The Dragon Ball franchise has given the fans several memorable moments. Most people prefer to talk about Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball Super due to the transformations. But they often forget about Goku’s beginning. The original Dragon Ball is where Goku grew up to be a magnificent martial arts fighter and fought Piccolo to save the world. The Red Ribbon Army and the Pilaf Gang were a menace during the old days.
While the later series of the franchise focused on comedy and action, the first one had something more. There were several creepy moments. It might not have suited the modern generation of anime watchers. Kid Goku’s weird behavior with Bulma and overtly sexualizing things often went extreme. Many believe it was due to those creepy moments that the late Akira Toriyama decided to turn Goku into an adult.
Goku Turning Into An Adult Was Necessary For Dragon Ball’s Success
Son Goku is one of the purest souls in the anime world. But his doings often seem to be the opposite. The $23 Billion franchise’s beginnings were a tad bit creepy, with Goku risking it all for his curiosity and Master Roshi revealing his perverted nature. All these were at the cost of Bulma’s respect. In the first couple of episodes, Goku casually lifted Bulma’s skirt to check her tail, then removed her undergarments while she was sleeping.
He even entered the bathroom while she was taking a bath. Even though he did none of that with ill thoughts, it raised a lot of questions since it was a kid’s show. So, it was necessary to shift the focus of the anime. For that reason, the late Akira Toriyama had to transform his protagonist into an adult. His focus was shifted to training and fighting. Bulma and Goku have remained friends ever since, but they had a bumpy start.
Moreover, the Dragon Ball franchise was going to be an action-adventure manga. So, a kid protagonist would only work for a short time. When the villains become powerful, the hero, too, needs to become stronger. So, the three-year time-skip was necessary to bring out an adult Goku so that he could fit the image of a worthy fighter and challenge the antagonists.
Goku and Bulma Had Another Creepy Moment In Dragon Ball Super
The creepy and over-sexualized moments on Dragon Ball were projected to be the innocent curiosity of Goku. But the fans got to experience a near-nostalgic creepiness in Dragon Ball Super. In Dragon Ball Super episode 43, Goku mistakenly teleports to Bulma’s bedroom instead of King Kai’s planet. Bulma suddenly came out after a bath and was shocked to see Goku. She screamed, and Vegeta came running and questioned why he was there.
Goku, afraid, said that he had no intention of seeing Bulma’s saggy br*asts. Even though it was much less than what Bulma had to experience during her initial meeting with Goku, it was enough to bring back the old Dragon Ball vibes. Thanks to the late great Akira Toriyama, Goku transformed into an adult and learned more about girls. Otherwise, it could have become a disaster. But Master Roshi would have liked it very much.
Dragon Ball is available on Crunchyroll.
