Was the DB 'space alien origin' retcon a mistake?

[A.Magik]

Besides introducing Vejita and Gohan, the Saiya-jin Saga of Dragon Ball is noteworthy for its revelation that Goku, Piccolo, and Kami-Sama were aliens from outer space. One can understand that AT's reason for the retcon (I don't think AT had this idea from day one; Goku's model, the Monkey King from Journey to the West, wasn't a space alien either) was to top his previous sagas and create bigger villains (Strangely though, the Cell and Buu Sagas generally avoided the 'space alien' villain, leaning to previous DB threats from technology and magic). This retcon had ramifications for the series. The word 'Super Saiya-jin' has become part of the anime fans' vocabulary to describe a character's power boost. However, despite this, despite the popularity of Vejita, Freeza, and Trunks, despite the fight scenes, one could say that this retcon could have done as much harm as good for the series.

In the previous arc, the Piccolo Saga, there was a balanced level of power shared between Goku, Tenshinhan, Yamucha, Kuririn, Yajirobe, Chaozu, and (maybe) Kame'sen-nin. True, Goku was strongest of all. However, he was training through methods his comrades could learn. The fact that Goku no longer had any unique power physiologically (no more tail) helped in giving the others a degree that could be reached. Goku may always be a step ahead, but it was just a step. Tenshinhan, Kuririn, and Yamucha could be close to his level, maybe even rivalling him in power.

However, the retcon made the step range to miles. By the time of the Cell Saga, the formerly big non-Goku fighters from the Piccolo Saga became obsolete, their abilities way out of the league of the Saiya-jins and Namekians, and even more so against the post-Saiya-jin Saga villains. Now you couldn't win a battle unless you were either alien or half-alien (or not human).

Of course, I could just be overrating the negative effect of this retcon, since the only example I have here is that it rendered the native fighters obsolete against the alien ones (and thus this claim's supporters would be fans of the former). But, it is worth noting.

A.Magik

[Wounded_Dragon]

I don't think it was a mistake, it just wasn't integrated that well.

The fully human fighters should've never been as marginalized as they ended up. The Dragonball-verse was diverse enough that they could've found something to keep the humans even with the Saiyans.

[sdp]

It was a mistake, most people will disagree as they probably saw DBZ first, it was interesting until after the freeza saga, that is when it just became silly.

[RogueMartian]

It was a mistake, most people will disagree as they probably saw DBZ first, it was interesting until after the freeza saga, that is when it just became silly.

As I saw DBZ first, I have to fall under that category. I didn't really think it was a mistake, it was just done poorly. Tragically, like so many good ideas, the application was botched. I see no reason why the DBZ plotline had to wind up being:

Goku finds new strong villain, trains, defeats with ki blast while multiple strong fighters just stand around watching, rinse, repeat.

With the universe, several hundred episodes, a large cast of amusing characters, and the ability to wish on dragonballs, that was the BEST plot that AT could come up with. The fact that the characters became aliens or that Goku was undeniably the strongest didn't cause the poor story telling. The plot of DBZ degrading the way it did is something I will always blame on laziness. Little kids could write fanfics with more originality.

[Funkmasta Zeph]

Dragonball is and always has been a series with obvious flaws.
But you know what?
Thats just fine. Its still a charming blast.

[RogueMartian]

Dragonball is and always has been a series with obvious flaws.
But you know what?
Thats just fine. Its still a charming blast.

Agreed, it never failed to cheer me up after a bad day at school/work.

[Rabi~en~Rose]

it was a bad idea in general for Kami & Piccolo it cheapens the whole last DB arc and for Goku well I just never liked the thought of him being an alien it just didn't sit right with DB and his past and all

[Lord Dalek]

What was a real mistake was the whole Cell Game arc since scientifically it cannot occur without destroying time and space.

[Gatomon41]

I have to agree the Alien Recon wasn't integrated very well, but it's not all bad. We got Vegetta out of it, and he's one of the few DBZ charecters I like. Maybe if the recon was integrated a little better, it would be a little more liked.

What was a real mistake was the whole Cell Game arc since scientifically it cannot occur without destroying time and space.

When did DBZ become Hard Science Fiction all of a sudden? This is the series in which oranic beings can generate World Destroying Blasts. Time Travel seems to be a minor flaw compared to that.

[CyberCubed]

DBZ started using science fiction with well...the beginning of DBZ.

And of course, it worked. Goku was already the strongest fighter on Earth. So where else are the new villains suppossed to come from?

Why, outer space of course!

The Frieza empire was an excellent idea, as were the Androids and Buu.

Buu was meant to be the ultimate threat, not just to Earth, not to the universe, but to the entire living world and Otherworld, Buu was going to annihalate EVERYTHING. Even if you were dead you weren't safe. That's why the Buu saga is so epic, as well as the most important saga in the series, since EVERYTHING was at stake, not just some planet.

[Gatomon41]

DBZ started using science fiction with well...the beginning of DBZ.

That was a joke. HARD Scifi is when you use the physical sciences: Math, Biology, physics, chemistry, ones based on actual scientific laws.

At best, Dragon Ball Z is more Science Fantasy than Science Fiction. That's not a bad thing of coruse, as most really Hard Science Fiction is boring and resistrictive .

[The Weed Of Cri]

Okay, anybody who doesn't already think I'm nuts will be convinced after this:


It's pretty much common knowledge that Dragonball is a parody of Wu Cheng-en's Journey To The West, with Goku in the role of the Monkey King. The alien origin of Goku is not too far a stretch since, in at least one version of the Monkey King legend, Son Wu Kung was originally called Stone Monkey because he came from the heavens and fell to Earth as an infant inside a meteor.

When Torayama decided to tell the story of Goku as an adult, he might have realized he had pretty much played out the Journey To The West angle and was looking for something new to parody. It seems to me (and I freely admit this is supposition; I have no solid evidence on which to back it up), he may have noticed the similarity between Stone Monkey's origin and that of another pop culture icon. To my eyes, the backstory of the adult Goku, and how the character develops in the series, shares a lot of common ground with.......wait for it..........SUPERMAN!

Okay, now that you've stopped laughing (you have stopped, haven't you?), take a look at this:
--Both characters are aliens with powers and abilities beyond those of mortal men.
--Both arrived on Earth as infants, and did not learn their true heritage until adulthood.
--Both were sent to Earth by their biological fathers.
--Both come from planets that have been destroyed, leaving only a few scattered survivors.
--Both were adopted by conscientious people who taught them they should only use their powers responsibly and in a noble cause.
--Both rose to become the most powerful being on their adopted world and became self-appointed protectors of that world.
--Both met and befriended other superpowered people and became part of a team of heroes (The Z Warriors/Justice League).

Still think I'm crazy?

[Catlover]

Still think I'm crazy?

I don't, as I've always seen it that way.

As for the topic at hand. I watched DBZ first, though after seeing the original, I feal it was poorly exacuted. It's still a fun show though.

[Rabi~en~Rose]

And of course, it worked. Goku was already the strongest fighter on Earth. So where else are the new villains suppossed to come from?

Why, outer space of course!

they could have come from space without making him an alien. since he was a weird monkey boy anyway he could have become super monkeyjin without having had to be an alien

[CyberCubed]

they could have come from space without making him an alien. since he was a weird monkey boy anyway he could have become super monkeyjin without having had to be an alien

Goku's origin story is tied much better with the Frieza story if he were a Saiyan rather than an Earthling.

The entire Vegeta/Goku dynamic wouldn't work either if Goku was simply a human.

Goku's Saiyan heritage was tied directly into everything the Saiyan and Frieza saga stood for. And does it really make a difference if Goku is an alien rather than a human? He's still the same Goku, so it doesn't matter.

It's the same thing with Superman. He grew up thinking he was a human too until he discovered that he was an alien from the planet Krypton.

[Master Moron]

You know, I don't think Yamcha, Tenshinhan, Krillen, and Chao Zu would have been any less useless if Goku didn't find out he was an alien. I mean, Chao Zu has never won a battle in Dragonball. Yamcha only beat one opponent, the Invisible Man. Tenshinhan and Krillen beat a few more opponents, but they seemed to lose a lot even when Goku was thought to be a human. Changing Goku into an alien didn't make them useless, they were already kind of useless.

[Stonemonkey]

What does retcon mean? Retroactive continuity?

Anyways, with the power shift at least the human Z fighters could take on the underlings of the main villan and add drama by being in peril.

I think Toriyama progressed the story fairly well, I don't know what else he could have done. Some people might say that he could have stoped the story but I enjoyed Dragonball Z and it also made my happy after a day at school.

Finally as long as it was brought up who would win between Goku and Supes? J/k

Goku of course hahah, he has a Fighting Sayjin Spirit and Superman is portrayed with weaknesses to make his stories more interestng, at least the last time I read Superman.

[RAINMAN]

The only ones would consider a goku being a alien a bad idea are those who fav DB over Z.

[MajorTom]

The only ones would consider a goku being a alien a bad idea are those who fav DB over Z.

I think everybody favors DB over Z.
Yeah, it was a bad idea. The whole Sayian saga could have been pulled off without this. Maybe not the Freiza, Cell, or Buu sagas, but that would have been a good thing.

[Botman]

I would be lying if I didn't say that the sheer overpowering of the Saiyan race in DBZ has affected my viewing of all anime after it.

Really, the human characters being "left behind" didn't bother me that much until the Cell Saga. My anger wound up reaching its peak when I saw the military attack on Cell. Here is high-and-mighty Goku, calling the soldiers idiots and fools for trying to take on Cell, when it was pretty much the only option they saw fit. I know I wouldn't risk the entire world's poulation on a simple martial arts tournament.

After watching both that, and Tenchi Muyo, I developed a sympathy and admiration for "normal" human beings in any anime I saw after that. (Gundam SEED and Wolf's Rain being my most vocal grievances, as many will remember...)