Case in Point 1: Son Gohan and GotenI just finished watching all the Dragon Ball Z movies, and I've noticed once again just how small Goten's presence seems to be. Trunks has much more screen time (although I guess it's about time that Vegeta's royal blood run its course and overtake Goku's reputation).
Being brothers, Gohan and Goten should have the same kamehameha energy. Goten is around 6 years younger so he's still got a lot of catching up to do, and it's understandable that Gohan will be stronger than him during Goten's wee years. But even when Goten and Trunks have grown up to manhood there is still no sign of Goten having an edge with his Saiyan blood. He's also the son of Son Goku, he should have a more significant role in the series! Instead he is cast aside like a supporting character while Trunks goes out to be the frontman of the hero Saiyans of the Earth.
But he and Trunks aren't the issue. It's him and his brother, Gohan. When Gohan was introduced in the series, it has been emphasized that his powers have the potential to be stronger than their father's. While time and again it's still Goku who manages to finish up the fight and kill the enemy, there is no doubt that Gohan is poised to become stronger than him. Now I would have expected the same from Goten. His early training with martial arts and entry to the Super Saiyan level (plus fusion with Trunks) made an impression that he may even be stronger than his brother. But nooo... throughout the series he stays as a happy-go-lucky kid who doesn't really fight it out with the others. And he got less and less screen time as the series went.
Why should Goten be stronger? Well, given that Goku was at the peak of his powers the time they conceived Goten, the kid should've inherited more powered energy than Gohan had, shouldn't he? He also achieved Super Saiyan level at a younger age than Gohan or Trunks did (Trunks being older by a year). Yet he just grows up normally instead of kicking alien butt.
Case in Point 2: Wyatt and Chris HalliwellI'm pretty sure that Chris Halliwell has more fans than Wyatt does. This is due to Chris' major role for the whole of season 6 of Charmed, and his neurotic kind of love for his family. Not that we Charmed fans can blame him, when you've got a brother who happens to be the most powerful witch in history and is on the edge of becoming evil.
I can get how Wyatt would be powerful, as he is a son of a Charmed one and a Whitelighter and born on the Halliwell manor. But for Chris to be not stronger than him? Just because he was born in the hospital instead of at home, he doesn't have powers like Wyatt does?
He should actually be stronger compared to Wyatt. When you think about it, Chris actually has more reasons to be more powerful than his older brother. The main push on this claim would be because at the time of his conception, Piper was already hailed as the most powerful witch of her time and Leo was already an Elder. Put the two together --- strongest witch + Elder --- we should get a child who inherited far more power than Wyatt. True, Chris was able to crush a valkyrie's heart at will, but it was always reiterated throughout the series that he will never be at Wyatt's supreme and all-powerful level.
Ah well.. I guess the distribution of powers isn't all that balanced in the supernatural families. It annoys me though when likeable characters like Goten and Chris are just set aside like they couldn't live up to their family's reputation.
