The strongest gag is basically Krillin inadvertently setting himself up for a Morton's Fork.
If we assume that Goku is #1, then Gohan being #3 means that either Trunks or Vegeta is #2. By asking who the fourth strongest person Krillin knows is, Vegeta's set Krillin up where his options are:
- Asserting that Gohan is stronger than Vegeta.
- Asserting that Goku's kid is better than Vegeta's kid.
There is no answer that will not result in Vegeta kicking Krillin's ass.
16 and Cell don't count because they're not people Krillin knows. They're people Krillin knows of, people he's met, but not people he knows.
edited 23rd Aug '16 9:16:09 AM by TobiasDrake
My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.Because that's the joke. The ONLY joke, so far as Chi-Chi is concerned. Everyone is afraid of Chi-Chi.
That joke accounts for about 50% of Chi-Chi's character in the manga, 100% of her appearances in Toei's filler, and is basically the only reason she was ever onscreen in the Abridged before TFS started giving her more depth in the Cell Saga.
It all builds up to an absolutely brutal subversion in the Buu Saga.
edited 23rd Aug '16 9:51:47 AM by TobiasDrake
My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.Realistically, Chi-Chi would be hard-pressed to threaten even Chiaotzu. But she's a one-joke character and, like I said, that's the joke.
It's not an uncommon joke in anime in general, either. Super-powerful men being terrified of their comparatively weaker girlfriends, wives, or Unresolved Sexual Tension partners is a bog-standard element of shonen.
My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.Pretty much. I think it's from the same cultural values that make Double Standard: Abuse, Female on Male so prevalent in shonen anime as well. Humor is derived from the unexpected, the surprising. The essence of comedy is being caught off-guard by something outrageous or absurd; something that you weren't expecting, or something that defies reality's logic.
Both the "super-powered men afraid of their wives" and the female-on-male slapstick derive humor from the same source: the idea that a woman could be capable of physically harming a man, which is absurd or outrageous from a perspective of traditionally Patriarchal machismo.
Note that female characters who engage in this breed of comedy are usually not meant to be taken seriously as combatants. Dragon Ball, for instance, never engages in "Everyone's afraid of Android 18" humor because 18 is meant to be a serious fighter.
As Japan is a heavily Patriarchal culture, it's to be expected that this particular brand of comedy is commonplace in anime predominately pointed towards young males.
edited 23rd Aug '16 10:20:09 AM by TobiasDrake
My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.There's also the fact that (as I just learned via the Pokemon Anime thread) Japan is really big on repetition. They like the same jokes over and over again apparently.
One Strip! One Strip!Well, there's also the fact that television episodes weren't really meant to be binge-watched the way we do today. They came on either once a week or daily. This allowed running gags to feel iconic rather than repetitive. It had been 1-7 days since the last time you saw Akane punch Ranma into the sky rather than 10-20 minutes so even though you knew it was coming, it could still feel kinda fresh.
Running gags have gotten less and less commonplace with the transition of media brought on by things like DVD volumes and online streaming. Comedy is in a transitional state right now, having to evolve to rely less on familiar jokes that recur each episode. The nature of the game is changing because people watching a ton of episodes back-to-back is becoming normal.
edited 23rd Aug '16 11:10:43 AM by TobiasDrake
My Tumblr. Currently side-by-side liveblogging Digimon Adventure, sub vs dub.They don't even have their own original running gags per show...it's just old.
Rules of the Internet 45. Rule 45 is a lie. Check out my art if you notice.What incident was the cause for Yamcha's "How's your spine?" comment? Vegeta's general false bluster, or one of the many times he got his ass kicked?
As for having a professional wrestler be the basis or voice for Hercule's mannerisms, TheNewDay are familiar...
edited 23rd Aug '16 11:34:26 AM by wanderlustwarrior
Vegetarian nearly got his back broken in the Super Android 13 movie.
Batman style.
edited 23rd Aug '16 11:48:05 AM by randomness4
Rules of the Internet 45. Rule 45 is a lie. Check out my art if you notice.I'd say Imperfect is more Adolescence, hence the constant vulgar humor and rape jokes. Semi-Perfect is more young adulthood, hence the fact his issues were basically relationship issues and trouble with family. And Perfect is actual adulthood.
Found a Youtube Channel with political stances you want to share? Hop on over to this page and add them.They're ranging at the complete end of their respective age spectrum...
Rules of the Internet 45. Rule 45 is a lie. Check out my art if you notice.S1 Kami.
Found a Youtube Channel with political stances you want to share? Hop on over to this page and add them.

The simple answer is that he's not ranking solely on power level, but also on battle prowess and potential to improve.