Favorite arc in DB and DBZ separately?

[SMKirbyZX]

Hey guys! So, what is your favorite arc in Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z respectively?
Let's keep DB and DBZ separate for the topic. You may give a detailed explanation as to why you like those arcs. Be sure to list the pros and cons too!

For example: I liked (Insert favorite DB arc here) because (explanation w/ pros and cons)

I liked (Insert DBZ arc here) because (explanation w/ pros and cons)

[Videlphia76ers]

Best DB arc was the first world tournament season. Roshi's lessons and deceptions made it very interesting.

DBZ was any string of episodes where it wasn't serious fighting.

[Lord Beerus]

My favourite arc in DB is the King Piccolo arc, for the following reasons:
- Dramatic and tense tone
- Goku losing clean
- Everything Yajirobe does
- King Piccolo is an awesome villain. Only bested by Freeza.
- Goku vs King Piccolo (Round 2) is fantastic
- Goku killing King Piccolo is one of the most iconic moments in the history of Dragon Ball
- Introduction of Piccolo Jr

My favourite arc from DBZ is the Saiyan arc, for the following reasons:
- The best fight in the franchise happens; Z-Fighters vs Vegeta
- Gohan's character development
- Piccolo's character development
- The filler in the anime adaption of the arc is very good
- Awesome, new and unique techniques are introduced; Kaioken and Genki Dama
- Dat fuckin beam clash

[Analytical Delusion]

DB - Piccolo Daimao. There was some tension in earlier arcs, but this was maxium drama, 100% of the time. Really enjoyed the tone shift, and even though they were revived later on, the deaths of Kamesennin and Kuririn felt very real.

Con - The events took place over too short a period of time (looks like two days from Herms' timeline guide), and Piccolo didn't have the chance to cause enough terror (if his reign lasted a year or so and maybe there was a mini-timeskip, could have been interesting...as it stands, the capitol and the TB finalists were his only victims, I believe).

DBZ - Early Namek. Freeza is a complete unknown at this point, but he's hinted as being untouchable. You have three factions trying to accomplish their goals, two of which (Vegeta, and Gohan/Kuririn/Bulma) are acting in relative stealth. Some deception and guerrilla tactics, tons of desperation. I also enjoyed the Goku training in space subplot, surpassing the ordinary saiyan limits and whatnot.

Con - At times, the Planet Namek did seem a bit small. I guess since travel time was becoming less and less of a factor due to greater character speeds coming into play as they got stronger, but it did seem that most of the villages were relatively close to one another (the Grand Elder's place seemed to be the only one pretty far away).

[DB1984]

DB: Piccolo Daimao and 23rd Tenka'ichi Budokai. They were when the series started getting dark and intense.

DBZ: Cell, just because for once, the victor was someone other than Goku (it was Gohan, his son).

[MCDaveG]

I liked the Korin land/Taopaipai arc and 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai in DB,
Introduction of Trunks and Buu arc in Z.

[fadeddreams5]

Favorite DB arc would be the final tournament because
- It was interesting seeing how every character had developed (strength, design, and personality wise) since the beginning of the series.
- Teen Goku!
- I really liked and preferred Piccolo as a villain (or, at the very least, him as a jerk). He was cool.
- Goku vs Tien rematch.
- Yamcha getting headbutted in the nuts.
- Goku getting tortured by Piccolo
- The overall tone of the arc. You go from the first real major, strong villain to an arc where you know his incarnation awaits to kill the main character. Very tense.

Favorite DBZ arc would be the Namek one (since we're talking arcs, I'm leaving out the Frieza arc).
-Taking place immediately after the saiyan arc, it's reveal there is not only someone stronger than Vegeta, but MULTIPLE people that are. The entire arc was pure tension and little gag.
- Provided a sense of adventure that the rest of DBZ did not, and actually took place on another planet.
- Last time the dragon balls played a major role in the story.
- Frieza was actually scary and respectable here.
- The Ginyu Force!
- Goku beating the shit out of the Ginyu Force.
- Gohan, in general. He was a warrior in this entire saga.
- Vegeta was ruthless, and it was nice seeing him become an anti-hero.

Cell Games arc is close second, or maybe first if we're talking specific dubs here (i.e. Funi dub).

[B]

The Red Ribbon arc and the Majin Buu arc are the series at its best; give or take a Piccolo Daimao. The Red Ribbon storyline just makes the DB world feel massive in a way that it never really would ever again until maybe the Freeza arc, and then certainly never again after that; nothing shrinks world-building like characters who can blow up worlds without a thought. All kinds of characters and stories are introduced, and they really only could be utilized at this part of the story; Goku's just too powerful now for something like Muscle Tower to be recreated and feel genuine.

The Buu arc is just a great finale. Everything comes to a head and despite the flak the ending gets, it's the one that makes the most sense to me and feels honest to what DB is about.

[SaintEvolution]

From DB, I don't have a favorite acr. I liked the entire series and all of that was very fun and appreciable for my taste.

In DBZ, my favorite arcs were the Cell Games and the final episodes of Boo's one, starting when Vegito appears.

[Vijay]

I like Red Ribbon Arc in DB. It was as great as the Phantom Troupe Arc in HXH(2011) with smart writing.

The build-up for Goku vs RRA was done exceedingly well.

In DBZ, I like Buu Saga for the sheer insanity Toriyama showcased.

1. Unstoppable villain: Kid Buu

2. Goku & Vegeta's Epic Rematch & subsequent return to fight Buu

3. Goku's EoZ passing-of-torch moment

[OmegaRockman]

For me, the best DB arc is a tie between the 22nd Tenkaichi Budokai and the Piccolo Daimao Arcs. I love the 22nd because Tenshinhan's character arc and shift from bad to good was just so well done to me. I fell in love with his character there and I really wish he had more screentime after Daimao. Speaking of Daimao, I love that arc for giving us some amazing drama; for the first time the stakes were real with main characters being killed with seemingly no way to be brought back after Shen Long's death. It also serves as a great followup to the previous arc and give Ten some more time before he's afflicted with the "I'm not Goku so I don't get to do anything anymore" disease. I mean, I LOVE the 23rd Budokai, but the 22nd and Daimao were much more satisfying to me.

As for Z (and also all of DB), my favorite arc is Freeza. That first half of the arc with the cat-and-mouse game being played by the three parties of Freeza's gang, Vegeta, and Gohan's group was amazing to watch, and Freeza as a villain is simply a joy to behold. He's so effing entertaining with his polite yet condescending attitude and the Ginyu Force gives us a hysterical Sentai parody. I know that a lot of people take issue once Goku lands on Namek because it kinda becomes a Saiyan arc rehash from there, but I can't help but continue to be engrossed. After seeing so many cutaways to Goku's training throughout the arc I'm happy to finally see our boy kick some ass. Admittedly the change of focus from Gohan, Vegeta, and the others back to Goku is a tad sloppy from a storytelling standpoint, but for whatever reason that doesn't bother me. The only thing that kinda gets to me in this arc off the top of my head is that Goku vs. Freeza does kinda drag in spots, but even then I still love the fight for the most part. It's simply the most entertaining part of DB for me; great villains, lots of suspense, and super climatic battles make this arc a freaking treat for me. Cell is a close second with the fun time travel stuff, Gohan finally coming into his own, and many other things, but over the years I've come to realize that the problems in that arc bug me a more than those in the Freeza arc. With a few tweaks Cell could easily be my favorite or at least tied with Freeza, but I have to judge the arc as it's currently written. Because of that, I have to give it to Freeza as my favorite arc.

[MajinMan]

Dragon Ball

My favorite arc in Dragon Ball is the 21st Budokai. Roshi is hilarious and awesome in this arc and we get to see Goku and Krillin interact. The tournament is also really fun and Goku vs Jackie Chun is one of the better fights of the series. This arc just feels good to watch/read.


Dragon Ball Z

My favorite in DBZ is the Buu arc. The great moments between Goku and Vegeta, Gohan finally interacting with other humans and going to school, the Budokai, Buu as a character, Vegetto being awesome, and the final battle are what make this my favorite arc in all of Dragon Ball. Sure the whole Gohan getting shafted thing is annoying but the rest of the arc, especially the beginning, make up for it.

[Diotor]

Dragonball

Red Ribbon Arc. I've always been a fan of the Red Ribbon army, and Goku taking on their head base by himself was awesome.

Z

Cell saga. I'm a huge Cell fan (favourite character of all) and it made perfect sense to have Gohan be the one who defeated the evil even Goku admitted he couldn't.

CONS: Most of the other senshi get absolutely creamed at every opportunity.

[CapraDemon]

DragonBall: I'm particularly fond of the first World Tournament arc. The tension was stellar, the fights were choreographed fantastically, and this was at the point in the series where technique was more important than sheer raw power.

DragonBall Z: After rewatching most of it in Kai, I would have to say the Android arc is my favorite. It was a point where all of the Z Fighters were still somewhat relevant participants against the Earth's new threat, and it introduced the whole time travel angle to the series. Not to mention the fight between Goku/19, Vegeta/18 were all great. And Cell's introduction was really creepy, with this bug-like genetic chimera of the Earth's heroes stalking his prey from the shadows.

[Weedity]

Dragon Ball: King Piccolo arc definitely. The first real big baddie, Kuririns first death, Goku being mad as hell at Tambourine and Piccolo. Goku almost being killed. Roshi scared, I just thoroughly enjoyed it. It was dark, but was also Dragon Ball we all know and love.

Dragon Ball Z: This one is tough. I loved the Saiyan saga and Freeza saga both. However, I'm gonna have to go with the unpopular opinion here and say the Boo saga. Yes, it's lacking in some areas, I get that. However, Gotenks is one of my favorite characters. His fight with Super Boo was intense and comical at the same time. Super Saiyan 3 was always one of my favorite transformations too. Vegeta finally redeeming himself is another bonus. Fat Boo and Mr. Satan shenanigans always crack me up.

Frankly though, I'd also be happy picking the Saiyan or Freeza saga. Saiyan saga because I love when Raditz shows up. Goku just taking down King Piccolo, Piccolo still being the big "baddie" and all of a sudden a huge power comes out of nowhere that can take them both down. Finding out who Goku really is, Piccolo teaming up, Nappa stomping the Z-fighters, Vegeta being ruthless.

I think we all know why the Freeza saga is great too.

[Doctor.]

Out of curiosity, why the need to separate?

Anywho, in part 1, my favorite arc is the Red Ribbon Army arc. I feel like it does an excellent job of mixing comedy, action and adventure which are all the key components of the series. There's a sense of wonder and amazement never seen before or after and the world is ridiculously expanded. Goku & co have a lot of creative obstacles to go through that, even if they involve fighting, require a bit of brain and skill to conquer, like Muscle Tower and Baba's Tournament, along with the raid to the Red Ribbon Army base. The training with Karin was really well-done too, as you could feel like Goku's power-up was due to his effort and training, and not just because of some lame and cheap reason. I feel like a big con is that it's mostly Goku, the other characters could have gotten a bit more time in the spotlight and should have gotten developed further. And a real personal one of mine was the Penguin Village segment, I didn't like it at all though short. But really, my biggest complaint is that there wasn't more of it, more of Goku & co travelling around the world, seeing different landscapes and environments, weird monsters and animals, various martial arts teachers. I was really sad that after the RRA arc we got a timeskip and jumped right to the 22nd TB which, in my opinion, felt really, really, lackluster and underwhelming. The RRA arc was the last chance to develop the Dragon World completely and I would have liked a bit more, personally.

My favorite arc of part 2 and easily my favorite arc of the entire franchise is the Namek arc. Freeza is a very charming and interesting villain and he ranks among my top five favorite characters in the franchise, due to how memorable and well written he is. The arc also possesses this unparalleled sense of tension and danger, even higher than the Saiyan arc, I reckon. The race for the Dragon Balls was very fun and dynamic due to Vegeta's cunning and dirty tactics, and his character was really one of the high-points of this arc. The universe is expanded through Namek, though I find it quite boring at times, but due to the fast-paced nature of the race, I don't think a whole lot of detail put into landscape and culture would benefit the pacing in the long-run. The Ginyu Force were incredibly entertaining, the fights were all pretty memorable (Goku vs Freeza, Vegeta vs Recoome) and the Super Saiyan transformation was the most built-up and most memorable transformation in the entire series. I'd say it's almost devoid of flaws, I do find it pretty hard to come up with some but there was a period where it got kind of tedious due to how back-and-forth the fights were being (basically the entire Freeza fight until Goku arrived).

[sbk]

DB: First tournament. Krillin/Goku training, and that whole tournament was very entertaining.
DBZ: Namek. Nothing has topped the tension in that arc. Every character was at their most likeable.

[SMKirbyZX]

Out of curiosity, why the need to separate?

Just to keep things a little organized.

[EXBadguy]

DB- King Piccolo saga
+King Piccolo himself
+Tambourine(Plus he was fun character in BT3)
+Its dark nature
+The final battle
-Drum. I don't like him and I dunno why

Note: This is one of the only sagas I liked in DB, other one is Piccolo Jr.

DBZ-Android/Cell saga
+Very dark and entertaining at the max
+One of the few sagas that EVER had a backstory in DB history
+Its Terminator and Matrix vibe
+Trunks. His character and his backstory is one of the best.
+Dr Gero and his backstory
+The androids, with 17 being my most favorite
+Imperfect, Perfect, and Super Perfect Cell
+Cell Games
+Final battle
+Good character development of Goku and Gohan
+The VERY LAST saga that had most characters get some spotlight, even if it's only a little bit(*cough*Yamcha*cough)
+The very ending of the saga where Goku decides to not come back to Earth and passes the torch.
+/- Semi-Perfect Cell
+/- "I don't care who's wrong or right, I don't really wanna fight no more" (figure out what I mean)

Note: I know I said this a few times here, but I say if Toriyama had another way, he should've ended at Cell, cuz one, it tied up a lot of loose ends, and two, it just makes sense. First major antagonist was a green man turning Earth to hell a long time ago, the second one was a monkey prince, third one was a lizard emperor, and the last one was EVERY VILLAIN IN ONE! Too bad a saga involving an ugly green wizard and a pink blob had to ruin the flow, despite that saga being mostly enjoyable...that's if you look past the horrible writing.