Vegeta being absent for 30 episodes in a row (Buu Saga)

[TheRed259]

DragonBall Z Episode 237 (24 August 1994) - DragonBall Z Episode 266 (31 May 1995) (1 year absent from the Japanese TV)

Episode 266: We see Vegeta only for a few seconds with Fortuneteller Baba and King Yemma. He actually takes action in episode 268 (28 June 1995) only to disappear once again when him and Goku fuse into Vegetto.

How do you feel about Vegeta being absent for 30 episodes in a row during the Buu Saga? Do you think that his absence made the Buu Saga kinda boring?

[ekrolo2]

I think it makes his sacrifice have some sense of weight at a point in the story where the good guys can literally get killed infinitely and come back as long as New Namek is okay. I would've liked if Trunks' desire to avenge his dad stuck around more often and not get replaced by the future staple of the MCU-IE if at all possible, have comedy happen even if it kills the more interesting stuff.

[Chuquita]

Because of where and when I first saw Z airing--five days a week on Toonami, occasionally with double slots on certain days; I barely noticed he'd been gone that long.

It puts his recent absences in Super into better perspective.

That said, I can't even imagine a situation where Vegeta vanishes from Super for an entire year.

[precita]

It was good. As people have said, it made Vegeta's sacrifice to Buu have more meaning when we didn't see him for a while.

[Final_]

I certainly didn't mind it. As others have said, it made his death carry more weight (unlike Piccolo's in Super where he was revived a few episodes after) and it made his re-entry a lot more satisfying.

[Gaffer Tape]

I get so sick of him after he *yawn* once again serves as the cause of death and destruction on a massive scale that I never miss him when he's gone for the Boo Arc. I'm glad he's gone so it gives me time to not absolutely loathe him for how incredibly less than useless he is. And then, thankfully, when he does come back, he stops being such a load and actually manages to accomplish a few things.

[MozillaVulpix]

I don't think it was an issue. It does make it feel like his sacrifice is actually accomplishing something big that affected the story for a long time. And I don't think the story Toriyama was trying to tell there was hindered by lack of Vegeta. Piccolo was already playing the straight-man to Gotenks's antics pretty well on his own. The more serious characters that were alive during that time, the harder it would be for all the jokes to fit tonally.

Besides. It seems kind of implied that Toriyama wasn't going to bring him back until he decided to bring back Goku. Can you really fault a story that didn't even seem to want to use that character for not using that character? Why bring him back early if he's got nothing to do?

[ABED]

I think it makes his sacrifice have some sense of weight at a point in the story where the good guys can literally get killed infinitely and come back as long as New Namek is okay. I would've liked if Trunks' desire to avenge his dad stuck around more often and not get replaced by the future staple of the MCU-IE if at all possible, have comedy happen even if it kills the more interesting stuff.

MCU-IE?

[Vijay]

I actually felt Vegeta's absence to be major reason why Boo Arc (post Majin Veggie's sacrifice-Veggie's ressurection) to be the dullest/lowest phase

Vegeta is one of the most dynamic & diabolic anime character who holds the key to success of DBZ

[ekrolo2]

I think it makes his sacrifice have some sense of weight at a point in the story where the good guys can literally get killed infinitely and come back as long as New Namek is okay. I would've liked if Trunks' desire to avenge his dad stuck around more often and not get replaced by the future staple of the MCU-IE if at all possible, have comedy happen even if it kills the more interesting stuff.

MCU-IE?

It was meant to MCU... IE, for some reason my phone but them together

[ABED]

Thanks. I agree to an extent that the MCU has upped the comedy quotient and I believe that's hurt the drama, but it hasn't hurt their business, nor has it hurt Dragon Ball's.

[sintzu]

I actually felt Vegeta's absence to be major reason why Boo Arc (post Majin Veggie's sacrifice-Veggie's ressurection) to be the dullest/lowest phase.

What I liked about that part is how high the stakes were.

The strongest 2 at the time were dead, Gohan hadn't trained for years and we didn't know if the Kai's plan would work and everything was left to 2 kids who were having a lot of trouble with Buu.

Z was always good with high stakes which is among the reasons why I like it more than the other DB shows but this and the battle with Vegeta in the Saiyan arc are when they were at their highest.

[precita]

It's actually kind of funny when you realize Goku and Vegeta do practically nothing in the Buu arc after the Majin Vegeta fight until the very end with Kid Buu. As said when they come back for Super Buu they quickly fused into Vegito so you don't see either of them for another 4 episodes.

Can you imagine Super doing something like this and taking the focus away from both of them for a while?

[ABED]

The stakes being high isn't enough. You have to actually care about whether the protagonists accomplish their goal(s). A personal goal can be just as effective as end of the universe stakes.

[TheMikado]

Vegeta is my favorite character, and I loved it. It feels like it really was a moment he gave his all for something other than himself. It was amazing. But I also love the fact that Vegeta is doing his own thing in GT too, but I liked that about him in Z too. Basically I like it a lot better when they are doing their own thing and not playing tag along.

[90sDBZ]

I actually felt that Gotenks took over the role of cocky jackass pretty effectively. The dumbass stuff he managed to pull off in such a short space of time gave some of Vegeta's infamous decisions a run for their money. Still can't help but like the guy. And it was cool to see Vegeta make a comeback too.

[Lord Beerus]

It didn't really matter to me how much Vegeta was initially absent in the Majin Boo arc. What we got leading up the re-appearance was very much suitable and the fact the show played up the fact we may never see again, made his sacrifice against Majin Boo seem all the more dramatic.

[ABED]

Vegeta leaving the story for a long stretch reminds me of the days when wrestlers used to take extended absences to sell a storyline. However, in story time, Vegeta's gone less than a week.

[sintzu]

Basically I like it a lot better when they are doing their own thing and not playing tag along.

Vegeta was doing his own thing in BOG.

In Super's RF arc it was him who went to train with Whis and Goku followed him.

In the Zamasu arc the villain was directly connected to his son so he's not going to sit on the side and do nothing.

Both torunaments involved the entire universe so of course someone as strong as him would play a role in them.

[TheMikado]

Basically I like it a lot better when they are doing their own thing and not playing tag along.

Vegeta was doing his own thing in BOG.

In Super's RF arc it was him who went to train with Whis and Goku followed him.

In the Zamasu arc the villain was directly connected to his son so he's not going to sit on the side and do nothing.

Both torunaments involved the entire universe so of course someone as strong as him would play a role in them.

I prefer when they only meet up to fight the big bad, I didn't enjoy Vegeta tagging along to fight Badibis men but the reasoning what that he wanted to hurry it up so he could get back to fighting Goku so I'm good with it . Plus he ended up fighting Goku. Definitely didn't dig the Buu tag team and my least favorite fight but it was something they hadn't done before plus the entire arc was basically caused by their rivalry so it was kind of poetic justice that they had to work together to clean up the mess.

Basically seeing Vegeta and Goku onscreen together isn't enjoyable for me because Vegeta basically lives in Gokus shadow as Goku is the protagonist. They've been hanging out too casually for my tastes. Vegeta could have declined during the Champa arc and really didn't need to be involved in the copy Vegeta arc or the Beerus/Goku spar. I know the argument will be that Beerus could destroy them for declining the Champa tournament but why decline during the universe arc when Beerus might really do it with his butt on the line.

Point is Vegeta doesn't need to have involvement in every arc, especially the filler arcs.