Buu Saga: The Best/Worst Saga In DBZ

[TheRed259]

Buu Saga is the worst DBZ Saga.

Several Reasons:
1. Τhe Great Saiyanman --> ridiculousness.
2. Majin Buu --> enemy with lack of intelligence.
3. It's too easy to transform into a Super Saiyan --> Ssj nothing special.
4. They are focusing only on the Saiyans. Even Piccolo is useless and it seems that he gave up fighting.
5. Vegeta's useless sacrifice to save the Earth from a fat, stupid balloon which later becomes a good guy.
6. The whole arc is almost childish. Goten, Trunks, Mr.Satan ruin the dramatic and serious atmosphere of DragonBall Z .
7. Toriyama did create Buu Saga because of the fans' threats.

[DBZGTKOSDH]

I love all 4 arcs equally (Saiyan, Freeza, Cell, and Majin Boo arc), but I'll say that the Boo arc is the worst of them because of its inconsistencies (most of the never-ending debates are about Boo arc), the art (the art gets retarded at times), and the fact that Gotenks & Gohan were switched with Goku saving the day (though the ending was great).

[ABED]

Buu Saga is the worst DBZ Saga.

5. Vegeta's useless sacrifice to save the Earth from a fat, stupid balloon which later becomes a good guy.
6. The whole arc is almost childish. Goten, Trunks, Mr.Satan ruin the dramatic and serious atmosphere of DragonBall Z .
7. Toriyama did create Buu Saga because of the fans' threats.

5. Still a great moment for his character.
6. DBZ isn't that serious and dramatic. It does bring back more humor from Dragon Ball, and Mr. Satan becomes a deeper character and not just a joke.
7. I remember reading that he enjoyed writing the Buu arc.

One of the moments I found most affecting, though it might be filler, was when the snipers took out that old couple.

[Izanagi]

Majin Boo Saga had it's ups and downs. I loved how Akira Toriyama brought back the humor Dragon Ball had during the first part of the manga. I also loved the Fusion technique and Chou Gohan beating up Evil Boo (in a very brief moment, unfortunately.) However, I discourage of how the Super Saiyan transformation became a child's play and how Akira Toriyama ostracized almost every single non-Saiyan character. Piccolo and Tenshinhan in particular. Piccolo came off as the strongest Z-Warrior twice in a row before Goku.

[AJRR]

I didn't care much for the way everything played out, but I did enjoy the animation and things like Mystic Gohan and the fusions. The story line just seemed to drag on with one person supposed to be the next savior being defeated, Buu transforming several times, and Gotenks dicking around. I would consider it one of my least favourite Saga's in terms of storyline.

[Gaffer Tape]

One of the moments I found most affecting, though it might be filler, was when the snipers took out that old couple.

That's not filler. It happens in the manga.

[DBZAOTA482]

Pros:

+Majin Boo is an enjoyable and unique villain (albeit really cheap). Instead of being an arrogant sadist that we've seen for the optenth time he's an indestructible and zany force of nature.
+The art and animation is gorgeous for the most parts (anime-only).
+The Great Saiyaman Saga
+Gohan relationship with Goten and Videl
+The enemy is defeated by teamwork rather than the strongest guy (given though he could have he could've been defeated that way at many instances).
+Elder Kaioshin making Young Kaioshin his bitch.


Cons:

-Goku is just...awful in this arc.
-Kaioshin becames a useless and cowardly putz after his badass debut.
-Piccolo is demoted to a cowardly babysitter and a total idiot.
-Majin Vegeta being an out-of-character whiny emo bitch.
-Most of it is worthless padding
-So much build-up for Gohan taking up the mantle only for to screw him over in the end.
-Majin Boo doesn't have much going for him after he starts absorbing people.
-The ending is just awful.

[Kamiccolo9]

7. Toriyama did create Buu Saga because of the fans' threats.

No he didn't. Nothing indicates that he had any intention of ending after the Cell Arc.
From Herms' Intended Endings Guide

Toriyama planned on ending the series at the Cell arc
(Hey, I was right about one thing at least!)

Part of the whole package of rumors about Toriyama’s thwarted plans of ending the series with the Freeza arc is that, once that plan fell through, he then tried to end it after the Cell Games only to fail once more. All the same things that can be said about the supposed Freeza ending can be said here too: Toriyama’s never said such a thing in interviews; he wouldn’t have been simply told at the last minute that he wouldn’t be allowed to end the series there, so pointing out how climatic the end of the Cell arc feels is irrelevant, blah blah blah. If Toriyama had been given the option to end it there, he probably would have of course. I doubt he would have gone “No, I must continue! For I have an artistic vision burning inside me, that I must let out! A vision of a bubblegum monster beating up on a little kid with really long hair and no eyebrows!” But there’s simply no evidence that he actually thought he was going to be given that option while writing that storyline.

[ABED]

-Piccolo is demoted to a cowardly babysitter and a total idiot.
-Majin Vegeta being an out-of-character whiny emo bitch.

How is Piccolo a coward, and what was out of character for Vegeta?

But there’s simply no evidence that he actually thought he was going to be given that option while writing that storyline.

He makes it sound like Toriyama was a slave.

[sangofe]

The Boo saga had so much that made it really good. The humor with Mr. Satan and Gotenks. The randomness during the fights. The really nice art... It had a lot of craziness other saga don't. Personally I wanna be entertained with Dragonball and could care less about the story.

[Gaffer Tape]

But there’s simply no evidence that he actually thought he was going to be given that option while writing that storyline.

He makes it sound like Toriyama was a slave.

Funny that I just re-read the Intended Endings Guide this morning since it's one of my favorite guides. I don't think much has been said on this subject, but there's nothing to indicate whether or not Toriyama was under contract to continue for a certain amount of time. That's certainly a scenario that would keep him from being able to quit but certainly wouldn't make him a slave. Other than that, it very well could have been a sense of personal obligation, given both that, in the Cell arc, Toriyama felt there was no way around ignoring the advice from a man who was no longer his editor, and the Japanese's unerring politeness. I mean, think about it. Toriyama ending Dragon Ball would put a hell of a lot of people out of work. It would mean the end of the Dragon Ball TV series, which would force all the animators, writers, marketing people, and actors to find new work. If it was the most popular series at a time he decided to end it, its lack of appearance in Weekly Shonen Jump would most certainly cause sales to drop. So it's certainly plausible that he didn't "have an option" to quit, even if that wasn't literally true.

[Kamiccolo9]

People complain about Goku doing everything or winning the final battle and praise the Cell arc for ending with the ultimate triumph of someone other than Goku, but this is, after all, Goku's story.

Actually, in the beginning, the Buu Arc was not meant to be Goku's story.

As mentioned, chapter 421 starts off with a message from Kame-Sen’nin: “‘Dragon Ball‘ will continue for just a tad longer! From now on, taking the place of the late Goku as the main character will be his serious-minded son, Son Gohan!”

It was only later that he changed his mind.

Interviewer: And then the Cell arc ended. Did you think that everyone felt you would put Gohan into the leading role?

Akira Toriyama: I intended to put Gohan into the leading role. It didn’t work out. I felt that compared to Goku, he was ultimately not suited for the part.

[DBZAOTA482]

-Piccolo is demoted to a cowardly babysitter and a total idiot.
-Majin Vegeta being an out-of-character whiny emo bitch.

How is Piccolo a coward, and what was out of character for Vegeta?

Piccolo backed down from fighting Kaioshin, and the very first thing Piccolo does when Super Boo pops up on Heavenly Realms was tell him to kill over 90% of the Earth's population in order to buy time.

Vegeta cheats his way for even more power and endangers the entire universe by allowing himself to be possessed by Babidi just so he can settle the score with Goku even though he swore off fighting at the end of the Cell Games... which is all fine and dandy (I mean, why would he want throw awaynthat one and lifetime opportunity)... until he reverts back to his whole "Grr i h8 kakorroto" mantra after being sent being back to Earth so he can fight Majin Boo thus making his sacrifice entirely meaningless.

[ABED]

-Piccolo is demoted to a cowardly babysitter and a total idiot.
-Majin Vegeta being an out-of-character whiny emo bitch.

How is Piccolo a coward, and what was out of character for Vegeta?

Piccolo backed down from fighting Kaioshin, and the very first thing Piccolo does when Super Boo pops up on Heavenly Realms was tell him to kill over 90% of the Earth's population in order to buy time.

Vegeta cheats his way for even more power and endangers the entire universe by allowing himself to be possessed by Babidi just so he can settle the score with Goku even though he swore off fighting at the end of the Cell Games... which is all fine and dandy (I mean, why would he want throw awaynthat one and lifetime opportunity)... until he reverts back to his whole "Grr i h8 kakorroto" mantra after being sent being back to Earth so he can fight Majin Boo thus making his sacrifice entirely meaningless.

I think he did so out of deference to a god, and he would rather give the people who have a chance of winning the time to train than run headfast into a fight he can't win. That's called being smart.

Vegeta didn't revert back to anything, he had yet to make peace with Goku. Reverting would assume he moved forward. All of which is completely in character. I have little problem with Vegeta being whiny, it's better than having a mass murderer portrayed as purely badass. Giving up his life showed there was a fundamental change in his character, so it wasn't meaningless.

I've said it before and I'll say it again about Gohan as the hero, I don't care for it. I've always liked Goku more and I like that it's his story from beginning to end. He's much more suited to be the hero and more interesting. Also, since Goku and Vegeta caused Buu's release, it's fitting that they clean up the mess.

The continuous transformations and fusions feel like overkill and a drag on the story.

[mAcChaos]

I didn't mind old SSJ stages getting obsoleted. The whole point of Buu is that he was a villain completely beyond anything they had faced before, so it fit that they had to come up with new ways to fight him.

[Cold Skin]

The Boo Saga is my second favorite after Cell, it has many things I like:

- The ensemble, family cast. Seven years passed, and it's a new era, you feel like you've known those families all your life, it's a great feeling to be still living new adventures with them in a whole new era that feels somehow as coherent as what life turns out to be in families seven years later, with the kid now going to high school and having his seven years old little brother, and the families meeting for various events. Makes for a lot of characters involved, interacting and their destinies gathering and separating at various points. By now, those characters are all well developped.

- New transformations and forms: Super Saiyans all over the place, Majin possession, Super Saiyan 3, fusions... Still being in line with what was done previously, it feels coherent and fresh.

- The evil possession of Vegeta, leading to his even more exciting heroic sacrifice that brings a final mark to his character's evolution (though he would have one more when admitting Kakarotto is N°1).

- Boo's absorption power. As exciting as it was with Cell, but now EVERYONE can be absorbed and have their traits and abilities incorporated to the villain.

- Fusions, inventing and exciting (with the anime having the great idea to use double voices, which is surprising cause usually Toriyama is the one to have such great concepts, not the anime staff!).

- Development of the realms beyond the usual living beings (Kaio Shin beings, Kaio Shin Kai...).

- The final moment of the battle (energy restored, speech and final push) is classy and symbolizes Goku well.

[TheGmGoken]

1st half of Boo arc was badassm 2nd half....not so much.

[DBZAOTA482]

Piccolo backed down from fighting Kaioshin, and the very first thing Piccolo does when Super Boo pops up on Heavenly Realms was tell him to kill over 90% of the Earth's population in order to buy time.

Vegeta cheats his way for even more power and endangers the entire universe by allowing himself to be possessed by Babidi just so he can settle the score with Goku even though he swore off fighting at the end of the Cell Games... which is all fine and dandy (I mean, why would he want throw awaynthat one and lifetime opportunity)... until he reverts back to his whole "Grr i h8 kakorroto" mantra after being sent being back to Earth so he can fight Majin Boo thus making his sacrifice entirely meaningless.

I think he did so out of deference to a god, and he would rather give the people who have a chance of winning the time to train than run headfast into a fight he can't win. That's called being smart.

Vegeta didn't revert back to anything, he had yet to make peace with Goku. Reverting would assume he moved forward. All of which is completely in character. I have little problem with Vegeta being whiny, it's better than having a mass murderer portrayed as purely badass. Giving up his life showed there was a fundamental change in his character, so it wasn't meaningless.

I've said it before and I'll say it again about Gohan as the hero, I don't care for it. I've always liked Goku more and I like that it's his story from beginning to end. He's much more suited to be the hero and more interesting. Also, since Goku and Vegeta caused Buu's release, it's fitting that they clean up the mess.

The continuous transformations and fusions feel like overkill and a drag on the story.

1. Maybe except Piccolo statd clearly that their difference in power is too great meaning he was overestimating God (especially since he turned out to be a wuss) and Piccolo could've pulled out his hourglass like he did later on.

2. Vegeta before going Kamikaze says that he'll sacrifice his life for Goku as well puttinghis pride aside but he complains about having to fuse with him later on despite knowing what's at stake.

[ABED]

1. Maybe he didn't overestimate Kaioshin in relation to him. Piccolo isn't nearly as strong as the Super Saiyans at that point. He wasn't being a coward.

2. Well within character. The guy has worked along side Goku before. There was some movement forward but it's not out of character for someone like Vegeta to take a step forward, and then take two steps back.

[mAcChaos]

The entire reason he was okay with sacrificing himself is because he got what he wanted out of Goku, and felt like now he had to make up for it and be the hero for a change. He was trying to "beat" Goku still.

But then he found out Goku was just humoring him the entire time and all of it was for nothing, so the reasons for his sacrifice were gone.