The Official Goku/Justin Chatwin Thread

[Syncos]

if that is your argument then it should apply to ALL of Earth's races (not just Asians) or else it's a double standard.

It does. and that's my point.

I never said Goku was white. I just said he's not asian.

 

[DorkyFresh]

It does. and that's my point.

then you should've said that....but you didn't. when you mention only one race then you're directing your argument towards only that one race...

I never said Goku was white. I just said he's not asian.

i know, but i find it funny that you targeted my posts that favor Goku as an Asian, yet didn't direct your post towards the many, many other people who argued that Goku is white. hmmmmmmm......

 

[Star]

DorkyFresh, what other characters in DBZ do you consider asian? All of them? or just certain ones?

 

[DorkyFresh]

DorkyFresh, what other characters in DBZ do you consider asian? All of them? or just certain ones?

just certain ones. when i first got into DBZ (when i was 12) i thought anyone with black hair and dark eyes were Asian...but now it's refined to characters with black hair, dark eyes, and/or dress in Asian-inspired clothing. for instance...Goku is based on the Chinese Monkey King, wears a gi all the time, and has black hair and eyes...so i prefer to think of him as Asian. on the other hand...Vegeta has black hair and eyes, yet he doesn't dress in Asian-inspired clothing so he can be interpreted as whatever (not black of course). there are exceptions, of course, because both Roshi and Krillin are bald and Roshi has white facial hair....but they both dress in Asian clothing so they would be Asian.

that's just my preference.

 

[Star]

Hm. See, I always found that in DBZ Goku (to me) was white, like most of the characters on the show. However, I think it's mostly viewers perception.

I didn't take their clothing into account, but more so their way of being drawn. It seems to me that on anime shows, those who are meant to be asian are drawn with exagerated asian features. (For example, Brock from Pokemon) Since that was what I had always thought, I kind of assumed that almost all of the DBZ characters were supposed to be white. But I am white as well, so I (as a child) probably just thought everyone was ''like me''

But, I can see how the clothing thing fits in for you, and it does make sense, but in my mind, Goku will always be white. (Whether or not he 'really' was, I personally always thought he was white so I doubt my mind would have been changed)

 

[DorkyFresh]

Hm. See, I always found that in DBZ Goku (to me) was white, like most of the characters on the show. However, I think it's mostly viewers perception.

I didn't take their clothing into account, but more so their way of being drawn. It seems to me that on anime shows, those who are meant to be asian are drawn with exagerated asian features. (For example, Brock from Pokemon) Since that was what I had always thought, I kind of assumed that almost all of the DBZ characters were supposed to be white. But I am white as well, so I (as a child) probably just thought everyone was ''like me''

that's very understandable. like i said, my initial thought was that all characters with black hair and dark eyes were Asian and i'm sure the fact that i'm Asian has a lot to do with it. but for me, personally, i saw it more as that there are these martial artists going around with black, long spikey hair and up until the mid to late 90's there weren't that many white people with black spikey hairstyles....on the other hand, Asians have worn black spikey hair since the 80's. i thought if they were white, but still had dark hair...they would at LEAST have a different hairSTYLE (like Hercule for instance). so not only did my ethnicity come into play...my sense of visuals and fashion lead me to believe that Goku was supposed to look like an Asian. after all, there are plenty of anime out there where characters that are supposed to be Asian have exactly the same facial features as characters that are supposed to be White (much like DBZ), yet i don't go around arguing that the characters that are supposed to be white, in other anime, are supposed to be Asian.

But, I can see how the clothing thing fits in for you, and it does make sense, but in my mind, Goku will always be white. (Whether or not he 'really' was, I personally always thought he was white so I doubt my mind would have been changed)

well, we'll never REALLY know what ethnicity he's supposed to look like because as others have said....he's an alien, so like i said....it's really up to the individual to decide. if we were to be fair to ALL Earth races then a real life Goku would probably look like a mutt or a mix of all races....however, DBZ is a world that's definitely influenced by Asian culture....so it was only natural for me to think that Goku looks Asian.

 

[Syncos]

then you should've said that....but you didn't. when you mention only one race then you're directing your argument towards only that one race...


i know, but i find it funny that you targeted my posts that favor Goku as an Asian, yet didn't direct your post towards the many, many other people who argued that Goku is white. hmmmmmmm......

It's easier to quote one post, rather than 20. heh.

 

[The Joker_1000]

Besides that, Goku isn't either, he's a Saiyan. As far as we're concerned he has no ethnicity.

 

[Victarion]

Its a bit premature to be discussing Goku's ascent to SSJ, but I was thinking: For most fans, the big draw for the Cell Games was Gohan surpassing Goku. Maybe they could still do this, should be get three movies. Most of the folks on here want to end the series with Goku going SSJ on Frieza. What if Goku allows Gohan to be the one to best Frieza by sacrificing himself, thereby giving Gohan a shot at the alien tryant?

 

[The Joker_1000]

No, that's a horrible idea. I think that what should happen is Goku actually kills Freeza on Namek & Freeza's father King Cold or his brother Cooler comes to Earth & is killed by Trunks instead of Freeza being rebuilt. There's no way he could have half of his body missing, get blown away & then survive a planet exploding. All of that should've killed him.

 

[DorkyFresh]

It's easier to quote one post, rather than 20. heh.

so out of the 20 posts, you decided to chose one that happened to go against the majority huh? yeah, you quoted my post, just like you only addressed that Goku shouldn't be Asian at first...that is until i pointed out that if he's an alien then he can't be white either. don't try to cover yourself up dude, you can't...you've already shown your prejudice.

 

[Gotenks]

Besides that, Goku isn't either, he's a Saiyan. As far as we're concerned he has no ethnicity.

Agreed.

 

[The Joker_1000]

Yep, that's how it is. Except, no black or Mexican people should be cast in his role, of course. t:

 

[DorkyFresh]

Yep, that's how it is. Except, no black or Mexican people should be cast in his role, of course. t:

why can't he be mexican? i know a few light skinned mexicans...

 

[The Joker_1000]

I'm just saying, I'd rather go with an Asian or caucasion actor. I have nothing against Mexicans or blacks (since I am black) but it wouldn't work.

 

[DorkyFresh]

i know...i was just messin. i'd hate to see a Mexican Goku. though, i could imagine a Mexican named "Goku" sooner than i can imagine a white guy named "Goku", hehe

 

[WhatA.Tool]

i know...i was just messin. i'd hate to see a Mexican Goku. though, i could imagine a Mexican named "Goku" sooner than i can imagine a white guy named "Goku", hehe

hahaha your right

 

[RED-RAIN]

i believe vegeta1000 is right here guys, as akira toriyama, the man who created this, has said that goku and vegeta etc, are whatever the viewer sees them as...
so they are just saiyans.. white, asian...or, whatever we want them to be..

 

[The Joker_1000]

For the most part I identify Goku as a human, just with no ethnicity.

 

[RED-RAIN]

its open to interpretation, which is pretty cool

 

[The Joker_1000]

Yeah, he even identifies himself as a human, even after learning he was a Saiyan. I don't see why he shouldn't. Afterall, Saiyans & humans are quite similar despite their advanced strength & our better reproductive genes.

 

[RED-RAIN]

and the hair..the unchanging hair...
but does he flat out say hes human? or an earthling...but moot point, because thats pretty much the same thing

 

[The Joker_1000]

When Trunks tells him he'll ask his mother to make more Saiyan armor, Goku replies by saying he wants to fight as an Earthling. It's in the manga.

 

[RED-RAIN]

i know, i was just saying that he never says hes "human", they are pretty much the same, but then again...korin is an earthling as hes from earth..as is oolong..

 

[Batjosh]

Just my personal outlook, but it seems that in one Akira Toriyama interview it's noted that Dragonball was inspired by a trip to China. In another interview he confirms this in his own words... twice, even!

In the second interview linked above he also mentions the very Asian stylized Heaven and Hell.

So, considering that Akira Toriyama wrote the original Dragonball story with heavy Asian influences in mind and was selling the stuff to a purely-Asian audience, it's safe to assume that someone with a name like Son Goku is probably Asian.

So, should've Goku been Asian in the new movie? I personally would prefer it. I mean... Chatwin looks more like a "Steve" or something, anyway. Does that mean that Goku can't be portrayed by a Caucasian? Definitely not. Ian Corlett and Peter Kelamis did a damn good job voicing Goku back in the original DBZ dub.