My buddy from college made me rethink how I watch battle shonen

I was talking to my old roommate Mike last week about Anime. He was saying how he can't watch shows like Naruto or One Piece anymore because the power scaling is just silly. At first I got defensive because I love those shows. But then he pointed out how every arc just brings in a stronger villain that makes the old training feel pointless. That hit different because I realized I've been skipping the filler and the slower episodes just to get to the fights. Now I'm wondering if I'm even enjoying the story or just waiting for the next big punch. Has anyone else felt like the constant power ups cheapen the whole experience for you?

2 comments

2 Comments

bencampbell5h ago

Funny you mention that, because my cousin tried to get me into Dragon Ball Super last year and I had the same exact feeling. Every time Goku got a new form, I kept thinking, "Okay, but what's stopping the next bad guy from just being even stronger?" It got to the point where I was more impressed by the animation in the fights than the actual story beats. My cousin got so annoyed with me pointing it out that he just stopped inviting me to watch night. Now I stick to shows like Mob Psycho where the main character has this crazy power but the real drama is about him trying to be a normal kid.

beth_hunt5h ago

Oh man, I had a buddy who went through that exact thing. He was so hyped for Dragon Ball Super, bought all the merch, had the action figures on his desk. But after like the third or fourth tournament arc, he just stopped watching midseason. Said he felt like he was watching the same fight over and over, just with different colored hair. Now he just rewatches Gurren Lagann on loop and refuses to try anything new.