfully so. Women are constantly victims of rape culture, constantly recipients of unsolicited comments about their bodies, constantly judged and valued by their appearance. I completely understand why people would be bothered by the joke.
I agree that the show often presents paradoxical characters, and your example of Roshi is a good one. Goku is another character with many contrasts: not particularly bright but a brilliant fighter; not particularly selfless but by nature of his superhuman strength ends up becoming Earth’s saviour time and time again. I appreciate how this adds complexity to characters. But I do feel that to repeatedly use sexual jokes towards the same female character, and then to not have any real backlash or commentary on the nature of those jokes, simply presents them as crass comic relief opportunities. There are other ways to present Goku as being politically incorrect without turning to the same tiresome, degrading humour.
Lastly, I think it’s very important to remember that the primary market of the DragonBall franchise is children. I would really hope that my children would not learn from a cartoon that it is okay to make unsolicited comments about a woman’s breasts – or any part of her body for that matter. I realize it happens. I realize that it often slides into pop culture without anyone batting an eye or even noticing. But I think noticing and talking about it is the first step to creating a positive shift.
I love to read the difference aspect of this one particular episode (I shouldn’t say anything because I stopped watching dbs on episode 27) I thought it was a culture thing, something that happens where it’s made (is it a big deal there?) Disney and other animation studios here do something similar but at least with some tact (to better connect to the adults that take children to these movies. More than once me and the hubs raise an eyebrow on a joke that kids don’t get) is this joke a big deal?! I’m an old-ish gal. My breast do sag (from breastfeeding, weight gain, gravity, lack of wearing a bra!?) Is this just a running joke!? I love vegeta and love that the comment riles him up and the fact that goku is a jerky. Lol I guess I’m the only one that laughed..well me and @terasedward 😚 More tact maybe…and didn’t Jaco say it?! Goku just repeated it. Oh goku..you big dummy!