Heartwarming / Dragon ShortZ

Even Yamcha can get a well-deserved happy ending.invoked

Two and a Half Saiyans

• Vegeta's mention of being able to get baby Trunks to the hospital faster than an ambulance implies he'd take no chances with his son's safety if every second counted. That, or he's bragging about how fast he can fly, either is an option with Vegeta.
• Given that Vegeta killed him way back in the day, you'd be forgiven for thinking that Nappa wouldn't give him the time of day. But nope, one phone call from Bulma, and Nappa shows up to help Vegeta look after baby Trunks.
  • Also worth noting is that, Vegeta's exasperation with him aside, Nappa's apparently made a good enough impression with Bulma that she dubbed him Trunks' honorary Cool Uncle.
  • On top of that, the whole idea that Nappa's essentially a part of Vegeta's family is even more of this when you consider that the most screentime Nappa gets in official material after his death is escaping Hell only to get killed again.
  • And to seal the deal, there's the implications that Nappa's so familiar with infant care because he went through the same thing Vegeta's going through now when Vegeta himself was a baby.
• A subtle one for Vegeta: when Nappa gives the "don't shake the baby", erm, advice, Vegeta is just dumbfounded even saying "Why would I?" in a tone that makes obvious he knows how wrong that is. As much of an arrogant dick he is even Vegeta wouldn't do that to an infant, let alone his own.
• After Baby Trunks finally falls asleep during Nappa's bedtime story, we get this line that showcases how much Vegeta's attitude to being a parent has changed.
  Vegeta: You know when he's sleeping, for some reason... all I wanna do is KILL anything that might touch him.
  • Also, Nappa's good-natured reassurance to Vegeta shortly after Trunks falls asleep.
    Vegeta: Oh, thank god... it's finally over.
    Nappa: It's only scary the first time because you don't know what you're doing, right? Go easy on yourself.

Midwife Crisis

• Piccolo, under the impression that Goten (emerging from Chi-Chi at the moment) is somehow preparing an attack, shouts for Gohan to get behind him.
  • The fact that Piccolo is willing to die for Gohan again is somewhat heartwarming as well.
• Bulma and Vegeta also show up - the latter's disinterested attitude aside, the fact that he showed up at all says something.
  • When the energy blast started charging, he's the one to tell Gohan and Bulma to get down to avoid it.
• Yamcha shows up to help, too! Pity that Chi-Chi sends him right out. Thankfully he stuck around to watch the birth from outside.
• Unlike in canon, Goku actually was there to see Goten's birth, having watched it from Snake Way with a crystal ball.
  Goku: Huh... He does look like a little me.
• A nice touch that some viewers noticed was the release date of the video means that Abridged Goten was born on Christmas Day, Goku's favorite time of the year.

Android Date-teen

• Krillin and 18 go on an actual date to a fancy restaurant and genuinely enjoy each other's humor and are sympathetic to the horrible things that have happened to them in their pasts.
  Android 18: Oh, shit. Was that oversharing?
  Krillin: No, I'm just... sorry that happened to you.
  Android 18: Hey, if it never did, I wouldn't have met you.
  • Of note, she prioritizes the fact that her past led her to meet Krillin over her enhanced physical abilities (bragging about bench-pressing a building) as a positive.
• The fact that 18 didn't have much on her when she and her brother were kidnapped shows how crap their life was before being turned into cyborgs, and thus makes the fact that she now has a much better and happier life, with a man who loves her and she genuinely loves, no longer has to follow a subliminal programming order to kill Goku, and has a much more comfortable life, fall under this. We can likewise assume that 17's life is likewise much better than their pre-Gero days, if it's anything like what we see in Super.
  • 18 says when Gero kidnapped her, she had 1600 Zeni, a joint, and a Spencer's gift card in her wallet. By the end of the episode, she's given away the gift card, smoked the joint, and spent the Zeni on burgers for her and Krillin. In other words, she's shed the last remnants of her old life and is ready to start anew.
  • The joint in particular had to be deliberate on her part; as a cyborg, it's not likely that weed really does anything for her anymore, so she either used it just for the symbolism or so she had an excuse to offer it to Krillin.
• 18 and Krillin each taking turns absolutely verbally destroying the sleazy waiter who tried to ruin their date by hitting on 18. Outside afterward, Krillin apologizes and 18 tells him not to.
  • A small one, but it became clear that the waiter didn't think much of Krillin, like at all, before the end. Krillin tried ordering, but he wasn't paid any attention, and Krillin didn't seem all too offended, as if he was used to this treatment. The second he sees 18 insulted, he straight up lets the waiter have it, he'll take any bad treatment of himself, but when you offend those dear to him, he won't stand for it.
  • Despite everything that had happened, Krillin still imparts the last of his money to the waiter, just so the restaurant can pay for a replacement table after Krillin punched one in half.
• At the end, Krillin calls 18 by her real name; Lazuli.
• The short ends with the two having an engaging conversation about Krillin and Trunks' visit to Gero's sub-lab. An even better mark of a successful date.
• One interpretation of Roshi spying on his disciple's date: he's proud of Krillin and wants to see him succeed on his first date.

Yamcha Strikes Out

• Yamcha gave his friends a season pass to all his games. He also lets them eat for free at his sports bars, despite how much some of them can put away.
  • We also see his friends attending his games in the background, with his manager mentioning that they're the only people who keep showing up to watch since Yamcha killed the industry. Butt-Monkey jokes aside; despite looking bored and falling asleep, his friends still made the effort to see his games.
  • While most of the people he's invited are clearly uninterested in Yamcha's game (18 is bored and just wants to leave, Roshi is asleep, and Puar is more confused than anything), Krillin is 100% invested and even cheers for Yamcha when he gets a homerun.
• Unlike canon Yamcha, this Yamcha FINALLY gets an unequivocally, not-a-joke happy ending.
• A somewhat minor one, but after being offered a contract for 20 billion Zeni, Yamcha awkwardly asks, “So is this a win?”. His coach replies with a deadpan “Kid, you do nothing BUT win.” The smile on Yamcha’s face makes it clear just how much those words mean to him and serves as a reminder that despite being an even bigger Butt Monkey than Krillin, Yamcha still has his talents and successes. They were merely overshadowed by the godlike beings he surrounded himself with.

DTF!!

• When Vegeta said to Gohan that Goku killed himself, Gohan corrected him with "saved us all".
• Krillin, knowing that he's much weaker than Vegeta, is still willing to fight him to help him.
• Gohan pointing out that him fighting Vegeta would just be a pity fight.
• Krillin and 18 are now officially living together. She even tells Vegeta, "Get the hell off our beach."
  • Krillin also offhandedly mentions that 17 has been calling. It's nice to know he still keeps in touch.
  • One hidden in the subtitles for the episode: tying into her leaving her old life behind, the subtitles refer to her as Lazuli rather than 18.
• It kinda says something that Gohan is Vegeta's last choice for a fight. You'd think he'd go for the strongest fighter right away, but nope, he went to everyone else first. Except Yamcha.
• While Nappa clearly knows better than to answer Vegeta's calls, the fact that he's listed as a favorite contact on Vegeta's phone is kinda sweet on the Saiyan prince's part. Likewise, Bulma would naturally also be a favorite contact, but the fact that she's listed with her name, rather than "Woman", (unlike her dad, who's labeled as "The Old Man", shows that he at least respects her enough to not always refer to her as such.
  • Also, Bulma is the only contact that appears in the "Frequently Contacted" category. Even though Vegeta called Nappa 37 times since the last time Nappa checked his phone, he isn't listed as "Frequently Called". How many times a day does Vegeta give his wife a call !? Also, it's easy to assume that one of the reasons Vegeta calls Bulma so often is because he's left alone to look after Trunks, and wants to a) tell Bulma how their son is doing and/or b) ask for her motherly advice if he doesn't know to deal with a baby-related problem.

A SHORT Halloween

• Even though it's set up for a gag in regards to Vegeta's chibi form, it's nice to see him indignantly correct the homeowner that Bulma is his wife, not his mother.

Three's A Crowd

• The fact that Krillin refers to 18 by her real name (Lazuli) exclusively now. (18 calls him "Shortstack")
  • At her birthday Roshi also refers to her by her real name (well, by "Lazzy", but still), suggesting that 18 has become comfortable with all her friends calling her by her real name.
• The Birthday Party given to 18, who is actually enjoying herself (before Roshi's gift of course). 17 even wholeheartedly wishing her a Happy Birthday in quite possibly their nicest moment in their lives no less (and 18 wishes him Happy Birthday back - they are twins, so they'd be sharing a birthday.)
  • The fact Yamcha is not only there, but invited as well.
• The reveal of 18's pregnancy with Marron. While she was uncertain of how that might change her relationship with Krillin, he made it crystal clear that it changed nothing—or if anything, made their relationship even better.
  18: I didn't know how to tell you. We have a good thing going, and this all just happened so suddenly, and I had no idea how this would change things or if you would even want to—
  Krillin: Lazuli! (he takes both her hands) You have made me happier than anyone or anything in my life. And somehow...you just found a way to make me even happier. I...I love you. And I love our baby.