S.H.FiguArts Dragonball Z figures!!!

[The_Philosopher]

FanAtticus this is what blood said some pages back...

actually toriyama decided to make goku a saiyan later on (in dbz, picollo got the same treatment) but in the early years of DB he was just a human boy with a tail which was inspired by a chinese myth, Sun Wukong

Whatever Goku is (Saiyan, human, Asian, Smurf) The creator of the character saw him as Asian, in the first dragon ball live action (80s I think. it never made it stateside) Kid Goku was cast a Asian boy. Toriyama tried to do that again when DB de-evolution was being made, but the studio said no.

Toriyama envisioned him Japanese looking, and tried to portray that in his art as well.

 

[The_Philosopher]

Look up "Ssawora Son Goku, Igyeora Son Goku"

That's the live action dragon ball movie I keep referring to, it was a Koren film based on the Dragon Ball Japanese Manga.

 

[Big Deano]

What part of this arent people getting? We arent saying he is, we are simply saying thats what he and everything around him were originally invisioned as by Akira Toriyama.

The entire story from db and dbz is infuenced by Japan and Asia, as is the mythology.

Here is sun Wukong, the character from chinese myth Blood was referring to, notice the flying cloud, and extending staff?

 

[The_Philosopher]

And "Dragon Ball: The Magic Begins"

That's another live action dragon ball movie, this one was a Japanese film based on the manga.
Again, Goku looks asian.

 

[blood]

for a moment there i thought big muscled asian people were a myth but they really exist



but i'm pretty sure they live in america

 

[The_Philosopher]

for a moment there i thought big muscled asian people were a myth but they really exist

View attachment 90464

but i'm pretty sure they live in america

....can't....unsee....
:eek

 

[The_Philosopher]

Just did a quick 1 minute search these actors look like the characters

Dude, their eyes don't match, their jawlines are nowhere close. Not to mention their heights, Goku is not a tall guy. Henry Cavill looks more like Captain Ginyu than Goku going by factial features alone.

Match the head shots with the manga art, then match the profile shot. Look for head shape first, Henry has very masculine square head...Goku does not. When you properly match their faces feature by feature, you quickly rule out caucasian actors very quickly and you're only left with Asian actors.

 

[imaI2EAPEi2]

you have to delete some of your private messages, says your inbox is full.

sorry I deleted some.

 

[Baneofdemon22]

Superman is Kryptonian, but he still resembles an average American from European descent. It's just a coincidence that he resembles the majority of the people in the country he was raised it. Metropolis has a lot of scientific elements like aliens, mutants, cyborgs, meta humans, etc, but it still resembles an American city and it's culture.

I've had friends who've had all different ethnicities, who I thought they were a different ethnicity than what they were. They still look the same to me. I didn't even know my ethnicity. I still don't remember. My mom is 100% German, but my dad is part Spanish, French, Native American, Lebanese, and some other things. I never asked until I had to do a homework assignment. All I know is I have brown hair, white skin, hazel eyes and I'm American. If actor has a descent resemblance to a character, but does a phenomenal job at capturing the true essence of the character, I'm ecstatic!

 

[Silrian]

Goku existed for years before the concept of saiyan was INVENTED. Is it so hard to understand those words? It's a fact that goku was a strange asian (probably japanese) boy. To japanese people it doesn't matter a flying **** if we think he doesn't look asian, THEY think he does, the MAKERS/ORIGINAL TARGET AUDIENCE see him as themselves: asian. Ergo they won't accept a caucasian actor for the part. Db and DBZ isn't even a different series in the original manga, it's just DB. Simple factual conclusion: a dbz movie is impossible to make for both western and eastern audiences. We'd each demand our own version. And though I'd love a DBZ movie that's exactly like how I see it with my western eyes, just like asian people might want an asian Batman, I don't see it happening without getting a botched fiasco like DBE.

*exits discussion*

Also, that buffed asian dude freaks me out. But people as buffed as that tend to anyway.

 

[Silrian]

I keep laughing in my head at the memory of hearing Jamie Cheung say "Justin Chatwin just really looks like Goku."

 

[blood]

 

[crisis]

..he has black hair because all saiyan have black hair.

All Saiyans?

for a moment there i thought big muscled asian people were a myth but they really exist

immediately this guy came to mind (Enter The Dragon, Bloodsport)





on a completely unrelated note, i would love for Toriyama to finally reveal one of the biggest mysteries of DBZ (maybe in Battle of Gods 2?): who were Goku and Vegeta's mothers?? i know some may consider it "not important," but i'd still like to know. been bugging me for years

 

[Baneofdemon22]

Goku existed for years before the concept of saiyan was INVENTED. Is it so hard to understand those words? It's a fact that goku was a strange asian (probably japanese) boy. To japanese people it doesn't matter a flying **** if we think he doesn't look asian, THEY think he does, the MAKERS/ORIGINAL TARGET AUDIENCE see him as themselves: asian. Ergo they won't accept a caucasian actor for the part. Db and DBZ isn't even a different series in the original manga, it's just DB. Simple factual conclusion: a dbz movie is impossible to make for both western and eastern audiences. We'd each demand our own version. And though I'd love a DBZ movie that's exactly like how I see it with my western eyes, just like asian people might want an asian Batman, I don't see it happening without getting a botched fiasco like DBE.

*exits discussion*

Also, that buffed asian dude freaks me out. But people as buffed as that tend to anyway.

How is that factual? I am an American from the west and like a lot of people from the west would love to see a Japanese Goku. Kanzenshuu is one of, if not the biggest, Dragon Ball fan sites is created by Americans and they would chew you out for saying that. A lot of people from the west see Goku as resembling a Japanese boy. I never thought about it until someone pointed it out, that a lot of anime is supposed to resemble japanese people. I never saw them as Western. I didn't see them as anything. When I look at Goku, I see a guy with funky black hair. If you were to ask me what I thought he was, I'd say Japanese, but I don't think of it. Just like my friends who are African American, Spanish, Jewish. I never thought about their ethnicity. They're just friends, but if you asked me what they were I could point it out. Do you think you represent Western people? Why do you divide it in Western and Eastern? By your logic, why would a Korean person see them as Japanese? Because they are oriental? Why do you say your "western eyes"? I have black friends that are insane Batman fans, and they got enraged when someone suggested a black Batman would appeal to them more? One of the most popular dubs not just in Spanish speaking countries, but all over the world is the Latin American dub. Look how popular it is on youtube. There's people from the UK, I know, that it's their favorite dub.

Wonder Woman was born on Paradise Island and being modeled after the Greek gods, she's been drawn to have greek features. However, Gal Gadot isn't Greek. She's Israeli. I haven't heard from one "Western" person, who was upset. They just worry if she can act and bulk up, because they were worried that she was too skinny and because of her Fast and the Furious role. Johhny Storm is rumored to be black and most people are mad, because they think it might be some PC move, and want to make sure Sue is black as well, being that they are brother and sister. People would rather them be white and have blond hair, but they're still going to like it if it's a great movie. I don't get the "impossible thing".

 

[Baneofdemon22]

I do to crisis! I really want to see how their mothers are. I want to know if Goku's mother was dismissive of her child as Bardock was. I love him, but what a jerk!

 

[crisis]

There's been a lot of debate, and literally no clues as to who "Mrs. Bardock" and "Queen Vegeta" could be. One of many theories is that since the Saiyan race were a lot like our Spartans, they simply treated women as vessels for stronger male warriors. There only purpose was to produce elite class Saiyans. For all we know Bardock could've visited a brothel, knocked some chick up because he and her were of healthy breeding age, and leave it at that. But of course we know there were some exceptions, such as his teammate Fasha. But it would be impossible for her to be Goku's mother. I would guess that she had long hair (obviously, lol), which would explain Raditz' appearance.

"Queen Vegeta" is even a bigger mystery. She gave birth to the prince of all Saiyans, and the second-in-line, Tarble (assuming they had the same mother). I just don't understand why this was never explored? They could've at least gave some explanations in the numerous Daizenshuus that were released. But alas, nothing. We should start a campaign and forward it to Toriyama. Even if he drew a simple sketch on what they could've looked like, would be fine by me!

 

[Baneofdemon22]

Queen Vegeta! I didn't think of that! That's awesome! That's what I thought about the females as well, but there has to be more to them than that. They were a despicable race, but come on give us something with a little ray of hope! I wouldn't doubt it, but geezzzzz!

 

[Silrian]

How is that factual? [...] I don't get the "impossible thing".

I'm growing weary of this. You're missing the point. Cultural terms are always generalisations that leave out a big amount of people. They speak to the bulk of people that keep the culture in question dominant. I never said ALL western people want a white Goku, but a LOT of people do and that is a fact. Probably the majority. Enough people I think, and the responses on this very thread support that thought, that many western people wouldn't dig an asian goku in real life films. Too many to make an asian cast work in the western market. Obviously it's to be expected eastern markets wouldn't dig a caucasion cast for reason already mentioned.

Thus statistics deem it impossible to make a live action film that satisfies the bulk of both markets. i've seen these discussions for more than ten years now. It's too devided here in the west, this very thread after so many others on so many boards proves it. Youtube comments are full of this discussion and never is there anything new to say. As for a western and an eastern version, that I never said was factually impossible, but I do think it's unlikely (to succeed).

The anime style made many western people interpret Goku as caucasion looking and DB is something kept alive in western markets mostly because of nostalgia of a lot of those very people. Nostalgia is based on recognition and a characters appearance is a big part of that for many people.

And this is just casting. What about tone? Music score? Voice acting? Look at all the disagreement constantly popping up regarding all of that, our thread here being a near example. E.g. I genuinely think Goku sounds hella stupid in the japanese dub, especially when he screams like a granma. If that's how an asian actor is gonna play him I and many other fans are out. It just doesn't work, DB devides people massively and there's no solution to it. It's become different things to too many people. To converge that into one real life adaptation? Impossibru.

And that's all I have to say about it, feeling I've taken up enough forum posts to make myself clear by now.

 

[Silrian]

Also, I was just watching the saiyan saga after having gone through DB and it's so awesome when nappa and vegeta arive. Man that impressed me so much as a kid.

It's not a priority to me but I'd be bummed out if we never got an shf Nappa. i'd settle for a little out of scale size.

 

[Rrashidp]

You guys need to chill with the " is goku white or asian" posts very irrelevant and keeps gettin my hopes up when i see in a few hours a couple more pages have gone by n i think maybe its updates for the sh figuarts dragonball z line but nope lol