Instances of filler you liked/disliked

[TheOverlyMadHatter]

This is pretty much a thread made to voice your opinions on the various filler arc, episodes, and scenes in the animated series.

I very much enjoyed Gohan's mini-arc during the Saiyan portion of DBZ. I felt like it was Toei's way of saying "If you still had any hope that the fun-loving monkey boy's son would be a chip off the old block, you can stop hoping now."

I also liked the Garlic Jr. arc for its way of showing how the Z-Warriors handle themselves without Goku, which I feel could have been exploited much better during the seven-year gap between the Cell Games and Buu Arc, to complement the Otherworld Tournament arc. A wasted opportunity, in my opinion.

I also like the addition of flashbacks, as long as they don't contradict the continuity (see Muten Roshi's original tale of the Dragon Ball).

Otherwise, I have a pretty negative outlook towards filler in Dragon Ball, with a few notable examples.

I hated the pre-22nd Tenka'ichi Budokai training arc. I simply found nothing memorable to it.

I'd say the same of all the filler in the Buu Arc. It either only served to drag out fights that had nothing really special to them in the first place, or to make power level debates more confusing today.

[DBZ Mick]

Although it dragged out for a little too long I liked the Saiyan arc filler. Material with Gohan was hugely enjoyable and developed his character, I liked how all the other Z-warriors got to have their moments and it really felt like a year passed. I like some filler in the Namek like the Space Orphans which delved more into Freeza and his empire, stuff with those plants the Namek's plant, for some reason I liked Ginyu in Bulma's body.

I'd say the same of all the filler in the Buu Arc. It either only served to drag out fights that had nothing really special to them in the first place, or to make power level debates more confusing today.

I think despite dragging out things the Boo arc was much more enjoyable anime-wise because of the filler.

I actually generally liked Z's filler but didn't like Dragonball's for some reason...

[Kid Buu]

I like almost every episodic filler. At the worst, you can always just skip them during a rewatch.

The worst type of filler is what drags out the manga material; the worst one that comes to mind is Gohan's battle with Recoome. What took less than a chapter lasted an entire episode in Z. Not to mention the cutaways are really annoying, like we'll be in the middle of a fight and it'll just cut to Chichi washing the dishes or Goten/Trunks peeing.

[DBZ Mick]

I like almost every episodic filler. At the worst, you can always just skip them during a rewatch.

The worst type of filler is what drags out the manga material; the worst one that comes to mind is Gohan's battle with Recoome. What took less than a chapter lasted an entire episode in Z. Not to mention the cutaways are really annoying, like we'll be in the middle of a fight and it'll just cut to Chichi washing the dishes or Goten/Trunks peeing.

Yeah, that kind of thing I didn't like.

[Codarik]

The space orphans was alright since it gave the viewers an idea what kind of monster Kiwi was and then later on when Vegeta kills him makes his death more satisfying.

Goku getting glued to his ship on the way to Namek was nice comical filler.

The Princess Snake, Goz and Mez filler episodes I can watch all day.

I strongly dislike the Maron scenes during the Android arc and that Bulma and the Giant Crab episode. I can tolerate most of the average filler but those I have to skip over.

[DBZ Mick]

Goku getting glued to his ship on the way to Namek was nice comical filler.

Oh, my... can't believe I forgot about this. Probably my favourite filler, just adorable, so funny!

[B]

I love most of the filler before the 22nd Tenkaichi Budokai. Kame Sennin's nonsensical origin story for the Dragon Balls, Goku running into Nam and Monster Beast Giran in the desert, Silver's elongated arc with the return of Chichi... It never feels like the show is padding the story out for the sake of it, and it all feels pretty natural. Dragon Ball's chapter-to-episode range for the most part never changed in a large way, so it's really baffling that technically, all of this stuff is moving at the same pace as Z's Freeza arc, but so much more is happening. I'll have to sit down and really dissect it one day.

The Muscle Tower portion of the Red Ribbon arc definitely reused shots of Goku lost in the maze, and indulged in "five minute recaps of the last 10 minutes of the last episode" filler, which is laughably absurd when it's just Goku lost in a maze. I think once we get to Murasaki things begin moving. Also throughout this arc, there a lot of cutaways to what Kame Sennin, Kuririn, and Lunch are doing at Kame House. The vast majority of these make no sense being there, so in that respect they feel like filler, but I can't say I didn't like them.

I remember during the Toonami run really enjoying the Solo Training arc where Goku runs around the Earth without Kinto'un for a few episodes, but I think that was more because I was a kid who dreaded the show would take another hiatus, because they never announced it. I was just ecstatic a new episode was playing. Watching them all back to back on DVD, they're not that great and you can certainly feel a sense of "we need to fill the episode". However, I still really like the self-contained episode where Goku meets the pick-pocketing fox Konkichi. That's like the driver's license episode of the original DB.

The hunt for the Dragon Balls during the Piccolo arc to revive Krillin is very fun. You get a little more exposition on Tenshinhan's past and the gang infiltrates a pirate ship. There's also the added scenes of Tambourine killing various Tenkaichi contestants, which brings a sense of oncoming dread. (Side note: Tambourine is the best Nakao role)

I fell asleep during the Wedding Dress arc. Maybe it was marathon fatigue. I couldn't tell you what went on there.

Z's filler for the Saiyan and Freeza arcs does not interest me whatsoever. Particularly the Saiyan arc, which is real transitional period for the series; all the magical, spiritual elements are morphing closer to sci-fi, and there's a lot of unpredictability in what's going to happen. Toriyama crafted it all very nicely and something as absurd as changing the origins of the main character halfway through the series goes down a lot easier because of his detachment as a writer. That goes away when you take the time to see what the characters are doing during their year-long training.

[MediaFanGirl93]

I know a lot of people are going to disagree with me, but I dislike the driving episode filler now. I used to like it, but after watching it again, I realized how tacky and overrated it was.

[doomydoomydoom]

The only filler I find completely tolerable are the token driving episode (made 10x better by TFS though), the Goku vs. Vegeta during Buu Saga, and the one during Vegeta Saga where Goku goes to Hell, made classic of course by HFIL.

Oh, and Gregory's kind of cool. :D

That's really everything I can stand, although guess you can't do anything about padding scenes and all that during "canon" fights\moments.

[Eddie]

The scene featuring Crocodile With Sunglasses in the first series is pretty incredible. Pilaf pulling a switchblade always makes me laugh. In Z, the moment where Piccolo, Kuririn, Tenshinhan, and Yamcha try to help Gohan against Cell is great. The Cell Game was my first exposure to the anime (and the series as a whole). I was aware when I picked up the manga that much of the anime had been filler, but I was surprised that the bit with those guys wasn't in the original work.

[Kamiccolo9]

I like all of the major filler arcs (the wedding stuff, Garlic Jr., the Otherworld Tournament) and the Driving Episode, of course. I was also a fan of Gohan's training in the Saiyan arc, and especially of the Buu Arc filler (the extended Goku vs Majin Vegeta and Gohan vs Buutenks fights, Buu's body, and the extended Pure Buu fight.)

Oh, and Krillin's proposal episode was great. One of my favorites in the series. And Yamcha's baseball stuff was fun as well.

[Mystic Buu]

I like 1-year training filler for Saiyans and Bulma losing the Dragon Ball on Namek and trying to find it.I don't like the Fake Namek and some aliens who thought that Gohan,Krillin and Bulma work for Freeza.

[Ajay]

Very much enjoyed the extensive focus on Gohan's training/growing up in the Saiyan arc. That always felt a little weak or at least a fraction too fast in the manga. The alone time with the character allowed for a great deal of introspection that really fleshed out the character. From seeing his caring side (the robot and dinosaur) to seeing his understanding of what is necessary to survive was just all really well done.

Following that, there's not masses of filler that I find particularly interesting or at least not ones I can specifically point out. Sure, there's many extended section throughout the arcs that help add to certain characters but nothing as clear cut as Gohan's section. I think the Ano-yo'ichi Budokai was a lot of fun despite not really adding to anything other than introducing Paikuhan briefly. The characters were all pretty entertaining and unique and of course, the fights were, at the very least, serviceable.

Regarding what I actively dislike, I'll be turning to the Fake-Namek segment, the Bulma and the crab segment and all of the nonsense during the transition from the AH arc into the Cell arc. All of it can only be described as 'filler'. It adds nothing, it takes nothing away...it simply exists to fill. To me, that's the worst type of filler possible and I refuse to watch any of it.

[DBZ Mick]

I know a lot of people are going to disagree with me, but I dislike the driving episode filler now. I used to like it, but after watching it again, I realized how tacky and overrated it was.

I watched it for the first time a few months back and was disappointed with it myself. I only liked one line.

[randomking0x70]

My favorite filler is the episode with Gohan and the robot. My most hated filler moments are the Garlic Jr arc and the unnecessary padding.

[IDreamtIWasABee]

I was stunned by how nonexistent the Majin Vegeta and Kid Boo fights are in the manga. It was clear Toriyama really didn't care by that point, but the people on the show did.

[Wibbs]

I was stunned by how nonexistent the Majin Vegeta and Kid Boo fights are in the manga. It was clear Toriyama really didn't care by that point, but the people on the show did.

It's unfair to say he didn't care, after all if he didn't he wouldn't have come so far with the manga. You don't put ten years into something you don't care about.

If the fights dragged on for too long it would become a chore to read through, he kept them short and sweet for a reason.

[superkakarrot2]

I like most of the Saiyan arc filler that expands on the training in the year before Vegeta and Nappa arrive and gives Gohan more character development and motivation. I dislike filler theat creates plot holes later on such as the false dragon ball origin story and Dr. Frappe creating #8 instead of Gero. I also dislike filler that show the exact same scene over and over again with slightly different dialog such as the same shot of a group of people reacting to the Cell games broadcast which was a single panel in the manga, at one point they even had a different color scheme!

[Xell]

Kuririn holding his own against first form Cell was lovely. Nice to see my favourite human character getting in on some of the action.

[RocktheDragon]

Basically any filler that gets the rest of the Z fighters involved in the main plot. Also I do have a strong love for Gohan's filler throughout the early Saiyan arc but even that can be a bit grating if I watch it too often without taking some breaks.

The worst filler has to be the Maron relationship with Krillin and everything that goes along with that. Also I did not care for at all with the TV station that was attempting to record the Cell games. Thinking back about it I actually feel that might be my most hated filler I've ever experienced in any anime. Bleh.