Frieza faction says "he's an ideal boss if you just do your job properly," while Goku faction says "he leads by example"—Who is the ideal boss in Dragon Ball? Is it the ultimate choice between two options?

On the official Dragon Ball X account, a post comparing two images of Son Goku (CV: Masako Nozawa) and Frieza (CV: Ryusei Nakao) was released along with the message, "Which one would you want as your boss?" This ultimate choice between two options is now puzzling fans and has become a huge topic of discussion.

In the posted image, black-and-white panels taken from the original manga are placed side by side on the left and right. On the left side, Goku gazes this way with a gentle, dependable smile, while on the right side, Frieza is captured with a fearless smirk, exuding overwhelming pressure. The contrast between the expressions of these two, representing completely opposite styles of leadership, makes for a highly striking image.

Dragon Ball is a mega-hit manga series by Akira Toriyama. The story centers around the protagonist Goku and depicts the grand adventures surrounding the "Dragon Balls," treasures capable of granting any single wish when all seven spheres scattered across the world are gathered. It is a monumental masterpiece loved worldwide for many years, depicting intense battles against a succession of powerful foes, hot bonds with allies, and the growth of the protagonists under harsh conditions.

While Frieza frequently ranks high in discussions about the ideal bosses among anime characters, fans have shown various reactions to this exquisite choice between two options. While voices from the Frieza faction praised him, saying, "I think he's an ideal boss if you just do your job properly. The fireworks displays he holds periodically are also appealing," some supported him after analyzing the differences between his ruthless depiction in anime-original scenes and the original manga: "Frieza killed useless subordinates left and right in the anime originals, but he doesn't do that in the original manga. He assigns appropriate roles to weak subordinates in the right places and even gives special bonuses depending on the results."

On the other hand, from the Goku faction, voices have risen in support of his charisma of leading by example, saying, "He might not be good at giving instructions, but Son Goku stands at the forefront—meaning he leads by example." Furthermore, there were opinions suggesting a third candidate, such as "Laissez-faire and strict punishment—both are impossible. Piccolo (CV: Toshio Furukawa) is the only choice," as well as passionate comments from people struggling with the ultimate choice, saying, "The more I think about it, the more it's such an exquisite choice between two options that I just can't choose... What? Uh... could they please perform a Fusion and become Gokuza...?"

(C)BIRD STUDIO/SHUEISHA, TOEI ANIMATION