Every party needs a pooper, that's why they invited you.
September 12, 2013 7:47 AM Subscribe
While abridged series are nothing new – take a TV series, usually anime, and edit it down to an eighth of its length, usually with ample snark added – Team Four Star's Dragonball Z Abridged is a notably excellent one. Watch a group of idiotic superheroes combat endless waves of aliens, androids, and genocide! Season 1 started off somewhat roughly, but their Season 2 is great throughout – you probably want to start here – and Season 3 (not-completed) has been their funniest work yet. Don't worry if you've never had the stomach for DBZ—the plot is covered comprehensively enough that you can follow along as if you had watched all of the 130 episodes that DBZA currently covers! [Warning: The series' humor is off-color and far from PC.]
I poop at parties, but peoples don't know cos I close the door.
posted by sandettie light vessel automatic at 8:15 AM on September 12, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by sandettie light vessel automatic at 8:15 AM on September 12, 2013 [1 favorite]
Not going to watch this at work, but maybe later. I would welcome anyone explaining to me what the hell the appeal is to DBZ, since a few attempts at viewing it made it look unbelievably inane, pointless and repetitive, like watching someone else play a not-so-great video game. Even my kid thought it was dumb. Did we miss something?
posted by emjaybee at 8:15 AM on September 12, 2013
posted by emjaybee at 8:15 AM on September 12, 2013
The only good thing to come out of DBZ is the comment around our house that someone is in serious need of a comb or a haircut "because you're looking all super-san." (We'll watch this for sure.)
posted by headnsouth at 8:23 AM on September 12, 2013
posted by headnsouth at 8:23 AM on September 12, 2013
Not going to watch this at work, but maybe later. I would welcome anyone explaining to me what the hell the appeal is to DBZ, since a few attempts at viewing it made it look unbelievably inane, pointless and repetitive, like watching someone else play a not-so-great video game. Even my kid thought it was dumb. Did we miss something?
It's a soap opera for people who like stat-wonking and enormous explosions.
One of the big things in DBZ that the abridged series parodies is the notion of "power levels", which has nothing to do with how fights actually work and everything to do with how exciting it is to be told that somebody's power level has gone up by a hundred thousand points! And then they get into a fight and lose anyway because DRAMA. Condensed into a few hours, it's a kind of entertaining and pulpy story (and I like watching the plot through DBZA because that speed works for the plot), but then you have to add literally 200 episodes of filler in order to keep fans on the edge of their seats.
posted by Rory Marinich at 8:26 AM on September 12, 2013
It's a soap opera for people who like stat-wonking and enormous explosions.
One of the big things in DBZ that the abridged series parodies is the notion of "power levels", which has nothing to do with how fights actually work and everything to do with how exciting it is to be told that somebody's power level has gone up by a hundred thousand points! And then they get into a fight and lose anyway because DRAMA. Condensed into a few hours, it's a kind of entertaining and pulpy story (and I like watching the plot through DBZA because that speed works for the plot), but then you have to add literally 200 episodes of filler in order to keep fans on the edge of their seats.
posted by Rory Marinich at 8:26 AM on September 12, 2013
DBZ's plot? Fight, training, fight some more.
posted by betweenthebars at 8:28 AM on September 12, 2013
posted by betweenthebars at 8:28 AM on September 12, 2013
Surely you mean "Super Saiyan."
I'm not yellin' at you, I'm just Saiyan.
posted by Strange Interlude at 8:33 AM on September 12, 2013
I'm not yellin' at you, I'm just Saiyan.
posted by Strange Interlude at 8:33 AM on September 12, 2013
I'm not yellin' at you, I'm just Saiyan.
UWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
posted by curious nu at 8:46 AM on September 12, 2013
UWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
posted by curious nu at 8:46 AM on September 12, 2013
In addition to the seasons, they've also done quite a few of the movies: The Dead Zone, The World's Strongest (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3), [Christmas] Tree of Might, Bardock: The Father of Goku, The Revenge of Cooler, and Episode of Bardock.
That should keep everyone busy for a while.
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 8:56 AM on September 12, 2013
That should keep everyone busy for a while.
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 8:56 AM on September 12, 2013
My first question on watching the first episode was "why does Krillin have no nose?"
Apparently so many people have asked this question that it's the first google suggestion for "why does Krillin...".
The Dragon Ball Wiki says:
when answered why Krillin does not have a nose, Akira Toriyama responded "Krillin has a physical idiosyncrasy that allows him to breathe through his skin."
DAMN IT TORIAMA-SAN, THAT JUST RAISES MORE QUESTIONS.
posted by murphy slaw at 9:25 AM on September 12, 2013 [1 favorite]
Apparently so many people have asked this question that it's the first google suggestion for "why does Krillin...".
The Dragon Ball Wiki says:
when answered why Krillin does not have a nose, Akira Toriyama responded "Krillin has a physical idiosyncrasy that allows him to breathe through his skin."
DAMN IT TORIAMA-SAN, THAT JUST RAISES MORE QUESTIONS.
posted by murphy slaw at 9:25 AM on September 12, 2013 [1 favorite]
I originally thought Kurilin's nose was just an artistic but of whimsy but then in the first tournament, there actually was a fighter who was defeating people with his incredible B.O.. Kurilin was losing badly until Goku reminds him that he has no noise. So uh, yeah.
posted by happyroach at 9:54 AM on September 12, 2013
posted by happyroach at 9:54 AM on September 12, 2013
hilarious internet joke is appropriate: how many dbz characters does it take to screw in a light bulb?
only one, but it takes three episodes
posted by lulz at 10:15 AM on September 12, 2013
only one, but it takes three episodes
posted by lulz at 10:15 AM on September 12, 2013
only one, but it takes three episodes
Just texted that to my son, he GUESSED THE ANSWER.
posted by headnsouth at 10:25 AM on September 12, 2013
Just texted that to my son, he GUESSED THE ANSWER.
posted by headnsouth at 10:25 AM on September 12, 2013
Only three?
I remember years ago, when I was working a crappy 9-to-5 job, I noticed that DBZ came on right about when I got home from work every day. And it was the beginning of a season, I guess, and the protagonist had just met the villain for that season (Frieza), and they were just starting to fight. So I decided I'd watch every day to see how long it took that one fight to play out.
It took a solid fucking month.
posted by rifflesby at 10:47 AM on September 12, 2013 [1 favorite]
I remember years ago, when I was working a crappy 9-to-5 job, I noticed that DBZ came on right about when I got home from work every day. And it was the beginning of a season, I guess, and the protagonist had just met the villain for that season (Frieza), and they were just starting to fight. So I decided I'd watch every day to see how long it took that one fight to play out.
It took a solid fucking month.
posted by rifflesby at 10:47 AM on September 12, 2013 [1 favorite]
That one fight (well, counting the Everybody Else vs. Frieza portion) is literally a separate season of the show. It has its own DVD boxsets.
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 11:52 AM on September 12, 2013
posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 11:52 AM on September 12, 2013
I must have dropped DBZ Abridged during Season 2, because I remember it being very hit or miss. It's a bit like Archer or Arrested Development, in that it's 90% running jokes, and whether you like or hate it will depend on which running jokes you're into. I personally got tired of the Zarbon double entendres very, very quickly.
posted by knuckle tattoos at 12:45 PM on September 12, 2013
posted by knuckle tattoos at 12:45 PM on September 12, 2013
I would welcome anyone explaining to me what the hell the appeal is to DBZ, since a few attempts at viewing it made it look unbelievably inane, pointless and repetitive, like watching someone else play a not-so-great video game. Even my kid thought it was dumb. Did we miss something?
For me, it was one of the handful of anime's (along with regular DB, Sailor Moon, and Samurai Pizza Cats) that was on US television in the late 90s. So that meant it was free (or nearly free since DBZ later made the jump from KCAL 9 to Toonami on Cartoon Network), and thus what my friends and acquaintances talked about in middle school and high school. I remember specifically they made fun of the weird Americanized surf/hard rock theme song, and the most "witty" parody they came up with was "Rock the Wagon". And yes, back then we were making fun of how the plot was stretched and had multiple episodes where little or nothing happened.
posted by FJT at 4:20 AM on September 13, 2013
For me, it was one of the handful of anime's (along with regular DB, Sailor Moon, and Samurai Pizza Cats) that was on US television in the late 90s. So that meant it was free (or nearly free since DBZ later made the jump from KCAL 9 to Toonami on Cartoon Network), and thus what my friends and acquaintances talked about in middle school and high school. I remember specifically they made fun of the weird Americanized surf/hard rock theme song, and the most "witty" parody they came up with was "Rock the Wagon". And yes, back then we were making fun of how the plot was stretched and had multiple episodes where little or nothing happened.
posted by FJT at 4:20 AM on September 13, 2013
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posted by Holy Zarquon's Singing Fish at 7:53 AM on September 12, 2013