How do you watch the movies? When viewing the sagas?

[Amiable-Akuma]

I have a question for you guys as to when and how you guys watch the DB/Z/GT movies and specials? Do you watch them as you view the eps in order or just whenever you feel like it? And do you feel that there is a benefit to doing it either way?

I guess my theory is that I will watch an entire series (either DB, Z, or GT) first and then go back and watch all the movies that pertain to that series in order before moving on.

But certain movies/specials benefit episodes that you would watch during the series, right? I guess the Bardock/Trunks specials. But what else? And do any of the 4 DB movies or the GT special benefit the episodes they might fit with? And is it better to view them before or after?

Right...so anyway how do you do it and do you consider the movies separate to the episodes or something that just has to be watched at the appropriate time as they *sort of* mesh with the episode timelines while your viewing them?

[Tanooki Kuribo]

You should just save yourself a lot of time right now and just stop trying to fit Dragonball movies into a certain sagas timeline because you will eventually go insane.

Now, in my head how I fit them into the storyline (or actually don't) with what I call the Ikea theory, Dragonball movies are like furniture from Ikea. You have a bookshelf in pieces that you have to put together, you get all the pieces together you read the instructions you start screwing in pieces together things are fitting, things are comming together and eventually you have your bookshelf, its done...but wait. You have extra screws! You look all around the completed bookshelf and can't find for the life of you where these screws fit in so, there left on the side even though they belong in that booshelf they dont fit, and you can't just put them anywhere so you just say eh, the bookshelf is fine the way it is, and you just end up with extra screws. In conclusion the Dragonball movies are like extra screws, they don't fit.

Yea...remeber when I said you'd probley go insane thinking about where the movies fit in? Yea...(it's late what do you want )

[Duo]

The movies weren't meant to fit into the storyline.

When Toei made these, the show was at different points in different regions. Because many of these people would come from different places to view the premiers at the Toei Anime Arts Festival, some major details would be kept' vague as to avoid spoilers.

But, that aside, they weren't made to be additions to the canon story, but stand alone movies made for entertainment purpose. It was also a great chance to see the Animation A-team in action.

But it is still non-canon and should always be treated as such, just like GT.

Just watch them whenever you want.

[MultilangDBZ]

I prefer to watch DB/DBZ/GT series as a whole, then Specials, before moving onto all the movies. So basically, I watch the movies in chronological order as if they were a series. Just my personal preference.

[SpaceKappa]

I'm not interesting at all. I watch whatever random parts of the series I feel like watching at any given moment. If I feel like lots of action, I'll watch a movie. If I feel like story, I'll watch the series.

[Dayspring]

I'm not interesting at all. I watch whatever random parts of the series I feel like watching at any given moment. If I feel like lots of action, I'll watch a movie. If I feel like story, I'll watch the series.

Same. Though if you want to watch movies as if they were taking place in the anime, watch Bardock before everything, watch Trunks before the episode where Freeza arrives on Earth, watch movie 13 before the 28th budoukai ends, and the GT special before the last 8(?) minutes of DBGT.

[Eclipse]

I usually like watching the movies anytime I want. It doesn't really matter, since I know they are non-canon to the sagas.

Note: You made a spelling error, Amiable Akuma

[the_abberration]

What I like to do, is start with the Bardock Movie since it more or less tells Goku's origin's and ends with him being found by Gohan, before starting with DB. After I reach episode 52, I start with Curse of the Blood Rubies and follow up with a movie after every twenty-six episodes.

I will watch History of Trunks after the last episode of the Garlic Jr. Saga as a lead in / setup to the Android Saga. I believe A Hero's Legacy came out after the Baby Saga and before Super Android 17, so I either watch it after the last episode of the Baby Saga or wait till the end of GT to watch it.

[Amiable-Akuma]

Thanks for your replies, guys. Man, this message board is so cool. It's amazing that I can ask such relatively "nerdy" questions like these and still really be taken serious. I mean, how crazy are we all to have and be able to just assume others have - basically the entire collection of "DB-everything" (which one would kind of need, in order to be able to answer questions like these)?

It's great though. I actually have every ep/movie/special on VHS as well - which I purchased during the "dark times" - when it seemed like the series would never get anything even resembling a respectable DVD release here in the US.

On topic, - I think I'll try and do what you've doing "abberration". I know it requires slightly more thought and energy than other methods but I'm about to begin watching the entire series again anyway, so I'll give it a shot. Damn, this means I'll have to re-buy the Bardock DVD now though - as I just recently lost it and movie 4 during a move.

Note: "Eclipse" - it was separate as "seperate," right? I guess all those years of AP English can't save me from typing too fast and not being able to catch everything. Also, it seems that the use of "spell check" is something that my ego wants to rebel against. Anyway, good eyes.

[Chaos Saiyajin]

I ususally only watch the movies, since I've seen most of the series and really only own the movies and a few episodes.

[The Mole]

Here's how you do it:

-Bardock Special
-All of DragonBall
-Movie 1
-DragonBall Z (till the end of the Garlic Jr. saga)
-Trunks Special
-Trunks saga
-Movie 2
-Movie 5
-Androids and Cell Games saga
-Movie 9
-DragonBall Z (till the end of the buu fight)
-Movie 13
-DragonBall Z (the last, what, 2-3 episodes?)
-[if you want to, Bejita's DragonBall Z Continued]
-DragonBall GT
-[again, if you want to, Mole's (me) DragonBall S]
-Itty Bitty Goku Who Finds the Four Star Ball Special

[Akira]

I watch whatever DVD I feel like watching that I haven't watched in a long while. Although this question is something I have thought about before. what is the best order for interpretation and greatest understanding and enjoyment? Arguably, a few of the movies -can- be watched along with the series to enhance the experience. Some only add to greatly confuse if attempted to be watched in conjunction with the series. I understand that most consider them completely seperate, but if you want to watch the ones that can go along with the series, then I suggest the following:

-Bardock Special
-Pilaf Saga
-Meeting Krillin at Roshi's island episode
-DB Movie 2 - Sleeping Princess in Devil's Castle
-21st World Tournament Saga
-Red Ribbon Army/General Blue/Commander Red Sagas
-Fortune Teller Baba
-22nd World Tournament (Tenshinhan Saga)
-Piccolo Daimao Saga
-23rd World Tournament (Piccolo Junior Saga)
-DBZ Movie 1 - Dead Zone
-Vegeta Saga
-Namek Saga
-Commander Ginyu Saga
-Freeza Saga
-Garlic Junior Saga
-Trunks Special
-Trunks Saga
-DBZ Movie 5 - Cooler's Revenge
-Android Saga
-Imperfect/Perfect Cell Sagas
-Cell Games Saga
-DBZ Movie 9 -Bojack Unbound
-Great Saiyaman Saga
-25th World Tournament Saga
-Babidi/Majin Buu/Fusion/Kid Buu Sagas
-DBZ Movie 13 - (Region 1 title unknown at this point)
-28th World Tournament Saga

-Black Star Dragonballs/Baby Sagas
-Super Android #17 Saga
-Shadow Dragons Saga
-DBGT Special - A Hero's Legacy