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What is the purpose of characters shouting out the name of their attack?
It seems to me that in a lot of anime (Naruto, Dragon Ball, Gurren Lagann, and Digimon are four that come to mind), characters or creatures who perform an attack tend to shout its name, almost as if necessary to perform such an attack. This seems very counterintuitive—telling your opponent that you're about to use a fireball would open you up to being blocked very easily.

Why do anime characters tend to shout the names of their attacks? (Bonus points: Has this spread into Western animation?)

Great question. I always wondered about that, too ...

At least in Naruto, the name is a required part of the technique. The words are what allows you to release you chakra. In Bleach, the use of the sword's names is required for explained reasons.

@MadaraUchiha That's more of an in-universe reason than a reason why the producers/writers would do it, though.

Ironically, I remember one instance (maybe in Alabasta?) where Usopp shouted the wrong attack name to deceive his opponent.

@empire539 Yep, in the Alabasta arc, but in Little Garden Island. He was against Mr.5 who was immune to explosives, so he shouted a "flame attack" to lure Mr.5 into eating while it was hot sauce, reeeeally hot; Mr.5 had eaten his flame attack before to show Ussop how useless it is.

According to this forum post:

It's a tradition where it was intended for young audiences to yell the attack names with the character. The tradition began with Mazinger Z, which is considered the first Super Robot anime. The producers of the show felt that if the main character, Kouji Kabuto, shouted out the attack names each time the mecha did them, then it would give the target viewers, who were aged around 3 to 10 at the time, the ability to literally join along in the fun.
The logic behind this is if the kids were to directly interact with a show they already liked, then they'd like it even more and would stick with the show in the long run. Needless to say, the strategy worked, and literally all other mecha anime in the 70's (sans First Gundam in late, late '79) copied the trend.
Thus, the tradition was born and still anime shows, regardless of whether they are mecha themed or not, use it, regardless of their target audience.

Also, It seems that it was also done to make the shows feel more intense. Something about the characters yelling their attacks just makes the action better.
Usually it's hinted at that the characters are only calling out the attacks in order to channel energy (much like how the characters in Harry Potter have to say the incantation for a spell in order to cast it), because if the attack names are removed then it will just be a bunch of grunts.. which seems pretty boring. ;)

This seems pretty good! Do you have a source for the Mazinger Z part?

@atlantiza http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mazinger_Z link in the sub heading Reception and influence 3rd paragraph its mentioned so.. Cheers !!! :)

Hmm, I see it talking about the attack names in the fourth paragraph of that section, but I don't see anything about the reason. The third paragraph seems to just be about the transforming robot genre. Am I missing it?

I also have referred other sites which i don't seem to remember.. I will update the same as soon as possible

http://forums.court-records.net/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=4454

I really like this answer but I don't think a forum post with no source of its own can really count as a source. :(

@atlantiza that is cool :) I love the answer too

@AjoKoshy In the future please included a link to your source if you are going to copy something word for word. Additionally, the ` (tilde) is intended to be used as code blocks so the code is rendered as text instead.

Wow, this answer is actually a really effective marketing tool. How many times have we all heard "Kame Ha Me Ha!" growing up?

Just wanted to drop by to say that in the Harry Potter universe, talented wizards/witches can cast nonverbal spells. Cheers.
http://harrypotter.wikia.com/wiki/Nonverbal_spell

@zyten that is correct, and yet they mostly use verbal ones so that everyone can follow. remember they do at least mention the color of spells to identify what is being used :)

@AjoKoshy Wrong. The use of verbal spells is because it is much harder to cast spell without saying the magic word. This is evident in when Harry tried to learn non-verbal spell. Often he would cast a spell different than intended when he do it non-verbally. Doing it verbally helps wizard to concentrate so that they don't cast the wrong spell.

The 1st anime I saw this in was Slayers and it was always cool to see what happens next.

Why do anime characters tend to shout the names of their attacks?

Most logical answer: "words grant power". It is also used when there is sorcery to be casted.
It makes them focus on the attack making the attack work (or work more efficient). The general idea is that such an attack is unavoidable. The attack is of such power that the opponent, even informed about the incoming attack, is never going to be able to stop it. Of course if they do stop it it also means that character is bound to find a new better, improved attack that does overpower the opponent.

(Bonus points: Has this spread into Western animation?)

Yes, some examples where I saw it happen...

Huntik.
Legion Of Super Heroes.
Inspector Gadget.
Ben 10 Alien Force.

I have seen several named attacks miss (Digimon is the most prominent example, where Child-level Digimon will always call the attack name but do miss quite often against Adult-level Digimon). This does seem to make sense, though. +1, but I'm going to wait to see if any other answers pop up before accepting one.

The major reason they do it for the benefit of the audience.  It helps the audience know what the character is doing.
It's more dramatic if the viewer knows that the character is using the "gumgum superduper pistol", than if Luffy just punches someone.

This is especially true going back to Go Nagai and Mazinger, sometimes you have no clue what an attack is (like breathing actually being a "rust" attack).

I had that in my answer too but removed it again: from a character's viewpoint the reader/viewer should not exist :=)

@Rinzwind That doesn't make it any less the reason

There's alot of overexplanation in both series and movies that can be pointless to the characters, but required for the audition. watch a serie or movie from the actual characters view, and you will notice quite a lot of duh's. it's simply an easy way to tell what's going on.

Bleach lampshades this by explaining that a special attack (or special move) is much more powerful if the name is SHOUTED.

According to this link, here are major purpose of characters shouting their attacks:

Words are powerful

The idea that words can grant power is a cross cultural phenomenon that shows up frequently in the earliest tales of swords and sorcery. Members of the Sinitic ethnolinguistic family in particular tend to ascribe special importance to the power of written characters, and the belief that special words can invoke control over supernatural power permeates their folklore (just ask your local Shinto, Buddhist, or Taoist practitioner if they've donated to a shrine or temple to have a talisman written lately). The magic power of spoken and written words was also a key concept in Ancient Egyptian religion and Ritual Magic.

Helps with building up chi

In terms of realism, this has some ground as traditional and even some current practitioners of martial arts hold the belief that accompanying statements and/or vocal noises alongside execution build up their chi, thereby increasing the power and efficacy of their moves and techniques.

Ensures proper breathing

Put less spiritually, saying a phrase at the right time during an attack ensures proper breathing. A call used for this reason is known as a kiai.

Secret societies & passing down of techniques

The naming of attacks also served a more practical purpose as many martial arts schools, Chinese ones in particular, used to be secret societies. The passing down of techniques was done orally and giving them esoteric names often facilitated this transmission.

Startle the opponent

Kiai has the potential to startle the opponent and give you an opening.

Spellcaster's invocation

This is also often combined with a spellcaster's Invocation, with the final part of the incantation being the name of the spell, cried out just as the spell is triggered (Spirit of Fire, gather into my hand and incinerate my enemies! FIREBALL!). A character who grows in power will eventually graduate to being able to do the initial incantation mentally, turning the final trigger into this trope completely.

For the commentator

A variant has a Combat Commentator recognizing the attacks being used (usually with a line like "That's the legendary such-and-such-and-something-or-other technique!") and explaining them to any other characters watching (and the audience, of course).

When there's no voice acting

Another variant, primarily found in video games, displays the attack name on screen as it is being executed, without a vocal "call". This typically happens in games where there is no voice acting; the call is implied. In fact, flamboyant attack/technique names are pretty much a trope in and of themselves.

Effective narrative device

There isn't really a simpler way to let the audience know that Captain Kirk's next phaser blast isn't supposed to kill the alien, or that Judge Dredd's next bullet is supposed to go "boom". Especially in manga, it's particularly difficult to let the reader know what special attacks are used without either motion or color, so having the characters say it is probably the most practical solution.

The shouting seems to be related to what in Martial Arts is called kiai (shout). Here an excerpt from martialarts SE about what kiai is for:

The expulsion of intent. Kiai acts as a declaration of your fighting spirit, your internal desire to prevail in those circumstances. This can be for intimidation, self-reassurance, rallying (the war cry was essentially a form of kiai), etc.

Source
TvTropes list some relevant kiai in anime and manga and relate its relevance in the West to the martial arts movie sub-genre. All the titles asked by the OP are present in this list.
Since I cannot find any academical study about the kiai in Japanese pop culture, for what I can see this can be more generally be interpreted as a speech act and particularly an explicit performative utterance, where:

The uttering of a performative is, or is part of, the doing of a certain kind of action

Examples are vows, war declarations, verbal agreements, promises.
So, using a basic philosophy of language knowledge and what we had know about kiai, the shouting is as important as the physical action of the character. In manga and anime it doesn't simply describe the act itself but it's a part of it. We identify instantly its importance because we are used to know performative utterances in our social life.

This isn't really the kind of "source-based" answer I was looking for - a source for definition of "kiai" and people on TVTropes guessing that kiai is deliberately put into manga/anime isn't very official. Thank you for your answer though; I think it's a likely possibility for the reason.

In absence of an interview to the authors asking this specific question related to a specific work, we can only look for some similar element from the same culture (kiai), adding the trivial interpretations by audience (TVTropes) and therefore its emerging importance and moving to the very core of the question, the interpretation of the sign. The last part is as "official" as the philosophy of language and should whet your interest.

Right, but speculation on TVTropes and defining a word is not what I was looking for. I thank for your answer, but just want to explain why I would not be awarding the bounty to it, so that you were not left wondering.

I can't find any official sources for how this started, but at this point, shouting your attack name is expected of battle manga/anime which is probably why it continues to be a popular practice.
According to an interview with Toriyama Akira (creator of Dragon Ball), his editor insisted that he include attack names even though Toriyama himself finds them rather silly:

"I don't really like giving names to attacks," Toriyama says. "I don't think the characters would be yelling out the names of their attacks in life-or-death situations. You'd get killed while yelling the name of your attack," he laughs. "But my editor said I'm better off giving attacks names."

In an earlier part of the interview, Toriyama also mentions that his editor advised him that having a quiet main character was having a negative effect on the series.

Torishima told me one time: 'your main character is too quiet. That's why it's not so popular.' I wanted to win readers with the story this time around, and I had even made the effort to come up with a normally dressed main character, so I was peeved, and I told him, 'I'll do some 'crowd-pleaser material, then.'

This "crowd-pleaser material" that Toriyama mentions ended up being a tournament - probably one of the easiest ways to pack in as many attack names as possible. And Toriyama says that the series' popularity did greatly increase because of this tournament.

I completely agree with Toriyama! Good sources, though, this is a very nice answer.

Interview is fine, but Toriyama's explanation simply move the problem to the editor's choice, leaving the question about the purpose and how this practice originated unanswered.

@chirale Yes, I agree that it is not a full explanation (as I admitted in the first sentence of my answer), but neither I nor the bounty hunters have been able to find a full explanation from an official source it seems.

It goes back to into Japanese culture. They're very heavily influenced by bushidō, various martial arts, even their religions (Shintō). The names of things are very important, im assuming it's just the way of the Japanese. Also it is common knowledge that shouting intimidates one's opponent.
It's known as the Kiai (a battle cry), it's to channel your energy at the enemy through your attack in Japansese martial arts. You'll see this a lot in anime, from the naming and personification of swords to mechs to spirit energy, internal strength (spirit energy) is channelled through these weapons.
Here is an article on it (Calling your attacks)..

If you can do something more impressive than just throw a punch, your
  attack(s) must have an equally impressive name. More than that, you
  have to call it out as you launch the attack. It doesn't matter if
  it's a martial arts move, a magical spell or your secret superweapon,
  if you can't say its name, it just isn't nearly as cool or effective.
  Also, expect plenty of echoing to come with it, and (if a fighter is
  feeling particulary bombastic) dramatic... pauses
  ...WITHAYELLATTHEEND! A standard feature of practically every Magical
  Girl, high fantasy, or martial arts anime.

The article also links to Western culture films that also use this or at least variants of it.. (not sure about animation). Who wants to see a silent fight after all?
ps. BANKAI!

In kendo we shout the names of the strikes that we are doing in order to release air from our lungs in a particular manner. It's also for judges to know what strike we are attempting so to score us. However, it's unnecessary to say the yell and the strike that goes with it. For example, I come in and strike "dou" and yell "men". As a beginner, it doesn't matter whether I say dou, kote or men, just so long as I say something in order to release the air from my lungs.
That is a possible origin of anime characters yelling out their attack.

Otherwise you (being an audience) will never know what's on their mind..
Take an example: Naruto, except few jutsus like Rasengan, Multi-shadow-clone which are very familiar, we may not understand the jutsu moves and their names, unless we have them by-hat..
And we are used to it and it sounds good to roar the name of jutsu :)


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Why didn't the Saiyajins raise up their power energy?
A Saiyajin can multiply his power if he takes great damage or is near death and is able to heal himself afterwards.
With that ability alone, they could rinse and repeat countless times before the first encounter with the Androids (you can't be too safe).
Goku and Vegeta have their pride and all, I get that. But Trunks and Gohan are much more rational (especially Future Trunks). So why didn't they do what Vegeta did on Namek with Dende for example?

plot holes yo!!

There are multiple things against this.

It needs a close death experience to gain power and they need to be healed afterwards, as Dende wasn't on earth at this time and they surely don't want to eat all the beans. It would take a lot of time to regain their full strength and they could die trying of course.
Vegeta and Goku would never use something like that to gain power because of their pride.
They might have underestimated the cyborgs
Future Trunks was not in this timeline on that time
Gohan was a kid at this time and he "had to study". His mother would have never allowed him to be beaten half dead and recovered just to increase power.

 6. Future Trunks might not be aware of this fact, since when he lived Goku and Vegeta were already dead and Gohan might never told him that.

As Exception from 2:

 Vegeta did this on Namek cause he hated Frieza, he destroyed the planet Vegeta and killed nearly all the Sajyans. (As exception of 2.)

Those are the reasons against, it in my opinion. There might be more, and some might not be right, but I hope you can use this answer.

Also, it would make the series rather dull if it were to happen that way. So the mangaka didn't do it that way :)

My to that answer is too long to the comment so please read this: https://gist.github.com/4331770

@MadaraUchiha This is the most obvious one :) but since the characters don't mind this it doesn't matter

@HashiramaSenju I add a coment to your github link, since my comment is to large for here. Everybody else, please be aware that there might be spoilers for you.

@Tartori OK, 1.So they could do it before the cell games at least.
Logically, Everything else it total guess of yours.
unless you give me hard evidence.

To add in Future Gohan probably never actually knew that. He might have gotten a power a spike when he lost his arm but never understood why. I'm pretty sure if he did there would have been no need for Trunks to travel back in the first place.

There was also the possibility they could have died while trying this, so it's not such a good strategy.

Come on, seriously? With dende on their side they can literally make a hole in their stomach and still live for incredibly long time, Then heal themselves.

First things first

Goku use in the spaceship, while going to Namek. (Seeds)
Vegeta ask Dende to help him with it in Namek. (Heal)
Gohan get power up thanks to the Old Kai. (Without getting damage, only releasing the hidden power)
Trunks and Goten never needed the power up (they used only the SSJ 3 form to do this)

The Androids appearance

Three years have passed since the visit by the mysterious Future
  Trunks. Goku, Piccolo and Gohan leave to go and face their destiny
  against enemies they have only heard about, but not seen. They are as
  prepared as they could be, though Piccolo wishes they had more time to
  become stronger.

Source: The Androids Appear - Summary (1st Paragraph)
The point that need to be considerate here is: You need to train your technique not only your power (check out how boxers or others professional fighters train before a fight)

There is no connection between what you said and what I wrote.
And if you follow the comments written under the Tartori answer You will see that they had more than one chance to do so.
In addition to that, By simple logic, When you are strong significantly from someone else, There is no meaning to the technique.

1. "When you are strong significantly from someone else, There is no meaning to the technique." The idea of teaching the weak to defeat the strong is an ancient tradition in the martial arts. The art of tai chi, for instance, in its original form as a fighting style rather than a health exercise, was supposedly developed so that a weaker fighter could learn to prevail over a stronger one through intelligent tactics. Source 2. your question is about the androids appearance.

3. use the CHAT for discussion/debate. 4. My answer is about WHY they prefer to train their skills over their power. 5. Try keep the comments inside the stackexchange sites.

Many, many years before, when Goku and Krillin were kids and were training under Master Roshi, he told them they had reached the top of their skills, and they could only improve becoming stronger, faster and more resiliant.

source: Stack Exchange

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How can Shenron revive people?
Shenron can bestow any wish as long as it does not exceed the power of his creator. Then how can Shenron (Earth) revive people, when Kami couldn't do it himself?
Edit:

I don't think you'll find answer from credible sources. Dragon Ball (And especially Dragonball Z) pretty much did whatever they wanted. Even if it meant bending the physics and power rules they've set for themselves.

Dude, charge your phone!

Do you still remember which chapter and page are the images (in the question and in your answer)?

@nhahtdh unfortunately not, it's been two years since I read it. Also, reading back on my answer - I believe it's actually incorrect, so it's gone now (but it was after the first image)

Another way of looking at this is that Kami did not understand the full extent of his Dragon Balls' power. You see the Dragon Balls getting stronger after Kami's ones, maybe because they knew how they function properly while Kami was still getting to know his limits. So, maybe Kami could revive people but left it to the Dragon Balls as they were harder to get, and were more of a trial for people; or, Kami just believed, "Shenron can bestow any wish as long as it does not exceed the power of his creator" because he did not know how to make Shenron more powerful. As much as I can remember and can find it was only Kami who said this, so most likely this was only a theory of his.

The problem with the second reason is that it was Shenron who mentioned the limit, rather than Kami as seen in my image above

It is theorized that Shenron does have the same power as Kami but the difference is that Shenron exclusively grants wishes, so he is much more efficient in that regard when using Kami's power.

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Who are all the kids in the final fight against Archdemon in the series?
In the scene where Yanagin is remembering the final battle against Archdemon, there are a bunch of kids. The only two I can identify are of course, Yanagin (being the only girl there and charged with looking after Archdemon after the tied battle) and Yoshitake Tanaka, who was Rubber Shooter. I think Toshiyuki Karasawa was also there, but he may have gotten his scar from a previous run-in with Archdemon.
So I am wondering if all the kids that gathered, are characters that appear in the series.


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Why does Goku give up against Cell?
During the Cell games, Goku knew he wouldn't be able to defeat Cell. But it's unlike a Saiyan to ever give up. Goku didn't give up when he fought Vegeta, or Freiza, or anyone else for that  matter. But why does he give up against Cell? This isn't consistent with Goku's character.

Goku couldn't have beat Cell

Also, "Gohan was meant to replace his father as the main protagonist following the Cell story arc" - DBZ wiki

From a storytelling perspective, he did it to surprise the readers by doing something unexpected. And I don't see how it is inconsistent with his character. Don't you think he was proud that his son would beat Cell?

Because he knew someone who could defeat Cell - his son, Gohan.
He knew for certain that his son Gohan would be able to defeat Cell, and so the fate of the world wouldn't 100% depend on Goku. And so, after tiring Cell for a bit, he gave up to allow Gohan to battle.

Yes. But my question was that it is unlike a Saiyan to give up. A Saiyan would fight to death, but not give up.

Yes, it is true. But Goku grew up and lived on Earth, so I think he does not have the pride that Vegeta or other Saiyans have.

Even this is the "official" reason given in the managa, it goku did act uncharacteristically dickish at that time.

Since Cell was one of Dr Gyro's creation could Goku have predicted that Cell would try and blow himself up and take the planet with him (maybe something Gyro would have done himself) and knew that him and Gohan could defeat cell but his instant transmission may be needed later on and would be unless if he was tired

Why did goku give cell the sensu bean is always a question after tiring him out. Did he know cell at his current state would not be able to challenge Gohan enough to ascend?

He greatly believed in Gohan and further his abilities. Goku realized he couldn't monitor the world for the rest of his life and wanted to give his son the opportunity to take over as guardian of the universe. Gohan needed a push to go to the next level.

It is true that Saiyans would not give up. But Goku had lots of characteristics which doesn't go with saiyan race.
The reason for this will be obvious if you carefully look at the childhood history of Goku. Even as a child Goku was very much a saiyan when Grandpa Gohan found him. He was very aggressive and short tempered and uncooperative. But after an accident where Goku falls from a ravine and gets hit on his head, he changes completely. He became a cheerful, loving regular boy. This incident attributes to many of the Goku's personality traits which are uncharacteristics of a saiyan, like sparing the defeated enemies, giving up when situation demands etc.,

Goku had a fair idea about Cell's level after he attained his perfect form. Goku was looking for answers for how can he surpass the level of a super saiyan, or if it's really possible. Luckily, they had something called the time chamber to their disposal which gave Goku plenty of time to figure it out.
Goku managed to come up with an ingenious idea to increase his stamina and increase his power whenever required by using up his reserves of energy which he could increase by improving his stamina. He understood the flaw in Vegeta and Trunks' techniques.
Now, if you recall: Goku didn't use the time chamber twice trying to push his new found powers further, which BTW was very unlike Goku who uses every opportunity when he faces such crises (remember before facing Frieza how he goes all out till 100G in his training). The reason for that was, Goku already found that Gohan had hidden powers sleeping, coming out in a training session. And Goku understood, if anybody had a chance against Cell, it was his son!
Now, coming to your question. Goku didn't need to fight in the first place, because he knew Cell will beat him to the ground when the battle is over. But he still fights for 2 reasons:

As a Saiyan warrior, challenges in combat like these are what they live for.
He wanted to show Gohan Cell's technique up close and personal watching his dads battle with him.

Goku knew all along he won't win, so when he thought his purpose of showing Gohan a good glimpse of Cell's fighting style, it was time to call the battle off and make way for his son to finish things off.
So that's the reason behind Goku's giving up, which Goku will die as a warrior before doing. But it was a teaching in disguise for his son.

When Goku was fighting Cell, he wasn't trying to win the fight. He wasn't even trying to tire out Cell to make the fight easier for Gohan. He was just trying to draw out all of his techniques so everyone watching could understand the opponent that was otherwise so mysterious. This was his plan from the very beginning of their training, but unlike Picollo he didn't pressure Gohan with this, he kept it a secret.
Goku knew that he couldn't win the fight against Cell, but he didn't give up because he was afraid to die, he gave up because he wanted to send a message to all of his friends who relied on him that he won't always be able to protect them, and that they have the power to protect themselves as well. Goku does a great job explaining this mentality at the very end of Dragonball Z when he says goodbye to his friends to train Uub. Goku knows that if the whole world relies on him everytime, then it will never truly be at peace. the people need a way to protect themselves, and the fight against Cell was the first time he really went forward to push this idea.
It is incredibly unlikely for a Saiyan of any temperment to give up in a tough fight, ESPECIALLY against a very strong opponent. This was no doubt really difficult for Goku to do, but he knew if he had just died, then gohan would never have had the confidence, or the composure to fight at his true potential. He needed his dad to tell him he can do it.
So, Why does Goku give up against Cell?
Because he needed to show Gohan that he had surpassed even his own father in strength and speed.

The main purpose of Goku entering the Room of Spirit and Time was to train Gohan. Goku was cognizant of Gohan's abilities - Gohan's ability to take his current level to another level when provoked. Gohan did this against Raditz, and Frieza (remember who when crazy on Frieza's 3rd form? Not Piccolo). Goku's idea what that if Gohan got to Goku's level, then that classic +1 ability would push Gohan past Cell. The purpose of Goku's fight was to show Gohan Cell's fighting style. That's all. Goku was confident. They had him (Goku), Gohan would could likely go into a higer berzerk level and a whole bunch of Senzu. Incidentally, Dragonball Z was a transition of the show being about Goku, to it being about Gohan. (dragonball was about Goku)

That is partly true. Goku was stronger than Cell but he wanted Gohan to defeat him. Simple as that. Later in the otherworld, Pikkon defeated Super Perfect Cell like he was nothing, and Goku and Pikkon were evenly matched when they were fighting in the otherworld tournament. So from that, Goku was able to defeat Cell.
Even if Pikkon was slightly stronger than Goku, Cell was still no match for him.

Neither Pikkon nor the Other World Tournament saga are canon, they’re anime filler.

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What happened to Goku's Nyoibou and Kinto'un?
Goku used to have a magical flying cloud (Kinto'un) and an extending staff (Nyoibou). Later on in the series (I think at DB-Z second half, but I am not sure), they were not shown on-screen anymore.
Considering the whole Dragon Ball series (DB-Z, DB-GT, etc)...
What happened to them? Were they destroyed, gifted, lost, stolen, or just hung out to dry?

Regarding the fate of the flying cloud (Kinto'un), according to Flying Nimbus article on Dragon Ball wiki:

During Dragon Ball Z, the Nimbus was used by Goku during the Vegeta Saga. He used the Nimbus to chase down and save Gohan from Raditz, and to race toward the battlefield to save his friends from the Saiyans, Vegeta and Nappa. The Nimbus perhaps most notably saved Gohan from being stomped to death by Nappa. After recovering in the hospital from the injuries he received during the fight with Vegeta, Goku uses the Nimbus once more to travel to the Capsule Corporation and begin his journey to Namek in Dr. Brief's Capsule Corporation spaceship. This is Nimbus' last appearance for quite some time, as most characters learned high-speed flight, which far outclasses the Nimbus' speed.
It is seen again in the Great Saiyaman Saga when Gohan also used it to fly from Mount Paozu to Orange Star High School, and even raced with it after becoming Great Saiyaman. He later gave it to his little brother Goten after getting the Great Saiyaman Watch from Bulma, which allowed him to fly without the fear of someone recognizing him. The Nimbus is only used by Goten once, as he would soon learn to fly after Gohan teaches him. This would be the final time the cloud would appear in Dragon Ball Z. In the 2004 kanzenban edition of the manga, four new pages drawn by Akira Toriyama were added to the final Dragon Ball manga volume. They depict Goku giving his Flying Nimbus to Uub while they are leaving Papaya Island.

As for the extending staff (Nyoibou), according to Power Pole article on Dragon Ball wiki:

When Goku shows up for the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament, he is also carrying the Power Pole. After the 23rd tournament, Goku uses the pole to fight Annin in the final episode of Dragon Ball. Four years later, Goku uses the Power Pole against Garlic Jr. and his henchmen in the movie Dragon Ball Z: Dead Zone. While Goku was training with King Kai in the Other World after his death fighting Raditz, the Power Pole was shown strung between Korin Tower and Kami's Lookout. Brought by Gohan in Wheelo's fortress, Goku uses the Power Pole again in the battle with Dr. Wheelo in Dragon Ball Z: The World's Strongest. Following this, Goku retires the Power Pole, presumably because he does not have much use for it with his rapidly ascending power.
In the Garlic Jr. Saga, the pole is not between Korin Tower and Kami's Lookout but in Korin's possession, as seen when he bets it in a poker game with Maron and Yajirobe. The Power Pole is later seen extending from Korin Tower to the Lookout several times during the course of Dragon Ball Z, and Goku is seen with it one final time in the Japanese ending credits of "Until We Meet Again", the last episode of Dragon Ball GT.

As seen in the 2 articles, the flying cloud and the extending staff are still there, but no one really uses them. Goku has the extending staff with him in GT, but that is later in the series and he doesn't even use it.

Regarding Kinto Un, Goku gave it to Gohan and, later, had been used by Goten.
Nyoibou was given to Goku by his grandfather Son Gohan. Before, it was used to connect Karin's Tower to Kami's Palace. Goku used it to reach Kami's Palace during his training with Kami, before his fight against Piccolo in the last part of the Dragon Ball serie. It is there until now and can be seen in several DBZ episodes.

Kinto'Un is seen again in Dragon Ball Super when Goku and Krillin enter a forest where they encounter gigantic versions of all the major villains in Dragon Ball Z which grow as they use energy, so Goku calls on Kinto'Un so he can get a view from above without spending energy to fly.


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Why have people's wishes become so powerful after God vanished?
In the anime, several wishes are in place, from creating alternate realities (Alice, Dee), to immortality (Humpnie) and absolute life or death (Ulla, Celica).
Why are people's wishes so powerful? Were they like that before God vanished?

Actually, yes. Throughout the series, it is mentioned that the reason humans can actually live they way they can is because God has given them their "wish". The reason for the immortality (even if it is miserable) is because God has given up on them and given the human beings what they desired. (Even if it's not a great idea...)
So, this whole thing became possible because of the humans wishes and what they thought was best. So, since this happened before "God" vanished (or as God did, that is) it's safe to assume that perhaps God was capable of fulfilling a few things here and there, too.
This is just speculation but perhaps God has not abandoned them completely just yet.


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Why did Goku have a halo when he was fighting Janemba?
While fighting Janemba in the DBZ movie, Goku had a halo.
Also while he transformed into SSJ3, he told Janemba that he is the second one to push him as far, for him to turn SSJ3 (the first time being against Majin Buu).
But wasn't Goku alive after he killed Buu?
Is there something I'm missing?

The DBZ movies are usually a little odd in terms of the overall continuity. They can usually be stretched to fit, but most don't fit very comfortably in the series as a whole (with the exception of History of Trunks, which is pure continuity) and end up between episodes, in odd parts in the series (like this one), or just don't make a lot of references to timeline.
That said, most of the movies have a "consensus" placement from the fan base, or at least enough to put it in the right location. For this movie, here's what the DBZ wiki has to say on the matter:

The movies' events occur during the Majin Buu Saga, roughly before the
  Majin Buu conflict reaches its climax with the advent of Super Buu.
  When Goku transforms into a Super Saiyan 3, he says the fight with
  Majin Buu was the only time he had ever been pushed so far. This
  suggests that the Majin Buu Saga happens within this film's
  background. The fat Majin Buu is not seen anywhere, but if Kid Buu has
  been defeated, then both Goku and Vegeta should be alive again. This,
  along with the ability of Goten and Trunks to fuse as Super Saiyans,
  suggest that Dragon Ball Z: Fusion Reborn is set around episode 253,
  where Goten and Trunks successfully use the Fusion technique as Super
  Saiyans for the first time. Additionally, Mr. Satan is not at Majin
  Buu's house in the movie, which is consistent with the fact that he
  left the Majin's house in episode 253 to get dog food for Bee. As
  shown on Videl's watch, the movie takes place on a Saturday, the 16th;
  which is 9 days after the 25th World Martial Arts Tournament (which
  took place on May 7 of Age 774).
[Source]

Basically, this movie is placed within the Buu saga, while Goku is dead, but after his SSJ3 transformation. As you can see, it "fits" in cannon, but very oddly (in my opinion).
So, why does Goku have a halo? Because he is, temporarily, dead. But he seems to be off and on dead throughout the series, and still manages to save the universe, so it shouldn't be that surprising.

Another flaw is in the Janemba movie, goku and vegeta would fuse their body to defeat him. But against Buu in the kai planet Goku will be surprised to see Vegeta to have a body??? It's like Goku never met Vegeta after he is dead.


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Why didn't Cell teleport to Earth after his death?
After Cell blew up, he said he learned the instant transmission technique from Goku, using which he teleported back to Earth from the King Kai's planet
So once he's killed by Gohan he still could have came back right???
Why didn't he come back???

When Cell was killed by Gohan, he was just that, killed. He was actually dead this time, and was sent to King Yama to be judged. Once you're dead, you can't just teleport back to Earth. You have to either be revived or given temporary rights to be in the physical world. As Cell met neither of these requirements, he had no way to go back to Earth, using Instant Transmission or otherwise, since there is concept of Heaven and Hell in the Otherworld: once a person is sent to Hell, he cannot just come out unless he is purified or the boundaries of Hell itself are broken by other means. Which is why Goku was able to bend the rules of Otherworld but the evil characters could not.

No you are wrong. In the DBZ movie, where Super Brolly is cloned and unleashed in earth, Goku will teleport himself from King Kai planet even when he was dead after fighting Cell. Also King Kai will be mad that Goku keeps breaking the rules

@mani_nz This also happened in the movie Bojack Unbound. Goku can teleport to the living world for a short time, although he is not supposed to. The reason Cell couldn't teleport is because he, unlike Goku, lost his body when he died.

Wrong again. Cell had his body. If you remember the Super android 17 saga, cell and freiza were fighting goku

Just wanted to mention that the DBZ movies aren't cannon

I'd quote a few excerpts from the relevant episodes to clear your doubt.
First, to explain how Cell was able to come back after being teleported by Goku to King Kai's planet. Episode 189 : Cell Returns(emphasis mine)

After killing Future Trunks, Cell explains how he survived after the explosion of King Kai's planet. Cell explains that his central nucleus had survived, allowing him to regenerate, and that his cells had retained the knowledge of his perfect power. Being of Saiyan genetics, Cell also reveals to have received a Zenkai, a power up for recovering from a near fatal injury. After hearing about how Cell survived, Gohan powers up to his maximum, and is ready to avenge his father's death.

Next to explain why he wasn't able to re-generate when Gohan and Goku killed him with their Kamehamehas. Episode 191: Save the World(emphasis mine)

With Goku saying "NOW'S YOUR CHANCE!" to his son, Gohan screams and releases all of his energy at Cell. Cell then screams as he is destroyed by the attack. The energy wave is strong enough to vaporize every cell in his body, preventing Cell's regeneration. Cell is finally destroyed once and for all, and the Earth is safe again.

So as you can see, the first time when Cell self-destructed, his central nucleus had survived that blow and he was able to regenerate and come back, but the second time, the Kamehamehas of Goku and Gohan combined was so great that every single cell of Cell was destroyed and he was gone for good. Thus, he couldn't regenerate and come back.
Note that, if instant transmission was all that was required for a dead man to return back to Earth, Goku could have done that almost always. After anybody dies, they go to the Other World and to come back from there, you either need to be brought back to life by using the Dragon balls or be granted Temporal revival energy. Since Cell was neither brought back to life nor was granted any temporal revival energy, he stayed in the Other World post his death.

No you are wrong. In the DBZ movie, where Super Brolly is cloned and unleashed in earth, Goku will teleport himself from King Kai planet even when he was dead after fighting Cell.
Also King Kai will be mad that Goku keeps breaking the rules.

@mani_nz - Wrong. Goku isn't dead at that time. He is still alive and this movie happens between the episodes 176 and 177. Have a look at the wiki.

Nope. Check this link,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_x-uN50iZwI

The reason why Cell could not return back to earth after Gohan destroyed his body is that hell has a barrier around it that makes it so no one can leave. When Goku is dead, he is in the spirit world and can use instant transmission to go back and forth.
Cell was able to use the instant transmission technique when Goku grabbed him and used it to get him away from earth. The explosion from Cell didn't completely destroy him, so he could rebuild himself into perfect form.
Once Gohan used his full power to destroy Cell, no part of him was left in the living world for him to regenerate back to. Cell was actually was dead. Cell was instantly transferred to hell once he died. He didn't go to the spirit world and see king Yema or anything; he just went straight there.
Once he is in there, he cannot leave due to the fact that the barrier around hell made it so no one could leave. For someone to leave hell, someone has to make a hole in the barrier like in the movie Super Android 17.
When Goku is in hell trying to get out in the movie he cannot since the barrier is up. Goku tried multiple times to get out without the help of Piccolo. When he created the bridge with Piccolo, it caused a hole in the barrier and he was able to use instant transmission out of hell and back to earth.


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Why did Cell and Frieza keep their bodies after they died?
I thought only kind people who have great achievements could keep their body in hell or heaven so that they can continue to improve; Kami said that when Goku died the first time. But why did people like Cell, Frieza, Dr. Gero (and this one can't even fight!) keep their bodies? What's more, Baby didn't show up in hell. Why did all of this happen?
And why did Chi Chi keep her body when she died? She was sent to heaven in a flower ground with some other people when Goku was fighting Majin Buu.

@user6477 It has to be fillers. I have never heard of a Scene in Hell that was actually Canon material and not filler, Movie, Or GT, all 3 of which are not canon. Even the Wiki says that about hell. Chichi did not have a body as i recall either, her soul just took on a form similar to her body(probably for identification reasons, as all souls look alike) but she still had the soul tail and no legs. Even Frieza in the newer mostly canon movie was shown in Heaven, not hell, Though immobilized and with no power to be tortured by All things good.

It was also the case for Raditz and the Ginyu Force. It puzzles me too and there was never a definitive reason given. I think it's because they are strong fighters when compared to the other 'normal' people who go to the Other World. For example, when Raditz died, King Yama told Goku that Raditz was unruly and he had to subdue him. He also said that he was going to send Cell down below, but he would have liked that so he gave the stamp of approval to stay above. I don't think there is a definitive answer for this, though it is likely due to the fact that they are all strong fighters.

It doesn't explain why Vegeta didn't keep his body

@TAAPSogeking It was never explained. All the answers here are speculative.

That's an inconsistency introduced by the anime. They introduced them in fillers, to be able to make more chapters from the manga. As with other fillers, that was inconsistent with the more coherent manga.
In the manga, only a few warriors are allowed to have their bodies in the alterlife. Other souls were shown as little clouds. Specifically, evil souls were punished, purified and removed of any memory before reincarnation.

I don't think it was ever really explained, not in the anime at least. At first I thought it was just all hell-goers kept their bodies, but you'd think there'd be a lot more down there. It's gotta be something along the lines of what iKlsR suggested: skilled and well-trained fighters.
Regarding Baby, that's in GT and it's probably better to not consider him when figuring it out simply because you can't determine if it's 100% canon or not.


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Why could the dragon not bring back Goku after he fought Frieza?
After Goku fought Frieza and the planet blew up, everybody on earth thought Goku was dead. So they used the dragon balls to wish to bring Goku back to life, but the dragon then told them that Goku was still alive. They then asked the dragon to teleport Goku back to Earth. The dragon then said no, because Goku did not want to.
So why would the dragon listen to Goku, who was not making the wish?

Maybe because their original wish was to bring him back alive. Since Goku wasn't dead, their wish won't have any effects at all. But since they changed their wish, your question is still valid. Or maybe you can't change your original wish? Just guessing.

If I remember correctly, Goku sayd to Porunga, that he doesn't want to return to earth. When I have time, I'll watch it again.

Porunga is not able to relocate someone against their will as stated in the Porunga Wikia. Its his limitation. As Shenron has his own limitation like granting only one wish, not able to resurrect the same person more then one time. Porunga has his own limitation of not relocating someone without his own will.

But if I remembered correctly Gohan did not want to leave his dad. but he still was transported back to earth. I can be wrong, has been a while since I watched dbz

@user1526 didn't remember which episode you are referring , give me a little time to dig a bit more.

I am referring to the episode where everybody is wished back to earth except for Goku and freeza. if I am right Gohan did not want to leave his daddy, but still got teleported to earth(against his will).

@user1526 i think he never said no to porunga directly and he agreed later.

If I have the time ill watch it again, but for now I am satisfied :D

So Vegeta really wanted to leave Namek?

@IG_42 Probably.  It was about to explode and he did seem pretty convinced that Freiza and Goku were both well beyond his current power.  Of course, my interpretation of the scene in this answer is that "those of sufficient (will)power can prevent the relocation", and only Goku had the requisite amount of (will)power at that time.  Dendee's dragon was based upon Shenron, including Shenron's limitations, and Shenron was already known to be unable to forcibly relocate or kill those stronger than itself (it couldn't get rid of Nappa and Vegeta originally).

I am not sure about this, but I have two theories.

Goku is much stronger than Shenron and Shenron was simply too weak to teleport Goku against his will.
Shenron is generally not able to grant wishes which are against one specific will.

Here is another discussion about this topic. I did not read everything so I don't know if they got a real answer.

Sorry that I don't comment your question, but I don't have enought reputation. So I "answered".

Shenron was the dragon from kami right?but the wishes where made on Dendee's dragon. don't know if it would add anything

Thats right. But I still think Goju was stronger as super sayan ;).

@j0chn he is Porunga  not Shenron. Because Shenron doesnot exists after fusion of Picolo.

Maybe because Goku/Kakarot was going to come back in due time anyways. So the dragon let it slip by like when the dragon had to check if he could make a certain wish. Maybe the dragon only does stuff that can't already happen naturally.

An early wish in Dragonball came from Oolong, and he simply wished for a pair of girls underwear.  Even though we might reasonably believe Oolong couldn't convince a girl to give these to him, he could simply go out and buy them at a store.  So that easily happens naturally, yet still gets granted.


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What is the formal term for energy in Dragon Ball Z?
In Bleach, the term is "reiatsu". In Naruto, it is "chakra". However, all I ever really heard in DBZ is "power level". Is there a more formal descriptive term for the source of their powers or the energy they give off?

The original Japanese term is ki (pronounced the same as "key", written as 気). It can also be spelled chi or qi. The same term is used for a concept in martial arts, though naturally Dragon Ball's version is quite a bit different from this. In the English dubs, this term is never used, and "energy" is used throughout the series.
According to Toriyama, there are 3 components of ki, namely Genki (元気, roughly meaning Energy), Yūki (勇気, Courage), and Shōki (正気, Mind). Ki also can be positive or negative. The various charge up and transformation sequences are all done in order to increase one's ki.
Dragon Ball Wiki has more information on ki in the series.

I didn't got why they skipped it in English dubs

@AnkitSharma I'm no expert, but isn't it because "ki" just isn't English? And it wouldn't make sense to only partly translate the sentences and leave random words like 'ki' in Japanese?

Power levels measure their strengths alone. Ki measures the energy they have, and to do certain attacks they need to focus their ki, like when Gohan was teaching Videl how to fly, she pushed her ki to the bottom of her feet to fly!

In Naruto, they refer to energy or ki/chi as chakra, but they don't go into detail about the human chakra energy system, but yes, they're basically the same thing. It's all energy, just explained differently.
An interesting relation to DBZ - 7 dragon balls, 7 characters, Goku's grandfather gave him the 4 star dragon ball, or it could be seen as the heart chakra.
Google "chakra" and learn about the human in-built energy system. It ties in body function with human emotion and fundamentally gives us both life and existence.
Shaolin monks use energy in their system of fighting, integrating both body and soul with the focus of their energy through fighting. It's not too dissimilar from DBZ (although DBZ takes to another level, well, because they can :P).
Anyhow that's my 2 cents.


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Why are the shounen lead protagonists usually shown to be stupid?

One Piece's Luffy,
Naruto's Naruto,
Fairy Tail's Natsu,
Reborn's Tsuna,
Dragon Ball's Goku

All of the above are shown to be simple-minded and foolish.
Why is it so common to depict the lead protagonist to be so stupid?

Kishimoto's inspiration in the conception of Naruto (the character) was Goku.

It's not just shounen. The same is true for shoujo. Gakuen Alice, Tokyo Mew Mew--the MCs are stupid in them too.

Also, one possible reason is that it leaves room for growth.

This is a common archetype in many forms of fiction, not just shounen anime and manga. for instance, many seinen romance series have protagonists who are usually at or below average intelligence, e.g. Clannad, Chobits, though seinen also has some intelligent protagonists like those from Death Note or Ghost in the Shell. Shoujo series also sometimes use this archetype. However, I suspect it is especially common in shounen series and other series targeted at children.
One reason for this is that if the protagonist frequently spends a lot of time deeply considering things, and comes up with complicated logical thinking to justify his actions, it can easily confuse some of the viewers, particularly younger children. In a mystery series, this might be acceptable, because the viewer is expecting to have to think critically to follow what's going on, but in an action series, it detracts from what most people are watching for.
Another reason is that for the protagonist to be a good hero (or arguably even a good antihero), they need to be identifiable to the average viewer. It's easy to identify with people who aren't as smart as you are, because at some point in your life you were like that. Since some of the viewers will be fairly young, to make this work you need to make the character at or below their intellectual level, which makes them appear really dumb considering their age. It's much harder to identify with someone who is far smarter than you. Extremely intelligent characters are supposed to be impressive rather than identifiable (e.g. Light and L from Death Note, who are identifiable in other ways, but not in terms of their  intelligence). Of course, it's also possible to just make the character average intelligence and not put any emphasis on that direction (and lots of series do this), but shounen protagonists tend to be more like caricatures than real people, i.e. they have exaggerated features and characteristics, and intelligence is often one of them.
It's also worth noting that most shounen action shows were, at least originally, marketed to young boys. Most young boys are far more interested in being strong than in being smart. By making the character below-average intelligence, but unbelievably strong, it makes the character simultaneously identifiable and admirable.
There's also the comedy aspect. Almost all of these series involve comedy. For whatever reason, many people find people doing stupid things to be funny. A lot of these series exploit this by making the protagonist almost useless outside of battle. In the traditional Manzai style of comedy, they play the boke role, which is usually the more interesting role (hence fitting of the protagonist). That isn't to say that intelligent characters can't be comical, but it isn't as easily exploitable with little-to-no effort as it is if the protagonist is unintelligent.
Finally, the protagonists in most of these series are idealists. Intelligence, by and large, correlates with pragmatism, at least in anime. Pragmatic characters make good generals, but typically not interesting ones. To put it a different way, pragmatism wins wars, but idealism leads to epic battles, and in an action series that's what counts. Dragon Ball wouldn't be nearly as interesting if Goku resorted to some form of guerrilla tactics to win each battle, even though it might make things easier. The protagonist usually has some more level-headed allies who will pull out if they really are in a losing battle (e.g. Nami, Piccolo), but these characters aren't the ones you're supposed to identify with. Also, idealism is often portrayed as admirable in these series, which further adds to the character's good qualities.
There's also the aspect of tradition, as kuwaly's answer points out. So I think there are a lot of reasons why it works well to have an idiot hero in shounen action series, so it's understandable why they are common.

This seems to be a general feeling of creators for shounen, that characters should be straightforward and stupid. A lot of them also seem to have been based off of Dragonball
Regarding Naruto:

When creating Naruto, Masashi Kishimoto incorporated into the character a number of traits he felt made an ideal hero: a straightforward way of thinking, a mischievous side, and many of the attributes possessed by Son Gokū from the Dragon Ball franchise. He also made sure to keep Naruto "simple and stupid," since he does not like smart characters. Naruto himself is not modelled after anyone in particular, being conceived as childlike, with something of a dark side as a result of his harsh past. Despite this, he is always positive, making him unique in Kishimoto's eyes.

Regarding One Piece (it is worded slightly differently now, but this is where I originally got it from):

When drawing One Piece, Eiichiro Oda was heavily influenced by the manga Dragon Ball, and had the series in mind when designing his characters. Oda has said that when he was creating Luffy, he was thinking about "manliness", because Dragon Ball had already done all the things that a child could possibly be happy about.

Regarding Dragon Ball (also now worded slightly differently):

The Dragon Ball universe began as a loose adaptation of the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West, with Goku starting off as more or less a parody of Sun Wukong the Monkey King. Similarities between the two include Goku's prone for mischief as a child (due to his innocence), possession of Nyoibo (Sun Wukong's staff that can fill the entire universe), and Flying Nimbus (the magical cloud the Great Sage rode on in Journey to the West). As the Dragon Ball manga continued its run, he was able to develop differently, eventually turning out to have similar origins.

Wow, impressive. Could you supply links to the quotes' sources? Not that I didn't google for the whole quotes text (and find probable sources), but I am rather unwilling to just slap some random link here.

I added the sources, though some of the wording on the Wikipedia pages is slightly different because the original answer is from 1.5 years ago.

Nicely done sir.

Shonen, for me, is all about doing the hard things. It's about effort, moving past self-doubt, facing impossible odds, and somehow through luck, faith, and grit you make it through. I think to do any and all of that instinctively, you have to be a little stupid.
I consider myself a smart person. Most of my friends are smart. My parents are smart. My brothers are smart. I think I know smart people. Smart people analyze things. They think about the odds, about their abilities, the utility of a certain action and do a rough calculation in their heads before they make decisions. In the real world, it's the right way to go. The trouble comes when you do too much analyzing and distance yourself from reality and hope.
Shonen heroes never do such a thing. They bulldoze their way past insecurity. They don't give it a second thought. All they know is that if they stick with it, if they keep punching, if they keep climbing, they will get where they want to go. Even if it's stupid. Even if it's impossible. They're insane or dumb. That's the only explanation. You can't just solve things by punching your enemies. You can't just keep running on a race track till your soles bleed or you collapse. You can't kneel for three days to make a point.
But they can.
And that's why it's so addictive. Because I want to believe that I can be like that. I want to be able to laugh off failure and keep trudging. I want to believe that the most important things in life are being a good friend, never giving up, and always following my own path, even when every rational indicator tells me to turn back or to hedge my bets.

Those protagonists aren’t dumb, but more so simple-minded. There are some definitions of the word that make it seem like simple-minded equals stupidity, but it honestly doesn’t mean stupid. People who are simple-minded can still problem solve pretty well even if it takes them longer to figure it out. They think and solve things simplistically, have simple ideologies, and have simplistic goals. That doesn’t make the characters stupid, their brains work a bit differently than the average person. They typically rely on their own strengths and abilities to make it through the day. They are in many ways seen as survivalists and are more practical than reasonable. This makes for very stubborn protagonists who don’t give up. For example, I kind of know someone who thinks this way, he can fix cars and trucks like it is second nature to him, and he’s done some insane fixes that other car mechanics find insane to attempt, and he just relies on what he has to solve these problem. Although he struggles in math and with solving puzzles. Like he absolutely hates puzzles because it takes a lot of brain power to solve stuff like that. That kind of problem solving isn’t their best ability. People believe that intelligence means you do well in school and make good grades. People who don’t do well in school are considered unintelligent. That isn’t the case. Intelligence comes in many forms and you can be intelligent in gathering and retaining knowledge but struggle with social or survival intelligence.
With that said, why does shounen have simple-minded characters. Well they are typically the easiest to develop and also provide good comedy to the anime. When you have characters that think simplistic than they usually struggle a lot in many areas. Later on you put other characters in those protagonists’ lives to build up those simplistic protagonists  through influencing. Their struggles can be seen as relatable to most who struggle in their teenage or young adult life, but at the same time it is also suppose to make you feel better about yourself because you aren’t struggling as much as those kind of protagonists. I would argue though that there are plenty of shounen that have genius level protagonists and also a few that have average protagonists. However the ones you’ve listed do have that shounen troupe of the protagonists having simplistic thinking and problem solving.
I don’t know if you’ve watch Hunter X Hunter, but Gon has that same simple-minded protagonist troupe in this shounen anime. He thinks simplistically, but the writer does show that Gon can problem solve well and even better than the other characters during certain situations. He is shown to struggle with higher level concepts and explanations, but finds his own way around it or to understand those concepts. I don’t think anyone who watches the anime considers Gon stupid. There is an understand among those characters that Gon thinks differently than them, and the smarter characters in the anime are both fascinated with and sometimes make light humor of Gon’s thinking and how it affects his actions and judgements. Unlike the other animes like Naruto where all the characters call him stupid for struggling which makes them underestimate him. I’ve watched Naruto so much to know that he isn’t stupid and it is just that other character calling him that. It’s suppose to be humorous but it can give people like you the wrong idea about these protagonists. When people around those characters call them stupid, than that influences how you view those characters. It’s psychology, look up Asch Conformity Experiment on YouTube. It can help explain why you think these protagonists are stupid because the other characters consider them stupid and you believe them those characters to be right about the protagonists.

One of the reason for this is that we get attached to this type of personalities. Moreover, they sometimes make the viewers optimistic as the protagonists being stupid achieve many things which seems impossible!


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Has Miko Ino's morality been corrupted?
In Volume 16, Miko Ino does and says some things that don't seem to match her rigid sense of justice and morality. In Battle 154: Kaguya Shinomiya's Impossible Demand: "A Cowrie a Swallow Gave Birth To," Part 2, Miko Ino offers alcoholic truffles to her classmates at a party, saying,

"If you want to get drunk for real, you can have some of my whiskey-filled truffles."

When asked whether this is legal, Miko Ino replies with a legal loophole,

"The Minors Prohibition Act forbids the serving of alcohol to underage kids. But food isn't forbidden, so it's legal. Plausible deniability. But please don't have too many."

Then, even worse, in Battle 156: Miko Ino Can't Love, Part 2, Miko Ino chastises Ishigami for not engaging in promiscuous activities with someone who might have been drunk (Ino might not have known this) and who was only willing to engage in such activities out of pity for Ishigami (or rather, she didn't want to let him down or hurt him). Miko Ino says,

"How could you be so stupid?! I can't believe you just ran out of the room and abandoned Tsubame! You chose your stupid pride over... Sigh You're beyond help. You must have hurt Tsubame's feelings. You're a man... Why would you get cold feet? You should have considered how she would feel if you rejected her."

What is the best way to understand these events? Is Miko Ino distraught and acting out of character? Has the craziness of the student council eroded her sense of justice? Or is this a matter of cultural difference? Are Japan's mores so different from the ones I'm familiar with in my own culture that it causes these events to seem strange? I suspect there is a difference in mores, but I've seen Ino complain about illicit relationships , so I'm not sure cultural differences can fully explain this.

'engaging in promiscuous activities' --> the issue here is at least 1 is underaged right? (I recently read these chapters so I can now read without being spoiled. Lol)

Updated Answer
Previously, it was difficult to be sure just what was going on with Miko Ino. An actual answer on whether she was depressed or not was subverted so many times; particularly if it was Shirogane doing the questioning, it would turn out Miko Ino was merely being happy-go-lucky with one of her strange hobbies, and then some ominous foreshadowing at the end would cast doubt on how to interpet what had just happened. But finally, in Battle 190: The Senior Classmate and the Junior Classmate, Part 3, and Miko Ino Can't Love, Part 5, has given a definitive answer that Miko Ino has indeed been distraught over Ishigami dating Tsubame. At the very end, when Shirogane just gets straight to the point (finally) and asks "Do you like Ishigami?", Ino replies with

I... hate him. He isn't serious. He flouts rules. He's stupid. He's not my type at all.  But when... I heard he went on a date with Tsubame... I felt a sharp sting in the back of my nose... And my heart hurt. Shirogane... How do I handle this?

Ino is crying in the panel, and this conversation definitively and explicitly proves that Ino is indeed distraught over Ishigami dating someone else, and that is why she has been acting so odd. Notably, it does not explicitly confirm that Miko Ino is in love with Ishigami, and there could possibly be more subversion in the future (I don't expect there to be, but it's possible), but this is also not what this question is asking. This quote definitively proves Ino is deeply distraught, for whatever reason, because of Ishigami dating Tsubame. This answers the question, but I'm maintaining the rest of my answer because it offers additional details I find of interest.
Rest of the Answer
Due to my own lack of knowledge, I can't speak to the cultural differences in play here (though I do think they're relevant), but there is textual evidence to suggest that Miko Ino is distraught over Ishigami romantically pursuing another girl, which is likely making Ino behave strangely.
Though Miko Ino doesn't acknowledge her feelings to herself, it is implied by other characters and by how she secretly assists Ishigami that she probably has romantic feelings for him. For instance, Ino seems to greatly enjoy Ishigami waiting hand-and-foot on her while her arm is broken.
In Battle 158: Miko Ino Can't Love Part 3, there are many implicit suggestions. While talking to her friends, Miko Ino says,

Hey, I've been wondering... How can I explain this...? I've been trying to figure out... How come... Ishigami came over... afterwards, and...

From the text and from the strange look in her eyes, it seems Miko is confused about her own thoughts and feelings for Ishigami. Onondera's response is

"Well... Now's your chance... to make Ishigami your slave. He needs an outlet for his guilt anyway... so it's a win-win situation for both of you."

To which Miko Ino gives an affirmative response. On the other hand, Ino's friend Kobachi Osaragi sees trouble coming, leaving us with this ominous statement at the end of the chapter:

"Uh-oh. This is a bad strategy. Really bad. This is really bad. Miko is... going to realize it soon."

And this is said against the backdrop of a picture of Ino blushing while holding Ishigami's hand as he helps her up the stairs.
There is some textual evidence of Ino being a bit distraught. In Battle 154: Kaguya Shinomiya's Impossible Demand: "A Cowrie a Swallow Gave Birth To," Part 2, a dismayed and worried Ishigami notes,

"Damn it. She looks desperate for male attention."

Further proof of both Ino being distraught over Ishigami courting someone else and of her having romantic feeling for Ishigami is in the same chapter, when she slurs these words:

Why are you alwaysh... so mean to me? You don't talk like that to anyone elshe... You always, always, always look down on me! I hate you sho much! But you're nice to other people! Be nice to me... like you were at the culture festival... The way you're nice to Tsubame...

Here, she explicitly names Tsubame and indicates jealousy of the way Ishigami treats her compared to Tsubame. This would seem to indicate that she probably likes Ishigami herself, and that she's feeling out of sorts because of Ishigami courting Tsubame.

https://www.reddit.com/r/Kaguya_sama/comments/u4cxgl/has_miko_iinos_morality_been_corrupted_is_miko/

Relevant? Miko Iino Doesn’t Do What’s Right

Supplement to other answer:
From the bonus chapter Ch281.1:

Could you put some words explaining what the image is supposed to mean? (Also for accessibility purposes because even SE's Imgur images can go at any time)

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/


text:
What is the point of cutting the same manga panel in two?
This is hard to put in words so let me illustrate (these are excerpts from two separate mangas):

What do these cuts accomplish? Usually in comics each panel shows a different scene.

For me it looks like an ellipsis in picture...

The primary reason for doing this was to draw the reader's eye up towards the sky, towards the billboard. A side-effect is that it also looks more visually interesting than a single unbroken scene would have. The blank space between the panels gives your brain something to do, as it mentally fills in the gap.

So, we can assume this is done in order to make the manga more visually appealing and interesting to look at. Other times, this could be a random or artistic choice.
In other cases, this can be done to show things that are in a close/similar area. Otherwise, they are split as an artistic choice, although they might be connected, such as the tree in your second image.
(source)

Very nice, I didn't expect a full article dedicated just to this technique. I'll wait a little to see if there are any other answers, but so far this looks like a winner to me!

@kuchitsu Thanks, but I'll have to edit my answer because I neglected to look at the second image. hopefully that'll make it more clear

After a quick search, I actually found this, though it does not not answer the question directly, it kinda has a nice direction.

Manga is known for its cinematic feel. Every panel is like an action
movie, where the camera cuts from a close-up of eyes, to a two-shot
profile of a conversation, to a bird’s-eye view of the characters,
then a low-to-high angle as a stiletto heel clicks onto the floor.
Really make an effort to showcase different camera angles and zooms in
your story.

Source
When I think about it this is kind of like ᴅᴀɴɪᴇʟッ's answer, but the "cinematic" word touch gives it more "meat" - Those cuts are supposed to make your imagine the camera as it's closing in, moving from side to side, exactly like in anime or movies, kind of like you see drawn screenplay.


text:
Do the Pokemon movies occur in the series timeline?
In some anime, though there's logical placement for the movies to happen, it does not necessarily mean that the story of the movie really happened in the series timeline; an example is that for Naruto's movies, some of them clearly didn't happened in the anime timeline, though there's clearly some place to put it (due spoilers, events and stuff). Is it the same case with Pokemon?

Related: When do the Pokemon Movies occur chronologically to the plot?

The answer is - Yes, the Pokemon movies do occur in the series timeline, and there's clear evidence for some of the movies in the series.
[NOTE: contains major spoilers; only for those who watched most of the Pokemon anime and movies]
1st Movie - Mewtwo strikes back
This movie not only has a direct connection to the series timeline, but it seems that the studio meant to create this story only in the form of a movie after being shadowed in the anime.
Let's start with ep63, where Gary battles with Giovanni. Giovanni chooses to fight with Mewtwo, though it wasn't revealed at the time, only in the movie you realise that. It seems clearly that the studio wanted you to ask - "Who's that Pokemon?"; the answer for that is only in the movie.

In the battle against Gary
And it continues for a couple of episodes after that in ep65, with Team Rocket seeing their HQ destroyed by a mysterious force, aka Mewtwo as revealed in the movie, as the movie takes place after the events in this episode.

Blasting off in the Anime

Blasting off in the Movie
You can see clearly in that episode that the anime were foreshadowing not only Mewtwo, but his relationship with Giovanni, that being revealed only in the movie after the anime made hints to it. So the movie clearly takes place in the timeline of the anime.

Some may come and say - the 1st movie was exceptional, first movie and all. Here's more evidences.
The Power Of One
This one actually have direct reference in the Anime. in ep222 (Japanese count. 220 in the international count) where Team Rocket and Ash are seeing Lugia, they are declaring that they saw one on the Orange Islands, in other words, in the movie.

Destiny Deoxys
This one was actually pretty hard to find, but with kinda simple observation, this is clearly a reference to the movie.
The movie takes place in a city called LaRousse city, where Deoxys starts attacking it. In the Battle Frontier season ep448 (444 in international count) Solana is telling the gang about Deoxys appearing in the past in LaRousse city, clearly referring to the movie.

Movie ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Anime
There's actually another referring to the movie - mentioning Prof. Lund, which is another addition for this evidence.
This is actually my most hard evidence that though the movies are offering big and mighty events, they won't be mentioned in the anime. Probably from the obvious reason that though the movie occurring in the anime storyline, they are still considered extra, and besides the 1st movie that actually have strong basis in the anime, the other movies are not must-see, and those who haven't watched them will probably get confused, especially new audience.
And that actually will answer the immediate question that burst once claiming the movies taking place in the anime storyline, that it seems that the characters not remembering events from the movies such as legendaries encounters, like in the above example.
But it's quite clearly as we saw, on one occasion or another, that there's some references to the movies, and might be even more references to them in the anime that I haven't observed yet and may help this answer.
With that being say, it is still possible that not all movies took place, so if there's more references and evidences it might help this answer to say that indeed all movies taking place in the series timeline. But since I haven't saw in the anime some contradictions to the movies I believe that those evidences took the point.
Linked: When do the Pokemon Movies occur chronologically to the plot?


text:
Why do most anime tend to have "emotional" flashbacks before a big moment?
We've all seen it. When the main character is put in a bind, he/she always has some "emotional" flashback, some of which are flashbacks of things we never saw happen in the series.
The existence of time itself seems to vanish during a character's flashback, and more often than not these aren't necessary (well, to me at least). This is especially common in Naruto.
So why do anime characters tend to randomly have "emotional" flashbacks? What does this even accomplish?

"This is especially common in Naruto" -> I think I fast-forwarded the same flashback like 100 times during the Kakashi vs Obito battle >.>

You can find good information here: Opinions on flashbacks: reddit post

@Wondercricket Tbh, the flashbacks during Pain arc were some good flashbacks. We actually got to know the backstory and the motive. Some flashback were just poor: "Naruto saying 'I am going to be the hokage' for the 1000th time".

Flashbacks are pretty common literary devices that can accomplish several things:

Provide context into the mindset of the character as they encounter a situation
Provide often-valuable character development
Explain in context why a character would have an unconventional (insofar as what the audience has seen) reaction to a big event

Depending on the work, the purpose and the scope of the flashback depends with what the author wanted to convey.

In Bleach, there were negatively-numbered chapters to indicate events that happened in the older Soul Society.  This would often be invoked by a flashback or be used as way of explaining what happened in the past to catch the reader/watcher up with current events (e.g. the Visored + Fake Karakura Town arc).
In Naruto, flashbacks were used to explain the events of the past, and color in details about the entire world of Naruto, from the last great Shinobi war, to interpersonal details about each character (some event coloring their past), and as a means to explain the story (e.g. the eternal cycle of Indra and Asuka's chakra being reborn and their rivalry playing out over and over again).

Something to note is that these aren't meant to be random, but their placement during the pacing of a story can make it seem random.

In Naruto, they were often used to introduce filler content too. Such as all that Yota stuff starting in episode 313. Included in what you said: "used to explain events of the past", but for a specific narration purpose.

I don't mind flashbacks but the "long" flashbacks in Naruto somewhat bothers me. Imagine, you are in a middle of good fight scene and a character is having a flashback that lasts for a good 10-15 episodes. You instantly think that the character is going to die. So, the scenario is like this: Villain landing a punch -> Character having flashback -> Villain still landing a punch -> Character saying goodbye -> Villain ultimately lands the punch -> Character dies

@FumikageTokoyami precisely why I said time itself vanishes during flashbacks. This is honestly stupid how the villain freezes when they had a good chance to accomplish their goal. Quite the piss-me-off trope. It's like the villain says "lemme use an OP attack on u real quick" and the mc goes "aight first lemme recall my entire childhood, one sec"


text:
Why does Tomoko refer to My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic as an anime?
This question regards the official English translation done by Yen Press. According to the copyright page, the translators are Krista Shipley and Karie Shipley.
Long Version
At the beginning of volume 7 (Fail 56), Tomoko is late to school because she got stuck watching My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, a western animation. However, she refers to this show as an anime. So I started trying to figure out what the reasoning and implications were for using this terminology.
The quote from the manga is as follows:

When I randomly turned on the TV this morning, there was this anime showing... And I just ended up watching to the end, so...

So, why did the English translator choose to use the term anime here, which in English is only used to refer to Japanese animation, rather than something more accurate? I've thought of several possibilities, but have no way to determine which, if any, is right.
If I'm not mistaken, in Japan the word anime is used to refer to any sort of animation, with no distinction for its country of origin. So the translator may have chosen the term to convey that in Tomoko's mind there isn't a real distinction for foreign cartoons. But the translator did make this decision to use this term in the English adaptation, where anime has a different meaning, so alternatively it is also possible they're trying to convey that Tomoko isn't aware the show is not made in Japan.
Another reason could be for style. Tomoko talks about anime and manga a lot, so it might be a little unusual for her to use a more accurate term here, such as "cartoon" or "animation".
The translator's note at the end doesn't offer much insight onto the matter, though does seem to imply that the translator knows the show is a western animation:

The show Tomoko is watching is Hasbro's My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, in which Rainbow Dash is a main character. Rainbow Dash's Japanese voice actress is Izumi Kitta, who also voices Tomoko in the WataMote anime series.

Short Version
Is there any way to determine whether the translator's choice to use the term "anime" to refer to My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic is a mistake or a deliberate choice to be accurate to Tomoko's character and/or Japanese culture?

I'll give four possible answers, none of which are mutually exclusive.

When using the word anime, the Japanese do not make distinctions between western and Japanese cartoons. It is an abbreviation of the English loanword animation (In Japanese, animeshon/アニメーション). Choosing to keep anime in the English translation keeps in mind that Tomoko is Japanese and thus thinks of these cartoons in the same manner. Ref: see кяαzєя♦'s answer here.
In line with my first answer, it could be a translation choice to de-emphasize how My Little Pony is different from the other cartoons Tomoko watches. The reference is over in one page, so it isn't worth the extra space to explain it's a western cartoon.
Tomoko perceives My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic as an anime. The art style of this particular show is similar to a Japanese anime. Mainly, the large eyes of the characters are similar to many other anime. It's the Japanese dub, so Tomoko may not be aware it's a western cartoon. She expresses exasperation at the time block this anime is aired in, so it's possible the weird time is due to it being a western cartoon, and Tomoko is unaware of this.
The word used in the original Japanese version to describe the show is anime.
I've circled the word "anime" in the images (for the record, I can't really read Japanese, but I know hiragana and katakana). In the second panel, the text: だいたいあの時間帯のアニメってなんなんだよ小学生もあれ見てたら時間的に遅刻するだろ！, gets translated to　"What is an anime in that time zone? If elementary school students watch it, they will be late in time! " by google translate. Yen Press's translation for this block is "What's up with broadcasting anime in that timeslot anyway?! Watching it would make even a gradeschooler late!". If Tomoko calls it an anime twice, it makes sense for the translators to just go with that, since it's just a throwaway comment anyway.

It would be interesting to ask the translators directly to see why they chose to keep it as anime, but in lieu of that, this answer should be sufficient.

Btw, this Japanese blog article has a panel that shows both My Little Pony and the word "anime" on the same panel.

@AkiTanaka Oh yeah, guess I rushed a bit and didn't notice. It would make more sense to use that panel. I'll do an edit later.


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If Tobirama Senju was a good guy, how could he create a technique like Edo Tensei which requires a living human sacrifice?
The Edo Tensei technique uses a living person as a vessel to reincarnate dead people. You can imagine Orochimaru and Kabuto using this technique with no problem since they are evil, but what about its creator Tobirama Senju? Isn't he supposed to be a good guy? How could he create a technique which requires a living sacrifice?

What's wrong with good guys discovering jutsus that is somewhat forbidden in nature? Tobirama created this jutsu but due to some flaws, he never used it. Due to its nature, reuirements and bad potential it holds, he declared it kinjutsu. Later Orochimaru researched on it and Kabuto nearly perfected it. It is not that only bad guys can create jutsu that are forbidden.  Rasenshuriken is a kinjutsu. Who invented it? Naruto. Is he a bad guy? No.

@FumikageTokoyami so he never used it? How did he know it worked then? Rasenshuriken doesnt require to kill someone innocent

@Pablo Who's to say they were "innocent"? The test subjects could have been those who were sentenced to life in prison. While it doesn't justify his reasons, it seems unlikely people were selected at random

@Pablo 1. Tobirama's usage had two flaws: the reincarnated souls were nowhere near as powerful as they were while alive and he could only control so many at a time. So, he never improved nor used it. 2. Kinjutsu doesn't always require killing (and become forbidden due to it). Kinjutsu become forbidden if either one is true a)if it harms the user in any way(RS) b) violates the laws of nature(outer path) c) causes mass destruction/death(Edo tensei)

Why's this getting downvoted? Seems like a legit question to me. Tobirama is probably a confusing character for a lot of people, so it has value to the site.

Tobirama Senju was not a good guy. In the anime and manga, the Second Hokage was very much presented as a Danzo-like figure, in contrast to his brother Hashirama would be considered a good guy. Tobirama, like Danzo, operated in a more moral gray zone, doing whatever he thought necessary to protect the village. Even his wiki page calls him pragmatic and points out:

... when Hashirama would get carried away with his headstrong optimism, it fell to Tobirama to mediate and force a more realistic alternative in order to achieve those idealistic goals. Hashirama was typically disappointed by Tobirama's intervention, but he usually agreed without much protest. But Hashirama would, at times, push back against Tobirama, often because Tobirama's methods were becoming too forceful; Hashirama's rare displays of anger on such occasions were enough to make Tobirama back down.

He may not have been as extreme as Danzo; I don't think whether he was or not is made clear by the anime. But the impression I got while watching was that he was like Danzo, and not idealistic, so he would surely see the usefulness of the Edo Tensei jutsu and want to use it to protect the village.
To back up my answer, I've collected some evidence (all quotes come from English subtitles on Japanese dub on Crunchyroll). First, that Tobirama was like Danzo:
From the episode The All-Knowing, a conversation between the reanimated Tobirama and Orochimaru (also some info on Tobirama's opinion on Edo Tensei jutsu):

Tobirama: "I can't believe the jutsu I devised would be used so casually."
Orochimaru: "It's not a complex jutsu. However, you should not have created it in the first place ... Many of your policies and jutsu that you developed ended up causing problems later on down the line."

Orochimaru points out that many of Tobirama's policies were bad. He probably had good intentions, like Danzo, but he valued the village and stability above all else, and ended up causing problems as a result.
In the same episode, after Tobirama scoffs at the Uchiha's rebellion and says he foresaw such a thing happening, Orochimaru points out a specific policy that caused problems: appointing the Uchiha to the police force.

"But you're the one who drove the Uchiha to it, Lord Second. It could be said that the seeds got sown with the Uchiha Police Force you created. Those who crack down on crime tend to be easily disliked."

Tobirama defends his actions, saying the Uchiha were eminently qualified for their position, but even his brother Hashirama scolds him, saying he told him time and time again not to slight the Uchiha.
Furthermore, in the episode Sasuke's Answer, the Third Hokage makes the Danzo-Tobirama connection implicitly:

"I wasn't able to to continue the Second Hokage's task of village-building skillfully enough. Which is how I ended up burdening Danzo with the village's darkness."

This quote indicates that the Second Hokage did take on the role Danzo had after him, of dealing with the dark aspects of the village, the things that needed to be done to ensure stability. The Third Hokage's remark comes after Tobirama explains his thoughts on the Uchiha, and his policies on the village, to Saskue, after Sasuke asks, "I thought you hated the Uchiha."

"That's not entirely true. I treated anyone who posed a danger to the village ... with extreme caution. And there's no doubt the Uchiha warranted my suspicion ... The idealism of my elder brother, and the danger of Uchiha Madara; mediating between these two things, and strengthening and protecting the village were my duties as the Second Hokage."

I also said Tobirama was not a good guy. I believe this is true. Everything you read about him will tell you he's pragmatic, and doesn't rush to judgement, and even will accept Uchiha (but only if they put the village above clan). This is also true. However, his implicit bias against the Uchiha is obvious in many of his comments. He may think of himself as mostly pragmatic, and he may think himself fair towards the Uchiha, but he is clearly not. Unlike his brother, he is not an idealist. He was born in a time when Uchiha and Senju fought and killed each other, and hated each other, and as a result he hates the Uchiha. Some of his comments on Uchiha:

"They're unpredictable." (from My True Dream)

"You're from the Uchiha. Of course you'd stick with a scoundrel." (from The All-Knowing)

The fact that Tobirama drops comments like these is proof of his implicit bias. He claims to be merely cautious, and that's warranted, but he clearly views the Uchiha with disdain, fear, and anger.
Also, notably, Tobirama killed Madara's younger brother Izuna, and the two of them display transparent suspicious, if not outright animosity towards each other.
In the episode My True Dream, Tobirama and Madara exchange glares, but say nothing. Again, transparent suspicion, if not outright animosity. They both have telling conversations with Hashirama in this episode (emphasis mine):

Tobirama: "To propose Madara as a candidate for leader is fine... But the final decision will be made with the top officials. ... Things are different from father's era. ... Besides, Madara Uchiha being chosen as the leader won't happen. Everyone knows ... You are the one who founded this settlement. Even those from the Uchiha say as much. Furthermore, haven't you heard the rumors about them? The stronger the hate, the stronger their Visual Prowess manifests itself ... They're unpredictable. ..."
Hashirama: "Stop talking like that, Tobirama!"
Tobirama: "From now on, things will be run democratically. Any objections?"
Hashirama: "No... That's fine."

Though he seems pragmatic for most of this conversation, Tobirama let's this obvious hateful comment about the Uchiha slip, and his brother Hashirama has to yell at him for it. It's also obvious he distrusts Madara.
Now, Madara and Hashirama:

"After you, I suspect Tobirama will become the Second Hokage. When he does, the Uchiha will eventually be eliminated."

Madara is suspicious of Tobirama, and suspects his clan will be wiped out because of him. I don't think his suspicions are unfounded, because the Uchiha do end up getting wiped out because of Tobirama's policies and legacy. In other words, Madara had good reason to be suspicious of Tobirama, and this remark should be seen as part of the characterization of Tobirama as not being a good guy. Madara is biased, and he probably helped escalate the conflict, but Tobirama has clear animosity for the Uchiha, and his pragmatism did not overcome that.
Make no mistake: Tobirama made the Uchiha into the police force to keep them in the village, under his watch and under his thumb. He did this to maintain stability, but it was inevitable that it lead to tension. Unless he wanted the Uchiha eliminated entirely, it was a short-sighted decision, as it led to the necessity of dealing with an Uchiha revolt during the Third Hokage's time; to which the village elders decided to use Itachi to kill the entire clan.
Tobirama is a complex character; he's pragmatic, but weighed down by implicit biases (which he probably would deny having, as he's likely unaware of them). His distrust of the Uchiha is also warranted, as he says, because they are dangerous, but his distrust also stems from his hatred of them for killing his clansmen. He is a complex character, neither purely good or evil, but motivated by concrete goals, and I think he's the better for it. Far more interesting than Hashirama.
Getting back to the original question of how Tobirama could be the one to create the Edo Tensei jutsu, it should be obvious now; he is pragmatic and saw the usefulness of such a jutsu in terms of military power. He did eventually declare it a forbidden jutsu, so he did also realize the danger in it. As Orochimaru said, creating this jutsu is just one of the bad decisions he made (ostensibly for the good of the village) that had terrible consequences down the line. And note, if you're getting lectured by Orochimaru, you know you've got to have taken some pretty consequentially bad actions.

This answer makes more sense, though the brief times he appears in the anime he doesnt look like a bad guy. There was that time where he was resurrected so it wasnt really him, and another time where he sacrificed his life for his teammates. I havent read the manga so I dont know if there is more shown there that supports what you say

@Pablo I didn't say he was a bad guy. The problem seems to be you're applying black and white ethics to a character who cannot be defined in such simplistic terms. I do agree my answer is lacking in sources.

ok, I meant a guy who could kill an innocent person to achieve his goal. I mean, if he would be, his creation of Edo Tensei would make more sense. But I havent seen a grey attitude from his non white/black ethics so far. Though, I havent read the manga so may be those are there. Or in another part of the anime I dont remember.

What Fumikage Tokoyami said in the comments is pretty spot on.
While yes, Tobirama was a good guy, that doesn't mean all of his ideas are perfect. Tobirama created the Edo Tensei justu with a purpose that was good in theory

One of the major benefits of the Impure World Reincarnation is that it grants immortal bodies to those who are reincarnated. Any damage they receive will regenerate in time and, assuming the damage is not too debilitating, they can continue attacking even before their body recovers. This was one of the main purposes Tobirama created the technique for, as he would use one or more reincarnated souls to perform a series of Kamikaze-like attacks until the opposition was wiped out
Naruto chapter 561, emphasis my own

However, due to its flawed nature (ie requiring a live sacrifice and other general flaws in the original design), Tobirama marked it as a kinjutsu and banned its usage. Orochimaru, and then Kabuto, discovered, expanded, and perfected the usage of this justu for their own evil intention.
The above can be all considered for other kinjutsu as well, such as Chiyo's One's Own Life Reincarnation. It was a jutsu that was created with intentions that were not necessarily evil, but forbidden due to its nature.

May be it's just me, but having to kill someone innocent goes beyond my idea of what a good guy is. Was he evil  at some point? Did he never use it as someone else said? If that's the case, how did he know it worked?

@Pablo If any of those are true, it’s not touched on in canon. So we may never know if Tobirama was evil at one point

@Pablo Yes Tobirama's idea was to revive people from the dead(why? I guess he was shady sometimes) but then realized that he required a living body to work as vessel. The process of having to kill an innocent in order for the jutsu to work made him declare it Kinjutsu. He may have worked this jutsu on some test subject and encountered flaws. That's why he never used it.