i feel like this whole goku is incapable of love thing is kind of beaten to death. ive seen people express exhaustion at the discussion because of how common this analysis is
That’s fair, I guess.
I can see it getting kind of grating to real fans of the series and character, particularly if chucklehead spectators like me tend to gravitate to it, and especially if it’s an annoying idea that’s been around awhile. And to be fair I remember there being expression of affection and friendship in the series alongside the goofy way he nearly always forgives all the terrible thing his villains do, provided he has fun fighting them(I’ve heard they’re even doing that with Frieza now? He murdered all the Namekians and Krillin! Right in front of him!! I stz they’ll be bringing back Cell as a heel-turn in another decade). The sense seemed to be less that he was obsessed with fighting than that he just didn’t really hold grudges and figured if something was “fixable” or “survivable” then there wasn’t much reason to stay angry about it. Though I seem to recall fighting-ability playing a big role in his moral reasoning. And his whole “staying out in space to keep fighting people rather than come back to earth to visit his family even once, even though he had instant transmission the whole time” thing was both hilarious in a comedy-series context, and also kind of unforgivable outside of it.
Speaking purely as said chucklehead spectator who hasn’t watched the show since the start of the Boo saga(pretty sure the last contiguous ep I watched was Majin Vegeta blowing himself up) however, the idea that his morality is fundamentally fighting-based, even if also in a generally benevolent way(so long as you don’t live in the wilderness), carries an enticing explanatory appeal. And it’s just kind of a funny idea to apply to superheroes, given how often superhero stories revolve around fighting.