[Anime] Dragonball, where to start?

[Cybran]

Like Dragonball all you want, it is not my place to tell you to hate it. You can place it above any other show if you want to. It's all personal opinion and that's why I'm not about to invade a pony thread yelling at them for watching ponies. However, do not try to pass your personal opinion as an objective fact and do not spread blatantly false information as true. There is an entire ocean of difference between saying "I like Dragonball more than new shows" and "All new anime sucks and is nothing but fanservice, Dragonball is better.".

But that is what you (not only you, but a few posters in this thread) have been trying to do all week.

[Zatheyll]

But that is what you (not only you, but a few posters in this thread) have been trying to do all week.

Just because others think it's bad doesn't mean they want you to think it's bad also. They're just telling you it's bad. You're still allowed to like it and enjoy it. They aren't going to come to your house and punish you every time you try and watch a show they don't like.

[Nero Duskwind]

Kai has updated visuals and a lot less fillers. The original Dragonball is the best in my opinion and GT really isn't worth the watch.

I have seen every episode of Dragonball 2-3 times as kid and It's still one of my favorites.

A lot of the epic moments and memorable dialogue in Z suffered as well as a result of the cutting re-editing done to compress the series in Z Kai.

[Deleted]

But that is what you (not only you, but a few posters in this thread) have been trying to do all week.

It is cute how you ignore everything you obviously have no answer to and try to pick at one point you might have some ground for... Too bad you actually don't have any and choose to lie. What I said is I liked many, many new shows much more than Dragonball/There are many better shows in past few years than Dragonball/Some of the new shows are of much higher quality than Dragonball. What show is better or worse is obviously a subjective opinion. Like Dragonball all you want - it still won't make the now shows any worse or magically put fanservice everywhere.

[Cybran]

It is cute how you ignore everything you obviously have no answer to and try to pick at one point you might have some ground for... Too bad you actually don't have any and choose to lie. What I said is I liked many, many new shows much more than Dragonball/There are many better shows in past few years than Dragonball/Some of the new shows are of much higher quality than Dragonball. What show is better or worse is obviously a subjective opinion. Like Dragonball all you want - it still won't make the now shows any worse or magically put fanservice everywhere.

People have jumped on this thread and started hating on the series since page 2.

Best place to start is to not bother and watch something else.

A lot of people (including me) dislike the new anime shows for various reasons. I like Dragonball and dislike toothbrush incest sex anime. Can we leave it at that?

[Deleted]

People have jumped on this thread and started hating on the series since page 2.

And what do I care? A child rapist can jump on this thread right now and praise the advantages of chloroform over stun guns, it still won't have any relation to what I said, make any of lies you have typed true nor will it add any credibility to the statement "I have not watched any anime in 6 years, but I know it all was bad and full of fanservice." You are one of people who make genuine fans of old date anime look bad by boasting your ignorance and spewing bullshit.

[Erihs]

No matter how many articles supporting your opinion you link it neither makes it a fact nor does it rid you of ignorance you have bragged about a post or two earlier. I don't really care what some online journalist thinks of the state of anime, I know I've been watching anime actively since middle school in late 90s and dozens upon dozens of good shows came out in last several years. Fanservice you so abhor is neither omnipresent in new shows nor is it inherently bad - and old ones had plenty of it as well (Nipshots in Top o Nerae! anyone?). You are just jumping on the bandwagon popular on anime community sites such as MAL or AniDB where hating everything not at least 15 years old is the latest fad.

I wasn't going to join this discussion, but I'll just say that what he says about the anime industry suffering is true, at least economically. That doesn't mean that there aren't good shows produced. I believe it's more a problem with anime having shifted demographics over the last two decades, making more and more anime aimed at hardcore otaku and alienating other potential buyers in the process. The otaku market is indeed a powerful niche to exploit, but I think it is currently being overexploited, making most animation studios suffer economically.


As for Dragon Ball, I find the manga to be a pretty fun read, but always felt that the anime adaption was absolutely horrible with way too much bloat. This is about DBZ, I never got around to watching DB.

[Deleted]

dwagon ball is old, and so is this discussion.

Anime today isn't shit, you're just dwelling on nostalgia and somehow convincing yourself that if you dislike something it's shit.

Have fun with your day.

[Deleted]

I wasn't going to join this discussion, but I'll just say that what he says about the anime industry suffering is true, at least economically. That doesn't mean that there aren't good shows produced. I believe it's more a problem with anime having shifted demographics over the last two decades, making more and more anime aimed at hardcore otaku and alienating other potential buyers in the process. The otaku market is indeed a powerful niche to exploit, but I think it is currently being overexploited, making most animation studios suffer economically.


As for Dragon Ball, I find the manga to be a pretty fun read, but always felt that the anime adaption was absolutely horrible with way too much bloat. This is about DBZ, I never got around to watching DB.

I'm not going to argue about the economical side. I don't have much of an insight into it, it sounds credible though, from what little I've read on the topic.

[Baracuda]

What? Some of the best moments in DBZ history happen during the Buu saga. Vegeta going APESHIT and blowing up innocent people right in front of Goku at the world martial arts tournament? How is that not entertaining?

With Majin Buu(Fat Buu) I think the Buu Saga is definitely the most comedic DBZ saga. I find that guy hilarious ME EAT YOU UUUP! And it's fun to watch him get beat up Even though he recovers after.

[Simca]

Let's stay on topic here; the anime industry is not relevant to the question of where to start on the Dragonball franchise.

[Paladin885]

Like everyone says, start with dragonball because the first 50 episodes of DBZ makes frequent references to things that occurred during DB.

DB - starts with goku as a child and his misadventures with various characters, then later it picks up with him as a teenager before closing with him as a young adult.
DBZ - picks up where DB left off. Goku is now an adult, has a family, and is settled down (for one episode lol). This show does not focus on adventure but more on the second half of DB, with more fighting. In DB he learned that the world was bigger than grandpa gohan's back yard... likewise, in DBZ he learns that the "world" (aka the universe) is bigger than planet earth.
DBGT - is post-goku era (as I like to refer it) with everyone either old and retired or grown up and assimilated into earth culture (oh, and goku is a child again). It tries to return to the DB formula with adventuring (INNNNNNNNNN SPACEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!) while trying to fit in some fighting for the DBZ crowd.
DBZ: Kai - The anniversary edition of DBZ with HD graphics! it was originally suppose to run the whole series but the earthquake and tsunami hit and they stopped production. It never made it past the "Cell saga." It also skipped some of the filler episodes that are littered in DBZ and focused mainly on the story arches.

Personal opinions?
- The old "ocean dubs" of DBZ are good, but the funimation production was better. I think some of the voices were more spot on and the background music was a wonderful touch.
- I hate the DBGT music
- I like the DB music
- everyone is DB are either lean and small, or fat and wide.
- everyone in DBZ are roided out american style.
- Don't be surprised when you come across an episode of DBZ where the hero either spends all episode screaming and "powering up" or he and the villain have a starring contest. (the latter happens a lot)

[Kalas]

Watch Dragonball, then Kai. I'd also look for the episode of Z where Goku and Piccolo learn to drive. It was the only filler episode cut from Kai that's actually worth watching.
After that you can watch GT if you REALLY love the series but the story is the weakest of them all.
As for the movies, I can only personally vouch for Dead Zone and the first Broly one. I hear the ones after are hit or miss but there are many I've yet to see.

@Alchaeus: Yeah, that's my biggest gripe with Kai aside from the overbearing music in the Saiyan saga. Overall it's still markedly better than Z and not just because it removed the dozens (100+?) filler episodes that are really only enjoyable as a child.