Would you watch a "slice of life" Dragon Ball series?

[TheBlackPaladin]

In watching Dragon Ball Super (and for that matter, even some scenes from the two new movies), I've come to really like the "slice of life" scenes/episodes of Dragon Ball...which is to say, scenes where the characters are just hanging out, doing every-day things, instead of being part of some big fight or intense story arc.

Now, of course, a show as combat-oriented as Dragon Ball is never going to get just a straight-up "slice of life" series where that's all that happened, and for several reasons, not the least of which is that Toei would never green-light it. Having said that...if such a series was green-lit, would you watch it?

[ABED]

Probably not the whole thing. I think the slice of life stuff works to the extent it does is because it's rare. It's like sugar - a little goes a long way.

[TheGreatness25]

I wouldn't watch an entire series of it. I mean, what would be the point? No tension, no real story, just seeing how the Dragon Ball characters go through life like the rest of us. Eh, I'd pass. While it's really nice to break the tension, an entire series of it would be way too much. The whole magic in it is that it's limited. I mean what kind of stories could you tell? Trunks's overdue library book? Ox King's uncomfortable plane ride? Vegeta on a job hunt? It could be fun as a mini-series or something that's short-term, but a whole series?

[KBABZ]

I think a mid-arc break to this sort of stuff would work if the focus were kept on the characters. In a way this is what we got with the Great Saiyaman content since it was Gohan going through high school (in his... unique way) and interacting with the rest of the cast. And I feel like it is important to have these kind of scenes before a new arc so that we get to know the cast and how they feel about one another so that we know what the score is when the action heats up. It's especially helpful when there's some sort of timeskip with a status quo change like the Buu arc (everyone's older!), or if the previous arc introduced a new member of the cast (Kid Trunks and Goten, for example).

One of my favourite low-key scenes is when Gohan visits Capsule Corp to have his Saiyaman outfit made (although I've only seen it as a DBZ Kai breakout on YouTube, here and here). Even with just the short interaction with Trunks, you really get the sense that Trunks is not only friendly with Gohan, but also has a good deal of respect for him (at least until the suit is revealed!).

[Baggie_Saiyan]

In watching Dragon Ball Super (and for that matter, even some scenes from the two new movies), I've come to really like the "slice of life" scenes/episodes of Dragon Ball...which is to say, scenes where the characters are just hanging out, doing every-day things, instead of being part of some big fight or intense story arc.

Now, of course, a show as combat-oriented as Dragon Ball is never going to get just a straight-up "slice of life" series where that's all that happened, and for several reasons, not the least of which is that Toei would never green-light it. Having said that...if such a series was green-lit, would you watch it?

Yes 100%. The Pre and Post of the U6 tournament of DBS were so much more entertaining than the actual tournament it made me realise why I hold the franchise so dear. Fighting doesn't have to be non-existent there just doesn't have to be this big threat. I'd totally be down with a cour or so of these every year (with DBS looks like that is what we are exactly getting!).

[Dbzfan94]

Absolutely. In my opinion, the only things that DBS does right is the slice of life stuff.

[ABED]

Absolutely. In my opinion, the only things that DBS does right is the slice of life stuff.

The issues is perhaps the reason they do it well is because there's little of it.

[Jackalope89]

Dragon Ball as a strictly slice of life series, I just don't know if it would work, as much of the premise behind the series as a whole is action.

That said, I wouldn't mind more Grandpa Goku moments, or the Return of Great Saiyaman.

[KBABZ]

Slice of Life is also where we get to have other characters shine. Yamcha becomes a baseball player, Gohan gets into shenanagins as Videl tries to figure out who the Great Saiyaman is, etc. While it won't fix the power issue, it's great just to spend time with these characters and get to know them more.

[TheGreatness25]

Slice of Life is also where we get to have other characters shine. Yamcha becomes a baseball player, Gohan gets into shenanagins as Videl tries to figure out who the Great Saiyaman is, etc. While it won't fix the power issue, it's great just to spend time with these characters and get to know them more.

I agree, but a whole series out of them? Who's stopping Toei or Toriyama or whomever, from giving those characters moments during the series? Does an episode have to be nothing but fights? Can't they show other characters doing different things? Wait, they did in Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z -- people called that filler.

[MR.Mark]

For lore building and side stories like Jaco? Absolutely I'd love it! I wouldn't expect it to override the series proper in anyway, but it would be a great excuse to take more risks in the story department. If the franchise gets so popular to the point that Toei would want a spin off slice of life type series to coexist with Super/current series, I say go for it.

[AnzuMazaki]

Oh Yes!!!
I have not seen my favourite minor characters for nearly six months due to the lack of filler in the ToP arc!
A Slice-of-Life DB Anime would be so cool!

We can see Vegeta look after Bra while Bulma invents stuff, or see her juggle looking after Bra and inventing.

And we can see Tenshinhan, Yamcha and Chaozu's antics at their farm while Goku and Vegeta fight a big villain.
and we can see some Great Saiyaman and Jaco adventures while we are at it!

A Slice*of-Life DB anime would be so much fun to watch!!! X3

[ABED]

While I'm not surprised that there are people in favor of this, I wonder what is so interesting that they want a series that would have no story.

[KBABZ]

Slice of Life is also where we get to have other characters shine. Yamcha becomes a baseball player, Gohan gets into shenanagins as Videl tries to figure out who the Great Saiyaman is, etc. While it won't fix the power issue, it's great just to spend time with these characters and get to know them more.

I agree, but a whole series out of them? Who's stopping Toei or Toriyama or whomever, from giving those characters moments during the series? Does an episode have to be nothing but fights? Can't they show other characters doing different things? Wait, they did in Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z -- people called that filler.

I don't think I said a whole series out of them, or even a whole arc. Just a middle area between major arcs.

I think DBZ did between-arc filler the best because, Namek aside, we had characters living in towns and cities and in groups. DB focused mainly on Goku, and since the two main filler arcs were him on his own, he only interacted with one-shot characters. They also tended to be rather formulaic; Goku encounters local trouble, meets a Suno-type girl his age who seems to be quite taken by him, and saves the day by learning a lesson that won't actually be put into practice when we return to the manga content.

While I'm not surprised that there are people in favor of this, I wonder what is so interesting that they want a series that would have no story.

Just because there's no fights or adventures doesn't mean there isn't any story progression (although to be fair there is a high potential for that). You could make the argument that everything in the Buu arc before the Tournament isn't progressing the story, but we get to see where Gohan's life is after Cell, are introduced to Trunks and Goten and Videl, and learn how they think of each other.

[ABED]

Just because there's no fights or adventures doesn't mean there isn't any story progression (although to be fair there is a high potential for that). You could make the argument that everything in the Buu arc before the Tournament isn't progressing the story, but we get to see where Gohan's life is after Cell, are introduced to Trunks and Goten and Videl, and learn how they think of each other

It doesn't take 10 episodes to tell that story. Contrast that with the beginning of DBZ. We saw where Goku's life was and by the second episode, we were into the conflict. The Great Saiyaman stuff is far better in Kai and even then it's still too long. I just never cared much about the Great Saiyaman stuff. It wasn't funny to me.

[MR.Mark]

Bear in mind I made it clear that I would like this idea as a side series. DB is a series about fighting, so obviously you can't have slice of life take over the main story.

An episode of Beerus visiting and Putting Freeza in his place, also planting the seeds of God/power paranoia into his head, which would lead to the destruction of Vegeta. Those kind of stories are worth telling, and would put some fans at ease that Beerus didn't merely order Freeza to do so, win win story idea.

So yeah, some episodes here and there can have a little action.

[sintzu]

Those episodes apart from a few are super's worst part for me so no.

[Dpc292]

I WANT MY KRILLINS 18 MARRON SHOW!!! AND EPISODES!!!

[Metalwario64]

I like the episodes where everyone's chilling out, but I feel Super has made them overstay their welcome, and I certainly wouldn't just watch an entire series revolved around that.

The exaggerated martial arts action is why I got into Dragon Ball, and the biggest reason why I still love the franchise after all of these years.

[Fizzer]

This type of content is great for embellishing the "main plot" because it makes the characters more real, and by extension makes the show not just a bunch of events that happen but the story of the extraordinary lives of this group of friends. Super has showed how DB/Z could have handled downtime. It works a punctuation though, not the whole series itself.