Do people miss the gags in DBS?

[DragonBallFoodie]

Personally, I do.

IMO what made Akira Toriyama's DB a wonderfully entertaining saga was the use of parody and comical situations in a martial arts story; it was a unique combo that he revolutionized, him being primarily a gag manga writer. There were definitely times when the story got serious and dark (Krillin's death and the first Super Saiyan transformation) but even on those occasions there were moments of humor that spiced up the action.

I have found the Future Trunks saga to be rather humorless and without any enjoyable jokes. Granted it was about bringing hope into a dark bleak era and so couldn't be taken light-heartedly, but I really miss the trademark jokes that made DB enjoyable. And I'm glad that the coming episodes seem to be more lightheared (Goku vs Arale, Champa organizing a baseball game).

Does anyone else feel the same way?

[Bansho64]

Not at all.

They never really made me laugh and I've never really gotten any enjoyment out of them.

[Lord Beerus]

Some of the most entertaining episodes of Super have been the slice-of-life/cooldown episodes. Stuff like Goku taking up a job as a radish farmer, Vegeta going on a family day trip and Gohan going Great Saiyaman in front of a stunned Future Trunks always put a big grin on my face and I honestly can't wait for the upcoming filler episodes because they sound like a ball, especially the baseball and Goku vs Arale episode.

[OLKv3]

There were a ton of gags in Super. In fact Super is much more gag heavy than DBZ.

[Baggie_Saiyan]

There were a ton of gags in Super. In fact Super is much more gag heavy than DBZ.

Funnily enough it has now gone darker then Z ever was.

[SaiyanGod117]

No, I would like them for Toei and Toriyama to stop trying to make everything funny, because they fail at it. I wouldn't mind some humor, but they just take it overboard.

[FortuneSSJ]

How?! DBS is full of them.
There were gags even FT Trunks arc and most of them are just fail to be funny.

[Chuquita]

Depends on the gags. Some I really liked (Gokû koolaid-man'ing it through a wall was amazing, as was Vegeta vs the squid) others not so much (Gokû forgetting the senzu in the bathroom).

[fadeddreams5]

For months, people (myself included) complained that this series was way too gag-heavy for its own good. It's why I stopped watching. The Trunks arc was a breath of fresh air, but still had comedy here and there.

So to answer your question, fuck no

There were a ton of gags in Super. In fact Super is much more gag heavy than DBZ.

Funnily enough it has now gone darker then Z ever was.

I don't see how...

[Smilodon]

There were a ton of gags in Super. In fact Super is much more gag heavy than DBZ.

I don't think so....Only in Boo saga we had arround 15 episodes with Gohan playing Superman...

[Lord Beerus]

So to answer your question, fuck no

There were a ton of gags in Super. In fact Super is much more gag heavy than DBZ.

Funnily enough it has now gone darker then Z ever was.

I don't see how...

Z has never had a situation where the main heroes lost and have actually had to deal with consequences instead of having the Dragon Balls fix everything. I mean, an entire timeline was wiped from existence. And that only happened after every last earthling on Future Trunks world was vaporised by an immortal God who tried to spread his soul and essence across the multiverse and even other timelines. Future Trunks even outright admits he failed to protect his world. And Future Trunk and Mai have to travel to another timeline and basically start their lives again.

Dragon Ball has never gotten that dark before.

[fadeddreams5]

So to answer your question, fuck no

Funnily enough it has now gone darker then Z ever was.

I don't see how...

Z has never had a situation where the main heroes lost and have actually had to deal with consequences instead of having the Dragon Balls fix everything. I mean, an entire timeline was wiped from existence. And that only happened after every last earthling on Future Trunks world was vaporised by an immortal God who tried to spread his soul and essence across the multiverse and even other timelines. Future Trunks even outright admits he failed to protect his world. And Future Trunk and Mai have to travel to another timeline and basically start their lives again.

Dragon Ball has never gotten that dark before.

Yeah, I guess. The execution made it funny to me though. xD

[Cipher]

I miss Toriyama writing gags, if that's what you mean.

I miss Toriyama scripting things in general.

Or maybe I should just say I miss funny gags, because Toei has certainly nailed Toriyama-esque snappy humor in some of its anime-original content before, but a lot of Super has been quite limp in that regard, inserting jokes that don't land and just aren't all that funny into moments where they don't belong.

[OLKv3]

I miss Toriyama writing gags, if that's what you mean.

I miss Toriyama scripting things in general.

Or maybe I should just say I miss funny gags, because Toei has certainly nailed Toriyama-esque snappy humor in some of its anime-original content before, but a lot of Super has been quite limp in that regard, inserting jokes that don't land and just aren't all that funny into moments where they don't belong.

Most of the gags are from Toriyama, so don't blame Toei. Like Goku getting motion sickness or never kissing his wife

[Cipher]

Most of the gags are from Toriyama, so don't blame Toei. Like Goku getting motion sickness or never kissing his wife

1) We don't know that for sure.

2) It's all about the execution -- the actual scripting. Toriyama is a master of comedic timing, in both script and comic form. The scripts this arc, and in Super as a general trend, don't tend to handle jokes the way Toriyama does. They're repetitive and enter during otherwise serious moments, whereas Toriyama generally keeps them snappy and is a bit more conscious of when they're introduced (the Boo arc uses in-character insanity to remain amusing while simultaneously upping the stakes; stories like the Piccolo arc or Namek arcs don't break for a whole lot of brevity; there's humor, but it's mostly woven into the background via slightly humorous characters like the Ginyu Force, who are still threatening as far as their role in the arc). He stopped writing jokes at the expense of Goku's naïveté in the Piccolo arc; humor involving Goku afterward is mostly situational and grounded in other characters being the ones put out.

For an example of the differences, look no further than the mileage Toriyama gets out of the Pilaf gang in Battle of Gods compared to their weak performance in Super. Or the way the Oolong gag is handled between versions.

Goku's suggestion that they continuously eat Senzu beans to become "immortal" this arc, the repetitive gags with characters chastising Goku's ignorance or forgetfulness, the repetitive antics of the Pilaf gang, the way these are shoved in among serious moments as laugh-track-style punchline jokes -- all of those are so foreign to the way Toriyama handles jokes and character-based humor.

And I say that acknowledging that Toei writers have nailed that kind of timing in the past, and at a few points during Super as well. Even in this arc: Zamasu's admition that he simply likes hearing himself talk, to Black's response of "how truly god-like," Vegetto's quip about Zamasu always having to get the last word, etc., were pretty on-point as far as how Toriyama would weave character-based humor into largely serious moments. Going back one arc, the Galactic King dick joke (candidate for the Hall of Fame in that hallowed category of humor) was pitch-perfect; quick, unexpected, and grounded in characters' established behavior and reactions.

[sangofe]

Personally, I do.

IMO what made Akira Toriyama's DB a wonderfully entertaining saga was the use of parody and comical situations in a martial arts story; it was a unique combo that he revolutionized, him being primarily a gag manga writer. There were definitely times when the story got serious and dark (Krillin's death and the first Super Saiyan transformation) but even on those occasions there were moments of humor that spiced up the action.

I have found the Future Trunks saga to be rather humorless and without any enjoyable jokes. Granted it was about bringing hope into a dark bleak era and so couldn't be taken light-heartedly, but I really miss the trademark jokes that made DB enjoyable. And I'm glad that the coming episodes seem to be more lightheared (Goku vs Arale, Champa organizing a baseball game).

Does anyone else feel the same way?

There sure has been "gags" in DBS. Not so much for the final battle but in the start of this saga and now and then, there sure were.

[OLKv3]

We *DO* know it for sure, because most of the gags are in both the manga and anime. As Toyo said, Toriyama is mostly focused on the gags. Whenever the manga and anime share the same thing, it's from Tori's script. He's very particular about them as well. You used to be able to tell when it was Toei or Toyo humour, but now we know for sure Tori came up with the awful "Goku hasn't ever kissed Chi Chi" joke, the Zeno scenes are all classic Toriyama, and nauseated Goku. Of course the bonus Pilaf scenes aren't his, they reek of padding

[HeroR]

We *DO* know it for sure, because most of the gags are in both the manga and anime. As Toyo said, Toriyama is mostly focused on the gags. Whenever the manga and anime share the same thing, it's from Tori's script. He's very particular about them as well. You used to be able to tell when it was Toei or Toyo humour, but now we know for sure Tori came up with the awful "Goku hasn't ever kissed Chi Chi" joke, the Zeno scenes are all classic Toriyama, and nauseated Goku. Of course the bonus Pilaf scenes aren't his, they reek of padding

I figured that was a Toriyama's joke from the start, or something he highly approved of, since it sounds like something he would write. There is a Dr. Slump joke similar to it as Herms pointed out on one of Geekdom's podcasts and Toriyama said that Goku just sees his wife and children as comrades, not in the family sense. It's Toei that tries to somewhat normalized Goku by showing him being more fatherly and somewhat passionate towards Chi-Chi.

[OLKv3]

We *DO* know it for sure, because most of the gags are in both the manga and anime. As Toyo said, Toriyama is mostly focused on the gags. Whenever the manga and anime share the same thing, it's from Tori's script. He's very particular about them as well. You used to be able to tell when it was Toei or Toyo humour, but now we know for sure Tori came up with the awful "Goku hasn't ever kissed Chi Chi" joke, the Zeno scenes are all classic Toriyama, and nauseated Goku. Of course the bonus Pilaf scenes aren't his, they reek of padding

I figured that was a Toriyama's joke from the start, or something he highly approved of, since it sounds like something he would write. There is a Dr. Slump joke similar to it as Herms pointed out on one of Geekdom's podcasts and Toriyama said that Goku just sees his wife and children as comrades, not in the family sense. It's Toei that tries to somewhat normalized Goku by showing him being more fatherly and somewhat passionate towards Chi-Chi.

The BoG movie did it as well with Goku seeing Chi Chi first and foremost during his "Everyone is counting on me" moment at the very end of the fight. That comrades comment he made just doesn't really fit in with how Goku acted towards Gohan and Chi Chi during the Saiyan, Namek, and Cell arcs. Even the latest chapter with Goku telling Trunks how much Vegeta grew as a person doesn't fit in with the comrade comment. And him being shy and clueless about a kiss also doesn't fit in with how he bribed Old Kai with getting to grab Bulma's tits, while saying Chi'Chi's are too small. The joke just doesn't work on adult worldly Goku

[HeroR]

The BoG movie did it as well with Goku seeing Chi Chi first and foremost during his "Everyone is counting on me" moment at the very end of the fight. That comrades comment he made just doesn't really fit in with how Goku acted towards Gohan and Chi Chi during the Saiyan, Namek, and Cell arcs. Even the latest chapter with Goku telling Trunks how much Vegeta grew as a person doesn't fit in with the comrade comment. And him being shy and clueless about a kiss also doesn't fit in with how he bribed Old Kai with getting to grab Bulma's tits, while saying Chi'Chi's are too small. The joke just doesn't work on adult worldly Goku

Thing is, that could easily could have been holdovers from the original script that Toei wrote before Toriyama came in. Especially since it's very similar to the filler screen in the Freeza Saga where Freeza nearly drown Goku.

And it isn't about him being shy, Goku just doesn't show physical affecting in that way. He barely hugs his sons, choosing instead to pat them on the heads. He can understand dirty old men wanting to touch Bulma's privates, but it doesn't mean he wants to engage in it. In fact, he calls Bulma's boobs saggy and how he has no interest at looking at Bulma's naked body.

Also, the comrade comment does fit because he sees Krillin as a comrade, yet he treats him more like a brother. Basically, Goku loves his friends and family about equally, so he doesn't have a unique bond with Chi-Chi and his sons.