Anime Honest Thoughts on a Series

First of all, admins, I didn't put this thread on the DBZ forum because it's about debating overall interpretations of the show, rather than storyline/characters/anything in specific. Plus, thoughts will probably be more objective on this forum. Still, if you think it fits better over there, I won't be upset if you move it.

That said, I've been wondering on how to go about approaching the Dragonball series. It certainly looks interesting, and since Yu Yu Hakusho is my favorite anime ever, it seems like I should like this as well. On the other hand, 508 episodes and 18 movies is just so intimidating. On top of that, I find it very hard to find an objective review on the series - People either love it to pieces because it was their first true taste of anime, or they find it hideously awful because of the way it dragged on for so long. And EVERYONE says the edited Cartoon Network episodes are worthless, so I can't even use those to get an analysis. Bah, it stinks.

Anyway, I'm still pretty new to anime, so I was wondering if, since most of you are anime veterans, could give me an honest critique of the series and whether its merits outweigh its flaws (Not to mention the damage it'll do to my wallet.) Any feedback would be most graciously apprecaited.

Billy277

 

DBZ is a classical anime, with an extremely good plot. I mean, sure, I am one of them who had DBZ as one of their firsts. But somehow, my "liking" for them faded due to the fact there is TOO much of it. The story gets really good in the beginning, but later on, the story just goes on, and on, and on....

But i suggest you to read the Manga instead. Much cheaper and better in my point of view.

- Teddz

 

I'm going to explain my Dragonball theory.
The first bit, the actual "Dragonball" series, is pure comedy, and you'd be a fool not to watch it. I first saw it something like seven years ago, and it was the first anime that I liked after finding out what anime was. I wouldn't be an otaku without it (thank you Toriyama ... I think).
Now, as for DBZ, the only parts that are really worth watching are the Saiyan and Frieza sagas. In an interview with Shonen Jump, Toriyama basically said that this is where he originally intended to end the series, but then he was offered more money to make more Dragonball. This is where Toriyama becomes a total sell-out because he takes the money and sacrifices his original goal of the series to feed his wallet. If you watch the end of the Frieza saga, you can tell this is where it was supposed to end, because the biggest power in the universe had been eliminated (Frieza), and the hero (Goku) had sacrificed himself nobly to save the universe. Everyone else was safely back on Earth. This is also why the plots after Frieza seem to come out of nowhere, like Frieza and his father appearing suddenly on Earth to get revenge, or Trunks coming from the future (you can always tell a desperate author when they resort to time travel). Also, the fact that the androids were created by the Red Ribbon Army (another revival of an old plot) shows a lack of creativity towards the end. Toriyama was getting bored with DBZ towards the end. He even called it "Dragonball Z" because he figured that using the last letter of the alphabet implied that it was the end and that people would stop asking him to make more once he was finished.
Overall, though, if you're interested in the fun plots of the series, watch the anime, because fast-motion fights in still images are just stupid.

 

I see where you're coming from, Novus, and I even understand that Dragonball GT - the last installment in the series, right? - was made without Toriyama's input.

Then again, it's not hard to see why Toriyama "sold out" - I'm sure he was making ungodly amounts of money, and total financial security in exchange for doing something you don't really want to do for awhile must have seemed like a decent tradeoff, you know?