*Warning for Opinions!*
The way I see it, Dragon Ball franchise as a whole should have been treated both by it's creator, and it's fanch the way the actual so was (at least to me!) - a parody of some crappy fighting game - say, mortal combat or street figter - with no actual redeemin gualitys in it, such as compellin story, plot, nor character. Akira Toryjama is a bad character, through and through, and even if we all in the myanimelist-forum should huddle up and put all of our creative ideas into a bunch, it still wouldn't be nearly enough to save this anime, nor this franchise. When someting is written as a crappy parody about itself - premise and all - it's not an easy clean-up... not for anybody, and least to Akira himself!
But, if I have to bee honest, you already brought up some really valid points. In any fightin anime, no one should be too OP, and death - sides be damned! - should have some meaning! I mean, what's the point of killing a bud guy, if he - there's really no 'she' in this picture - just keeps coming bac for more... never learning! Same for heroes... if you can even call them that! Boring sosiopath of stupid psychopath isn't really my definition to a hero! And when it comes down to villains... Cell and Buu don't exist to me, so... there.
What I would like to add, is that the series itself, should have been WAY more shorter - even shorter than kai. When you have such a big cast, with characters... erh, no actual personality, and all those episodes to spend on them, why not use those episodes to actual development ja inner conflicts, instead of just stairing and flailing angrily at us?! Put as some journey with the character! Let me know something more about them, than their body masses! And if someone really is so incompetent or useless, that you don't even notice, if he's not there anymore, kill him, and keep him dead - I'm looking at you Tien, Yamcha, Krillin... Piccolo, Vegeta.
And we all sure know, that Akira isn't really shining, when it comes down to romances, or 'friendly interaction' - for that guy, i punch in a face is as same as a hug! So... if you can't write something, then don't put it in!! Ever! I can't write about politics, so I'm not gonna even try! Same with romances! They aren't easy to do, and when done badly, they're really painful - Vegeta and Bulma together... come on, really?!!
So what I'm trying to say here, is to reset the whole system, so to say. Blank slate, where everything is re-done, but better this time! I would really like to see Team Four Star re-writing the whole franchise, start to finish! Now that would be awesome! |