When did the series drag for you?

[ABED]

I felt that the series dragged on with the Ginyu Force, specially because they were recycling a bit of the Saiyan saga with new contestants, only for Goku to arrive and be put in his place until Freeza. I wouldn't have minded a stronger participation of Nail against Vegeta, and Freeza to know their whereabouts due to battle, and he could transform to match Goku's Kaioken instead.

How was the Ginyu Force recycling the Saiyan arc?

[Desassina]

Recoome being the Nappa equivalent and destroying Vegeta, until Goku arrived to defeat him and Burter, in the same manner that he did against Nappa. It's recycling, which doesn't mean that it has to be bad, but they could have jumped straight into Freeza without filling in the time after Goku arrived.

[NintendoBlaze53]

Good god, the whole archipelago part of the Android arc. I never want to sit through that again. So much seems to happen but it somehow manages to drag. At least have a change in scenery.

The Tournament of Power is beginning to drag for me with the whole recruitment episodes, but I feel like the only reason it's dragging for me is because I'm watching the show weekly. If I had the luxury to binge this arc then I probably wouldn't be complaining.

As someone who binged the Universe 6 and Goku Black arc, and is currently waiting to binge the Tournament of Power Arc when it gets to the first episode of the actual tournament, I'll let you know if it's better to binge. Universe 6 and Goku Black were certainly better binge watched I feel, made the constant back and forth time travel more bearable that's for sure.

[ABED]

Recoome being the Nappa equivalent and destroying Vegeta, until Goku arrived to defeat him and Burter, in the same manner that he did against Nappa. It's recycling, which doesn't mean that it has to be bad, but they could have jumped straight into Freeza without filling in the time after Goku arrived.

The two might be big and brutish, but Reacoom is very different. He showboats and dances and does goofy poses. He's a much different character. He beats Bahta in a similar manner, but hardly the same way. He doesn't use Kaio-ken and he took on two guys at once. You're taking VERY small similarities and making them more significant than they are. There's certainly a formula in Z, but it's one where Goku is constantly out of action for a portion of the story and the characters are waiting for him to get there. It happens twice in the Freeza arc. I like the Ginyu Force, so I don't mind that it doesn't jump straight to him. I enjoy the intermediate step. Otherwise, it would be like jumping straight from the kiddie pool to swimming in the Pacific Ocean. I'm struggling to think of a better analogy.

[Desassina]

They're small, because we had to look for the differences, but less than 100% still applies for comparison. They're bound to be flawed either way, and I'm glad that I didn't get into this game of picking, but whatever Dragon Ball ended up being is what I'm going to take.

[MajinMan]

If we're talking about the anime, it started to drag during the RRA arc. I felt the muscle tower and the pirate cave sections were really padded out.

After that, the next time it dragged badly was the Freeza arc. We all know the story of how they got too close to the manga and had to pad that shit out to the extreme.

The Cell arc started to drag during the whole Super Vegeta section. I really don't like that section if the story, so it just made it worse.

The Buu arc dragged when they were at Kami's palace while Buu was destroying stuff. I think it was like 8 episodes of sitting and waiting around before Goku went Super Saiyan 3.

[Vijay]

@NintendoBlaze

Mutual thoughts mate. Those were my 1st impressions as well

Android/Cell Arc was a mixed bag. One hand, its loaded with iconic moments: 19 & 20 leading to 17 & 18's emergence, Cell popping outta nowhere, Final Flash, USSJ Trunks vs Perfect Cell etc

On the other hand, the "empty" moments were simply.....like the Androids trio whooping street racers asses, Imperfect Cell hiding himself frm Piccolo & Co, Perfect Cell waiting for 10 GODDAMN days for Cell Games. Like seriously?

Dats not to say Buu Arc is god-like. To think how 70+ episodes are "supposed" to have happened within 2 days is berserk!!!!

Cell hiding from the Z Team was one of the more unique aspects of his character and was refreshingly different and intelligent.

What's odd about 70 episodes taking place over two days? My issue is that it's 70 episodes where very little that's interesting actually happens.

You misunderstood my point. If you paid close attention to my post, I mentioned "empty" moments such as Androids trio whooping street racers together with Imperfect Cell hiding. I meant the Anime.

Manga was packed with multiple plots, subplots which made Android Arc moment rivetting. But even that came to a halt with Perfect Cell's annoucement (basically Toriyama/any shounen mangaka wanting to have a break to come up with new asspulls). Manga AND Anime both felt "empty" without any true progression

Buu Arc was simply ridiculous. If you ask Toriyama himself, he'll lol at the thought of thinking the number of events taking place in Buu was within 2 freakin days.

Since you said nothin interesting happening those 2 days, I'd leave it at that cuz "interest" is subjective

As an overall, thinkin about Buu Arc events from Gohan's energy being stolen by Yamu/Spopovitch ~ Goku, Veggie, Mr. Satan & Dende dropped off by KibitoKaioshin at Shinden/Kami Sama's Palace goes way beyond 48 hours/ 2 days time frame

While practically NOTHING happened during 10 days pre-Cell Games interval, 1000+ powerups, rituals, transformations, bad-guy~to~good-guy~to~ultimate bad-guy reversals with Dead Guys ressurecting & saving the universe ALL happened within 48 hours. DARN!!!

[ABED]

While practically NOTHING happened during 10 days pre-Cell Games interval, 1000+ powerups, rituals, transformations, bad-guy~to~good-guy~to~ultimate bad-guy reversals with Dead Guys ressurecting & saving the universe ALL happened within 48 hours. DARN!!!

The whole point of that interval WAS that nothing happened during that time. Goku and his friends were preparing. It makes a lot of sense that the entire Buu arc happens in a relatively short period of time. He's stronger than any enemy they've ever faced and has the temperament of a child. The idea that he would have the self control to hold back for a while isn't credible.

Since you said nothin interesting happening those 2 days, I'd leave it at that cuz "interest" is subjective

This is all subjective.

As an overall, thinkin about Buu Arc events from Gohan's energy being stolen by Yamu/Spopovitch ~ Goku, Veggie, Mr. Satan & Dende dropped off by KibitoKaioshin at Shinden/Kami Sama's Palace goes way beyond 48 hours/ 2 days time frame

I don't think so at all. Each episode is about 20 minutes and every episode picks up right where the last one left off.

[Trunksuu]

The Namek arc was too boring in my opinion. The Frieza fight was cool, but it also lasted too long. I actually gave up watching it for a while because I didn't feel like sitting through that again.

[simtek34]

Ooh, the Namek Arc, it was a very long and tedious watching. I only got around to watching the whole thing this summer when I was rewatching all the DB series (Minus Z)! Since I was watching Kai, I have no idea how bad it must have been in Z, oh god!

[DrakenballP]

Ooh, the Namek Arc, it was a very long and tedious watching. I only got around to watching the whole thing this summer when I was rewatching all the DB series (Minus Z)! Since I was watching Kai, I have no idea how bad it must have been in Z, oh god!

Yeah it's even tedious in Kai. I'm watching it right now and I love it as always,but even Kai has it dragging out. Only great thing is it doesn't spend 40 years with the Recoome or Guldo fight.

[Jinzoningen MULE]

Ooh, the Namek Arc, it was a very long and tedious watching. I only got around to watching the whole thing this summer when I was rewatching all the DB series (Minus Z)! Since I was watching Kai, I have no idea how bad it must have been in Z, oh god!

Yeah it's even tedious in Kai. I'm watching it right now and I love it as always,but even Kai has it dragging out. Only great thing is it doesn't spend 40 years with the Recoome or Guldo fight.

Guldo and Recoome weren't actually very long in Z, but I get the idea. The Freeza Arc is impossible not to stretch out in TV format. Even in comic form, half of the arc is the Freeza fight.

[Scorpio Kardia]

I felt the Freeza saga and the battle with Goku dragged itself out for too long. It's funny because when I was kid I guess I was more into it and didn't think much about it. But now if I'm watching the saga again I admit I tend to skip or fast forward through a lot of parts.

Even if I'm watching the Kai version, I still don't have the patience for all of it.

[Cipher]

Manga-wise? More or less fine throughout the entire run, though I actually think the opening arc gets a little tiring in the middle and I can see why Torishima was eager to have Toriyama follow it up with a tournament.

In the anime? There are points I dread hitting on re-watches in the early portions of the Red Ribbon Army arc, the entire second half of the Namek arc, and more or less the entire Cell arc after Cell absorbs #17 (but especially the episodes with Vegeta and Trunks fighting Perfect Cell). I never want to see the bulk of Super's "recruitment arc" episodes again.

[Gog]

If I have to admit not a whole lot of Dragon Ball drags, (for the manga at the very least) but there's a huge part of Early Dragon Ball that drags, and it's called the Red Ribbon Arc. The Tao Pai Pai part, most of Muscle Tower, and every single one of Goku's scenes where he's by his lonesome were some of the most aggravating moments in Dragon Ball as a whole.

The only reason why I bother reading through them is only because I like some elements in the scenes, and I don't want to skip past the scenes, and miss out on something in the story,

[ABED]

What don't you like about the Tao Pai Pai? He's the toughest antagonist Goku has faced to that point. I agree that much of that arc drags, but that's not one of them. I find it one of the highlights of the arc. I like Muscle Tower, but that's mostly because of Murasaki.

[Gog]

What don't you like about the Tao Pai Pai? He's the toughest antagonist Goku has faced to that point. I agree that much of that arc drags, but that's not one of them. I find it one of the highlights of the arc. I like Muscle Tower, but that's mostly because of Murasaki.

I don't dislike Tao Pai Pai himself, he was one of the best parts of the Red Ribbon Arc. In fact I wish he'd have gotten more time for us to view his character instead of this small strip of the arc. I dislike Karin's tower for it's focus on Goku, and Upa, and the Karin part of the arc just drags on and on.

Yeah, Murasaki is great he's purified Toriyama humor, and his only real rival in that regard is Gotenks.

[ABED]

What don't you like about the Tao Pai Pai? He's the toughest antagonist Goku has faced to that point. I agree that much of that arc drags, but that's not one of them. I find it one of the highlights of the arc. I like Muscle Tower, but that's mostly because of Murasaki.

I don't dislike Tao Pai Pai himself, he was one of the best parts of the Red Ribbon Arc. In fact I wish he'd have gotten more time for us to view his character instead of this small strip of the arc. I dislike Karin's tower for it's focus on Goku, and Upa, and the Karin part of the arc just drags on and on.

Yeah, Murasaki is great he's purified Toriyama humor, and his only real rival in that regard is Gotenks.

What's the issue with focusing on Goku and Upa?

[Gog]

What's the issue with focusing on Goku and Upa?

The problem with focusing on Kid Goku is his naivety gag only really ever works in a group. Even then he just simply doesn't have enough personality to work on his own, and his interactions with Upa were never particularly fun, memorable, or interesting. Kid Goku was at his best when he was on God's Lookout where he truly believed himself to be the best in the world, he was cocky arrogant, and he refused to belief he was outdone by Mr. Popo.

Upa, while having far more going on with his character than Kid Goku does at the time what with his father being killed, and him wanting to avenge his death. His personality is just too similar to Goku's character for me to actually enjoy having him on the page, and he on himself doesn't have an interesting personality, a personality I'm interested in, or any memorable moments on a whole.

If it wasn't for Tao Pai Pai, and Karin this part of the manga would be my least favorite in the entirety of Dragon Ball.

[ABED]

You've reduced Goku to a one note gag. Maybe his naivete works best as a gag, but that's hardly all the character is. He's driven to be the best martial artist he can be. His interactions with Upa weren't supposed to be fun, not overall. It's not long after they meet that Upa's father is murdered. And I don't see how Upa's personality is remotely similar to Goku's. They both might be naïve, but for different reasons.

One moment of Upa's you are forgetting is his fight against Dracula Man.