Comedy vs. Drama

[fadeddreams5]

As we all know, DBZ has a pretty inconsistent tone. Most of the time, it balances comedy and drama perfectly, but I feel certain mediums, such as the Toei movies, tend to deviate from the light-heartedness of the actual manga. As such, the fanbase is very divided as to what DB(Z) actually is, or should be.

So my question is, which do you consider more important to the series? Comedy or Drama? Naturally, the action and the characters themselves, along with their interactions, are the most important factors, but between these two things, which do you consider more crucial to the show for your own personal enjoyment? Do you like gags in your action (e.g. all of Gotenks' battles) or do you prefer it when these scenes are purely serious (e.g. Cell battle minus Mr. Satan's crew <-- I hear many people hated their inclusion here)?

Lastly, taking things to the extreme, if you had to choose between a future special that emphasizes almost entirely on comedy and light-heartedness (e.g. 2008 OVA, Driving episode, "Who wants to be a superhero" doujinshi, etc.) or one that emphasizes entirely on drama and action with no comedy at all (e.g. Bardock Special 1 and History of Trunks), which would be your pick?

Edit: I notice a lot of people saying they want both. That's a given. Optimally, DB only works with both comedy and drama.

The question of this topic is if you had to choose more of one over the other, which would it be? Which is more important to you? Less comedy (not to say there's none) and more drama ala Cell saga, Saiyan saga, Freeza arc, History of Trunk, and Bardock special 1, or more comedy/gags with a decreased sense of helplessness/tension (not to say there's none) like the Buu saga, BoG and the 2008 OVA?

[TJVY]

As we all know, DBZ has a pretty inconsistent tone. Most of the time, it balances comedy and drama perfectly, but I feel certain mediums, such as the Toei movies, tend to deviate from the light-heartedness of the actual manga. As such, the fanbase is very divided as to what DB(Z) actually is, or should be.

So my question is, which do you consider more important to the series? Comedy or Drama? Naturally, the action and the characters themselves, along with their interactions, are the most important factors, but between these two things, which do you consider more crucial to the show for your own personal enjoyment? Do you like gags in your action (e.g. all of Gotenks' battles) or do you prefer it when these scenes are purely serious (e.g. Cell battle minus Mr. Satan's crew <-- I hear many people hated their inclusion here)?

Lastly, taking things to the extreme, if you had to choose between a future special that emphasizes almost entirely on comedy and light-heartedness (e.g. 2008 OVA, Driving episode, "Who wants to be a superhero" doujinshi, etc.) or one that emphasizes entirely on drama and action with no comedy at all (e.g. Bardock Special 1 and History of Trunks), which would be your pick?

I'd have to say I prefer drama, I found Mr. Satan and his crew to be a bother during the Cell Games even though they were there for comedic relief. I didn't exactly hate their inclusion, just found that they would sometimes ruin the tension, especially in the English Dub where Faulconer's score would shift to one of its goofier themes.

If I had to choose one, I would say I would prefer a special that emphasizes entirely on drama and action, but as I mentioned previously, I do enjoy a good balance between the two.

[HG-Project]

Honestly, I think inconsistency will be present in any work written by a human and expanded upon it by a number of other affiliated individuals. So it personally doesn't kill me to actually embrace that and look at what we have on the table as a whole with an open mind first rather than immediately excluding certain things by saying this or that doesn't belong because *insert arguments about what is cannon*

I really dig the general light-hearted tone of the manga--it's what attracted me in the first place. Having said that, the dramatic parts played a huge role in making this series memorable. I think a good relationship between comedy and elements of drama/intensity is an important factor when it comes to really cementing a story into an enjoyable experience. So, the balance between "comedy" and "drama" is a nifty thing and omitting one part would usually be an unwise choice.
I mean, I can't imagine having to sit through something that's just serious without any break. That would easily become exhausting and burdensome to watch, which is why the whole concept of "comic relief" exists--it gives us a breather from all those heavy stuff. I love serious and complex works because they provide for an opportunity for a mental/emotional workout, but it wouldn't serve that purpose if it's overdone and just leaves me mentally drained and too numb to think.
Same goes for comedy; having anything in excess will lessen its value. If everything was comedic, it would really take any depth (provided by "drama") out of the piece and easily turn it into a superficial, strained, and possibly awkward experience. Things would stop being funny after the first few jokes and I'd want to leave.

So I don't even want to decide between the two given extremes (not the specific works you chose, but pure "comedy" and pure "drama")...because either direction seems unpleasant to me, lol.

[Kendamu]

I like a good bit of comedy that leads into drama. For example, Battle of Gods went the funny route to try to take care of a problem, but when it got to be too big of a problem the real drama started. In Resurrection "F", the tone was pretty comedic early on when everyone was going about their lives, but became more dramatic as everyone got down to business. This sort of pace seems to be great for something like Dragonball.

It's a good principle to write Dragoball by, but it's not bound to it completely. Little jokes can pop in here and there in serious moments or a serious moment can lead to a punchline, too. If it's too carefully laid out and formulaic, then it doesn't work. Dragonball was written by the seat of Toriyama's pants and sudden changes weren't unheard of. The Artificial Human and Cell Arc is a good example of that. If I can't enjoy Dragonball "in the moment" the way the manga was written, then it just doesn't feel right to me.

[Polyphase Avatron]

Everything in moderation, as they say.

[Lord Beerus]

I personally think a balance between comedy and drama is a much better option.

[dbzfan7]

I like a mix of both, but drama is more important. But I don't like when drama sucks out all the comedy.

[fexus]

It would be better as a comedy. Drama just isn't right for Dragon Ball. You know what would be great? Both comedy and drama.

[Dbzk1999]

This is like GoTG vs CA:TWS
It's hard for me to decide which one

[Basaku]

I thought Cell games did it very well. Satan was a good comic relief and later one he even had a touching little character arc helping to save the planet from Buu. What's not to like. It ain't like Namek/Frieza fight didn't ahve any comdeic interrupts

[EXBadguy]

Just like everyone else, I also prefer the balance between comedy and drama. However I'm slightly leaning towards the drama side. I like it when shit gets real and involves a "save the world" tone.

[soulnova]

I would say a healthy mix with a 40% comedy and 60% drama would be my ideal output for the main story.

On the other hand, if they were to focus on the Future timeline, 20% comedy and 80% drama would be best because of the situation.

[Gyt Kaliba]

I don't think I could really choose one over the other completely, because it's the bizarre mixture of the two that really makes Dragon Ball tick. Nothing else combines them in the way that Dragon Ball does, and that's what makes it so fun.

[Analytical Delusion]

I understand DB had its origins as a humor/gag manga (and revisited said origins during Buu), but it really hit its stride from the 22nd TB through the Cell Games for me. I don't mind levity sprinkled in at times, but I find myself skipping chapters full of over-the-top comedy when re-reading. Nothing wrong with attempting to strike some balance, though awkward placement of lighthearted scenes can kill the tension created for me.

[jamiljamtheman]

I like the comedy a little more yea, when its serious the action is also awesome, but one of the reasons I enjoy GT so much, for example, is because it hardly takes itself seriously--even in the final battle we get to watch Goku eat a dragon ball and watch him and Vegeta transform into the super badass goofball named Gogeta.

And from what I've seen of Z so far, my favorite parts are the comedy and little character interactions more than the multi-episode serious fights. Though really I like all of it.

And don't even get me started on original Dragon Ball. That show is amazingly hilarious in all the right ways.
*pack of wolves surround Goku*
"Wow, those look delicious!"

*Pilaf farts*
Pilaf to the dog guy: "How dare you fart in my presence!"

[Baggie_Saiyan]

I prefer it when Dragon Ball Z is more comedic, because that is how it started off in Dragon Ball and that is what it does well, which is why I really like Buu saga and BoG. Though I think the Namek/Freeza saga is the best mixture of the two, up until the point where Freeza impales Krillin it was fun and full of laughs (Ginyu squad, Vegeta etc) unlike the Android/Cell saga which was just serious and dramatic from the getgo, (thank god for the filler and Mr.Satan.) Probably why it is my least favourite saga.

[Cipher]

Since I think the Boo arc represented Dragon Ball coming fully into its formula, I guess a balance would be my answer (the Red Ribbon arc handled this almost as well). Things are able to shift between silly and serious on a dime; there's a general atmosphere as the story goes on of sh*t absolutely hitting the fan (which works for the Boo arc's climax mode, but could be adjusted for other material); everything is marked by, if not outright comedy to the exclusion of seriousness, a general sense of whimsy.

And I guess that's what it is. Dragon Ball should, and nearly always does, maintain that sense of whimsy. It can be by turns comical, cool -- whatever. Even in its most serious moments, anything can happen. You can tell the series was very much written with the central concern being nothing greater than "What would be a fun development?", whatever that meant to Toriyama with his audience of shonen readers at the time, and it works in a way it really has no right to.

And I should point out that while I do love the 2008 special to death, it's not a sustainable mode for the series.

unlike the Android/Cell saga which was just serious and dramatic from the getgo, (thank god for the filler and Mr.Satan.)

Even though that's probably my least favorite arc, it's still founded on pastiche and silly anything-goes sci-fi invocations. The bit of the arc just as Cell starts to appear, when Gohan and Trunks find the second time machine, is also an example of the series providing some genuinely exciting and interesting "serious" moments, since the mystery is engaging without losing that tongue-in-cheek sci-fi backdrop.

[Faustus]

Goddamn, Cipher, I don't think I've ever met anyone whose general opinions on the franchise overlapped with mine so nearly perfectly.

Flawed as the Boo arc is from a purely technical standpoint, it never fails to entertain and get my blood boiling in precisely the way that a silly kids' martial arts comic should. I really enjoy BoG as well for similar reasons.

That said, this sort of tone is by no means a requirement for good or even excellent Dragon Ball - the Saiyan and early Namek arcs, though relatively sparse in humor and heavy in drama, are fantastic in practically every regard.

[HG-Project]

Thing is, drama doesn't always have to take on a dark, somber form.
The main problem I've had with the android/cell arc was this overall depressive tone that wanted to be amped up to the max for some reason. It's like the arc's trying to aim for dark and edgy, but ended up being tiresome and extremely boring. On one hand, people are being gruesomely killed left and right; okay, cool. This arc's going to continue with the darker tone from the 22nd Budokai and on. Then there's this series of ruthless, crazy-strong enemies coming in one after another who, aside from Gero, doesn't even have much of a reason to pillage the planet unlike the previous enemies from earlier arcs. Then you have this kid born from an unexpected couple and showing up from an apocalyptic future who stresses that this is the one chance to set things right, along with a comeback from robot Freeza because everything has to be robotic and monotonous here, right? it's thematic.
Goku's occupied with trying not to die and the other characters can't do much to stop the enemies so there's even more added layers of "drama," but we've already established a good amount of it with the above. I mean, shit's pretty heavy enough by now, especially knowing that the general air of hopelessness is still ongoing. Then there's this whole thing with Gohan going berserk which was awesome but considering the carnage that ensued just earlier, wasn't as striking as it could have been. Basically, this entire storyline had this one-directional goal to constantly shock or depress the audience over and over again. When you think the enemy's dead and things can be finally wrapped up, guess what, just kidding, there's another twist. It's like playing your stereotypical horror game and getting a jump scare, then another one, then another one nonstop. At some point, the overworked gimmick gets old and I have to say no and put it down.
I actually like certain bits and pieces from these arcs, some of the ideas and scenes were GREAT, so it's understandable why people might enjoy them. But when everything's jammed in together into one "sobering" clusterfuck, it really loses me somewhere along the constant sob and gore-fest.

[StrawHatPatriot]

I prefer both at once.

I think Battle of Gods hit the right note with it. (spoilers ahead) The movie had light-heartedness and energy, and at the same time, not only had important moments towards the end (earth being destroyed and all) but also had... subtext!

Remember the speech about how humans were interesting and created cool things that were awesome (or something like that)? I found that kind of cool because Dragon Ball usually isn't explicit about things like that. But that's besides the point.

I like it when there's comedy (like in the Buu Saga), but also drama to go along at the same time. It's the same reason why I loved One Piece back when I used to watch it.