I have some beef with Akira Toriyama. It’s mainly to do with the female fighters in the Dragon Ball world. They had so much potential but alas.

Let’s talk about them one by one!

First

Chi Chi

When Goku met Chi Chi she could fight and she was the daughter of the Ox-King. She could hold her own and she was a formidable kid. It was cute, Goku met a girl who was as pure and innocent as he was (she could ride Kintoun) and she was strong.

If anyone was to end up with Goku it was her.

Then the next time we saw her it was at the tournament and she actually fought Goku. Now she wasn’t as tough as he was but she was still a good enough fighter to have made it into that late stage. He beat her and then they got married.

And that was it.

She didn’t fight again and when they have Gohan all she cared about was his education. I miss martial arts Chi Chi. It would have been cool if we got to see her fight more or if she wasn’t always mad at Goku. I mean I understand why she’s mad. He’s gone all the time and who wants their kid to fight a dangerous monster. But … she also married him when he didn’t really know what marriage was. Why? Why marry someone so clueless or who doesn’t care?

Toriyama said he’s not good at writing romance but really? It could have been better.

Also it just made her seem one dimensional. We never got to explore her character. All we got was that she didn’t like Goku fighting and Gohan should study … *sigh*

Android 18

So I haven’t watched GT or Super (I’ll watch Super soon). I’ve mostly read Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z. She did fight and she was the main villain before the plot twist that was Cell.

However we don’t really get to see her flex her muscles much after that. In the tournament before Majin Buu’s awakening you get to see that she’s strong but … I wanted more. I wanted a match worthy of her status.

I kind of wish we had gotten to see more of the tournament before they all went to find Majin Buu. I kind of wish it had happened afterwards or something but alas that was not the case. Basically I just wanted to see her fight … like she was a Spartan.

Videl

Videl did quite well actually considering she was fighting zombies and considering who her father was. I liked her fighting spirit.

I also liked the chapters where Gohan and Videl were at school. They were so cute! Like most people have said I would love if that was made into a series. Gohan at school was fun.

But to think that after she has kids and marries Gohan she becomes domesticated and boring? … I can’t. Why do they change so much? Can she not fight too?

Although to be fair to Videl, Gohan stops focusing on fighting as well.

*sigh* will we ever get to see her kill it?

Pan

She is our only hope. A quarter Saiyan and still a badass.

She could be the one, the one to break free from the female fighter curse! The only one to stand alongside the men and fight! And win!

I’m putting a lot on her but yo, she has promise. From what I’ve seen anyway. Let’s hope they don’t screw her up.

(Although I haven’t watched Super yet so perhaps 18 will be the first?)

(Oh I’m also not including movies in this.)

 

So yeah the female fighters, apart from Pan, have wasted their potential. Or rather Toriyama has. Please give Pan an epic battle, that is all I ask for! It doesn’t have to be a sausage fest, you have the power Toriyama!

Toriyama said he doesn’t write romance well (paraphrasing) but to be honest he doesn’t write women well. Or rather he doesn’t write female fighters well. They are super badass and kill it when they first meet their men but then as soon as they’re coupled up they lose their identity and become super domesticated. It annoys me a little. There is still hope for Android 18 but the rest meh. And that’s disappointing for me as a female fan.

Perhaps when I watch Super I’ll be less disappointed … we’ll see.

 

Ciao!