These people clearly don't know what a "pun" is. It doesn't need to be identical, it just need to be similar enough. Even in Japanese the words are different (ブルマー vs ブルマ). Admittedly, she is kind the odd person out of her family, everyone else do just have the English word for a name.
edited 16th Dec '15 1:57:02 PM by Heatth
Idle thought: one thing I really love about TFS that sells the believability of the characters is when the characters react to the comedy.
For instance, this gem from the Frieza arc:
- FRIEZA: Ginyu, I need you to hurry up! Zarbon really screwed the pooch on this one.
- ZARBON: Vegeta's really giving us a pounding!
- FRIEZA: I'm coming, Zarbon! Quick, grab my balls!
What moves this from just being a crass bit of humor to f*cking hilarious is when the entire Ginyu Force cracks up laughing at it. The same thing happens in episode 31 with Krillin's "pounding Chi-Chi's tuna" gags. The ignorant phrasing is amusing, but Kame-sennin breaking out with laughter is what really sells the humor.
That's a key element of comedy in storytelling. It's as much about the reaction as it is the punchline.
edited 16th Dec '15 2:36:35 PM by TobiasDrake
My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.You know, the thing that occurs to me about the "Fryza" joke is that, in the PTO, a bunch of people, including King Cold, pronounce "Earth" as "EE ARR TH" so.
Like.
I dunno whether there was any self-awareness on Kaiser's part with that, but.
There's a bit of a recurring thing about characters not knowing how to pronounce shit.
Contrasting some of their earlier gags, consider the first episode.
- KRILLIN: Boobs! I mean, Bulma!
- BULMA: Oooookay. Anyways....
versus
- ZARBON: That Bardock is such a dashing rogue.
- DODORIA: What.
Krillin's joke is pretty weak while Zarbon's comment is quite funny, because Zarbon's remark elicits a hilarious reaction from Dodoria while Bulma just sort of sidesteps Krillin's comment and moves forward with the plot.
EDIT: Likewise, this:
"I'm going to drown you. I'm going to drown you like a sack of puppies."
On its own, this is just a cruel line. It could easily be stated in a non-comedic work to illustrate how much of a monster the character saying it is. However, as a reaction line to Goku's latest act of inanity, it gains a comedic edge and becomes hilarious.
And speaking of Goku, this is part of why he's such a comedic master in the Abridged series. Much of his humor comes from the fact that he continues the joke beyond the point where the other person has reacted.
- RADITZ: The Namekian—
- GOKU: Nuh-uh, Yoshi.
- PICCOLO: I'm not a Yoshi!
- GOKU: But you said you were.
- PICCOLO: It's called sarcasm!
- GOKU: Ooh, what's that taste like?
- PICCOLO: DAMMIT, GOKU!!!
- GOKU: Are you okay in there?
- VEGETA: Oh, yeah. It's gumdrops and ice cream in here.
- GOKU: Ooh, can I come in?
- VEGETA: ...I'm surrounded by idiots.
- GOKU: I thought you were surrounded by gumdrops and ice cream?
- VEGETA: RAAAAAAAAAARGH!!!!!
- FRIEZA: People always go on about the children. I've tried leaving them alive. They just grow up under my rule or try to oppose me. Usually both. Honestly, killing them is a kindness. I could retract that kindness if you'd like, but then who's the monster?
- GOKU: You are.
- FRIEZA: Wha-no, that was a rhetorical question.
- GOKU: And I gave you a rhetorical answer!
- FRIEZA: Oh my god, I traded Vegeta for this.
edited 16th Dec '15 3:00:44 PM by TobiasDrake
My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.On the topic of episode 32, it's interesting that Future Trunks is such a beloved character when, among other things, his arrival is pretty much the ultimate expression of one of the more popular complaints about Dragon Ball: marginalization of existing characters.
Mecha Frieza and King Cold arrive on Earth, the entire cast gathers to figure out a way to do something about him. It's all set up for a major confrontation and this time, Goku isn't here to save everyone. And then Toriyama goes, "Nah, f*ck those guys. Hey, check out this sweet new character I just made up!"
There's something special about Future Trunks in the way he hits so many bullet points on so many lists of things people can't stand to see in fiction and yet has become one of the most popular characters in the entire franchise. He does all the wrong things so well.
edited 16th Dec '15 3:12:50 PM by TobiasDrake
My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.![]()
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You hit the nail on the head, but I have something to add: Goku works because he continues jokes beyond the point when the other person has already said their Bond One-Liner making them devolve into Stunned Silence or Angrish. Goku always gets the last word in a debate because he just doesn't stop.
edited 16th Dec '15 3:12:16 PM by PushoverMediaCritic
They play off each other perfectly. Frieza has been entirely composed and confident and on top of the world for the entire season. Even when enraged, he always seems like he has complete control of the situation. His habit of counting the number of times he's heard certain lines in heroic speeches establishes the idea that Frieza has seen it all, setting him up to be utterly flustered by the unexpected arrival of Goku's idiocy.
- GOKU: Imma deck you in the shnoz.
- FRIEZA: ...I'm sorry, that's a new one.
This moment establishes their relationship perfectly, setting the stage for the comedy to follow as Goku's unconventional nature and the fact of him being too stupid to intimidate becomes increasingly aggravating to Frieza, ultimately bringing him to lose his entire demeanor into a deranged meltdown.
- FRIEZA: And there you are again, throwing your hands in the air like you just don't care! (punch) CARE, DAMMIT!!!
Frieza just can't process the idea that Goku isn't intimidated by him, that Goku doesn't treat him like the epic Big Bad. He's so accustomed to being treated as the Ultimate Evil that this simple change in approach shatters every facet of his identity.
I'm honestly not sure. Future Trunks hits almost all the points on the Mary Sue checklist and several Dragon Ball-specific sore spots for the fandom, but instead of becoming The Scrappy as one might expect from that description, he's one of the most well-received new characters in the history of the post-Raditz segment. He's near-universally beloved as far more than the sum of his parts.
edited 16th Dec '15 3:18:26 PM by TobiasDrake
My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.Abridged Frieza conflates fear with respect. He's extremely theatrical in his villainy because he craves the reaction he gets from it. He lusts for that look of terror in his victim's eyes. He basks in the fear he inflicts on others.
- FRIEZA: (hurting Gohan) So, Vegeta, does this get you angry?
- VEGETA: Not really. The kid's kind of a smart ass.
- FRIEZA: Then why am I even bothering?
- VEGETA: I don't know, because you get off on it?
- FRIEZA: Oh, unbelievably.
That, right there, is Frieza's self-image. He narcissistically loves the idea of Frieza, the Ultimate Terror and goes out of his way to manufacture that impression. He puts a lot of thought into how others will perceive him because that's where he derives much of his self-worth.
- FRIEZA: So, for the first century I'll go easy on them, lure them into a false sense of security, and then when they think I'm not so bad, BAM! I'll go full tyrant on them in the second century. Then I'll disappear for a millennia and make them wonder if I even existed to begin with, just to come back and kill them all.
So when Goku completely sidesteps the hard work Frieza put into his image, he can't handle it.
edited 16th Dec '15 3:31:30 PM by TobiasDrake
My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.![]()
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The difference seems to be is that
implies that during the awkward moment of waiting for Goku, Trunks still has a bit a generic coolness flowing through him.
Trunks works because while his introduction hits quite a few points on the Mary Sue checklist (kills off an established threat effortlessly, inexplicably has the same power-up as the hero, uses a weapon unconventional to the series...), after his cool introduction he becomes a fairly normal character rather than a walking plot solver or story breaker. He has obvious character flaws, isn't a one-man army who renders the other characters obsolete, and fits in comfortably as a supporting character.
It also helps that Goku almost immediately re-established the pecking order by blocking his sword with his finger.
You cannot firmly grasp the true form of Squidward's technique!

Goku killing Hirudegarn was a bit disappointing since it was a total killsteal, yeah. Goku was barely even relevant most of the movie until telling Trunks to back off and let him finish Hirudegarn. I mean, yeah, Goku always does it in the end, but usually he's at least the one doing most of the fighting anyway.
That being said, the actual Dragon Fist is really spectacular.
You cannot firmly grasp the true form of Squidward's technique!