he new Dragonball Super Manga chapter 65 is set to come out in approximately one week's time, but based on draft pages that recently came out, the fandom is in an uproar. Of course, some fans have taken it too far and we must read the full chapter in it's entirety to make a proper verdict, but seeing a complete blatant display of character regression of the main character coupled with reusing old concepts from previous arcs have been subpar to say the least.
Hence unfortunately, the criticisms of modern Dragonball are louder than ever, and this time, perhaps justifiably so.
The Criticisms Behind Goku's Decision
For those of you who don't know, a Senzu Bean has the ability to restore energy levels, heal injuries, and satisfy hunger for a week! The effects are immediate, and they were introduced by Korin back in the first series, Dragonball.
The beans are incredibly useful in battle, so when Goku decided to take them off of his best friend, Krillin, and give one of them to the villain, Moro, fans were outraged. This is not the first time Goku has done this in battle, and unfortunately, to the viewer's dismay, don't be surprised if it's not be the last.
To this day, many fans point to Goku's decision to give Cell a Senzu Bean as a highlight of his naivety and stupidity, which for some reason has been more clear in modern Dragonball. Goku does have a forgiving nature, as he once spared Piccolo mainly because he wanted a rival, he tried to spare his older brother Raditz until he double crossed him, he spared Vegeta because his Saiyan instincts excited him of the prospect of fighting him again, he tried to spare Freeza on Namek but the ego of the tyrant being defeated by a Saiyan said otherwise, and he even asked King Yemma to reincarnate Majin Buu into a good person so he can fight him in the future.
It is interesting to note that Goku was more ruthless as a child, as in the first series, Dragonball, there are less instances of Goku letting his opponents go.
This reoccurring theme that has become too much to bear for some viewers, as evidenced from the tweet below.
Goku normally gave villains second chances because he wanted to fulfill his enjoyment of battle which is a natural Saiyan instinct, but since the introduction of the multiverses within Dragonball, Goku has been introduced to beings whose powers are beyond comprehension. Hit, Jiren, and Beerus are all just a few examples. Goku does not need another rival since he knows fighters that he can challenge and utilize his Saiyan thirst for battle with.
Unlike former villains such as Piccolo or Vegeta, Moro has no redeeming qualities. He is a leech that uses the abilities and techniques of others, killed countless lives, severely injured Goku's friends and his own son, slaughtered virtually the entire Namekian race, ruthlessly put a hole through Goku a couple chapters ago, and the instant Goku gives him a Senzu Bean and makes him promise to never escape the Galactic Patrol prison again, once Moro is immediately recovered, he attacks Goku in an effort to kill him.
Not to mention, in recent chapters of the Dragonball Super Manga, Meerus saves Goku, the Androids, Vegeta, Piccolo and Gohan from certain death. Going against the role of an Angel which is to not interfere with mortal affairs, he did it anyway in hopes that this would ignite Goku to finish the job and finish Moro once and for all. This resulted in Meerus being erased from existence, and seeing Goku respond to this by giving Moro a Senzu Bean makes the sacrifice of Meerus be in vain.
Ending the Moro Arc Soon & Questions Moving Forward
As fans, it isn't too much to ask for some sort of character development, especially for the main character of the series. Learning from past mistakes is something Goku should have considered before deciding to heal a being who is threatening the universe. This is character regression, and it is disappointing that after all these years of experience that Goku has under him, he still resorts to decisions such as these.
The straw that broke the camel's back for some was when Vegeta was battling Moro a couple chapters back and Piccolo remarked that "Vegeta has never been one to misread an opponent's strength". Yet for the entire duration of Vegeta's growth as a character throughout the franchise, that is all he has ever done. That statement was wrong on so many levels, and fans felt that this was proof that Toyotarou doesn't know the character's he is writing about well enough.
In fairness, we should wait until this full chapter is out before giving the full verdict, and the intention of these draft previews is to showcase a cliffhanger, but one thing is clear: It has now been nearly 2 years since the Moro arc debuted, and it has without question overstayed its welcome. The climax of the arc has dragged on for months upon months by Toyotarou, and fans are already looking ahead as the next arc of Dragonball Super's Manga has been officially confirmed in an interview with the V-Jump editor.
The questions on the new arc remain though: Will it take place during this ten year time period after the defeat of Kid Buu that Modern Dragonball has solely focused on? Or will they actually move past this time period? How will they tackle the issue of the lack of tension since the presence of the Gods takes the pressure off of Goku and company? Will characters such as Goten who haven't aged a day since the Buu arc actually show some development?
Many fans like to point out that for them Dragonball ended with the conclusion of the Buu arc, and everything that has taken place starting from the Battle of Gods on has been just additional content for them to enjoy or to not enjoy. The problem with modern Dragonball is the reluctance to show something completely new, and since the revenue streams don't seem to be stopping anytime soon, the incentive to change likely won't either.
