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Well, it was the first time outside of the Budoukai final where Goku actually lost a fight and almost died. Unlike with Roshi previously, Goku couldn't even really fight back against Tao. That'd never happen before and was, for the most part, completely serious. I see it as a herald for the further shift during 22nd Budoukai and then for the change in tone to cement itself during the Piccolo Daimaou Saga.
It was, I just think the shift started with Taopaipai since that was the first fight that had no real comedy in it.
Let the joy of love give you an answer! Check out my book!There exists like 2 people who can reliably track the balls down, anyway.
Quite. We're spoiled by Bulma's Dragon Radar, but it's important to remember that collecting the Dragon Balls is supposed to be next to impossible. They're seven random-ass rocks scattered across the entire planet with no rhyme or reason to where they end up.
Other people might try here or there, but they aren't likely to ever actually end up on Goku's doorstep because it's like looking for a needle on Planet Haystack. You gotta have a radar or it's an exercise in futility. Even then, Bulma's handheld radar beats the pants off the large, embedded console radar that the Red Ribbon Army had.
On Raditz
Raditz was a title shift. For the anime. That's literally the only thing that changed when he arrived. He just feels like a turning point because a lot of people's first exposure to Dragon Ball was with him.
edited 8th Jul '17 5:45:55 AM by TobiasDrake
My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.I actually do want to see what happens when someone else who has a way to track the dragon balls but isn't evil shows up with a wish of their own.
The poor saps can't compete against the Z Warriors, who scoop up the balls in mere minutes for their own purposes (and not always unselfish ones) time and time again. In the story, it was pretty much always villains who wanted the balls at the same time as Goku and company, so it'd be an interesting conundrum. I kinda wish that just once, Toriyama had considered that...though he'd have likely solved the problem in moments. Most everything in dragon ball never lasts too long past the arc it's introduced in. It's always been Goku (and friends) against some massive puppy kicking assholes every time.
I also agree that while Tao was ultimately a minor character, he was a big deal for shifting the tone. He's kinda like Raditz in a way, only he actually came back, even if only to show how he's now irrelevant.
One Strip! One Strip!I mean, there have been several years that passed with nobody using the Dragon Balls. The cooldown timer's only one year, and most arcs have a period of 3-7 years between them. It'd be entirely possible for other people to gather the Balls and use them in those intervals, if they could.
It'd only be an issue if there was a pressing need for a competing wish.
edited 8th Jul '17 6:52:01 AM by TobiasDrake
My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.I want to know how the Namekians gather the Balls. Their planet is larger, their population smaller, and we've never been given any indication of a radar in their possession.
My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.Dammit, Dende, why couldn't we have gotten that feature when you were upgrading God's Balls?
- Bulma: Okay, that's the first set of revivals down. In a few months, we should be able to—
- Dragon Balls: (turn into stones and rocket straight up into the sky)
- Bulma: Um...what just happened?
- Moori: Oh, my. We probably should have expected this from the scattering effect.
- Bulma: What? Where did they go?
- Moori: Back to Namek.
...I wonder if you can make a wish on Shenron to have him go fetch Porunga's Balls?
edited 8th Jul '17 7:18:59 AM by TobiasDrake
My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.HAH!
...ok, now I'm convinced your doing it on purpose.
One Strip! One Strip!They don't know how to navigate Earth.
Rules of the Internet 45. Rule 45 is a lie. Check out my art if you notice.I kinda got the same impression. the Namekian balls don't scatter. They just drop down to be picked up by the dudes from each village and taken back.
One Strip! One Strip!Which must be awkward given that they turn to stone. Each elder has to just try and keep track of which Ball is supposed to be theirs so they can grab the right featureless rock afterwards.
I mean, it's also possible that there's no rhyme or reason to who gets what Ball and it's totally arbitrary, but Guru conspicuously having the One-Star Ball indicates there's some manner of hierarchy to them.
My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub."NAAAAAAAAAIL. That old man is about to grab my Ball. Spinkick him in the face."
My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.If you summon the Dragon from inside a building, he is going to tear the building apart as he rises. Those things are huge.
My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.

I'd imagine Tao's popularity has to do with him being one of Goku's harder to beat opponents in the early days of Dragon Ball. Well, that and probably because of that time he murdered a dude with his tongue. That's not an easy to forget image.
Have you any dreams you'd like to sell?