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[Romars202129]

I'm going to get a lot of flack for this but I think I've settled on this opinion:

The Recruitment arc is one of, it not THE best TOEI original story ever in Dragon Ball history.

Maybe not as good as the Bardock special (History of Trunks is great too, but doesn't count cause it's an adaptation of Toriyama's story), but I seriously feel it's up there.

For one, this is arguably the most character development ANY character has gotten in Dragon Ball in both canon and non-canon material ever. So much emphasis was placed on characters overcoming problems, and resolving them logically in some fantastic character interactions. There's some dopey episode here-and-there, like when Android 17 and Goku teamed up to beat space poachers, but even that two-parter had some genuine great moments in it through-and-through.

People complain about power scaling, but to be honest the series at it's height of popularity ALWAYS had BS power ups out of nowhere with a lot of the side characters. Just the side characters stopped getting a lot of the focus in the Boo arc, which was one of the arc's biggest flaws imo. Though keep in a mind a lot of things is probably just TOEI weirdness above all else, but regardless I think keeping characters "in line" with the others is a tradition that should've been kept despite being abandoned by Toriyama himself until this recent arc.

Also the insight into the other universes was some great stuff as well. The interactions between Cabba, Kale, and Caulifla. Hit and Frost having their own encounter. The Pride Troopers doing their thing. A Sailor Moon parody. All of it was genuinely fun in their own right and had their own character moments as well.

It also helps that this arc also excelled greatly at worldbuilding. The fact we even got insight into freaking poaching in the Dragon Ball world is astonishing in of itself relative to the lack of insight we got with even the original manga. That's one thing that Super has undeniably done over the original manga in how expansive the world of Dragon Ball is setup to be. The Recruitment arc does this in spades, and then some. It's not quite as crazy as the worldbuilding in One Piece in comparison, but you have to start somewhere I guess.

I'm not 100% how much of the arc was TOEi and how much was Toriyama, but regardless it was a fantastic arc through-and-through with some genuinely great character arcs with some really nicely animated fights and sequences spliced in there as well.

It fucked up my boy Tien too much. I'm still not over how shit that episode was. Rape Roshi and even Yurin over Launch, it was the perfect time to bring back launch smh.
Also Caulifla and Kale was a fumble imo. Other than that, yeah it was pretty good. 17 stuff, Krillin and Frieza was all done wonderfully.

 

[Skeeter49]

With the Yurin stuff, I'm not opposed to meeting new characters, instead of bringing someone back that Tien isn't interested in.

 

[RareFantasy64]

It fucked up my boy Tien too much. I'm still not over how shit that episode was. Rape Roshi and even Yurin over Launch, it was the perfect time to bring back launch smh.

Reddit had a thread showing a tweet from someone who works on Super who did clarify that Roshi is NOT stronger than Tien. Roshi had been strengthened by Yurin's magic. But yeah, that incident followed by Gohan annihilating him was rough. Tien did notice the presence of fighters on that one universe's team that no one else on Universe 7's team could recognize. For Tien supporters, I say just be patient. I'm sure he'll have some decent scenes in this tournament and for a human Z Fighter, that's about as good as it gets


Yurin's presence also took us back to Tien's original martial arts studies. Which was something I appreciated. Though I'm with you on wanting Launch to return in some fashion

 

[Hellwarden]

Man, Launch is never gonna appear again.

Spoiler

*cue Launch appearing at the end of this arc*

 

[foxuzamaki]

It fucked up my boy Tien too much. I'm still not over how shit that episode was. Rape Roshi and even Yurin over Launch, it was the perfect time to bring back launch smh.
Also Caulifla and Kale was a fumble imo. Other than that, yeah it was pretty good. 17 stuff, Krillin and Frieza was all done wonderfully.

How caulifa and kale a fumble? They kinda nailing them do far

 

[Romars202129]

With the Yurin stuff, I'm not opposed to meeting new characters, instead of bringing someone back that Tien isn't interested in.

I don't hate Yurin, but she seems like shes filling the same role, her inclusion seems more a confirmation Launch is gone for good.
Though honestly I think it would glorious if Toriyama was setting out to give Tien a harem.

 

[Skeeter49]

How caulifa and kale a fumble? They kinda nailing them do far

Kale I guess could have been handled better, maybe not making her Berserk form a 1 to 1 Broly copy. But her normal saiyan self I like, and I like that her transformation has to do with her feelings for Caulifla.

In general Caulifla is a badass, and I don't know how she could have been done better. Maybe SSJ2, but if her transforming into a SSJ2 wasn't caused by an androids head being crush, people would have bitched anyway. It looked badass when she went SSJ2. They probably should have made the reason she transformed due to wanting to help Kale, maybe it looked like she was in pain while in Berserk.

 

[Romars202129]

How caulifa and kale a fumble? They kinda nailing them do far

I'm not feeling the same way. Their personalities are a big dissappointment to me so far. I feel they are very generic trope characters right now. I think they really failed to humanize them.

Reddit had a thread showing a tweet from someone who works on Super who did clarify that Roshi is NOT stronger than Tien. Roshi had been strengthened by Yurin's magic. But yeah, that incident followed by Gohan annihilating him was rough. Tien did notice the presence of fighters on that one universe's team that no one else on Universe 7's team could recognize. For Tien supporters, I say just be patient. I'm sure he'll have some decent scenes in this tournament and for a human Z Fighter, that's about as good as it gets


Yurin's presence also took us back to Tien's original martial arts studies. Which was something I appreciated. Though I'm with you on wanting Launch to return in some fashion

I don't really care if Roshi's stronger, its just they just bagged on him so hard. He gets no build, no second to look even semi cool. Theres no comparison to any one on the team. Hes the only one who didn't even get a moment.
18 got sidelined to push Krillin too, but they still gave her a second.
Tien is endless bagging so far. I do however have some hope for the tourney though.

 

[Crimson_Echidna]

I'm not feeling the same way. Their personalities are a big dissappointment to me so far. I feel they are very generic trope characters right now. I think they really failed to humanize them.



I don't really care if Roshi's stronger, its just they just bagged on him so hard. He gets no build, no second to look even semi cool. Theres no comparison to any one on the team. Hes the only one who didn't even get a moment.
18 got sidelined to push Krillin too, but they still gave her a second.
Tien is endless bagging so far. I do however have some hope for the tourney though.

I'm setting my expectations to 0. Like at this point, I'm expecting him to get bodied to make Krillin look even better lol

 

[B-Dubs]

Reddit had a thread showing a tweet from someone who works on Super who did clarify that Roshi is NOT stronger than Tien. Roshi had been strengthened by Yurin's magic. But yeah, that incident followed by Gohan annihilating him was rough. Tien did notice the presence of fighters on that one universe's team that no one else on Universe 7's team could recognize. For Tien supporters, I say just be patient. I'm sure he'll have some decent scenes in this tournament and for a human Z Fighter, that's about as good as it gets


Yurin's presence also took us back to Tien's original martial arts studies. Which was something I appreciated. Though I'm with you on wanting Launch to return in some fashion

Gohan crushing Tien without so much as a second look was cold as shit. They could have at least let Tien get an attack off, poor bastard barely managed to climb out the hole Gohan put him in before he used Tien to split a mountain in half.

 

[The Silver]

I do feel they went too far in paying homage to Broly. No need to have her saying his lines and posing like him, we get it, her design says enough. Wasn't a good first impression for her.

 

[Romars202129]

I'm setting my expectations to 0. Like at this point, I'm expecting him to get bodied to make Krillin look even better lol

I'd agree, but him senseing the invisible man was classic foreshadowing.
And keep in mind we're back to Toriyama's outline now and he's always shown a little love to Tien as well. I mean he has looked decent in Super up til now.

 

[Skeeter49]

Gohan fucking Tien was hilarious.
I was starting to think Gohan's original plan was to fight Tien, not Goku.

 

[RareFantasy64]

Gohan crushing Tien without so much as a second look was cold as shit. They could have at least let Tien get an attack off, poor bastard barely managed to climb out the hole Gohan put him in before he used Tien to split a mountain in half.

It was one of the coldest moments to a human Z fighter in the whole series.....

I'd agree, but him senseing the invisible man was classic foreshadowing.
And keep in mind we're back to Toriyama's outline now and he's always shown a little love to Tien as well. I mean he has looked decent in Super up til now.

He got some shine against Frieza's army. He didn't get a single thing accomplished but he joined in with Piccolo and 18 charging Beerus. When Goku told 17 that most of his enemies become his friends, Tien was shown right next to Piccolo and Vegeta in the visual that accompanied Goku's mention of this. Which I think is a good reminder to all, including the people who work on this story that Tien deserves some respect and glory

 

[B-Dubs]

Gohan fucking Tien was hilarious.
I was starting to think Gohan's original plan was to fight Tien, not Goku.

Gohan basically went "Fuck you Tien, I'm trying to fight my dad and you aren't worth more than two punches."

 

[Romars202129]

Gohan fucking Tien was hilarious.
I was starting to think Gohan's original plan was to fight Tien, not Goku.

Gohan was probably still butthurt about Krillin kicking his ass. So he was like I'm not letting one of these fucking cheap ass OP humans get another attack off again!

 

[Eylos]

I like launch she's the closest thing Goku had as a Mother, Its sad they forgot her in DBZ and super

 

[Crimson_Echidna]

It was one of the coldest moments to a human Z fighter in the whole series.....




He got some shine against Frieza's army. He didn't get a single thing accomplished but he joined in with Piccolo and 18 charging Beerus. When Goku told 17 that most of his enemies become his friends, Tien was shown right next to Piccolo and Vegeta in the visual that accompanied Goku's mention of this. Which I think is a good reminder to all, including the people who work on this story that Tien deserves some respect and glory

.

 

[B-Dubs]

Gohan was probably still butthurt about Krillin kicking his ass. So he was like I'm not letting one of these fucking cheap ass OP humans get another attack off again!

I mean, his big moment was about not holding back and taking every fighter, regardless of strength, seriously. I like that they carried that over and didn't just forget about it.

 

[NeonZ]

I think as long as King Ryu doesn't write the next episode focused on Tenshinhan in this tournament things will be fine. While he was the non-official series composition writer (during the universe 6 tournament - he announced that he was taking the position, but had to erase the comment afterwards), Tenshinhan didn't get any actual voiced role even though he was in the crowd there throughout the tournament.

And then in the Gohan vs Goku episode, aside from the beat down, he had Tenshinhan paradoxically complaining about Gohan taking the sparring too seriously but also going for the Kikoho the first time he's going to launch a beam. Really, King Ryu just doesn't seem to care or even know about the character considering that detail. If he's going to make Tenshinhan complain about the others being too intense he shouldn't be going for a Kikoho.

 

[Kagari]

Gohan fucking Tien was hilarious.
I was starting to think Gohan's original plan was to fight Tien, not Goku.

It's a great scene.

 

[RareFantasy64]

.

rofl, one of these days maybe I will check out Gintama. I'm just really picky about shonen I get into because I don't like starting a long-running shonen and not seeing it through to the end. DB, One Piece, HXH, YYH and Naruto have universes I enjoy and those are the ones I follow. Toriko is one I've considered reading. Especially since it ended and never got super long or saw considerable drops in quality (I love Naruto for it's strengths but I really feel it dropped in quality as it went on, Bleach is another example of that happening to a long-running shonen)

 

[Romars202129]

Thats a good point. Tien shortens his life span with the Kikoho. Though that detail might have been retconned at this point.

 

[L Thammy]

The recruitment arc is okay. It's got its moments. But I spent a lot of time wishing it would hurry up. A lot of it was unnecessary, and things like the U6 Saiyans were rushed.

 

[Romars202129]

It's a great scene.

Its just a generic scene of them jobbing someone so someone else can look better by comparison. A dollar a dozen scene by db standards.

 

[Fandangox]

.

I wonder if they are actually gonna do something with the guy. I just thought all the Yamcha scenes where the series just shitting on him as usual and as misdirection for the Buu twist (as the audience would know he was available) then they show him overhearing Goku said "there's no one else is there!" and I thought "oh shit its actually happening" but then the next scene he seemed to have completely accepted that he ain't shit.

 

[RareFantasy64]

I wonder if they are actually gonna do something with the guy. I just thought all the Yamcha scenes where the series just shitting on him as usual and as misdirection for the Buu twist (as the audience would know he was available) then they show him overhearing Goku said "there's no one else is there!" and I thought "oh shit its actually happening" but then the next scene he seemed to have completely accepted that he ain't shit.

I really wish this whole situation would light a fire under him. I would love a long-running B story of Yamcha that blended the humor angle Super has given him but also dealt with him on a journey to become the best he has ever been

 

[Romars202129]

I wonder if they are actually gonna do something with the guy. I just thought all the Yamcha scenes where the series just shitting on him as usual and as misdirection for the Buu twist (as the audience would know he was available) then they show him overhearing Goku said "there's no one else is there!" and I thought "oh shit its actually happening" but then the next scene he seemed to have completely accepted that he ain't shit.

Maybe he joined another universe out of spite.
Gasp* maybe he's the invisible man?

 

[Crimson_Echidna]

I wonder if they are actually gonna do something with the guy. I just thought all the Yamcha scenes where the series just shitting on him as usual and as misdirection for the Buu twist (as the audience would know he was available) then they show him overhearing Goku said "there's no one else is there!" and I thought "oh shit its actually happening" but then the next scene he seemed to have completely accepted that he ain't shit.

I would've preferred him in over Roshi. Like, wasn't Roshi's entire arc in the first series was him retiring because he realized that all of his students had surpassed him?

 

[voodoopanda]

It's all build up to Yamcha saving the universe from a legit threat while literally everyone else is off doing this tournament thing.

 

[Fandangox]

Maybe he joined another universe out of spite.
Gasp* maybe he's the invisible man?

This would be funny considering The Invisible Man was the only win Yamcha ever got (iirc?)

I would've preferred him in over Roshi. Like, wasn't Roshi's entire arc in the first series was him retiring because he realized that all of his students had surpassed him?

That is true, but I am fine with Roshi on the team, mostly because this is the one character I can't see them pulling MASSIVE bullshit powerups so they are gonna have to get him to rely on weird tricks to keep up, I would have been fine with Yamcha either being on the team or not, but now that he is not it'd be a good opportunity to have him get his shit together.

 

[RareFantasy64]

I would've preferred him in over Roshi. Like, wasn't Roshi's entire arc in the first series was him retiring because he realized that all of his students had surpassed him?

See, I love Yamcha, but I love how Roshi has become so much stronger than he had been. I don't mind at all that Roshi is in and Yamcha is out. Roshi's jump in strength is exactly what the DB universe needs. I also like having an older member on the team

It's all build up to Yamcha saving the universe from a legit threat while literally everyone else is off doing this tournament thing.

Me in the 7th grade would die of happiness if this happens

 

[Kagari]

Its just a generic scene of them jobbing someone so someone else can look better by comparison. A dollar a dozen scene by db standards.

B-Dubs is right. It showed he learned a lesson after his scuffle with Krillin.

 

[L Thammy]

Yamcha will unlock his latent meme powers. He'll develop a whole new set of moves which work by going viral on GodTube. He'll use them to headline the next arc, where Goku dies again and Yamcha has to save the day.

Gohan fucking Tien was hilarious.

And I thought the Barry Kahn stuff was bad.

 

[Eylos]

It's all build up to Yamcha saving the universe from a legit threat while literally everyone else is off doing this tournament thing.

Yamcha could get dragonballs and ask shen long to
Turn him in the Strongest cyborgue that never ages

Then for the Second wish, a time Chamber with gravity controls where a Second is a year

Trains for a milenia, when they are back yamcha is Skynet supreme god of destruction

 

[HardRojo]

Just watched a playthrough of the Black arc in Xenoverse 2.
Trunks' Spirit Sword makes a lot more sense there lol, and I mean A LOT more sense. I like the way they used the rift SSR Black created, actually, the show and game writers should share ideas more often.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsuNb4sG_vw

Edit: And it sounds like the English Zamasu voice actor has gotten better, at least I think he sounds better in the last part of the arc.

 

[Romars202129]

This would be funny considering The Invisible Man was the only win Yamcha ever got (iirc?)

Yep. Headcanon time. Yamcha readying for the tourney, remembered the one time he was victorious, so he went to train with Baba, and learned all her fighters' moves. Then, he overheard about Frieza taking his spot.
Shamed and feeling abandoned. He picked up one of those recievers and made his offer.
He was going to fight with his friends... one way or another!!!

B-Dubs is right. It showed he learned a lesson after his scuffle with Krillin.

Except Tien was fighting Piccolo...

 

[L Thammy]

What if this invisible man was that invisible man, who has been training all these years to be able to beat Yamcha?

Except Tien was fighting Piccolo...

I believe they're referring to Gohan being told not to hold back against any opponent. So he doesnt hold back against Tien.

Tien basically did nothing but stand there and aim a Kikoho while in plain sight, though, so I think he deserves mockery for that.

 

[Fandangox]

Yep. Headcanon time. Yamcha readying for the tourney, remembered the one time he was victorious, so he went to train with Baba, and learned all her fighters' moves. Then, he overheard about Frieza taking his spot.
Shamed and feeling abandoned. He picked up one of those recievers and made his offer.
He was going to fight with his friends... one way or another!!!

COMING THIS SUMMER

ON THEATERS NOW

What if this invisible man was that invisible man, who has been training all these years to be able to beat Yamcha?

Okay this actually made me laugh out loud the idea of Yamcha being the target of revenge by the one guy he managed to beat ages ago and having this dude train their entire life for revenge would be comedy gold.

 

[Skeeter49]

It's a great scene.

Showed that Gohan understands how to use his teams strengths, and isn't going to let one fight distract him from what's going on with other fighters.

I hope we see that one attack he used on Tien in the ToP. While it doesn't look like a strong attack, it looks like a fast attack that would be hard to block.

 

[RareFantasy64]

Okay this actually made me laugh out loud the idea of Yamcha being the target of revenge by the one guy he managed to beat ages ago and having this dude train their entire life for revenge would be comedy gold.

He assumed if he went to the Tournament of Power, he would come across Yamcha. He's going to be disappointed

 

[B-Dubs]

Except Tien was fighting Piccolo...

It was a team fight and Gohan took both opposing fighters seriously. That's the point. The whole thing with getting his ultimate form back was learning how to take every fighter he's facing seriously and not hold anything back regardless of their strength. Basically it's a moment that shows clear character growth.

 

[Romars202129]

It was a team fight and Gohan took both opposing fighters seriously. That's the point. The whole thing with getting his ultimate form back was learning how to take every fighter he's facing seriously and not hold anything back regardless of their strength. Basically it's a moment that shows clear character growth.

How seriously did he take them? It appears his strategy heavily relied on the idea Goku was going to go easy on him. He was underestimating his dad, he just was right is all.

 

[HeroR]

Reddit had a thread showing a tweet from someone who works on Super who did clarify that Roshi is NOT stronger than Tien. Roshi had been strengthened by Yurin's magic. But yeah, that incident followed by Gohan annihilating him was rough. Tien did notice the presence of fighters on that one universe's team that no one else on Universe 7's team could recognize. For Tien supporters, I say just be patient. I'm sure he'll have some decent scenes in this tournament and for a human Z Fighter, that's about as good as it gets


Yurin's presence also took us back to Tien's original martial arts studies. Which was something I appreciated. Though I'm with you on wanting Launch to return in some fashion

It wasn't the person who wrote the episode, just one of the Super's writers. And the episode never said he was strengthen by magic. Goku called it all Roshi.

 

[flintstryker]

Roshi being stronger than Tien would be bullshit of the highest order, though that's par the course for Super thus far

 

[L Thammy]

Roshi deserves to be above Tien.

 

[Skeeter49]

So in Xenoverse's timeline, does Yamcha take the credit for defeating Cell? Because in both games he seemed confident he was the one who defeated Cell.

 

[sleverfunk]

Just watched a playthrough of the Black arc in Xenoverse 2.
Trunks' Spirit Sword makes a lot more sense there lol, and I mean A LOT more sense. I like the way they used the rift SSR Black created, actually, the show and game writers should share ideas more often.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsuNb4sG_vw

Edit: And it sounds like the English Zamasu voice actor has gotten better, at least I think he sounds better in the last part of the arc.

whoa. really liked that. makes more sense.

 

[Hydrus]

Just watched a playthrough of the Black arc in Xenoverse 2.
Trunks' Spirit Sword makes a lot more sense there lol, and I mean A LOT more sense. I like the way they used the rift SSR Black created, actually, the show and game writers should share ideas more often.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsuNb4sG_vw

Edit: And it sounds like the English Zamasu voice actor has gotten better, at least I think he sounds better in the last part of the arc.

Trunks sounds good. I remember in the first Xenoverse, he sounded terrible. Maybe I should keep playing Xenoverse 2...

 

[Undead Fantasy]

Just watched a playthrough of the Black arc in Xenoverse 2.
Trunks' Spirit Sword makes a lot more sense there lol, and I mean A LOT more sense. I like the way they used the rift SSR Black created, actually, the show and game writers should share ideas more often.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsuNb4sG_vw

Edit: And it sounds like the English Zamasu voice actor has gotten better, at least I think he sounds better in the last part of the arc.

I'm still salty as fuck this won't come with the Switch version.