Tournaments being excluded for most of DBZ

[precita]

So with Super bringing back tournaments as main arcs, how do you feel about tournaments being excluded for most of DBZ?

Unless you count the Cell games, the first actual tournament was Toei's anime only arc with the Otherworld tournament and Pikkon. Most really like that arc as it expands the universe for the first time and let's us see all the other Kai's, plus we get to see Goku fight fellow dead warriors who have been training for years. For a long time I didn't even know it was filler, I assumed Pikkon and that whole tournament was in the manga. Imagine my surprise around 2005 when I realized it wasn't!

Then of course we have the regular Earth tournament in the early Buu saga, which of course the main cast doesn't finish as they all fly after Buu while only 18 stays behind to fight Goten/Trunks and then Mr. Satan. And then DBZ ends with Goku Vs. Uub in yet another tournament at the end.

With Dragonball having 3 main tournaments and Super bringing them back, how do you feel about Dragonball Z going in a different direction?

[DragonBalllKaiHD]

End of Z also has Tenkaichi Budokai.

[sintzu]

DB's main part was the tournaments while Z's was aliens and Ssjs so I think it was a good idea cause each part had its own identity and them.

Super seems like it's putting both of those ideas together which fits considaring it's the 3rd and probably last part of Toriyama's story.

[PelicanDynasty]

I hated it. I'm a big tournament guy and the ones in Z sucked except the otherworld tourney. I think an actual tournament with all the Z fighters would've been a nice cooldown arc in between the non-stop threats to the Earth. Plus, more fights for the scrubs like the humans and the tykes (unfused).

[laserkid]

I absolutely adore the Tenka-Ichi Budokai's of early Dragon Ball, and the 23rd Tenka-Ichi Budokai is probably my favorite story arc of the entirety of all of Dragon Ball. So it may surprise you that this doesn't actually bother me at all.

Following the Tenka-Ichi Budokai's in Dragon Ball there's the constant thread of Goku's desire to win one, only to be thwarted either by being outclassed (by "Jackie Chun" in the 21st), or by dumb luck (the car in the 22nd). Goku finally winning at the end of the 23rd Tenka-Ichi Budokai really end caps where you can go with them. I mean without the tension of "is he going to win this time?", a 24th Tenka-Ichi Budokai around where the Saiyan or Cell arc is (there's no way you'd fit it after the Saiyan arc until the business with Freeza was settled) just would fall kind of flat.

If Gohan was actually interested in fighting for sport, that might have been different - but he only fights when he HAS to in order to protect those he loves. Which is endearing and awesome, but Gohan doesn't enjoy combat like Goku does. I DO love that Toriyama called back to the Tenka-Ichi Budokai's during the Cell Games as a wink and a nod to long time fans, but the story had very much moved on by then.

I love that we brought the Tenka-Ichi Budokai BACK for the start of the Buu arc, because it's really the first best logical place plot wise to put one. And it's honestly my favorite part of the Buu arc, particularly how Gohan gets roped into it against his initial disinterest.

So, ultimately, I am fine that the plot went a different direction after Goku's much deserved victory, but I AM very glad we got them back in a logical fashion that keeps the plot from stagnating, but brings us back to them.

[FoolsGil]

What I really enjoyed about the 21st Budokai was it showed that the world of Dragonball was a large setting. Knowing that Goku is from a race of warriors, it's kind of impressive to see someone like Nam actually give him some trouble. But the allure of the tournaments went away quickly While the 22nd and 23rd Budokais were fun to watch, they became plot devices, and with the main cast becoming too strong, newcomers that weren't part of the story in some way were easily cast out. So in a way I was glad tournaments were phased out for a time, they became a waste of time. Even now they are used to game the system to keep a pointless status quo of Mark in power, even though the tournaments were originally never were like that. And while Bacterian was a freak, at least he didn't go around in a Chicken Costume.

You know if Toei is gonna do more arcs about the world of Dragonball, then I would hope they do a story on the Budokai. Mark can be the main character. All the heroes are sick from food poisoning and Buu is hibernating so there's no one to save Mark's dumb ass from fighting seriously as he takes on some tough opponents that actually have skill that would be otherwise overlooked in a series now about Gods and Universe Destruction.

[DragonBallFoodie]

DB's main part was the tournaments while Z's was aliens and Ssjs so I think it was a good idea cause each part had its own identity and them.

Super seems like it's putting both of those ideas together.

This.

I thought DB had gone beyond tournaments in the Z saga, what with the fate of the world at stake. But this is definitely a fate of the multiverse story that combines both concepts thanks to the whimsical ultra-god.

[Draconic]

I love the Tenkaichi Budokais and they are the main reason why I love Dragon Ball over Z, since they were the backdrop to the best fights and character development the series had, but the way the story progressed I don't see how you could have made them take place. What we got was probably the best deal, with the Cell Games being a nice throwback to them and the 25th serving as a nice starting point for a new story where the main villain had to be awakened by gathering the energy of the world's strongest fighters, not to mention the Ano-yo'ichi Budokai filler that served to consolidate Goku as the best fighter in history, pretty much.

However, with new universes coming into the mix, all with new strong fighters on each side, it makes sense for tournaments to be held between them to determine which one has the greatest warriors and they also are a great way to introduce new and likeable characters that can further help in giving a reason to explore said universes, as just being thrown into a whole new world without anything to tie it to our own would be kinda weird. For example, Cabbe introduces Planet Sadla as a potential visiting place for the U7 characters to visit in the future.

[ekrolo2]

Tournaments could've worked just as easily in Z as they did beforehand, you just needed to accommodate the increased powers. So, instead of fighting in some dinky little arena (spits on the U6 tourney) you have their arena's span entire planets or multiple worlds.

[simtek34]

I just really wishe they showed the Mr. Satan tournament during the 3-Year traning for the Jinzo's. Filler or not, Toei/Toriyama shoyluld have done that.

[laserkid]

Well, that would require them to have known about that being a thing that happened before it had been mentioned, so it's not that surprising they didn't do it there.

I would also like to see the 24th Tenka-Ichi Budokai, if not animated more fleshed out, when it happened (since the Z Warriors mention none having taken place since the 23rd during the Cell arc, but Mr. Satan is somehow already a champion of one?), what outside of Spopovich vs Mr. Satan occurred, and just basic info. As it stands, the 24th Tenka-Ichi Budokai is a grand mystery.

[Draconic]

Didn't Satan win the 24th TB AFTER the Cell Games? Before that he was just the champion of other fighting tournaments, pretty much like Panput, I think. Of course, I might be wrong but I think that's how it went.

[Lord Beerus]

I honestly didn't like the lack of tournaments in Z. The tournaments were always such a great platform to introduces new characters of techniques that would have an overreaching effect on the story. They made Dragon Ball feel more grounded while also building its world wonderfully.

[Nejishiki]

Didn't Satan win the 24th TB AFTER the Cell Games? Before that he was just the champion of other fighting tournaments, pretty much like Panput, I think. Of course, I might be wrong but I think that's how it went.

It was before. The Cell Game was May 26 (originally published as May 17). The Tenkaichi Budoukai is always May 7.