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unnoun Since: Jan, 2012
#22051: Dec 10th 2016 at 8:31:22 PM

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

HandsomeRob Leader of the Holey Brotherhood from The land of broken records Since: Jan, 2015
Leader of the Holey Brotherhood
#22052: Dec 10th 2016 at 8:35:14 PM

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!
Saiga Since: Feb, 2011 Relationship Status: Getting away with murder
#22053: Dec 10th 2016 at 9:10:21 PM

[[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.

Nope. I'm pretty sure the reaction to them being in Bo G was "What the fuck" and Mai becoming Trunks's love interest was "Ew no stop that."

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).

AdricDePsycho Rock on, Gold Dust Woman from Never Going Back Again Since: Oct, 2014 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
Rock on, Gold Dust Woman
#22054: Dec 10th 2016 at 9:16:23 PM

I mean, I think it's a weird mixture of kinda cute and kinda sick. It's a weird feeling.

Have you any dreams you'd like to sell?
LordVatek Not really a lord of anything Since: Sep, 2014
Not really a lord of anything
#22055: Dec 10th 2016 at 9:19:17 PM

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.
AdricDePsycho Rock on, Gold Dust Woman from Never Going Back Again Since: Oct, 2014 Relationship Status: [TOP SECRET]
Rock on, Gold Dust Woman
#22056: Dec 10th 2016 at 9:20:22 PM

Shit, I was gonna ask the same thing.

Have you any dreams you'd like to sell?
Saiga Since: Feb, 2011 Relationship Status: Getting away with murder
#22057: Dec 10th 2016 at 9:22:03 PM

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.

Ssj3Gojira Arashi Shigehito from The Event Horizon Since: May, 2011 Relationship Status: Maxing my social links
Arashi Shigehito
#22058: Dec 10th 2016 at 9:28:31 PM

I mean, I like the pairing well enough; you can't help who you fall in love with really, especially in anime.

Let's see if you can get past my Beelzemon. Mephiles, WARP SHINKA!
Saiga Since: Feb, 2011 Relationship Status: Getting away with murder
#22059: Dec 10th 2016 at 9:36:38 PM

That is a very inadequate explanation for all the contrivance needed for it to work.

Ssj3Gojira Arashi Shigehito from The Event Horizon Since: May, 2011 Relationship Status: Maxing my social links
Arashi Shigehito
#22060: Dec 10th 2016 at 9:40:18 PM

And I really could care less at this point; it just doesn't phase me at all.

Let's see if you can get past my Beelzemon. Mephiles, WARP SHINKA!
Ghilz Perpetually Confused from Yeeted at Relativistic Velocities Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: Barbecuing
Perpetually Confused
#22061: Dec 10th 2016 at 10:09:39 PM

He shouldn't have ever needed to. He was the biggest, baddest, strongest dog in the yard, and there wasn't anyone who was a physical match for him.

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.

Ssj3Gojira Arashi Shigehito from The Event Horizon Since: May, 2011 Relationship Status: Maxing my social links
Arashi Shigehito
#22062: Dec 10th 2016 at 10:12:58 PM

I mean, that was after Goku reopened his eyes to human kindness, so we don't know if he would have done that if he didn't meet Goku.

Let's see if you can get past my Beelzemon. Mephiles, WARP SHINKA!
Moth13 Since: Sep, 2010
#22063: Dec 10th 2016 at 10:17:42 PM

Yeah with Young Trunks/Young Mai you can't even do a handwave of "wellll, maybe she became a child mentally too?" because there's things like "hey Pilaf why do you talk like a old man even though you're a child isn't that weeeiiiirrrddd?". It's just a gross thing all around.

HandsomeRob Leader of the Holey Brotherhood from The land of broken records Since: Jan, 2015
Leader of the Holey Brotherhood
#22064: Dec 10th 2016 at 10:18:23 PM

[up][up]

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!
PushoverMediaCritic I'm sorry Tien, but I must go all out. from the Italy of America Since: Jul, 2015 Relationship Status: watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ
I'm sorry Tien, but I must go all out.
#22065: Dec 10th 2016 at 10:30:12 PM

I justify Kid Trunks/Kid Mai as that the Pilaf Gang have always been childlike and naive. Mai and Shu got flustered when Pilaf blew a kiss at Bulma, which was supposed to be some form of sexual torture for them. Kid Trunks is probably more knowledgeable about carnal affairs than Mai is.

Saiga Since: Feb, 2011 Relationship Status: Getting away with murder
#22066: Dec 10th 2016 at 10:41:22 PM

That's absolutely disgusting.

Being childlike doesn't give an adult free pass to romance kids.

Soble Since: Dec, 2013
#22067: Dec 11th 2016 at 1:29:20 AM

    Lolita (probably NSFW) 

edited 11th Dec '16 1:29:49 AM by Soble

I'M MR. MEESEEKS, LOOK AT ME!
Memers Since: Aug, 2013
#22068: Dec 11th 2016 at 2:17:49 AM

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

VeryMelon Since: Jul, 2011 Relationship Status: Anime is my true love
#22069: Dec 11th 2016 at 6:26:27 AM

I agree with Kid Trunks/Kid Mai being really gross but their adult selves are fine.

unnoun Since: Jan, 2012
#22070: Dec 11th 2016 at 6:32:35 AM

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.

I mean, she still has her lived experience and memories and stuff. That's what makes it weird and kinda gross.

Memers Since: Aug, 2013
#22071: Dec 11th 2016 at 7:52:15 AM

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

BigBlackBangBro Time Stranger Since: Sep, 2016
Time Stranger
#22072: Dec 11th 2016 at 8:04:34 AM

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.
HandsomeRob Leader of the Holey Brotherhood from The land of broken records Since: Jan, 2015
Leader of the Holey Brotherhood
#22073: Dec 11th 2016 at 9:01:56 AM

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.

I justify Kid Trunks/Kid Mai as that the Pilaf Gang have always been childlike and naive. Mai and Shu got flustered when Pilaf blew a kiss at Bulma, which was supposed to be some form of sexual torture for them. Kid Trunks is probably more knowledgeable about carnal affairs than Mai is.

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!
HandsomeRob Leader of the Holey Brotherhood from The land of broken records Since: Jan, 2015
Leader of the Holey Brotherhood
#22075: Dec 11th 2016 at 10:57:18 AM

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!

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