Pilaf was one word away from ruling the world.
Before Daimou managed to wish for youth, or Garlic Jr. and Zamasu even existed, Pilaf came the closest to actually winning.
He also came damned close to killing Goku back then, that it took a completely (at the time) out of context power to transform during the full moon to take him out.
Not bad for the Starter Villain.
One Strip! One Strip![[quoteblock]But does anyone actually have them as favorite antagonists?[[/quoteblock]]
Yes. Pilaf and gang pretty much represent the extreme end of the pre-Raditz era. Given how many fans favour this over post-Raditz, (the old "original vs z" war), it's not as surprising that some fans really champion them.
Pilaf is the pre-Z Broly, more or less.
In some parts that is the case. But if you take one of the biggest dedicated DB forums out there (Kanzenshuu) it's a Base Breaker at best with the pro-Pilaf / Mai x Trunks sentiment being more prevalent.
Especially Mai x Trunks, due to how many people were creeped out by it, which lead to overally defensive kneejerk reactions and accusations being flung at whoever wouldn't accept it, etc. Common consensus seems to be that it's cute.
Admittedly I haven't been as active there any more, because I feel like dedicated forums invariably end up being too defensive and unable to handle criticism (unless it's complaining about the original).
I mean, is it wrong that I don't like Kid Trunks/Kid Mai but am perfectly fine with Future Trunks/Future Mai?
This song needs more love.That's reasonable. An adult in a child's physical body has no excuse to be dating an actual child, two adults can do what they want.
Although it might be iffy if Trunks doesn't know Mai's mental age because she didn't tell him. That could be a grey issue.
I still think it's a totally contrived and stupid pairing that only existed because of the sick present pairing. And it just overshadows the relationship that Trunks had with his mother, who gets completely shafted for cheap drama and so Trunks can focus on Mai for the whole fucking arc.
The only threat he fear was the Mafuuba, and he went out of his way to kill anyone who might have been strong enough to learn it (only getting unlucky in regards to meeting Roshi).
Except he wasn't. It's a plot point that Kami was stronger than him, and so was Popo.
Piccolo's banking on Kami not being willing to kill himself to save the world. Which considering Kami was gonna do just that to Piccolo junior (via Mafuba), was a bad bet.
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But Kami wasn't willing to kill himself (at first).
He tried to use the Mafuuba (and how much hardship could have been averted if he'd known about it much sooner).
In fact, for a guy who's watching everything all the time, and should have been watching the original battles with King Piccolo, how did Kami not know about the Mafuuba?
One Strip! One Strip!While the Pilaf himself was always child like throughout Dragon Ball, all 3 off their de-aged selves in Super are legitimately child like and treated like it too by Bulma and Super itself.
IMO their minds were legitimately de-aged as well. Mai had quite the head on her in Dragon Ball itself but not her younger self in Super. Her willingness to go along with the gags is the biggest sign, her original self would never have done that at all.
edited 11th Dec '16 2:25:12 AM by Memers
I mean, she still has her lived experience and memories and stuff. That's what makes it weird and kinda gross.
I dont know, sometimes they seems to have forgotten a lot of the past and what they have learned and such as well as regressing emotionally. Sure is Fridge Squick but I don't believe they intended it that way at all, the dragon super trolled them and changed them in almost every way.
Wait Fridge Squick doesn't exist? sad. Fridge Horror I guess works.
edited 11th Dec '16 7:57:39 AM by Memers
I wouldn't say Mai wouldn't go with gags. Remember the poop on a stick moment.? :P But anywho there's not wrong with Future Mai/Trunks because there's nothing really there to gripe about. Speaking of which if Kid Mai/Kid Trunks is weird because she's got the mind of an adult in child body ,does that make Chi Chi x Goku weird because he's got the mind of the child? :P
35 year old white man.I've made my opinions on Trunks / Mai pretty clear a long while back. Not gonna repeat them here. I will say that it counts for all incarnations of it. She's still older then him, even when they are both adults as far as I'm concerned.
Don't. Don't do that. Just don't.
Honestly, I can't grasp why Toriyama's attempt at romance is something like this. It baffles me quite a bit. He'd never cared enough to try before, and suddenly, BULLSHIT DISGUSTING RELATIONSHIP OUT OF FUCKING NOWHERE!!!
The only way I was able to deal with it was to stop caring and focus on other shit.
One Strip! One Strip!Good choice.
I'm glad I'm not the only one who noticed that Raditz was kinda tossed out easily.
In any other series, the long lost brother of the main character would have been a huge deal. I guess that's what they mean when they say Toriyama subverts expectations.
One Strip! One Strip!

Now, to argue in their favor. Like, I actually read a fan story thing where Pilaf's gang was able to get one-up on our heroes by using whistling to beat Piccolo and a combo of pepperspray and really rancid sewer waste to beat the Saiyans, who are mentioned as having a really good sense of smell.
And. I feel like Pilaf's gang is actually the villainous group most likely to be able to successfully pull off a stunt like that, not because of their competence or menace, but just how much of an annoying inconvenience they are.
I don't remember if I finished that story. I think they ended up screwing up and losing the dragon balls they were after or something.
I mean. It's worth noting that they did unleash King Piccolo from his rice cooker. So. Like, that arc is on them, sorta.
GT is all their fault. Which. Might be the most evil action in the series.
So basically. If there is one group of villains who I think could actually mildly inconvenience and annoy our heroes no matter how strong they get, it'd be the Pilaf gang.
edited 10th Dec '16 8:35:58 PM by unnoun