Dragon Ball Thread - Includes Z and Super (and GT if you really want to talk about that); also includes Abridged

[X-Shaped Weeaboo]

Dragon Ball came back a couple years ago giving us the Dragon Ball Super anime and manga. Given this website is heavily against sperging and I'm tired of YouTube comments with the grammatical consistency of middle school hipsters, I figure a thread on here discussing the show and comic would be better than any alternative.

Discuss what you think of Dragon Ball's comeback, if you like the new content, what you would change and where you think it drops the ball or what things you think it does right, etc.

But most prevalently, discussing the current events of the anime/manga and where you think it's heading for better or for worse.

Also obligatory video post. (But no really, I enjoy this ED a lot and hate that they dropped it recently.)

 

[bbpoison]

I hated the new movies so I just decided Dragon Ball GT was canon and let it die.

 

[RG 448]

I loved the movies and think they should have just kept making those. Do the same sagas they have done, just condense them into two hours with better animation. The series is better than nothing though.

 

[MysticMisty]

I stopped watching when the Buu Saga ended. And even that was really tedious, all that filler, and buildups that lead to nowhere. I read a few episode synopsis' and general overall for GT and decided not to bother at all. So yeah, I haven't bothered with this either. I think it should've probably stayed dead.

 

[Trilby]

Recently in my Instagram feed, someone did a little fanart doodle of someone called "Basil the Kicker" and I had to notice a hashtag to Dragon Ball Super and wanted to see what that was about (since I haven't even watched this new show at all), needless to say I noticed they had these guys for a bit. Apparently we don't have to worry about the furry invasion as they were wiped out of existence soon enough!

http://dragonball.wikia.com/wiki/Trio_De_Dangers

Of course the Dragon Ball shows have had talking anthro animals from the beginning, but rarely you see too many fighter types show up. I have no interest in getting into this show but thought to bring this up. I'm sure I've power level'd myself enough!

I stopped watching when the Buu Saga ended. And even that was really tedious, all that filler, and buildups that lead to nowhere. I read a few episode synopsis' and general overall for GT and decided not to bother at all. So yeah, I haven't bothered with this either. I think it should've probably stayed dead.

If only they knew, sometimes the money's too strong not to pass up it seems.

 

[X-Shaped Weeaboo]

Of course the Dragon Ball shows have had talking anthro animals from the beginning, but rarely you see too many fighter types show up. I have no interest in getting into this show but thought to bring this up. I'm sure I've power level'd myself enough

If it helps, the universe they belonged to was the weakest. Although I was kind of interested to see what would become of them when they were introduced, it's also kind of telling that they were put to bed immediately. I kind of miss the more wacky antics of Toriyama's old fighters from the original Dragon Ball, and that hasn't really come back, even in Super.

I stopped watching when the Buu Saga ended. And even that was really tedious, all that filler, and buildups that lead to nowhere. I read a few episode synopsis' and general overall for GT and decided not to bother at all. So yeah, I haven't bothered with this either. I think it should've probably stayed dead.

I've enjoyed a bit of the new stuff, and honestly I feel it's better than the constant recycling of the old material that we've had for ages. It's still not *great* but I take that over seeing reruns of the Freeza arc over and over.

Though more power to you for feeling that way.

 

[Trilby]

If it helps, the universe they belonged to was the weakest.

Poor souls.

Although I was kind of interested to see what would become of them when they were introduced, it's also kind of telling that they were put to bed immediately.

I suppose if it festered some interest in putting out figures of the guys to buy or sticking them into another video game, more power to 'em. There's always going to be a fan for even the most short-lived of characters.

I kind of miss the more wacky antics of Toriyama's old fighters from the original Dragon Ball, and that hasn't really come back, even in Super.

And that's probably why I hadn't been all that interested in these later stuff at all, I loved the original Dragon Ball manga prior to all the power leveling and drawn-out battles that took over after the Saiyan arc. The wacky antics made for a counterbalance to the action. I guess I was more a sucker for the world-building and how it expands itself throughout the series as a whole.

I've enjoyed a bit of the new stuff, and honestly I feel it's better than the constant recycling of the old material that we've had for ages. It's still not *great* but I take that over seeing reruns of the Freeza arc over and over.

Though more power to you for feeling that way.

I can always come back to it if I wanted. Of course I'll have to start at the beginning of this show and work my way in.

 

[X-Shaped Weeaboo]

I can always come back to it if I wanted. Of course I'll have to start at the beginning of this show and work my way in.

If you did, I'd say pass on Super's anime adaptation of the films. Either read the manga to start or watch the films then jump into the new stuff of the anime.

Super's first two arcs, the retelling of the movies, are really bad.

 

[bbpoison]

Just wanted to say that the movie Ressurection of F was inspired by the Maximum The Hormone song "F" which is thematically about Freeza and the Dragon Ball series. I'm a big fan of Maximum The Hormone. Actually Maximum The Hormone was my first foray into listening to music, so I was Super excited about the movie thinking it would have that atmosphere of the song. That the song would be playing full blast during the fight with freeza but no they play it very low when someone is in a rehabilitation tank, completely out of place. And the whole procession of the whole movie was so superficial. There is no excitement at all, why does freeza have a new transform now, because he trains in space for several months, what? I feel nothing from the new Super Saiyan God transformation. There's no resistance no momentum just a bland dye of red. The humor is nothing compared to the old days of Dragon Ball and Dr. Slump. It's basically just fan-service garbage filling the market of nostalgia crave which the mainstream consumer eats up.

This fan made AMV is better than the movie.

 

[Ravi93]

Spoiler

universe 9 got erased. Which one should get erased next? I say universe 4

 

[X-Shaped Weeaboo]

Spoiler

universe 9 got erased. Which one should get erased next? I say universe 4

Universe 2 looks unassuming enough,tbh. Something about Universe 4's apparent lack of fighters is concerning, like they've got an ace in the hole but what it is isn't apparently obvious.

Though if the show wanted to punch us in the gut, Universe 6 would be a good choice.

 

[SteelPlatedHeart]

Having Goku be seen as less heroic and more a somewhat selfish fighting savant that really seems to only care about having a good fight has been interesting to me.

 

[RG 448]

I doubt anyone's actually getting erased. I'm waiting for the surprise reveal that they just said that so everyone would follow the rules and take it seriously.

 

[Cuck Norris]

I doubt anyone's actually getting erased. I'm waiting for the surprise reveal that they just said that so everyone would follow the rules and take it seriously.

Naw. Goku wins because he's SuperJesus and uses the Super Dragon Balls to wish them back into existence. I wish I was shitposting but with how the series has gone so far...

 

[RG 448]

Naw. Goku wins because he's SuperJesus and uses the Super Dragon Balls to wish them back into existence. I wish I was shitposting but with how the series has gone so far...

Oh yeah, forgot about the super dragon balls. That probably is what's going to happen.

 

[Trilby]

Oh yeah, forgot about the super dragon balls. That probably is what's going to happen.

I'm sure I'm ahead of everyone given what we typically seen before.

 

[X-Shaped Weeaboo]

Having Goku be seen as less heroic and more a somewhat selfish fighting savant that really seems to only care about having a good fight has been interesting to me.

I kind of enjoy that, to an extent. The high stakes of DBZ and the necessity of fighting stronger enemies for protection kind of put a damper on the series' initiative with fighting for the sake of it.

The Universe 6 tournament and the Tournament of Power arcs are bringing those vibes back for me, even if I could do without the latter's "End of the world" scenario that's been prescribed as a consequence.

Most of the characters in this recent arc have had a nice kick in the rear that I haven't seen since the World Martial Arts tournament way back in Dragon Ball. Gohan and Piccolo are super motivated, Krillin and Tenshinhan are comfortable fighting in a familiar setting, and Freeza is fighting for sport rather than to kill and I'm hoping it pans out into something unexpected.

I know Goku has been getting on people's nerves with how far he's been willing to go for a good fight, but he's still Goku, and he still has his limits. The previous arc, Future Trunks' arc, you can tell that fighting Goku Black and Zamasu stopped being something fun for Goku after the two reveal what unrepentant scumbags they were.

 

[Ravi93]

Isn't it time that Goku or someone else realizes that Biden's strength may have something to do with his eyes and just punch him blind?

Also That animation in 122

 

[X-Shaped Weeaboo]

Isn't it time that Goku or someone else realizes that Biden's strength may have something to do with his eyes and just punch him blind?

Also That animation in 122

The closest I can think of to anyone targeting the eyes, even in early Dragonball, are Solar Flares and Majin Buu poking Dabura's eyes out for fun so I don't think that's ever been on the table for exploitation in the same vein as gut-punches and limb-breaks have been prior.

Still, it would be quite a fun sight to see, one of them just saying fuck it and giving the new guy's eyes a scoopin', especially if they are indeed his source of power. (Also yes, the animation has been entertaining as fuck.)

 

[UnclePhil]

Of the three main series, those being Dragon Ball, Z and Super (I'm not counting GT for now, will get to that later) I prefer the original DB from a literary, storytelling standpoint. It's much more of a hero's adventure infused with mythological elements. Rightfully so, since Akira Toriyama based it on a fuggin' long Chinese folktale. Even in the earlier chapters when DB is still a gag manga full of boobies, pee and farts, it's concerned with its naive-yet-noble hero learning and getting stronger as he travels across a strange world. The final arc is the best bookend. Goku, at the height of his triumph, is thrown into the darkest place he's ever been thus far, literally blown out of the sky and left for dead on a desolate island in despair. To get back on his feet he has to face the hardest trials he's ever been through, including drinking poison, training with God for three years and almost losing to both Piccolos. It's a damned good story, and having it rooted in myths and legends makes it all the better.

With Z, Toriyama takes the lens off Journey to the West and bases it on Superman. Goku finds out he wasn't born on Earth but instead came from a destroyed planet once occupied by brutal space brigands. He continues his journey, but along the way slowly embraces his Saiyan heritage to the point where his desire to fight strong guys overrides his reasoning and sensibilities. If we're still talking quality storytelling the series should have ended at Freeza, with Goku actually dying (and staying dead) for his folly but dragging the universe's most evil son of a bitch into the flames to perish with him.

Everything after that, especially the Boo Saga, reeks of studio interference. Every time Toryiama wanted to end the series or take it in a different direction, Toei stepped in and said "No, the numbers said this and our fans want that."

Now Super. I'm not sure I like what Super has done with Son Goku because in this case his duality has been diminished. Now he's pure Saiyan, living for nothing but big fights and putting all his loved ones in danger because of it. If there's still any real hero left it's a hero with Homer Simpson's brain. It's as if Goku has been replaced by the TFS version.

But hey, it's still fun to watch. I'm interested in where it's going, and especially curious how Goku will return everything to normalcy after his fuckups.

As for GT, well, GT is a big mess. It's Toei with a baby they have no idea how to raise so they keep hitting the restart button. "We want to take it back to the adventure/journey of the original. Shit, that's not working, let's make it Z again. Damn, that isn't working either!"