I would've put this in Yamcha's post, since she's his Sidekick, but it's already too long. Everything Puar does this arc is in his post.
Sadly, like I said last post, she's very forgettable. All she does after this arc is cry when Yamcha gets hurt, except for one time she briefly helps out against one of Fortuneteller Baba's men. She has a semi-filler scene in Super when she turns into Beerus to trick Goku into thinking he's fighting someone else. I didn't give her any Complications because I just can't think of any, and that's also why she's light on Skills and Advantages.
Puar has the same Shapeshifting Kindergarten powers as Oolong, but since she finished the class, hers are better. She can stay shifted as long as she wants, and even gain some properties of what she turns into (she turns into scissors and cuts Goku's tail when he's a Great Ape, for example, saving the team). Unlike Oolong, she usually turns into objects, not living things, though both do rarely turn into the other category. She doesn't have Enhanced Presence or Growth like Oolong, though maybe she could stunt them off. She also only gets +10 to disguise as people because her face never changes unless she's an object. Also she can fly even in her regular form for some reason.
I didn't plan to make her the same cost as Oolong, but it happened anyway.
Good stuff yet again! It's really funny how all these early characters went- so many fell by the wayside.
I didn't realize Yamcha had cheated on Bulma- I was out of the fandom by the time they FINALLY got around to dubbing the Cell Saga. It's kind of hilarious that the voice actors went off on it, because you can tell they're being a bit "LOL so funny this was so odd", but in polite, never-criticize, always-harmonious Japan, that's the equivalent of "That was some bullshit, yo"- they're calling the storytelling garbage.
It's just so funny that after a point, even TIEN is still fighting with the heroes, and Yamcha just isn't there and doesn't matter anymore. I remember thinking he was awesome as a teen- badass long hair, a cool fighting stance, and a bitching Special Move... the "nervous around girls" stuff was totally me, and humanized him, making him way more memorable than if he'd just been some cocky, smirking ladies man, too.
Nice to see Puar, too. A really versatile character who ultimately meant little. Funny how her & Oolong were the most instrumental characters to saving the day in the finale, too. A very "Comedy Manga" thing to have happen- the shapeshifting buddies they pick up along the way are necessary to win.
One thing I find interesting about the early days is the Funny Animal People who populate the DBZ world. Pilaf's allies include one, there's Puar (whatever she is), plus Oolong- it seemed like it was gonna be a regular thing, but by the time they're adults it's mostly humans, demons & aliens kicking ass. To the point that in the DBZ "Gohan Training" arc, I actually got a bit stunned seeing a dog-boy and a T-rex running around- like I'd forgotten those were aspects of this classic "Boys Adventure" series.
Complications
Dad: Ox-King is responsible for his daughter Chi-Chi, and later on, his grandkids.
The Ox-King is the king of Fire or Frypan Mountain, depending on the translation. It's unclear if he has any subjects or he's just really rich, and it's also unclear if he became "royal" before or after he trained under Roshi. Either way, he trained with Grandpa Gohan, and even though he wasn't as talented and couldn't learn the Kamehameha, he became skilled enough to get a fearsome reputation. Everyone in the area knows who he is, including Oolong and Yamcha, and about his treasure. Pretty good life, except the sky took a giant fiery f-you on his mountain ten years ago and he can't get back on it. Now he's been living at the bottom killing would-be treasure hunters ever since.
He's also a single dad to Chi-Chi. If he has a wife, we never see her.
He tries to kill the gang when they show up to get a Dragon Ball on the mountain, but thankfully he's never heard of the Second Amendment and his axe misses. He notices Goku's Flying Nimbus, recognizes it from Roshi, and before he knows it he's a cheery dad waxing about the good old days. Turns out Roshi has a special fan that can blow out the fire and he sends Goku to get Chi-Chi, then him. Roshi accidentally chucked it, but he just puts out the fire with the first Kamehameha in the series... along with the rest of the mountain and Ox's house.
And Ox isn't even mad. After all, Roshi just roasted him worse than the fire for killing people to protect his treasure and for not being able to put the fire out himself, so he feels bad about having the treasure in the first place. Honestly, though, was he really a bad person? All he did was defend his property, it wasn't like he was a sadist or hurt anyone away from home.
Ox doesn't appear again until a little after the Raditz fight, when he joins the background stable of non-fighters. Considering Toriyama's forgot entire characters, I'm honestly not sure if he remembered Ox was a martial artist by then. The big lummox is pretty fun, though, and he's actually better in that role than anywhere else. He also gets to ditch that ridiculous costume. I wish we got more of him as a proud grandpa later on (I think the anime did it a little but I don't remember it in the manga).
Ox was a little hard to build, because he's a martial artist who never fights on-screen besides throwing one axe. I'm guessing he beats people with enormous strength, not special techniques. He's a bit undercosted for a PL 8 because of that.
I gave him Immunity to Aging as headcanon. See, Roshi and his sister drank an immortality serum, which is how they lived 300 years. Supposedly Ox-King trained with Grandpa Gohan, but Gohan was an old man ten years ago and Ox looks maybe 40. He ages normally in some anime, but not others. So I bet he drank that serum at some point too.
Yes, it's been 36 years and we don't know his name. Love you, Toriyama.
I'm pretty sure Toriyama has admitted that he has a terrible memory, often forgetting parts of his own story. You can see it in the characters that get left by the wayside, including Lunch, Oolong, Yamcha, Tenshinhan, etc. Poor Tenshinhan basically gets remembered for the Kikoho and almost nothing else, despite being introduced as perhaps the first guy to genuinely rival Goku in power and skill.
But yeah, given my two favorite Dragon Ball characters are Gohan and Tenshinhan, I deeply understand the annoyance with how Yamcha was treated.
I've said it before and I'll say it again: It would have been dirt simple to keep the non-Sayian characters relevant to Dragon Ball, but Toriyama just went all in with basically only Goku and Vegita mattering to the plot. Except when it was tournament time and more people were needed, so suddenly Android 17 is now a fighter on par with Goku, Master Roshi has secretly been training and actually matters now, etc. And I'll be honest, I loved seeing Roshi active again, but he should have been more about advice and wisdom than fighting by that point.
But to me, the easy way to make everyone work involves a few steps.
First is the endless power ups and alternate forms. It works for some characters like Freeza, but for the Sayians? Yeah, just give them basic Super Sayian mode and they get stronger as they train. None of this Super Sayian 2, 3, Blue, God, whatever.
Second, give the humans the Kaioken. Even if it isn't as good as Super Sayian mode, it adds an interesting dynamic, it can be a technique the humans improve upon and make more effective, and between the Senzu Beans and the strain it puts on the body, just using the technique becomes a form of training.
Third, let everyone specialize a little . Give everyone their own niche to fill based on how they fight and their power.
Goku and Vegita are the Superman/Thor types of the setting. Solid fighters, solid power. However, they're also more straightforward in how they fight, and battles are often less tactical for them because its usually more about having fun and winning through superior strength.
Gohan is more like the Silver Surfer of the setting. Not as good a fighter, but more raw power, and more intellectual, as well as having actual people skills. Gohan would be the guy taking hits for his friends, trying to get everyone to coordinate, be the one they set up for the really big hits, and the guy actually doing a lot of the talking because he understands the whole "diplomacy" thing. And maybe it's just me, but I'd totally have Gohan fight in his Great Sayiaman outfit, just minus the helmet. At least that's an outfit that is uniquely his own and not something Goku or Piccolo gave him.
Piccolo is the Martian Manhunter of the group, not as powerful as Goku, Gohan or Vegita, but powerful and skilled enough that he could fight with them fairly evenly for a while. He also brings to the table much more versatility in the way of unique powers and techniques, as well as having some solid tactical skills that give him a chance to win when raw power alone wouldn't be enough. Remember the things he can do like stretching, regeneration, growing, matter creation, enhanced hearing, telepathy, maybe expand on them a bit more, and see if there's any other stuff either King Piccolo or Garlic Jr. did that's been forgotten.
Tenshinhan, Krillin and Yamcha are sort of a Hybrid of Iron Man and Iron Fist. The Sayians, Half-Sayians and Namekins all have a noticeable power advantage over the humans, so much so that in a test of raw strength or power, the humans are never going to win. But that's okay, because more than being fighters, the humans are martial artists. They rely on skill, not brute force, and they should be the ones to remind people that with enough skill, even relatively little power can still achieve wonders. So they focus on technique, on maneuvers that take advantage of their foes superior powers, and refine their chi techniques to get the most bang for their buck. Much like Iron Man and Iron Fist, while they can't match someone like Goku or Vegita in raw power, they can occasionally pull out a Proton Cannon, Hulk-buster or similar thing that evens the odds.
Goten and Trunks would be aged up to teenagers at this point, and while they do train they're only slightly more dedicated to fighting than Gohan, but lack his raw power. So they aren't the most powerful, they aren't the best fighters, but they also aren't as hung up as proving themselves superior to other fighters through purely martial skill. Simply put, Goten and Trunks are the two most likely to make use of technology and weapons to augment their fighting skills, and I'd actually have them be the in-field tech experts of the team, while Bulma would be more of the "homebase/gal in the chair" person. I'd have Trunks use Tapion's sword and Goten use his dad's old Power Pole, and the pair are very effective at fighting together. They also whip out Fusion when they really feel the need, and when they fuse their weapons fuse as well, becoming a type of long-bladed polearm.
Part of me would like to have Chiaotzu , 17, 18, Pan, Uub and Videl as active heroes as well, but I kind of feel the above 9 are more important to Dragon Ball in general. Part of me really wants to add some women to the team, but again, the roster is already really full. And Dragon Ball has always been a sausage fest when it comes to fighting, so maybe it'd be okay.
An alternative would be to have the more adult heroes do their own thing while the younger heroes likewise get into their own adventures. Have Trunks, Goten, Pan, Uub, Marron and maybe some new characters get added in to their little team. Maybe even have Chiaotzu with the younger kids and explain that whatever he is, he ages really slowly, letting him look and act like a kid while also having a lot of experience to draw upon.
Then you could have 17 and 18 with adult heroes. Heck, maybe Videl actually gets some training from Yamcha, Tenshinhan and Krillin and becomes a more effective fighter in her own right.
"My heart is as light as a child's, a feeling I'd nearly forgotten. And by helping those in need, I will be able to keep that feeling alive."
- Captain Marvel SHAZAM! : Power of Hope (2000)
No picture. Call me a prude but if you collect seven of those outfits it summons the Eternal Dragon Chris Hansen. She's supposedly twelve but she looks way younger. It's a helmet, cape, gloves, boots... lots of accessories, but the actual clothes are just a bra and panties. I'm surprised we got it uncensored in the American video games.
Complications
Naive: Chi-Chi's never left her father's side, and most of what she knows about the world comes from trashy magazines.
Chi-Chi is the Ox-Princess. She's a little like Goku, raised by one of Roshi's students in the middle of nowhere and super dumb thanks to that. Unlike Gohan, her dad didn't teach her martial arts (or much of anything for that matter, she barely knows what a date is). At first she thinks Yamcha's super hot, but once Goku pat-pats her genitals, she knows she has to be his bride, so she goes with him to get Roshi. She stays behind, but she makes Goku promise to come back when they're older. Poor kid has no idea what she's talking about.
Also her name means boobs. Not breasts, it's slang. Also Roshi may or may not be into lolis, I couldn't tell.
Chi-Chi can't fight, but Ox-King gave her state-of-the-art weapons in her helmet to protect her. And I mean state-of-the-art. Seriously, the Red Ribbon Army's the strongest army in the world, and other than Officer Black they're stuck using real-life weapons. Chi-Chi has a laser, and a boomerang that cuts a T-Rex's head off and about splits Roshi's head open (she's sure if he's really the strongest in the world he can dodge, but he can't and he has to prove it to her with his driver's license). You know, I kinda forgot how good some of these gags actually were.
She's only PL 8 with her absurdly broken helmet. Besides that she's basically helpless, PL 0 with no fighting skills at all, resulting in the most undercosted PL 8 I've ever seen.
So the whole Chris Hansen joke made me think of a story.
On YouTube, there's this thirtysomething guy named Onision who's been around forever. Terrible person, abused his GFs, videoed one of them having a seizure instead of calling for help, let his guinea pigs drench themselves in piss without cleaning them, and he still waxes poetic about how evil meat-eaters are. I'm sure I'm forgetting stuff, but you get the idea.
The funny part, though, is that he has ridiculous fake meltdowns every couple years to get attention. Heck, a month before this story, he got banned from Patreon for trying to dox someone, so he stripped down to his underwear, screamed/moaned at the camera, and poured kombucha (?) on himself. And his hair is so wet in the video he's clearly done multiple takes. The original video's long gone, but there are tons of reposts, including an entire meme format around vocoding it to different songs.
So it's 2019. He and his new boyfriend Kai are accused of grooming a high school girl together (Kai was probably groomed himself, and there's at least one more before him). Too bad Hansen just started a new show to get relevant again. He tries to get an interview, but Onision demands $350,000 and he's like "lol no". So when 2020 rolls around, he knocks on his door.
The cops get a 911 call about "YouTube stalkers yelling at him from outside his door". They arrive on the scene and join Hansen. But Onision's response is where it gets good.
Onion Boy files restraining orders against him and a YouTuber named Repzion who's covered him for a while, because supposedly some cop told him to. Hansen never came in the house and Repzion's never even seen him IRL. It doesn't stop him from calling them stalkers. Repzion's court date comes around, with Onision representing himself because of course he is. Repzion's lawyer plans to ask for a continuance on account of having less than two weeks to prepare.
Onision shows up to court like this:
The suit's tight because he was wearing a bulletproof vest under it to "protect" himself from a freaking YouTuber, but he didn't realize bulletproof vests degrade over time, so it had been useless for years.
He struts in with his waist thrust out like he's the real Slim Shady (not kidding, he walked like a drag queen on the catwalk), slaps his documents on the table... and dismisses his own cases before everyone can even sit down.
See, the Repzion one made sense. He claims he asked a lawyer about it (you know, like you do in a literal court case) and he said it wasn't a good idea. But the Chris Hansen one?
Motion For Dismissal by Chris Hansen
I, Chris Hansen... have nothing to do with this very public case and do not know the petitioner or the intended respondent. This case involves an ongoing investigation of the petitioner by investigative journalist, Chris Hansen... I'm am [sic] not Chris Hansen from To Catch A Predator. Given that I'm not the intended receipient [sic] of this complaint, there shouldn't be a case against me. I'm not the person the platintiff [sic] is seeking harassment protection from.
He served the wrong Chris Hansen.
HE SERVED THE WRONG CHRIS HANSEN.
IN CONNECTICUT.
HANSEN LIVES IN NEW YORK.
I'd make fun of not-Chris's spelling, but Onision doesn't even deserve to be called a plaintiff after that. Platintiff is all he gets.
So that's been storytime with Coyote. Don't forget to smash that like button Now back to your regularly scheduled Dragon Ball.
I had fun watching the original Dragon Ball series back in the day. It was probably the Funimation one because they're a local company. Good seeing those builds, even if I don't remember them very well- looooong time ago!
My interest petered out when I came back to it on whatever Cartoon Network was playing at the time. Only so many episodes in a row can you do a single manly scream. Amazing breath control, I guess.
However, your obvious love in this subject might just be enough to inspire my interest. Good luck!
We rise from the ashes so that new legends can be born.
Spectrum wrote: ↑Fri Nov 06, 2020 7:29 pm
I really hope that I didn't kill this channel. Sorry for any insults that I could have made.
Oh, no, no. I had a big flight last week then I got a nasty virus (not the virus, happy about that) Sunday night. I just got better today. You didn't insult me at all, don't worry. Heck, I'm glad you cared I was gone!
Complications
Rabbit Man: Even in Dragon Ball, being a fluffy rabbit with... that fashion sense is unusual.
So the gang stops for gas in this tiny Arabic-looking town on their way to the last Dragon Ball. It's controlled by these thugs called the Rabbit Gang who all dress up in bunny ears. Sounds like a standard beat-em-up, right? Two problems. First, Bulma's been wearing a bunny costume since Fire Mountain cause she wouldn't do her own laundry and she had to ask Oolong for a spare. The gang tries to teach Bulma a lesson for "pretending" to be one of them, but Goku does a Goku and they have to call the boss. Second, that boss is this guy, a walking rabbit who turns anyone he touches into a carrot. Apparently he's pretty famous even though he only controls this one town, since Yamcha knows who he is. One guess what happens to Bulma.
This might be the least power-based fight in the series. Goku tries to fight with the Power Pole since Monster can't turn objects into carrots, but he says he'll eat Bulma. Fortunately, Yamcha followed them so he could steal the Dragon Balls once they collect them all, so Puar takes the carrot. Monster has to undo it with this fruity little clap to survive, and it's over for him.
Sadly, the end gag only works in Japan. Their "man in the moon" is a rabbit making rice cakes, so Goku sends Monster up there on the Power Pole to do just that. This also establishes that continents on Dragon Ball Earth look kinda like ours, but aren't.
Fun fact: his Japanese name is To the Carrotter (To = Chinese for rabbit), but I'm pretty sure the anime called him Usagi (Japanese for Rabbit). As we'll see, this isn't the only time they mess up someone's name this arc.
I've never seen the dub (or most of the early anime), but I hope he sounds like the Godfather. It's a cliche, but imagine his voice coming out of this fat little rabbit!
Monster's Carrot Touch puts him way above his PL; it's a PL 9 attack. The way he jumps around makes him look like a martial artist, so I probably made him a better fighter than I should've. I mostly wanted him to actually be able to hit with his touch.
Spectrum wrote: ↑Fri Nov 06, 2020 7:29 pm
I really hope that I didn't kill this channel. Sorry for any insults that I could have made.
Oh, no, no. I had a big flight last week then I got a nasty virus (not the virus, happy about that) Sunday night. I just got better today. You didn't insult me at all, don't worry. Heck, I'm glad you cared I was gone!
Builds should start again tomorrow.
I appreciate your infectious glee on the subject matter.
You can keep your infectious sick!
We rise from the ashes so that new legends can be born.
CoyoteUnion wrote: ↑Wed Nov 11, 2020 10:57 pm
I've never seen the dub (or most of the early anime), but I hope he sounds like the Godfather. It's a cliche, but imagine his voice coming out of this fat little rabbit!
Sorry to disappoint, but nope, they gave him a very squeaky voice.
"I'm sorry. I love you. I'm not sorry I love you."
Oh man, I forgot all about the rabbit guy. Even now I'm drawing a blank. Great "Deep Cut" there- this thread is great fun for starting small and focusing on the original run so much. I can't wait to see which later guys show up- including the ones from later seasons I've never seen (like their Native American friends).
And damn, I forgot to comment on the Ox King & Chi-Chi. Such a weird little thing to have "that random weird girl from the beginning of the show" to turn out to be Goku's WIFE in the future. And it seems like Goku just kinda went "hey, why not?" about it or something. Ox King going from this titanic potential threat to just the happy grandpa is funny too, but at least Toriyama remembered him.
