Dragon Ball GT: Resolving unfinished business

https://1anime.to/episode/173049-dragon-ball-episode-125-english-dub - 17:45 to 22:20

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4pfTBlDspg - 4:07

      Even though I don't cover Dragon Ball GT in my summer anime classes when analyzing the

Dragon Ball series, that doesn't mean I don't like it (I would consider doing that if I had the time, so it

might happen if I can do that - if not, I'll let a student present this one, as well as Super, which would

happen anyway, although I do plan to create a post about Super after this one).  The thing about

anime is you can either like it or not (there are levels/degrees of liking or disliking something, but

basically it's either yes or no), as well as provide reasons for that (also levels/degrees of this).  There

are people who like GT and there are people who don't, which is true of all anime.  However, this is

really noticeable with some anime more than others.  GT is one of these, especially since it's part of a

popular anime series.  While it may not be the best part of the series, I still think it's worth attention

because of the main thing I like and get out of it.

      The main thing I like about GT, and what I get out of it, is that Goku carries out the promise he

made to Kami in Dragon Ball about relying on the Dragon Balls, which is the reason for the first

video.  After explaining who he is to Goku, as well as his relationship to Piccolo, Kami has Goku

promise him that he won't always rely on the Dragon Balls to fix what he could've prevented in this

first video, which Kami also says is a promise he will make sure Goku keeps.  How does Kami do

this?  It's clear throughout the series that Goku and his friends still rely on the dragon balls to solve

some of their problems, so does Kami forget this promise?

     This is where the importance of Shenron comes in, which is seen in the second video, as well as

remembering this in relation to the first video.  The first video also mentions that Kami has to

recreate Shenron, the eternal dragon, in order for the dragon balls to be used again (Piccolo also

killed Shenron, in addition to some of Goku's friends) since he cannot grant wishes, like reviving

dead people, himself.  Kami does have the power though, as guardian of Earth, to allow Shenron to

exist.  Did Kami tell Shenron to keep an eye on Goku for him and to make sure he keeps the promise

of not using the dragon balls too much?  Why would Shenron wait so long for Goku to realize what

he did with the dragon balls, which Goku admits to Shenron in the second video?

     I believe the answer to these questions lies in GT itself.  GT is when we see what happens when

the dragon balls are used too much (a lot more happens too, but I focus on this aspect of GT).  In

everything leading up to GT, the dragon balls are used a lot, but nothing bad happens because of it.

As guardian of Earth, Kami, and the ones before and after him (Kami mentions to Goku in the first

video that guardians are mortal - another good reason for Kami to make sure Shenron watches over

Goku), make sure the Earth is safe.  Creating a dragon to help with this is part of this job, which is

why Shenron would agree to help Goku save the Earth, as seen in the second video.

      However, the second video also shows Shenron asking Goku to help him in another way.

Shenron can revive Goku, but after defeating an enemy that killed them, Shenron asks Goku to take

over his body.  Even though it would mean Goku would never see his family and friends again, Goku

still agrees to help Shenron with this because Shenron has helped him so much in the past.  It seems

Goku would be willing to do this because of who he is, but he could still be resolving unfinished

business, or fulfilling a promise he made back in Dragon Ball, or the first video, and renewed in

Dragon Ball GT, or the second video (these are all just theories, but the Dragon Ball series has a lot

of those anyway).

     Anyway, the main thing I get out of Dragon Ball GT has to do with the story of it, specifically the

part about resolving unfinished business with Goku promising to not rely on the Dragon Balls.  This

is a promise he made both in Dragon Ball and again in Dragon Ball GT, which was also resolved in

GT.

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