Apologies, I was being a little silly with my 
criticisms, since admittedly, I haven't seen the 
series yet. This isn't to say that I don't think 
that anime in general shouldn't be analyzed. It 
is a story, and like any other, is open to 
interpretation. 

I agree with your comments, Raptor, about Joseph 
Campbell. It's a little silly to expect 
everything to follow a pattern, or to dismiss it 
simply because it varies. Afterall, his paper 
wraps up the study of various heroe stories. It 
shouldn't be used as a roadmap for everyone or 
for people trying to create one.

As for the buffer in SM and DBZ, the extra 
episodes were more for practical than artistic 
ones. The television shows were running parallel 
to the manga series they were based on. The 
studios couldn't advance the story before they 
knew what was going on. It would be interesting 
though, to see how they affect the overall story 
being told. Sometimes these minor stories reflect 
back to the greater theme. Other times they're a 
complete waste of time.