Favorite Tenkaichi Budokai?

[DBZAOTA482]

Made in anticipation for the Universe 6 Challenge arc...

21st Tenkaichi Budokai

The one that started it all... Goku and Krillin heading towards the level of strength that's truly beyond any standard comprehensible to human levels. There's still tons of comedic relief due to gimmick fighters like Bacterian and Ranfan, and the pay-off from various moves displayed by Goku, Krillin, and Jackie Chun but the series seems to have found it's own identity.

22nd Tenkaichi Budokai

The one with the most development for characters, particularly from Roshi and the newly introduced Tien (an assassin in-training). We learn of the Turtle School - Crane School rivalry, Tien being under negative influence of the Crane School and learning the errors of their ways, and Roshi accepts that there's a new generation of fighters to take over and the student (Goku) officially surpassing the master. This is also where fight scenes started to become more over-the-top like Z fight scenes (fighting at massively-hypersonic speeds, bukujutsu, big collateral damage, etc).

23rd Tenkaichi Budokai

Probably the most eventful one yet. There's the revenge of Piccolo Daimao's son and reincarnation Piccolo Jr., Tao's return and Tien's subsequent schooling of him, Goku's proposal to Chi-Chi (the first legit female fighter and strongest woman till #18's debut), God revealing himself in the guise of Shen (a nerdy middle-aged man), and Goku finally wins the championship. The level of competition is at an all-time high... only truly the best of the best, no scrub fighters like Pamput or Man-wolf and gimmicks like Ranfan or Bacterian... and Goku vs. Piccolo one of, if not, the most brutal fights in the entire series.


Which one is your favorite?

[precita]

I loved them all, but the last one is the best. Goku Vs. Piccolo was amazing and capped off Dragonball well.

Goku/Chi Chi was fun, Krillin and Yamcha get some good matches, the return of Mercenary Tao, the rematch of Goku Vs. Tien, etc. Its too bad Jackie Chun wasn't in this one although he had already quit in the previous one.

[Doctor.]

The 23rd, easily at that. It had the best fights, it was the one with any sense of connection to the actual story, the one where we knew most of the characters and could care about most of them instead of just 2 or 3. It was one of the best arcs in the series, but even if it wasn't, it wouldn't be hard to be the best Budokai: the 21st was good, but nothing really spectacular and the 22nd sucked.

[Gyt Kaliba]

I like all of the tournaments really, but yeah - it's going to be hard to ever top the 23rd. The Goku and Piccolo fight is basically everything I love about combat in Dragon Ball. I have a lot of love for SS Goku V.S. Freeza, and I know a ton of people really love the Goku V.S. Vegeta fight, but man...despite being a lower level fight in the grand scheme of things, Goku and Piccolo's showdown doesn't feel it, at all. It all feels so BRUTAL - I can't remember if the manga shows it as specifically as the anime does, but Piccolo literally jabs his elbow into Goku's gaping wound. That's just brutal. Best of all though, the art (especially in the manga) is pretty much at it's peak for me. I love the stuff that follows too, but honestly? It's really all downhill from there in one way or another.

[Gaffer Tape]

I know I'm in the minority, but, while I love all the major Budoukai arcs, the 23rd is definitely my least favorite. It's just too crowded. There's so little spontaneity to it, and half the matches just feel rather obligatory. We all know from the beginning it's going to be Goku and Ma Junior standing in the end. Everything else is window dressing. Don't get me wrong. Most of it is great window dressing. But it's just a problem the other two don't have.

In Dragon Ball Dissection, I scored the 22nd as the highest. And I think it's awesome. But sometimes I really love the freshness of the 21st. With all of its random fighters, it felt like anything could happen. It felt like a real (albeit wacky) tournament.

[fadeddreams5]

23rd was the best.

I wonder what Super's tournament will be like. >.>

[Gyt Kaliba]

I know I'm in the minority, but, while I love all the major Budoukai arcs, the 23rd is definitely my least favorite. It's just too crowded. There's so little spontaneity to it, and half the matches just feel rather obligatory. We all know from the beginning it's going to be Goku and Ma Junior standing in the end. Everything else is window dressing. Don't get me wrong. Most of it is great window dressing. But it's just a problem the other two don't have.

Even with how much I love it, I do have to agree with you on this. With the 23rd, it's much less about the tournament, and very much about Goku and Piccolo settling things. The tournament just sort of happens to be the setting where they have their rematch. I guess in a way it's almost not even really a 'tournament arc' so much as just an arc that takes place at that location, really.

That said though, while I gushed about Goku's fight against Piccolo - I also actually really like Kuririn's fight in it too. Him getting to put on a strong showing against a guy that he's clearly not going to beat, and actually getting the opportunity to go 'You're too much for me - I'm out' rather than outright losing, was just a really strong showing for the character in my books.

[DB1984]

22nd and 23rd for me.

[Soppa Saia People]

21st. While I think Goku VS Tenshinhan is BY far the best fight in the series the feel of the 21st Tenkaichi Budokai is just amazing.

I know I'm in the minority, but, while I love all the major Budoukai arcs, the 23rd is definitely my least favorite. It's just too crowded. There's so little spontaneity to it, and half the matches just feel rather obligatory. We all know from the beginning it's going to be Goku and Ma Junior standing in the end. Everything else is window dressing. Don't get me wrong. Most of it is great window dressing. But it's just a problem the other two don't have.

In Dragon Ball Dissection, I scored the 22nd as the highest. And I think it's awesome. But sometimes I really love the freshness of the 21st. With all of its random fighters, it felt like anything could happen. It felt like a real (albeit wacky) tournament.

Yes yes and YES!

[LightBing]

The 23rd because almost every single important fighter is acknowledged, even in defeat. It completes Tenshinhan transformation into a good guy. There's also two of the best fights in the series: Goku vs Piccolo and Kuririn vs Piccolo.

First of all, at the time, the tournament was a fan's wet dream. Besides Kame Sennin, every one of the strongest characters on the series participated. Even Yajirobe!
Unfortunately Chiaotzu was used as a tool, to increase the threat level of Cyborg Tao. I would've prefer if he had been matched up with Goku in the quarter-finals, ending with Goku commending him and a proud nod from Kame Sennin. The whole Chi-Chi versus Goku could very well have been in the preliminaries.

We move into the finals and Kuririn and Yamcha lose, giving good performances, being recognized by their opponents. Piccolo even breaks a sweat with his line, "Maybe conquering the World won't be so easy". Great stuff!
Tenshinhan establishes himself as the strongest human after Goku (at the time) and defeats his former mentor, closing that chapter of his life in a overpowering way. Dominating him but choosing to spare both his former masters, against everything they taught him.

Goku, Piccolo and Kami are there for a great climax.

[MajinMan]

I know I'm in the minority, but, while I love all the major Budoukai arcs, the 23rd is definitely my least favorite. It's just too crowded. There's so little spontaneity to it, and half the matches just feel rather obligatory. We all know from the beginning it's going to be Goku and Ma Junior standing in the end. Everything else is window dressing. Don't get me wrong. Most of it is great window dressing. But it's just a problem the other two don't have.

In Dragon Ball Dissection, I scored the 22nd as the highest. And I think it's awesome. But sometimes I really love the freshness of the 21st. With all of its random fighters, it felt like anything could happen. It felt like a real (albeit wacky) tournament.

Agreed. The 22nd Tenkaichi Budokai has the perfect balance of comedy and action. Tenshinhan vs Jackie Chun is one of the most underrated fights in the series, and their confrontation after their fight is really intense. The 21st would rank second and the 23rd third. It's funny because I used to think that the 22nd was the worst, but now I think that it's the best.

[precita]

If we're speaking strictly of fights, the first one has the most gag and pointless fights. Krilling Vs. Bacterium? Nam vs. Ranfan? Even Goku Vs. Giran was just essentially a monster battle and he gives up at the end.

The only really good fights was Goku Vs. Nam and everyones fight against Jackie Chun. It was fine for the first tournament but definitely nowhere as good as the next two.

[Kuririn Fan]

23rd. Goku vs Piccolo is my favorite fight ever and in my opinion the most brutal one.
I also, of course, like 21st and 22nd, they are amazing and i like them equally.

[B]

Toriyama completely failed in his endeavor to make DB an emotionless comic when it came to the 22nd Budokai, and I couldn't be happier. Tenshinhan is one of the coolest, most complex characters he ever introduced, and much like Kuririn and Bulma before him, the influence of the kind, straightforward Goku(and Kame Sennin) has on him is as compelling as anything. His trademark humor is still very much intact here and it's not some static display of power that borders on the mind-numbingly dull like the 23rd, which is basically just a waiting game for Goku and Piccolo to face off. The emotional, character-based payoff pretty much dwarfs over the 21st and its introductory pains.

Depending on my mood, it's my favorite portion of the series, period. Everyone who came after Tenshinhan is a copycat.

[Draconic]

My favorite fight of the whole series is still Goku vs Piccolo at the 23rd. Then there are other amazing moments like Tenshinhan schooling Tao, Yamcha's Sokidan (which at that point was amazing to see), Piccolo vs Kami, Krillin becoming confident in himself, Goku getting married... You could go on and on.

That said, the 21st just has a special place in my heart and Goku vs Roshi is just such a blast to watch. Tense and funny at the same time. This tournament encompases everything Dragon Ball is and for that, it is my favorite.

The 22nd was good too, but it really feels like a prelude to the Piccolo Daimao arc, so it doesn't feel as special.

[Lord Beerus]

The 23rd is my favourite tournament, hands down. It gave us one of the best battles ever in the franchise in Goku vs Piccolo, not mention Tien's character arc coming to satisfying end and Yamcha's balls getting cracked.

[FortuneSSJ]

22nd Tenkaichi Budokai. I loved the rivalry between schools.

[Yamcha upset fan]

ten vs yamcha was the best fight ever. even the lines were the best.


Compare it whit goku vs majin vegeta and zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[Bullza]

I'd go with the 23rd mainly due to the Goku vs Piccolo fight but I'd say the 22nd had more "good" fights.

Goku vs Chi Chi, Tien vs Tao and Kami's two fights were kinda boring to me.

[Jackal puFF]

I love all the tenkaichi fights! =D 22nd was so intense.. and then 23rd was even more intense. Makes me want to rewatch them all seeing this post.