GreatDragonSeiryu

Moonshadow's First Thoughts on Dragon Ball Super Episode 129...
Some Spoilers and Plot Details Ahead


Honestly, what can i say?   This episode was a tremendously heated battle between Son Goku and Jiren the Grey.  Most of the episode is spent with Semi-Ultra Instinct Goku trading blows with Jiren as his power adjusts and he struggles to stop over thinking his strikes.   Between the action we see much commentary from the stands especially from Universe 11's God of Destruction & Vegeta.  




As the episode shifts from the second act into the third we see Goku letting go and allowing instinct to guide him instead of thought and slowly but surely we see his offense becoming much more powerful and aggressive.  Even when it seems as if Jiren has the upper hand and has thrwarted Goku's Kemehameha wave he recovers reinvigorated by Vegeta's words and the hope of Universe 7.  




We gradually come to realize from the Universe 11 God of Destruction that Goku has barely touched the surface of Ultra Instinct and that the true form lay beyond.   Realizing how the Saiyan race has continued to break through their limits and become stronger and stronger he realizes that if Jiren doesn't end the fight then Goku might really attain the legendary form even most Gods haven't achieved, the true Ultra Instinct.  




Jiren lays a heavy barrage on Goku seemingly having him pinned down, and with everyone in the stands looking on concerned for what's happening Beerus speaks up telling them to shut up and watch.    Goku goes on the offensive and begins to fight back hard even landing a powerful blow on Jiren using pure ki energy like a punch.  Realizing Goku has begun to emit a massive heat the entire sky of the void universe lights up beautifully and brilliantly beneath goku in contrast to the otherwise dark expanse.




Ignited by this new power Jiren goes full force and launches a blast to end the fight.  But Goku appears in front of him holding his glowing hot blast turning it into nothing while his own body is aglow in brilliant blue light.  After landing a barrage of blows to Jiren in the blink of an eye without hardly lifting a finger we see Goku's ki facade slowly burn away revealing that he has achieved the true Ultra Instinct form....Super Saiyan White.   Smiling in satisfaction that Goku has achieved this state Whis appears like a proud Teacher, while Beerus both proud and annoyed calls goku a truly unbelievable guy.    The episode ends on the cliffhanger with the presumption that Episode 130 will be the climactic conclusion of the Tournament of Power.....and possibly Dragon Ball Super as a whole.




What is going to happen?  I dont know but i do know i'm excited for the next ki charged episode of Dragon Ball Super!




This episode had good pacing, some of the dialogue was a tad underwhelming but the animation and action were on point.  




I firmly give this episode a solid 6 out of 7 Stars.




What do you think though?  Yes i realize that this is a week overdue but i got caught up with other things.  DBS Episode 129 down below.

Well, i have mostly kept my mouth shut out of concern i might say the wrong thing.    But I would say it's high time for a well educated and informed discussion.  It's going to be a lengthy one so you may wanna settle in for a spell.  

The subject of today's little discussion is the recent string of school and public shootings. These events are absolute travasties of not merely a national scale but a human scale. Too many lives have been lost. I realize that many wish to blame the ease of access to semi-automatic weapons, and they are free and welcome to feel that way. After all the semi-automatic rifle is a powerful piece of equipment, and as they say it's not the type of weapon you would wish to go hunting with.

No, the AR series of firearm is a weapon made for the purpose of self defense. And the ease of which a single rifle of this type can tear through people is a very real and scary thing. However, I feel personally that the blame should not be on the firearm or the ease of which it was accessed. The blame lies primarily on the shoulders of the perpetrator. Bare in mind i said "primarily" not solely.  What do i mean though?  Well let's try and answer that first by bringing up a couple of quotes by notable authors:

C.J. Roberts, author of such books as "Captive in the Dark", wrote in the novel of the same name this line "monsters aren't born, they're made". Now, i realize that the author is noted for his "ahem" more mature subject matter but that line rings true.  And no i don't read his work I simply stumbled upon this quote during research. But perhaps a different quote would make more sense? Perhaps take this exerpt from the novel "East of Eden" by John Steinbeck:

[“Just as there are physical monsters, can there not be mental or psychic monsters born? The face and body may be perfect, but if a twisted gene or malformed egg can produce physical monsters, may not the same process produce a malformed soul?
Monsters are variations from the accepted normal to a greater or a less degree. As a child may be born without an arm, so one may be born without kindness or the potential of conscience. A man who loses his arms in an accident has a great struggle to adjust himself to the lack, but one born without arms suffers only from people who find him strange. Having never had arms, he cannot miss them. To a monster the norm must seem monstrous, since everyone is normal to himself. To the inner monster it must be even more obscure, since he has no visible thing to compare with others. To a criminal, honesty is foolish. You must not forget that a monster is only a variation, and that to a monster the norm is monstrous.” ]

The point of the brief statement and the more lengthy exerpt is that in many (or even most) cases those whom society deems as a monster is so in part by circumstance, upbringing, trauma, or necessity. To go into detail what i mean is this: Some of these individuals were brought up in unstable homes or communities where violence was paramount and conflict was eever present some ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time and were labeled wrongly forcing them to become the very thing they were accused of being to survive, and still others suffered a tragic loss due to violence or were subjected to violence by their family or peers until they felt the only recourse was to lash out violently against those whom they felt had caused them irreperable harm.

Now some of you may be thinking that I am dancing around the issue, or even giving these people excuses to avoid the issue of firearms. But that is not true, we're simply getting through these parts first.

Continuing past outward influence there are in fact other criteria that could cause a person to be as many of the shooters involved in these deplorable acts against humanity to become "monsters". Some of these criteria are in fact of a psychological nature. A couple of noteable personality disorders that come to mind fitting this criteria are as follows: Antisocial Personality Disorder and Borderline Personality Disorder. i will site a few traits of them that could possibly be applicable to the situations that arose.

1) Antisocial Personality Disorder: People with antisocial personality disorder characteristically act out their conflicts and ignore normal rules of social behavior. These individuals are impulsive, irresponsible, and callous. Typically, the antisocial personality has a history of legal difficulties, belligerent and irresponsible behavior, aggressive and even violent relationships. They show no respect for other people and feel no remorse about the effects of their behavior on others. These people ware at high risk for substance abuse, especially alcoholism, since it helps them to relieve tension, irritability and boredom.

2) Borderline Personality Disorder: People with borderline personality disorder are unstable in several areas, including interpersonal relationships, behavior, mood, and self-image. Abrupt and extreme mood changes, stormy interpersonal relationships, an unstable and fluctuating self-image, unpredictable and self-destructive actions characterize the person with borderline personality disorder... Self-multilation or recurrent suicidal gestures may be used to get attention or manipulate others. Impulsive actions, chronic feelings of boredom or emptiness, and bouts of intense inappropriate anger are other traits of this disorder...

Now, while i cannot say definitively what would have caused the assault by the gunman at Stoneman Douglas campus, based on what the suspect confessed and what had been made aware by those who had known him prior it is plausible he was subject to one or more of the previously mentioned social circumstances or psychological. Either way he did not target any specific person(s) and took out his rage on any who crossed his path.

Some parents reading this may be wondering why when i mentioned the social influences I neglected the present factor of Video Games, movies, and other pieces of Popular Culture. Well that is a very fair point to bring up as it has been the source of debate for years. It is true that statistically speaking children between ages 6 and 14 are the most impressionable when it comes to their behaviors, views, and beliefs.   This is also in today's modern society when most children become invested in things such as television and video games when they are at home or at a babysitter's as modern society has opted to let children be raised by these things.   But that is a discussion for a different time and place.

Getting back on topic focusing primarly on the Video Game factor for now, approximately 90% of children in the United States of America play video games of some sort, with a 7% rise between ages of 12 & 17 (we won't touch on the adult gaming numbers).  Of the selection of video games in the modern market (that is to say for PC & modern consoles) approximately 85% or more are some variation of combat or fantasy violence oriented gameplay.  While these numbers do tend to fluctuate some we should bare in mind that there are in fact ratings on these games and many of the more directly violent or "realistic" ones are rated "M" for mature as in those who are from a chronological view point deemed mature enough mentally to handle the content.  Now that being said statistically speaking IF video games are playing a factor in the increase in violent tendencies then the parents or other individuals who have purchased their children these types of games would have to hold themselves accountable.  

Putting that aside a large variety of studies have been conducted to determine the degree in which video games play a factor.   The results were mixed to say the least with many studies siting a significant link while others an insignificant link.  Some studies even concluded that children who are drawn more to video games focusing primarily on violence and conflict may have a predisposition towards aggression, however there is no concrete evidence supporting this.   In fact associate professor of sociology at Western Michigan University, Whitney DeCamp, performed a private study at a Delaware School.   His results revealed that playing video games no matter how bloody did not predict violent behavior.  These results were further supported by associate professor & co-chairman of hte Department of Psychology at Stetson University, Christopher Ferguson.   Professor Ferguson personally noted that violent video games may in fact help reduce societal violence rather than increasing it.  

On that line of thought I myself grew up playing a spectrum of video games from most consoles and arcade machines.   From the addictive fun that is PacMan / Mrs PacMan, through the worldwide phenomenon that is Poke'Mon, to the timeless staple of Super Mario Bros, the brutally bloodbath that is Brutal Legend, the crime filled carnage of Grand Theft Auto, and the war-time FPS franchise of Call of Duty.   And so many more.    Why do I bring this up?  Because I myself was a fairly lonely child who had trouble dealing with emotional things, especially when it came to anger or frustration.   I was able to relieve myself of these pains and troubles by endulging (perhaps excessively) in the video game world.   Games such as the violent "Mortal Kombat", and the more fantasy story oriented "Final Fantasy" gave me outlets which let me take those feelings out on a digital opponent rather than a real person.   Having said that I will admit that if i had been able to overcome my social anxiety back then I would have benefited far more from physical activity outside and from spending time with friends.  But that is neither here nor there.  

Going back to the topic of violent video games being played by youth, as i said most of those games are rated in such a way that a parent has to give their personal consent that they are okay with their child playing such a game before a retailer will sell it to a minor.  In some cases they have to sign for it (or at least they used to when i was a kid).  This same line of thought can be applied to movies as movie studios place ratings on their products in order to inform viewers what they are in for.   I will admit some movies such as the R-rated animated film "Sausage Party" could have done a better job with this given how many parents took their children to see it unaware it was for adults.   This is further made difficult with more mature rated films of classic animated franchises such as "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" or "Transformers" which have taken on more adult themes and content with their modern cinematic releases.  

Having covered video games and films let's tackle television.  Perhaps television plays the largest factor of all given as stated previously how many children grow up practically planted in front of the "idiot box" rather than playing with their parents or siblings or going outside.  Busy parents or babysitters will often leave a child with the remote and they have free reign to see whatever can be seen on whatever channels are available.   Even the child oriented programming has taken on some rather crude humor of late with attrocities such as "teen titans go" and their blatant or ill advised messages towards impressionable youths, and the ludicrious nature of the program itself.  Parents thankfully if they know how can set child blocks on channels to prevent them from viewing content that they deem unwanted.  

Taking that into account however we cannot overlook the fact that most of the News coverage of late is of violent topics, the school shootings being perhaps the most common of late along with stories of road rage.   Some children sit quietly with their parents as they watch the news and are exposed to the images and sounds of what is going on.   But we're not blaming the media for covering the news, it is merely a possible contributor of the "Influence".

Oh but of course we cannot neglect mobile devices or the internet as with so much else being "modernized" more and more children spend excessive amounts of time online.   Either in chat rooms, doing research for homework, playing online games, watching videos, etcetera.  And much of this is illicit content.   But with literally millions of websites being available it's unrealistic for a parent to childblock individual sites.   Of course there is the option to set security settings to look for and prevent access to websites based on the types of content that they feature, and to further protect against it by setting a security password so that settings cannot be changed without their knowledge.  

Touching back on mobile devices and online gaming children and teens have ready access to their social media at any given time, and many of them participate in cyber bullying (which for those unaware is a way of bullying someone anonymously via the aminimity of alias'). This type of behavior isn't exclusive to chat rooms though as many online gamers trash talk very pervasively to one another in online play.   Often these online gaming servers will mix children with teenagers and adults and they do not censor themselves as they talk via their headsets to one another.  

In the end i suppose we could say that while there is no definitive connection between popular media and violence, we can agree that over exposure has played a factor in some part of the overall decline.  

Going back to the topic of firearms and "gun control".   Due to the increase of gun related violence many concerned parents and officials are calling out for increased "gun control".  Now the topic itself is not a bad thing if handled properly, but where do we draw the line?   First let's tackle what gun control is: Gun control by design is a policy put in place with the intent of regulating what types of firearms, gun-related accessories, and ammunition types can be easily accessed by a civilian.  

Gun control historically has been a mixed bag world wide.  Some nations such as Japan and Australia have a dramatically lower level of violence with gun control policies in place.   Bare in mind that these nations do permit the ownership of guns, however they are strictly for the use and of the caliber deemed necessary for the sake of hunting.   Generally with the intent of doing so under the pretense of providing food and / or clothing for yourself and your family.  This is the type of regulation that many would like to see enacted in the United States.

Before we go further let's talk about the other side of the argument against gun control.   For all intent and purpose we'll use the NRA as our reference.   Anti-gun protestors and lobbyists tend to cite against the NRA for their pro-gun views.   The question really is what does the National Rifle Association of America stand for?   For anti-gun individuals they typically are portrayed (though not necessarily all being this way) as feeling that the NRA wants military grade weaponry to be accessible to anybody who wants it.   That is rather absurd isn't it?  Though i'm sure SOME but not all members feel like this.   To really understand them we need to discuss them further.

Outside of the military itself the NRA is considered to be one of the oldest "institutions" in the United States.  Founded November 16 of 1871 the NRA has been around for going on 147 years.   Since its founding the NRA has strived to educate members on marksmanship as well as competency and safety.  Since 1934 the organization has gone so far as to keep members informed on bills related to firearms.  That's not to say that the organization isn't an influence on things outside of firearms as it has given charitably to various subsidiaries such as the "NRA Civil Rights Defense Fund" and has its own lobbying arm in the "NRA Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA) and its political action committee the "Political Victory Fund (PVF)".  It's important to know that the NRA didn't begin focusing on gun control issues until 1975 prior to the 1976 national elections.    Most importantly however through all of the rhetoric and difficulty the NRA is and has always been an organization dedicated to upholding and further educating on the topic of the "2nd Amendment".

The 2nd Amendment as most know is the right to bear arms.  But what does this truly mean?    The 2nd amendment reads as follows verbatum "A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed." Some believe that this was exclusive to the days of the founding fathers during a time of civil unrest following the Revolutionary War, during an era where "firearms" meant muskets or blunderbusts.  However, the true intent of the 2nd amendment is expanded upon in quotes by some of the founding father's.   Most notably perhaps is the quote by our first "official" President, General George Washington, who is quoted as having said "A free people ought not only to be armed and disciplined, but they should have sufficient arms and ammunition to maintain a status of independence from any who might attempt to abuse them, which would include their own government."    For some that statement feels "alien" as they believe that the government has their best interests at heart and would never betray them.   In an ideal world that would be true.  

Before we go further on that train of thought let us look at the historical reasoning behind the 2nd amendment AND that quote by George Washington.   What may not be particularly well known is that prior to the Revoluationary War the "Musket" or "powder rifle" was banned from being imported to the British Colonies in what is now the United States of America in 1774.  By 1775 the royal crown called for a confiscation of all firearms from colonists.   And as we all know by 1776 our founding fathers committed treason against the royal british crown and lead a revolt for independence.   Now, before i'm called on for corrupting history to the NRA agenda let me acknowledge the fact that much of the pressure for cecession was based on unfair taxes, tariffs, and embargos on the 13 colonies by the royal crown for various goods and services.  

Going back to the 2nd amendment as i've pointed out the ability of the people to defend themselves against a tyrannous government was the inspiration for the addition of the amendment.  The various state governments actually took this very seriously and in their individual constituations legally required able bodied men to not only own a firearm but also the supplies deemed necessary for its operation and care.  But let us break the 2nd amendments phrasing down a little farther just for the sake of debate, shall we?

Let us start with the first line: "A well regulated militia" this means a militia, when properly formed, are in fact the people themselves.  whose ability to act in both personal and common defense must be well maintained.    
Now the second: "Beng necessary to the security of a free state".  This means secure in personal liberty (the state of being free), and the governance of a free people (the state securing the rights of a free people).   Breaking things down it makes a tiny bit more sense doesn't it?
Up next the third line: "The right of the people" means "the whole of the people"; an individual right, independent of government.  Now i unfortunately do not feel i'm properly educated enough to expand on that further, but if i were to give an educated guess i would say that it is an inaliable right of which government permission or validation is not necessary.
MOving on to the fourth line: "To keep and bear arms", this line is perhaps the part that is the most controversial of the entire amendment and as a result caused the most problems between pro-gun and anti-gun individuals.   But let's elaborate shall we?  it by definition means "to own and carry "arms" of whatever type necessary to effectively provide for personal defense and defense against tyranny."  this ties directly into what was said by General Washington.  
Finally the last line: "Shall not be infringed" it means SHall not be limited, regulated, federally or excessively taxed, or encroached upon in any manner.   In lamen terms it essentially means that it is protected from the type of regulation and restriction imposed by the British crown in which the leading government decided that the citizens need not have the ability to defend themselves.  

It is a sad truth that many of the rights guaranteed to the American People through the Bill of Rights are trampled on constantly.  Not merely the 2nd amendment whenever a new shooting takes place, but the 1st amendment and many others.   The right of free speech and freedom of the press are both severely trampled upon by those who either do not want to hear the truth or another's opinion or thoughts, or who do not wish for the truth or the opinions of another to be heard.   Barring it quite frequently as "Slander" in order to discredit it or have it stricken from the record entirely.  Additionally many less important stories are often pushed to the forefront in order to disguise or take attention away from more important stories.   However, we're not here to discuss that but merely to use that as a segway into further discussion.  
Returning to a previous thought on how an ideal world would have the government placing our best interests at heart.   Let us not forget a quote by another of our founding fathers, Thomas Jefferson.  Jefferson stated "No free man shall ever be de-barred the use of arms.  The strongest reason for the people to retain their right to keep and bear arms is as a last resort to protect themselves against tyranny in government."    At first glance it may seem as if i'm simply reiterating previous bulletpoints, but let's look at another leader's quote:

"The most foolish mistake we could possibly make would be to allow the subjected people to carry arms.   History shows tha tall conquerors who have allowed their subjected peoples to carry arms have prepared their own downfall by so doing.  Indeed, I would go so far as to say that the underdog is a sine qua non for the overthrow of any sovereignty.  So let's not have any native militia or police."  This quote was stated by one of the most hated men in world history, Adolf Hitler.  

Adolf Hitler was one of several tyrants in history who disarmed his people, doing so in 1938 at the rise of his third reicht movement as a precursor to his enacting the Holocaust,   The Holocaust in which 13 million individuals were murdered after being disarmed over the course of his being Fuhrer until his death.  I did say he was but one of several, so to further back that claim i shall give three additional examples.   Stalin of then Soviet Russia took guns away from his own citizens in 1929 after which under his own subjugation 20 million unarmed individuals were murdered.  Pol Pot took firearms from his own citizens in 1956 resulting in the deaths of 2 million unarmed citizens.  And finally Mao Tse-tung of communist China / the People's Republic of China took guns away from his citizens in 1935 then over the course of his regeme' caused the deaths of an additional 20 million unarmed people.   These are but a handful of men who along with the likes of Fidel Castro, Qaddafi, Idi Amin, and Kim Jong-Il were by the definition in the eyes of most people of the "free world" monsters.

It should be noted that the dictatorships mentioned all at one point or another became enemies of our own nation the United States of America due to their tyrannical rullings and the attrocities committed against their own people.    I am not ignoring the fact that our own soldiers during some of these times of war comitted various acts of horror in the name of bringing peace and democracy, nor am I going to cite the "greater good" argument for it.  War while almost always an inevitable stepping stone in the name of "progress" is for lack of a better word, Hell.

As we look at the world today and even our own nation and government, i'm sure that many of us would undoubtedly notice historical similarities between current events and past events.   Those who either go by the moniker of "prepper" or "doomsday prepper" or have been labeled as such most likely would be called out for insanity or ludicrousy over the mere notion.  But there in lies the very slogan that those individuals live by, and it is one that originates from a time in our nations temultuous history of conflict.  The aptly dubbed "Cold War".  That slogan, well technically it's one of many and it goes thusly: "Disaster may never occur here... But if it does civil defense may save your life."  But for further proof of the statement of how those who do not learn the lessons of the past are doomed to repeat them in the present heed this quote by James Madison "Oppressors can tyrannize only when they achieve a standing army, an enslaved press, and a disarmed populace."

We got a tad off topic.  We've yet to tackle the topic of the restriction of certain firearms.    Now i am not fully against this but I do say from a personal opinion that semi-automatics should be available to responsible individuals with a clean record.   Fully automatic weapons, anti-artillary weapons, and those weapons designed specifically for high death tolls or heavy destruction SHOULD be exclusive to the military.  Some of our founding fathers or other historical figures would possibly argue that any item deemed okay for the government but not for its citizens would without a doubt be considered tyranny.    However, ensuring such weapons are kept in the hands of those who are properly trained and proven capable of handling them is something i am personally for.    

Borrowing from Michael Gross' character of the popular cult famed film franchise "Tremors", one Burt Gummer "When you need it and don't have it, you sing a different tune".   To paraphrase essentially it is better to have something for a specific purpose with the knowledge on how to use it and the hope that you never have to, than it is to have need of it and to not have it at all.

All of that said while yes many recent incidents have been committed in part due to the easy availability of the AR-15 semi-automatic rifle (.223 / 5.56), any individual who intends to do harm and cause panic, mayhem, or death will do so by any means.   With the age of technology more and more people are capable of learning to create things from simple at home items for brutal effectiveness.   We will not give any examples here for reasons of security and safety, but had it not been an "AR" it could easily have been a typical .22 rifle with a small clip, a 10 / 12 / 20 guage shotgun, a handgun with a clip, a knife, a home-made explosive device, or any number of other possibilities.   But let it be known that while the AR is an easy to handle, customizable, and accessible tool ranging from the $450+ range there are other firearms just as effective and easy to acquire with a clean background check and enough money.      Again i could very easily give a number of examples but choose not to for the sake of not giving ideas to those who would potentially seek to find what i mention and abuse it.

One last detail that I feel should be mentioned is the statistics.  Admittedly it is true that when it comes down to gun-related violence and death alone the United States of America is above and beyond most if not all other nations world-wide.   However, in terms of diversity and the inter-mingling of varying cultures, ethnicities, and religions the United States of America has a larger assortment per capita by volume than the other nations as well.  A fundamental flaw of human nature is that we are more likely to come into conflict with those whom we deem to be different than ourselves, than we are with those whom we identify ourselves to be most close to.  But that's not much of an argument, now is it?   So why don't we instead look at more solid numbers, shall we:

Now while I have been unable to find specific numbers for 2017 we will use statistics gathered from a 2013 study for comparison. These numbers were made available by the U.S. Center of Disease Control & Prevention so we know that these numbers are at least statistically accurate.  In 2013 more than 2 and a half million U.S. deaths occurred.  Of these numbers 2,404,054 on record were caused by illness.  35,663 additional deaths were brought about by accidental overdose, another 35,612 were caused by automotive accidents, still another 65,866 deaths in 2013 were caused by miscellaneous injuries, and lastly a grand total of 58,572 deaths occurred by some form of violence.  Of these deaths 24,936 of which were not-gun related while 33,636 were gun related.  That is by any logic a lot of deaths by gun, but when compared to the other numbers is not nearly as daunting.  Even so let us break it down further.

Of the non-gun related violence deaths 19,974 were caused by suicide while the other 4,962 was a result of homicide.   That is approximately 4 times more deaths brought about as a result of suicide than homicide in NON gun related violence.  But what about the gun related ones you may be asking?   Well let's touch on that.   Of the 33,636 gun related deaths in 2013 a mere 502 of those were caused by mass shootings.  Please bare in mind that is a nation wide scale, but that is still a large number when you consider that some portion of those numbers were children and teens.   That still leaves us the other deaths however.   786 of these deaths were listed as "other" miscellaneous gun related deaths (most likely accidental or caused by a catastrophic failure of the firearm), and an additional 11,675 of the remaining gun related deaths being caused by homicide (either related to  road rage, hunting accidents, pre-meditated murder, accidental, gang related, or other means).   The final remaining 21,175 deaths.... were caused by suicide.  

The aforementioned numbers do fluctuate some year to year but the relative measure between them is more or less the same year to year.  But what does this tell us?   Well from a numbers standpoint the difference between non-gun and gun related deaths is still fairly large but not drastically so when compared to the other deaths of 2013, although a difference of 8700 is still a decent margin.  But when you compare the deaths caused by homicide vs suicide there is still nearly double suicide related gun deaths than homicide, with the previously mentioned nearly 4 times more for non-gun.   While I am not an anthropologist of human behavior nor a psychiatrist to me those numbers say that most deaths caused by violence are as a result of mental instability, and of those numbers a certain percentage of mass shootings were likely brought on by the same.  

Since we cannot accurately ascertain these numbers we can at least presume of these deaths caused by mental instability depression is perhaps the largest factor, and with the numbers being so staggering it is safe to presume of these numbers children and teenagers come into play.   Which begs the question of how many of the statistical numbers we have gone over were caused directly or indirectly in youths by bullying?  Unfortunately we cannot be certain, however we do know those numbers increase every year.  As tempting as it is and easy as it is to blame firearms or the like for the gun-related homicides and shootings we must take into account the human factor.   Earlier we mentioned the age bracket for which children and teens are most likely to become influenced by outside influence, unfortunately it is within that same span that they also begin to shape themselves based on their peers either through positive feedback or negative.  Some are able to overcome it and rise above it gloriously, but sadly there are those who crumble under the weight of the negative feedback pushing them into self-destructive behaviors.  

Over the last forty to fifty years or so the numbers by which children and teens join up with gangs, use drugs, or become involved with other outwardly or inwardly destructive behavior has been a challenging and nearly insurmountable obstacle to approach.  Troubled teens who do not get the emotional support and assistance they need are statistically more likely to become troubled adults and their destructive behavior and activities could spiral into worse behavior. And as painful as it is to talk about in any capacity for some the only way out is to either end their own lives or to end the lives of those who have pushed them too far. While these events are tragic and devastating and nobody but a parent can even conceive the pain and horror of having to bury one of their children.  

Those who seek to commit atrocities and end lives will find ways of doing so.  Taking away the ability for those who are responsible to have firearms does not in any way hinder those who have no intention of obeying the laws of man in the first place.  Ultimately it is my opinion that the state of affairs with the prominence of "PC culture" (either politically correct or personal computer in this case as both can be either harmful or helpful depending on the individual), the way that our children are raised, how we speak to each other, and the general lack of respect is to blame for the evils of our society not the weapons.  While i have no corroborating evidence to support  this thesis it is my personal belief that once we start teaching our youth how to respect each other for their differences, work hard, have manners, and skills essential for their own self sustainability into adulthood that things will finally begin to make progress towards a better tomorrow.

Ultimately though, I believe we can all agree that the best deterrent for this type of travesty regardless of what weapons are or are not available to the people of these United States of America is for us as a people to better educate ourselves not merely on firearms safety use & practice , but to pass on better values and lead by a better example.  Additionally it would certainly not hurt for more effective security measures to be put in place to protect the students at these facilities so that they have peace of mind, and for our men and women who work day and night to be better respected & for them to have the resources to look into the types of claims that can lead to preventing these instances. Perhaps the most important of all for us adults to lead by a better example regarding how we treat one another, to teach the children what types of warning signs to look for and who to contact if they feel someone needs help or may cause trouble, and especially how to treat each other so that more children and teenagers will stop pushing one another to the brink of disaster and destruction.

To borrow from the well written and heartfelt story of "Forrest Gump", that is all i have to say about that.   If you managed to stay with me and read through all the way to the end, thank you for your patience.  I realize this was a very lengthy message and it is my hope that even if you disagree with my personal beliefs you are able to walk away a little more informed with a better appreciation for the other side of the debate.  Please feel free to share your thoughts and opinions in as respectful a way as possible if you feel so inclined to do so.

It's time again everyone, time for "MOonshadow's First Thoughts".  Today's subject is none other than Dragon Ball Super Episode 128.


Following episode 127 we see the first half of the episode with a severely weakened Vegeta fighting head to head with the drastically more powerful and still nearly full strength Jiren the Gray.  Despite the death of Android 17 the Universe 7 team cannot take time to mourn and is enthralled by the uphill battle between the ever prideful prince of the saiyans, who now is so weak he cannot even go Super Saiyan.  Jiren constantly tries to make Vegeta believe he has already lost but time after time Vegeta stays strong, and manages to avoid being knocked out of bounds.  


When we think he's done for he manages to get his boot snagged on a floating piece of rubble while unconscious.   But what happened?  Vegeta awoke after hearing the determined supportive voice of his wife and his son in his mind.   Despite having virtually no stamina Vegeta keeps pushing forward even half blinded by a massively swollen eye.   But eventually Jiren finishes the fight and knocks our Saiyan Prince out of bounds, as he falls he laments failing his wife and his universe 6 pupil Cabba.  Before he falls he sends the last of his ki to Son Goku reviving our titular hero with renewed vigor.  Once Vegeta is in the stands he's revitalized by a senzu bean and receives plenty of praise for his valiant efforts, even from Lord Beerus.  


In the arena Goku now powered back up to Super Saiyan Blue continues the battle even with Jiren going on how he doesn't believe that Trust has any value.   This ties into what we learned in the previous episode about how his fellow students under his former teacher abandoned him after their defeat at the hands of the mysterious nigh all powerful villain who killed not only his family years prior but his teacher.  Goku holds fast that trust indeed has value and can change the tide an thus he goes at Jiren hard as he's able.   But Jiren the grey avoids most of his blows and eventually wears Goku's stamina down and he loses super saiyan blue.


Despite being back to basics he pushes forward, but even with his determination Jiren keeps dealing damage pushing Goku closer and closer to the edge.    Even after Jiren hits goku's face hard enoguh to nearly make our hero almost out cold on his feet the Z fighters of universe 7 cheer him on, including Vegeta, and this awakens something in him.   Goku gets another wind and avoids Jiren's finishing blow.  But he wasn't done no our Saiyan champion of earth strikes Jiren sard enough in the stomach that he wretches over from pain, a first from this entire arc so far.  As everyone looks on in shock we find out that YES Son Goku has once again broken through his limitations and achieved the legendary Ultra Instinct transformation for the third time.   Even the Gods of Destruction of the other universes are  left in shock and awe of Son Goku.  Of course Xeno-sama and other Xeno-sama are both cheering on like crazy for their friend (he's the king of the entire multiverse, he doesn't have to be impartial if he doesn't want to be).


And tha'ts where the episode left off, with only 2 mins left on the clock.   As always we don't watch the "in the next episode" stuff as we like to be surprised.   We didn't see Frieza this episode so he'll likely make an appearance either next episode or the finale.  Honestly as much as i was on the edge of my seat last episode this one really felt like a true title bout.  I've honestly not been this excited or anxious since the World Martial Arts tournaments of the original Dragon Ball.  


There was good pacing, the first act was a powerful starter, the second act kept us in suspense, and the third really drove home just how close things are and how close to destruction universe 7 is.  I'm excited for the next episode.  On a sadder note this episode marks the final episode featuring any new voice work from the late actress for Bulma Briefs, Hiromi Tsuru, whom voiced Bulma since the original Dragon Ball in all Japanese dubbing projects.  Her replacement  Aya Isakawa has voiced for Dragon Ball before, and has made her first official appearance in a japanese ad.  She'll be picking up in all future episodes for the series until its end, including other projects.


I definitely give this episode a perfect 7 out of 7 stars.


What do you all think of this exciting new episode?  Did it meet expectations or did it fall flat?  Let us know your thoughts, comments, requests, questions, etcetera down below.

Okay, well, despite having failed to do any form of "Moonshadow Reviews" or "First Thoughts" in a while I think that this is a perfect time for a quickie. So here it is for you my friends, viewers and Hive. It should go without saying but some spoilers ahead.

MOONSHADOW's FIRST THOUGHTS ON....... Power Rangers: Ninja Steel!

Saban's Power Rangers: Ninja Steel is the 24th total season of the American adaptation of the Japanese Sentai series, specifically "Shuriken Sentai Ninninger" which is the 39th season of the Super Sentai series in Japan. Now, to be fair I've only seen the first 8 episodes of Ninja Steel so far via Netflix (which for some reason only has 8 out of 22 episodes available), but already I can see a few similarities between Ninja Steel and two specific previous Mighty Morphin' franchises. Which two specifically you may be asking? None other than Power Rangers Ninja Storm and Power Rangers Samurai / Super Samurai. And yes I am aware technically that's three franchises but Super Samurai much like Super Ninja Steel is technically the second season of that franchise. Now i'll admit there are similarities to other earlier franchises such as Wild Force or Jungle Fury, but I digress. This season of Power Rangers revolves around the mythical and apparently universally legendary Ninja Nexus Prism and its very prophetic and nearly boundless alchemic properties, along with the title-hinted at "Ninja steel" that once encompassed it when it arrived on Earth hidden within a meteorite. The prism itself shaped like a giant translucent ninja star with six colored nodules behind each blade (Red, Blue, Yellow, White, Pink, and Orange-ish Gold). But let's move on for now.

Much like the previous two that I specified, Ninja Steel seems to draw from it does a nice job of balancing modern action with a little flare of Japanese Shinto mythology. Specifically three of the first villains we're introduced to namely Galvanax (Gengetsu Kibaoni), Ripcon (Raizo Gabi), and Madame Odius (Kyuemon Shingetsu Kibaoni (Kyuemon Izayoi)) are based on three very prominent mythological entities: The Oni, Hannya, and Kitsune respectively. Additionally again much like Ninja Storm and Samurai the series seems to draw heavily from one the popularized and often misinterpreted Japanese warrior classes. Though, some like myself who grew up with now somewhat cheesy family comedies like "3 Ninjas" might feel a touch of nostalgia early on with the parent teaching his sons in the ways of the Ninja and the art of invisibility. When we are first introduced to our three already named villains it feels very much like the flashback sequence at the start of Power Rangers Samurai that gives us a brief glimpse and explanation to the history of the Rangers and their connection to the enemy.

Moving on for now. Much like Ninja Storm this series involves evil aliens who do have many connections visually to Ninja and to Japanese mythology making it in my opinion a spiritual successor. Likewise while we saw the return of Mighty Morphin's very own Bulk and his spiritual nephew Spike (the son of his childhood and young adult best-friend Skull), Ninja Steel has its own moronic typical high school bully characters in the form of Victor Vincent (stereotypical egotistical High School Jock) and Monty (his stereotypical super nerd cling-on pseudo best friend). Now while I appreciate trying to connect to the audience with relatable characters unlike Bulk and Skull there's no clear cut or viable explanation that we can see as of yet for why these two are such self-centered egotistical jerks. But while they have gotten on my nerves so far I am willing to admit that they could pull a Flash Thompson (Spider-Man series, but specifically Ultimate Spider-Man animated series) and reveal later that they have home troubles which cause them to behave the way they do.

Continuing we do see a bit more a return to more enjoyable Zord and Megazord designs compared to previous seasons such as of course Dino Charge and Mega Force, with the return of a zord summoning aspect much like we saw with the power spheres in Ninja Storm in the form of Zord Shuriken Stars. Now we did see similar things like this in Power Rangers Samurai, but the handling is much more reminiscent of Ninja Storm. And continuing with another common trend we do see returns of familiar looking ones such as Rumble Tusk Zord which has a striking similarity to the Mastadon Zord from the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and to the Mammoth Zord from Ninja Storm. Additionally the design for Ninja Steel's Gold Ranger is very similar and nearly identical in terms of general design and color pallet to the Gold or Light Ranger from Samurai / Super Samurai.

Much as we saw with both Ninja Storm in the form of the Thunder Ranger brothers and with Samurai and the Red Ranger siblings we do see sibling bonds in this franchise. We also see a return of the wacky robotic sidekick very reminiscent of Alpha 5 from Mighty Morphin' and Ninjor from Mighty Morphin's 3rd season aka "the Ninja Ranger" arch in the form of super helpful and very human-like Red Bot (simple but effective, with a very "My Life as a teenage Robot" XJ-9 or Robot Boy / Astro Boy feel). We also get an interesting side-kick / technicial in the form of shape-shifting alien humanoid Mick Kanic (get the pun?) from the "Lion Galaxy", who along with the red ranger "Brody Romero" and Red Bot was a prisoner on the alien head baddy's space ship / television studio "the Warrior Dome" home of "Galaxy Warriors" the so called most popular television broadcast in the entire universe.

We do get a very eclectic collection of personalities from the soft hearted magic loving blue ranger, to the dog loving (but not always most empathetically conscious) white ranger, the super mechanically inclined yellow ranger, the way way way over achieving super genius inventor pink ranger (who has an awesome hover board, which makes me question the time period), and the red ranger who has to readjust to earth-life after ten years as a captive while also trying to get the hang of High School (which is interesting given the premise behind the kidnapping of our red ranger and his long absense). Our resident pink ranger for this series is very similar in terms of her capability to Green Samurai Ranger Cam from Ninja Storm, especially in Episode 7 where she uses hologram clones (very much like Cam's "Robo-Cam" duplicate android) in order to handle not only her ranger duties but her social and educational obligations more effectively. Speaking of Ninja Storm we also see a return of the Ninja Cycle in the form of the Mega Morph Cycle.

Before i forget there was a more direct reference to the previous series' that I mentioned by name.  I'll point out the two that were the most prominent and I think significant in regards to the spiritual succession of this franchise.  In episode 8 "Gold Rush" between the 17:45 mark and the 18:00 mark for a few brief frames you actually see the insignia for "The Wind Ninja Academy" from Power Rangers Ninja Storm right as the Red Ranger's zord begins to perform a "Sky Sprint" attack on an enemy skullogator. Blink and you'll miss this awesome nod. Additionally while I did mention several similarities between the Gold Ranger of Ninja Steel and the Gold Ranger of Samurai, there are others such as the music connection to both and how both rangers play guitar.

The downside is that while this is an American version of the super sentai series because much of the cultural aspects rely heavily on the Japanese culture much of the story and characters get the usual Americanized white-washing. Additionally some villains / monsters like Badpipes (Yokai Tengu) is visually based on a historical yokai creature namely the Tengu a crow-winged often long-nosed sagelike mountain demon, but strangely has a musical instrument and mannerisms derived from Scotland. So while the predecessors managed to remain more or less faithful in both design and mythos with their monsters, this series (much like with many of the other later ones) has a bad habit of twisting them and taking away from their charm. Now, I cannot fault the American version on this as this transferred from the Super Sentai counterpart. But despite this we do see an interesting little assortment of fiends and monsters even in just the first 8 episodes (as again that's all I've seen thus far). Spider creatures similar to the "Jurogumo" spider-demon of Japanese lore, technology absorbing creatures, a living inferno on roller blades, cyborgs cat monsters, a Weasel monster with chainsaw sickle arms (a nod to the mythology behind Weasels in Japanese mythology), and the ever present easily disposable henchman grunts the "Kudabots" which seem like a combination of the Kelzaks from Ninja Storm and the basic Nighlok footsoldiers from Samurai.

Unfortunately when it comes to the negative points I've mentioned it may simply be an indicator that while the Super Sentai / Power Rangers franchises have managed to remain a childhood and young adult staple for so long they may be running out of workable ideas. However since in japan the franchise is still going strong and is currently in its total 42nd season it's likely that we wont see a loss of popularity over there any time soon, but with the constant changes, reshooting of scenes to fit in the American actors and actresses and the afformentioned generalized white-washing that occurs for the American versions it seems that the Power Rangers glory days have passed. That or I've just grown up enough that i'm too caught up in my own nostalgia to really appreciate the newer franchise entries.

But, having said that this show definitely feels like a true spiritual successor to both Power Rangers Ninja Storm and Power Rangers Samurai, which for me is awesome as those were two of my top favorite series' within the franchise. Now, I'd love to hear what you all think. Please let me know in the comments section your thoughts on "Ninja Steel", and if at some point you'd like to see these thoughts summarized and put in video format for the channel.

I hope you all have a great rest of your day, a great rest of your week, and a great weekend ahead depending on when you're reading this. And as always remember, don't go changing for anyone but yourselves

Moonshadow's First Thoughts On.....DRAGON BALL SUPER (So Far).... Warning: Spoilers Ahead

Okay for those of you who have recently subscribed to us here at "The Rainbow-Eyed Hive" who have been long time viewers of our Channel, welcome and thanks for joining us. I realize it's been quite some time since I last did a major "First Thoughts" video or review, unless you count my first thoughts on Power Rangers: Ninja Steel earlier this month here in the group.

I'll be going over very briefly on my thoughts regarding the series as a whole as well as brief run downs for the various Arcs / Sagas.

Arc 1: The Battle of the Gods aka the God of Destruction Beerus saga, which is a re-imagined and retold version of the Battle of the Gods DBZ movie which in my opinion is actually superior to the movie version. Several plot points were further flushed out, scenes were expanded upon or changed entirely to make more sense, and thankfully some scenes were removed (such as Gohan getting drunk and asking someone to shoot him causing the bullet to ricochet into Videl who was pregnant) . Of course I cannot speak of this without mentioning the birth of the legendary Super Saiyan God form aka Super Saiyan Red.

Arc 2: the Resurrection F aka Golden Freeza (Frieza) saga. Much like Arc 1 this arc is an adaptation of the Resurrection F film into anime format. And much like my thoughts on the first Arc of the series it's far superior in my own opinion to the film version for many of the same reasons. We see the return of some characters and the official anime introduction outside of Japan's specials and manga issues of "Jaco the Galactic Patrolman". And as many know this saga introduces us to the beyond godly powered Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan transformation aka Super Saiyan Blue as well as Golden Frieza. Worth mentioning some older characters were reintroduced who weren't originally in the film adaptation. Specifically Captain Ginyu.

Arc 3: The Universe Tournament aka the Universe 6 Saga. This arch focused on a few different things which are: 1) Goku and Vegeta training under Whis & Lord Beerus to become stronger and surpass the Super Saiyan God transformation; 2) The introduction of the other eleven of the total twelve (out of originally 16) universes starting with Universe 6 the twin universe for the show canon "Universe 7" and its god of destruction Chappa; 3) the collection of the super dragon balls; and finally 4) The tournament between Universe 7 and 6's strongest warriors to win the super dragon balls which can grant any wish without limit. This was the most recent arch to be completed in the English dubbing, and it introduced us to some variations of species between the two universe twins including the Frieza Ice Demon race and the Saiyan race.

A noteable mention of this saga was not only the return of the Galactic Patrolman Jaco, but the introduction of the "Galaxy King" of universe 7, the "Omni-king" aka Lord Xeno (or Zeno) who is the literal King of the Multiverse and the canonical most powerful being in existence, and...... Bulma's OLDER SISTER?! Yeah.... Tights Briefs a character who only readers of the manga would recognize as she has never really made an on screen appearance in the English adaptations of the anime until this point. Much like the rest of the women in the Briefs family following their mother, Tights like Bulma seems to have a fountain of youth in her veins as Bulma is officially 45 years of age following the God of Destruction Beerus saga, while Tights is 56 having been born 11 years prior to her little sister (this is compared to Chichi who is 4 years her junior but whom has aged significantly worse partially due to stress).

Arc 4: The Goku Black aka Future Trunks saga. As of this review this is the current arc taking place in the English dubbing. Future trunks has returned to the past in order to seek help from Goku and Vegeta against an evil villain "Goku Black" who is really the Kai in training of an alternate universe who has used the dragon balls to swap his own body with Goku's in order to carry out a plan with another version of himself to eliminate all mortals throughout the multiverse.

This arc introduces us to the romantic relationship for Future Trunks and the budding romance between kid Trunks and Mai, who as many old school fans like myself will note is the second in command for Emperor Pilaf from Dragon Ball who along with the Emperor and Shu the ninja dog been returned to their child bodies in an improperly phrased wish to the eternal dragon. We see these characters throughout the previous two sagas, but this saga shows us the slow transition from villains plotting to take over the world and get revenge on the Z Fighters to reformed individuals who are beginning to acknowledge kindness, respect, and genuine care.

By far this is one of the more interesting sagas for me personally as it is essentially a "what if" scenario much like the DBZ movie "The Tree of Might" back in the 1990s showing us the potential devastation an evil Goku could bring to the world. This is made more interesting by the fact we see a variation of Super Saiyan blue in the form of Super Saiyan Rose (or Rose'). It's not certain of Rose form is actually just different because its' not really Goku or if it's actually a form beyond Blue (aka SSGSS 2 or Ascended God variant).

Arc 5: The Tournament of Power aka the Universal Survival saga. During events towards the end of Arc 3 Goku speaks to the Omni King (Lord Xeno) about the prospect of an inter-universal tournament between all twelve universes. This takes precedence during this saga as following the defeat of Goku Black and Zamasu the rogue kai Goku has grown bored. Having been gifted a special button by the Omni King sometime during arc 4 that lets him either summon Lord Xeno to him or take him to Lord Xeno he visits the Omni King in order to convince him to hold the tournament. This proves unwise as the Omni King while all powerful and ancient is very child-like and plays various types of games to keep himself occupied including a variation of chess where the goal is to destroy the entirety of the other players "universe".

As it is revealed the Omni King and his High Priest have noted for some time that several of the other universes have been showing very "poor development" and thus as with the four previously destroyed universes (universe 13 through 16) decides to use the tournament as a means of enjoying himself while also erasing from existence each universe whose fighters are completely defeated in the tournament. As a result of this decision Universe 7 (more specifically Goku who is solely responsible for the situation) is blamed and targeted as being an "evil universe". This proves beyond the shadow of a doubt that Goku is extremely selfish in his goal for fighting strong fighters as he shows little empathy or remorse for his inciting this.

Through the early parts of this saga we see Goku getting various fighters to join him on the 10 - man team through some dubious means (mainly lying). We also see Goku hire Universe 6 rival "Hit" to assassinate himself in order to force him to be on his guard at all times and force him to hone his combat instincts. Along the way we end up with the likes of: Krillin, Tien Shenhan, Lazuli aka Android 18, Lapis aka Android 17, Muten Roshi, Gohan, Piccolo, and even Frieza as members of the team. When it comes time to recruit Vegeta Goku has no choice but to ask Whis to help speed along Bulma's pregnancy in order to make Vegeta sign up to fight and train instead of waiting around like a good father for his daughter Bulla (or Bra/ Burra) to be born. Which reinforces one of many reasons why over the years Vegeta has become one of my favorite characters and is the subject of some of my favorite character themed videos relating to Dragon Ball.

Now the series in japan has already passed 125 episodes and aside from the universes who were exempt from participation in the survival arc (those that met the expectations of the Omni King and High Priest) all but two universes have been erased: Universe 7 and Universe 11. Universe 11 has two fighters remaining as of Episode 125 Jiren the Grey and Tappa of the Universe 11 Pride Troopers, while Universe 7 has Goku, Vegeta, Android 17, and Frieza. Throughout this saga we get introduced to some absolutely intense and interesting characters, some of which are little nods to other franchises which make them all the more enjoyable.

As per usual the relatively short time frame for the tournament has surpassed that in real world time I have become convinced this is because the anime shifts through different perspectives of the characters that are all happening relatively at the same time. This I why some events such as the notorious "5 minutes until the destruction of Namek" event of the Frieza saga in Dragon Ball Z seem to go on forever. I also believe some of these instances are actually happening much faster than the normal eye can see and thus the show slows things down so that we can see the events as they're happening through the point of view of the fighters who are moving at such amazing speeds.

But anyways we get to see new transformations all throughout the series from God form and Super Saiyan blue form, to the twisted and evil Super Saiyan rose form, to the ludicrously damaging SSJ Blue Kaioken x 10 power-up (which nearly killed goku by the way the first time), to Ultra Instinct which is not something i'm going to ruin with words, and to of course Super Saiyan Blue 2 or Super Saiyan Blue Awakened state which is Vegeta's own personal power up and it's awesome.

Now what do I think? Personally while as a whole i'm loving Dragon Ball Super there are some things that have urked me a bit. What might they be? Well first it's the inconsistency of animation. The series has had difficulty staying true to any one animation style and has bounced around from Dragon Ball levels, Dragon Ball Z, and even Dragon Ball GT. There are even sequences where the inking for the character outlines is far thicker than it should be. Another peeve of mine is how Goku's maturity has been decreased substantially from the end of DBZ to present (which i'm not sure if that was intentional or a potential side-effect of what Super Saiyan God state has on his mind).

Additionally the lack of love given towards many of the other Z fighters compared to Goku by Akira Toriyama and of course the absolute lack of Saiyan Tails in universe 7's saiyans also bother me. Now I do understand the lack of tails for most saiyans was because Akira Toriyama grew tired of drawing them and having them animated and paitned. However it would have made more sense if the Z Fighters had used the dragon balls to wish away the ability for saiyans to grow tails to prevent the Oozaru incidents. We know Goku's tail stopped growing as a trade off for getting the dragon balls restored during the transitionary period between the King Piccolo saga and the Piccolo Jr saga of the original series. Personally I would be less bothered as a whole if we just had some sort of acceptable understanding on that.

Now noting Goku is the titular hero we have had this issue going on far too long. Especially considering originally Gohan was to become the main hero and take over after Goku's death, which got retconned and taken away during the Great Saiyaman / Majiin buu Sagas. That wouldnt' bother me so much as Gohan put his studies and his eventually family first, but we could have seen Goten and Trunks become friendly rivals and the new generation of hero in his stead. Sadly though it seems Goku has received the "Ash Ketchum" treatment and will forever be stuck as our titular hero despite the fact that he's really not best suited for the role as a whole.

Dont' get me wrong I like Goku but this is somewhat like the argument that "As a kid you love Batman, but as an adult The Joker makes more sense". In my case Vegeta has become a much more well rounded character as a whole, proven to be a good husband and father despite his being a bit abrasive and cold (which is due in part to the Saiyan heritage as well as his treatment while serving Frieza). But with Super allegedly coming to a close either for a hiatus while they discuss a new time slot or permanently its' unlikely we'll see a new hero rise up any time soon.

Another fairly minor nitpick I have is that between the various sagas from DBZ to present (including GT in this case) ther'es a lack of consistency in regards to body typing and proportions. I realize some of this comes in when animators change or when the method of animation changes, but it's something that somewhat has bothered me just because when you've been a fan as long as I have you tend to notice them fairly quickly.

As I was saying on the whole Dragon Ball Super is an awesome series. While it's arguable that DB GT did a better job of reinvigorating the original spirit of the franchise amongst fans, I personally aside from my already mentioned nit picks am a huge fan of how things have turned out so far.

On a more somber note as many fans know the Japanese voice of Bulma Briefs had passed away some time back now. That unfortunately puts the future of the character and the series as a whole up in the air, as Japan tends to hold a grieving period after one of the voice characters passes away.

If I were to rate the Dragon Ball franchises on a 1 star to 7 star rating scale (see what I did there) it would go as thus:

Dragon Ball (original): 6 out of 7 stars
Dragon Ball Z: 7 out of 7 stars
Dragon Ball GT: 3.5 out of 7 stars
Dragon Ball S: 5.5 out of 7 Stars

I could do the same for the movies but its' been so long i'd have to rewatch them in order to give a proper accounting. With the exception of these 3:
Dragon Ball Z: BotG : 6 out of 7 stars
Dragon Ball Z: RoF : 6 out of 7 stars
Dragon Ball Evolution: 1.5 out of 7 stars

Well everyone that's what I have to say so far. What do you think of Dragon Ball Super? Did I hit any points that you agree with, was there anything you disagree with, and was there anything I may have left out or over simplified? Let me know down below OR feel free to submit your own thoughts as a post here on the page. If you'd like to see this general synopsis review submitted as a video in the future let me know.
As always thanks for checking in and reading. I hope everyone has a great rest of their day, a great rest of their week, and a great weekend ahead (depending on when you come around to this). Remember everyone, don't' go changing for anyone but yourself.