Summary:
Dragon Ball GT is widely criticized for its initial shift towards comedy and adventure, which appeals to a younger audience, rather than the action-oriented approach of Dragon Ball Z. Dragon Ball GT offers an exciting rematch between Goku and Vegeta that gives fans what they want, even if not every detail — like Goku's baby — works. Dragon Ball GT features bold new transformations like Super Saiyan 4, while effectively rejudging its past through the return of old villains and Dragon Ball's selfish desires.
Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball is one of anime’s biggest properties that’s produced more than 300 hours – or 12 days – of content. Dragon Ball is such an astronomical hit that’s practically synonymous with the battle shonen genre. It’s inspired fans and other series for nearly four decades and all of its successful victories make it that much easier to overlook the rare occasions when Dragon Ball misses, such as Dragon Ball GT. Dragon Ball GT aired a week after Dragon Ball Z’s series finale but its original story and lack of involvement from Toriyama (beyond character designs) set the sequel series up for polarizing reactions from the fandom.
Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball is one of anime's biggest properties, producing over 300 hours – or 12 days – of content. Dragon Ball is such an astronomical hit that it is practically synonymous with the battle shonen genre. It's been inspiring fans and other series for nearly four decades, and all of its successful victories make it much easier to overlook the rare cases where Dragon Ball misses, like Dragon Ball GT. Dragon Ball GT aired a week after the Dragon Ball Z series finale, but its origin story and lack of involvement from Toriyama (aside from character designs) set the sequel up for polarizing fandom reactions.
Dragon Ball GT is imperfect, and at only 64 episodes, it's by far the shortest and least essential of the Dragon Ball series. Additionally, the eventual release of Dragon Ball Super as a more worthy follow-up to Dragon Ball Z that blazes its own trail has made Dragon Ball GT seem even more irrelevant in retrospect. Some fans even go so far as to say that the entire series is not proper Dragon Ball canon because of what Dragon Ball Super introduces. Dragon Ball GT may be a mixed bag, but it doesn't deserve to be completely written off like it has been for nearly three decades. In fact, many of Dragon Ball Super's recent concerns make it easier to appreciate everything Dragon Ball GT was trying to do, even if it doesn't all work.
There’s A Return To Adventure & A Lighter Tone
Dragon Ball tells an ever-evolving story that gradually matures alongside its characters. It's not the only long-running series to take this tonal approach to its storytelling, but it's one that works quite well for the series as Goku matures from a 12-year-old boy to a proud father and husband. Dragon Ball GT takes place five years after the end of Dragon Ball Z, which already jumps forward ten years in time. Audiences were excited to see Goku fill the role of grandfather and presumably take a back seat as a mentor like Master Roshi to characters like Uub. Dragon Ball GT quickly subverts these expectations when Goku is accidentally transformed into a child and remains so throughout the series. Juvenile Goku's transformation is deliberately reminiscent of the original Dragon Ball, but Dragon Ball GT further indulges in this regard in its opening story, Black Star Dragon Ball. Goku, Pan and Trunks must travel across the galaxy in search of the Dragon Balls, a story that favors playful adventures over gritty combat.
This approach may have helped attract a new, younger audience, but there is a significant tonal whiplash between the end of Dragon Ball Z and the beginning of Dragon Ball GT. It's a difficult transition for adults who grew up with Goku and the original series. In fact, the opening arc of Dragon Ball GT proved so controversial that Funimation (now Crunchyroll) omitted it entirely during the first release of the English dub. The first 16 episodes of Dragon Ball GT are condensed into a clunky retrospective before the anime returns to the more action-packed Baby Saga. This shift wasn't what the audience originally wanted, but now it's something else fans have been actively asking for throughout the Dragon Ball Super manga. Dragon Ball Super has fallen into a repetitive pattern with its narrative and villains. Light adventures may have lower stakes than a battle for a planet, but that doesn't mean they can't still be successful. The upcoming Dragon Ball Daima is set to transform not only Goku, but the entire cast, into young children with a lighter tone that is very reminiscent of Dragon Ball GT. The audience's ability to get excited about this structure in Daima proves that the central idea of Dragon Ball GT wasn't necessarily flawed, but that it just came at the wrong time.
Goku & Vegeta Have A Long-Awaited Rematch
One of the reasons Dragon Ball has been successful for so long is its compelling character dynamics and relationships, especially the friendly rivalry that developed between Goku and Vegeta. Vegeta has made huge strides since his Dragon Ball Z introduction as a ruthless villain. That being said, many fans believe that Goku and Vegeta's Saiyan showdown in the opening saga of Dragon Ball Z is the pinnacle of the series, which has followed him ever since. Goku and Vegeta have become true friends and allies, but viewers still want to see them fight as a clear way to tell who is the superior Saiyan. Dragon Ball Z temporarily recreates this magic through its Super Saiyan 2 Goku and Majin Vegeta battle, but struggles to reach the same heights.
Dragon Ball GT works hard to create a satisfying match between Goku and Vegeta once the latter becomes an unwilling host to the parasitic Baby. The Child enslaves most of Earth's population, but Vegeta is his primary vessel, which he uses to create a new planetary plant and obtain justice for his fallen Tuffle people. Dragon Ball GT really finds its footing during Goku's battle against Baby Vegeta. It's a fight that deserves a lot more credit than it's usually given. Dragon Ball GT creates real tension in this clash, but also allows Goku to push past his Saiyan limits and reach new heights as Super Saiyan 4 Goku. The presence of Super Saiyan 4 Goku scores a lot of points in this battle, as does Goku's collaboration with Majuubu and Pan. The recent Dragon Ball Super showdown between Goku and Vegeta on Beerus' planet has gotten a lot of attention. However, this pales considerably in comparison to the spectacle that Dragon Ball GT creates between these two warriors.
Dragon Ball GT Brings Back Old Villains In New Ways
Effective and intimidating villains can make or break an anime series. Dragon Ball has developed some truly terrifying threats over the years, but fans are increasingly critical of Dragon Ball Super's approach to its opponents. Characters like Moro and Gas may be new, but they borrow heavily from old threats like Demon King Piccolo and Broly. These villains even become less original with the emergence of Cell Max, the new Androids from the Red Ribbon Army, and the return of Frieza with another new form. Dragon Ball fans have been frustrated with these new villains because they blatantly pull from the past. However, Dragon Ball GT is actually recruiting old villains to come back with new strategies.
Ultimately, Dragon Ball GT's approach is more successful as it builds on the series' history and turns decades of animosity into passionate motivation. Dragon Ball GT doesn't just copy its past, it uses it to properly inform its future. It's really exciting when Dr. Myu is sent to Hell and befriends Dr. Gero. This evil meeting of minds culminates in Super 17, a phenomenal villain that brings back a fan-favorite character long before he returns to Dragon Ball Super. Dragon Ball GT's focus on Hell and the afterlife also allows characters like Frieza and Cell to work together to achieve unprecedented levels of villainy. Dragon Ball GT uses these old villains for a new closure. Piccolo's arc is particularly powerful, and he sacrifices himself to stay in Hell to ensure Goku's escape. It brings his character full circle to where he started as a minion to his demonic father, while Dragon Ball Super spun the wheels with Piccolo.
Its Introduction Of Super Saiyan 4 & Golden Great Ape
Dragon Ball is much more than flashy transformations, but these significant displays of power often dominate the show's narrative. Dragon Ball Z creates three deadly levels of Super Saiyan power, only for Dragon Ball GT and Dragon Ball Super to go in very different directions with what's to come. Dragon Ball Super chooses power-ups by color, Super Saiyan God and Super Saiyan Blue, which are dependent on God ki. These new transformations are undeniably powerful, but they're starting to border on parody, with the show's characters even mocking their designs and names. Dragon Ball Super even had to push its transformations in completely different and original ways to avoid this Super Saiyan problem, which is where Ultra Instinct, Ultra Ego, and Beast Gohan come into the picture.
Alternatively, Dragon Ball GT made the logical decision to follow up Super Saiyan 3 with Super Saiyan 4. Super Saiyan 4 made waves during its debut because it is so different from its predecessors. The transformation looks like a cross between a Super Saiyan and a Great Ape, which actually makes sense considering the origin of the transformation. Dragon Ball GT brings back the Saiyans' signature tail and also introduces the Golden Great Ape transformation as the necessary precursor to Super Saiyan 4. This is another case where hindsight proves invaluable. It's been so long since Dragon Ball has focused on the tail of the Saiyans and their great ape form that they've now made a welcome return. Super Saiyan 4 has been mocked for being different, but its design is ultimately more creative than the ridiculously long hair associated with Super Saiyan 3. Super Saiyan 4 has become popular in the Dragon Ball video games and is commonly requested by fans. The design's enduring appeal and ability to keep popping up in extended canon and video games is a testament to its impact and that it's not just considered a bug.
Dragon Ball GT Turns The Dragon Balls Into Dangerous Liabilities
Each Dragon Ball series attempts to do something new with the titular wish-granting Dragon Balls, whether through tweaked abilities or entirely new sets. Dragon Ball GT focuses mainly on the Dragon Balls and even deals with some contemplative storytelling that argues that humanity may not deserve this treasure. The final story of Dragon Ball GT pits Goku against the Shadow Dragons, all of whom are manifestations of Dragon Ball's past selfish and wasted wishes. Each Shadow Dragon forces the characters and the audience to reckon with the series' past mistakes, which is exactly what a Dragon Ball sequel should do with its central relic. Dragon Ball GT even ends with what appears to be the absence of Shenron and the Dragon Balls, as if to indicate that Earth is finally ready to function without these magical "get out of jail free" cards. The execution of Dragon Ball GT's Shadow Dragons is flawed, but the idea behind them is incredibly solid and something that fans wanted to see incorporated into Dragon Ball Super.
Dragon Ball wishers are becoming increasingly distrustful in Dragon Ball Super, and it's the perfect time to point out the dangers of such rampant irresponsible behavior. Dragon Ball Super also made the Dragon Balls too powerful by revealing that they can be used to become the most powerful in the universe, or that relics like the Super Dragon Balls can help individuals switch bodies or revive erased universes. Dragon Balls has never felt more like a gratuitous plot, while Dragon Ball GT sees the writing on the wall early on and makes humanity pay for its sins. It's a powerful note for Dragon Ball GT to go on, even if the series as a whole is far from perfect. It's clear that Dragon Ball GT's decision to ruffle feathers and stray far from the course of Dragon Ball Z did it no favors in the 90s. However, modern Dragon Ball Super fans and audiences yearn for a series that is willing to take such risks and push an original point of view instead of just playing the greatest hits.
Connect With Us