Summary
In the world of anime and manga, only a handful of series have enjoyed the heights of popularity and global reach quite likeDragon Ball. This show made children run around their house trying to do a Kamehameha or scream their lungs out in hopes of turning into a Super Saiyan because the characters and concepts introduced in the series are eternal and will long outlive the show even after its final episode.
However, despite all the praise and the legendary status of the show, many have become disillusioned with what the series has become. These fans argue that the writers of the show have lost track of what made the series special and,due to many other glaring issues, the series is now in a state of disrepair and has lost the spark that once made it so special. So, in this article, let’s take a look at all the reasons why many fans think this way aboutDragon Ball!
Dragon Ball Has Simplistic Storytelling
Perhaps the biggest criticism thatDragon Ballreceives is the simplistic and repetitive nature of its storytelling. Ever since the start ofZ, the series has followed a very linear and familiar story structure with its arc format, where a certain arc covers a specific period of time within whichthe characters must defeat a villain. After this arc ends, the next one starts.
The way these arcs are handled makes the overall story of the franchise feel very disjointed, as the following arc either starts automatically or there is a significant time skip involved, such as between the Frieza and Android Saga. As for the arcs themselves, the story is almost always the same; a new villain is introduced who is stronger than the heroes,the heroes somehow unlock a new form to defeat the villain, the villain is defeated, the next arc begins.
Though this arc format does have a few advantages going for it, it typically makes it seem as if there is no larger story. There is often no mystery or intrigue as the arcs themselves usually end up being the same thing, about howGoku has to get strongerto defeat the villain, leaving very little to the imagination as people can predict the outcome of the story before it even happens.
Plenty of Side Characters Have Been Pushed to Irrelevance
ThoughDragon Ballindeed started off as the story of Goku, the series would later attempt to frame itself as having multiple main characters. Despite this, it would always go back to just being the Goku show. Even though the franchise has one of themost iconic and loved casts of side characters, it tends to brush them off in favor of Goku and the other Saiyans.
InDragon Ball Super, Vegeta was promoted to the rank of the main deuteragonist alongside Goku, which is a change that pretty much every single fan has loved. However, the execution of this leads to Goku still usually being the one to deal the final blow against the villain, the most aggressive offender ofwhich was how he killed Friezaat the end of theResurrection Fmovie.
As seen inDragon Ball Super: Super Hero, the series does seem to be bringing back the other characters in a more central role, as seen when Gohan and Piccolo both received new power-ups and were the main characters of the movie. The other Z-Fighters, however, are still pushed to the wayside along with many of the interesting new characters introduced inSuper,such as Jiren himself.
Super’s Animation is Notorious For All the Wrong Reasons
Everyone remembers the first 2 arcs of the officialDragon Ball: Superanime, but not for any of the right reasons. While many fans were already wary of the series due to its turn to a much safer and child-friendly approach,the horrible animation in these arcswas the final nail in the coffin for many as it upset long-time fans of the series who had been hoping to see the show return for years.
Since the Beerus and Golden Frieza arcs had already been animated into incredible movies that absolutely delivered on the hype, the anime had tocatch up with them to progress the story. However, the time crunch was too great and the arcs came out with very amateur animation. Though this animation greatly improved after the 2 movies had been covered, they will always be remembered asDragon Ballat its lowest.
The Overly Childish Tone of Super Turned Away Many Old Fans
Dragon Ballhas always been a lighthearted and silly series. However, this aspect has been dialed up to 11 inSuper, as people often just say extremely stupid or out-of-character things that simply do not track with who they are. This has also made its way into many new character designs, as was seen in most of the Universe 2 warriors inthe Tournament of Powerwho just seem like gag-characters rather than actual fighters.
Dragon Ballwas never super serious, but the moments of levity were deeply contrasted by many moments of seriousness and dread. ThoughSuperhas these moments too, seeing Goku go on about not knowing what kissing isdespite having 2 sonsis enough to make someone question what the writers were thinking. The lack of consequences and violence is also different from whatZdid as the series now tries to invite a younger audience.
Many Power-ups Have Been Trivialized or Forgotten
Battle of Godsshowed fans that there lies a power even beyond that of Goku’s formidable Super Saiyan 3 transformation; the Super Saiyan God. This red-haired formgives the user access to Divine Ki, allowing them to fight on par with the Gods. However, this form was largely forgotten about in the subsequent arcs, only being seen very rarely while, at the same time, being indicative of the problem of having so many forms.
Unlocking a brand-new form in every arc, which is what has been going on inSuper, greatly trivializes the importance and impact of the form that came before and makes it look as if these transformations are merely one-time things that can’t be used again in the story. It should be stated, however, that with theintroduction of Ultra Instinct and Ultra Ego,Dragon Ballseems to be going in a much better direction in this regard.
Dragon Ball’simportance and influence over the anime/manga genre simply cannot be understated. Despite suffering from some setbacks and valid criticisms, it remains one of the most iconic pieces of fiction ever conceived, and also one of the greatest stories ever told. WithSuperhaving a rough start, it has finally found its footing and is going on to add to the legacy of the franchise!
