Because it's completely arbitrary to say he can't do those things. Goku even said himself it's not efficient to train 24/7, you need periods of rest to be effective.
Furthermore, of those, it makes WAY more sense to drop the career instead of dropping training. It's just irresponsible not to train when you have the greatest dormant power and a network of people who can support you.
Goku doesn't prioritize training because he needs to be abandoning his family/work in order to protect the world. He prioritizes training because he doesn't really care about those responsibilities as much as he should. That's why he's selfish for doing so - if he was only doing what was necessary to keep the world safe, it'd actually be quite selfish.
That's why both characters can be criticized without it being contradictory. Neither try and go for a balance which is illogical.
edited 21st Jan '18 6:08:17 AM by Saiga
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Snark isn't the same thing as offering a counterargument.
Like, let's say that I'm writing an ongoing story about a competitive eater named Bob. It's all about Bob wolfing down hot dogs and hamburgers and out-eating every competitor he comes across.
Then, a few arcs later, I introduce Bob's nephew, Rob. For the next couple arcs, Bob's still the main focus, but I frequently hint towards Rob's enormous potential, with scenes of him scarfing down food and showing an insatiable appetite. Rob finally takes the main spotlight in the Hungry Hank arc, when he goes toe-to-toe against the one eater that Bob could never surpass. Rob's understandably nervous, but Bob reminds Rob that he's learned all of Bob's eating techniques and even developed a few of his own. It all ends with Rob out-eating Hungry Hank by half a chicken wing, finally proving himself as Bob's worthy successor.
One arc later, Bob's the main focus again and he can outeat Rob in his sleep.
I don't think it's unreasonable for fans to go, "Hey! What was the point of all that, then?!"
edited 21st Jan '18 6:12:03 AM by TyeDyeWildebeest
No beer?! But if there's no beer, then there's no beef or beans!That's just being preachy. Gohan flat outs said he hates fighting & rather focus on his studies. That's up to him on what he wants to do & chose to pursuit a career.
Goku rather focus on getting stronger period & doesn't even about social decency.
That becomes an issue if writer chooses to & they have by the U6 tourney arc.
That's not preachy at all. The fate of the world is way too big to ignore, it's not just something you decide isn't for you when you exist in a verse where the battle powers are so unevenly skewed that you have so much more potential for it.
Gohan makes the wrong choice and everyone he cares about could die. It really isn't the same as just picking a career path you want.
Not preachy?
You're telling someone what they should do with their abilities. That's up to them what they want to do with it. Just because you have the power doesn't mean you it's your responsibility.
The Hyperbolic Time Chamber is a rough on the physical body not to mention & it probably shaves your lifespan.
edited 21st Jan '18 6:28:40 AM by agent-trunks
I do think Gohan's a bit of a trickier character though. He's basically designed as the opposite of Goku - whereas Goku goes through life carefree and enjoys fighting and getting stronger, Gohan was born with immense potential but his anxieties constantly hold him back.
However, by the end of the Cell Arc... Gohan's arc is over. It's finished. That means that he's going to more or less be in the same role as Goku was before, but with a personality that doesn't really lend itself to jokes as easily. Without that arc, Gohan's just as static as Goku was.
Like, I'm definitely sure what they eventually did was the wrong option... I'm just not sure what the right direction to take Gohan's character in was.
Even worse, I think that even before Gohan was completely cut out of the loop his Ultimate Form, or rather the way he gets it, is subpar. It doesn't really tie into any real narrative payoff. It doesn't really feel earned in the same way that his going SSJ 2 did.
You do realise by that logic a person could be hanging off of a cliff and someone who sees them is under no moral obligation to help because that would be telling them what to do with their abilities?
edited 21st Jan '18 6:29:38 AM by Sigilbreaker26
"And when the last law was down and the Devil turned round on you, where would you hide, the laws all being flat?"Counterarguments to what? You presented no argument beyond going "Nu-uh" and expecting me t take it seriously. The fact of the matter is that the story went in a different direction than some people wanted and they aren't able get over it ever since. If I seem condescending here, it's only because I can't take you guys seriously with that.
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The thing is, most people on earth have more or less equal abilities. There is variance, definitely, but the difference between people is not as decisive, as, say, the difference between Gohan and the average person.
Like Atlas Gohan carries the weight of the earth on his back, so when Atlas shrugs off those protein shakes it's the entire Earth that suffers and as far as Gohan's aware as of the start of the Buu Saga no one can take his place.
Now, this does require a level of genre savvy on his part that he's in a shonen anime with an endless Sorting Algorithm of Evil... but yeah. He's got responsibility.
edited 21st Jan '18 6:34:32 AM by Sigilbreaker26
"And when the last law was down and the Devil turned round on you, where would you hide, the laws all being flat?"![]()
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I'm not going to look deep into the lore of Greek Mythology here, but I specifically remember that Atlas was his punishment not his responsibility.
Either way, Gohan has the right to choose if he wants to be Earth's guardian or not. Goku & Vegeta are still around which probably a strong factor on why Gohan decide to focus on his career.
edited 21st Jan '18 6:43:23 AM by agent-trunks
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Except no, the point was that building up a plot point for years only to abort it isn't a sign of good writing. That was the point, but you somehow twisted that to "lol Gohan fans are just mad". Which doesn't address the argument at all and comes across as rude and dismissive.
edited 21st Jan '18 6:46:14 AM by BlackYakuzu94
A lazy millennial who's good at what he does.Super defensive are we? Unfortunately for you, this isn't your private playground so you can't just kick people who's opinion's you don't like out.
That's one way to look at it, even if I would disagree with calling it bad writing. But Toriyama did try his hand at having Gohan as the main character, it didn't work out, and he backed away from it. What's the point of trying to go back to it?
edited 21st Jan '18 6:49:27 AM by Shlugo_the_great
Less "it looked like it would happen" and more "the story deliberately lead us to believe that he would, and the fact that he didn't makes me wonder what the point of all that foreshadowing was".
I mean, if that's all it was going to amount to, then why even have Gohan defeat Perfect Cell? Why not have Vegeta do it? Why not have Goku do it?
edited 21st Jan '18 6:50:06 AM by TyeDyeWildebeest
No beer?! But if there's no beer, then there's no beef or beans!For what it's worth, I am a bit of a Gohan fan. I don't dislike Goku, but he can grate after a while.
However, I do think that generalising all opinions into " "For a while it looked like Gohan will take over as main character, but he didn't and it makes me mad!"" is a strawman argument.
Gohan had a big actual narrative payoff for him taking over the torch. For him to just regress back kind of devalues a lot of the stuff that came before the Buu Saga, including ruining some of the best moments of the Cell Saga, like Goku's sacrifice.
I think the same about other decisions made in the Buu saga, like having Vegeta come back after his sacrifice.
"And when the last law was down and the Devil turned round on you, where would you hide, the laws all being flat?"

Tell me exactly how Gohan should be able to focus on having a career, spending time with his family & being be able to maintain his powers?