Anime and manga fans would be hard-pressed to find a series more iconic than <em>Dragon Ball</em>. Having debuted more than four decades ago in 1984, Akira Toriyama’s masterpiece manga series has entertained fans in whatever form it has since taken, from anime to video games and more. Generations of fans have found themselves captivated by the superhuman feats of Goku and company across a number of different entries in the franchise.
From whimsical adventures to bloody battles, and now showdowns between god-level fighters, Dragon Ball has just about done it all throughout its main canon storyline. However, in-between Toriyama’s original Dragon Ball and its later sequel series, Dragon Ball Super, fans were introduced to another story that didn’t quite go over smoothly.
Dragon Ball GT premiered 30 years ago this year in Japan, and despite the series introducing a number of fan-favorite moments, it’s become the most divisive Dragon Ball series by far. Nevertheless, the 1996 anime is still worth watching today.
Dragon Ball GT Is Celebrating Its 30th Anniversary, and It’s Still Worth Watching Despite Its Flaws
Dragon Ball GT Is the Franchise’s Somewhat Forgotten Non-Canon Anime Series
Dragon Ball fandom in North America can be broken down into three different eras. A generation of fans was born when Goku touched down on TV in the early 2000s, and another was born when he and the Z-Fighters received a makeover in 2009’s Dragon Ball Z Kai. Later, another generation of fans fell in love with the series thanks to 2015’s Dragon Ball Super.
However, between the first two eras, Dragon Ball GT arrived and failed to capture the hearts of viewers. It wasn’t much different a decade earlier in Japan. The series, in an attempt to recapture some of the magic from early on in Akira Toriyama’s original story, turned Goku back into a child and shifted its focus back to the franchise’s adventure roots.
It didn’t work for a few reasons. The pacing of Dragon Ball GT‘s first 15-or-so episodes is not exactly smooth, so much so that the episodes were condensed and turned into a singular recap episode of sorts in the United States. Also, after the series went full-on action in Dragon Ball Z, viewers weren’t exactly keen on seeing scaled-down fighting.
Dragon Ball Super Releases New Manga, But There’s One Big Catch
Dragon Ball Super fans get excited because a brand-new manga for the Super series was just announced, but there is a massive catch to it.
The series’ opening arc left a bit of a stink on its reputation. However, it’s where Dragon Ball GT went later on that makes it worthwhile watch today. The Baby Saga is a franchise highlight and contains much of what made Dragon Ball Super‘s Future Trunks Saga a hit 20 years later, not to mention its introduction of the fan favorite Super Saiyan 4.
The Super #17 Saga is hit-or-miss, dragging on in moments while shining in others before the Shadow Dragon Saga brings the series to an action-packed and surprisingly poignant finale. Dragon Ball GT has its issues with pacing and can be monotonous, especially early on, but those issues don’t take away from its highlights later down the line.
Dragon Ball Revisited GT Nearly 30 Years Later
In 2024, nearly 30 years on from Dragon Ball GT‘s premiere in Japan, Dragon Ball Daima aired and revisited some of what Dragon Ball GT tried to do, this time largely overseen by series creator Akira Toriyama. Daima again shifted its focus back to adventure and aged down its main cast to do so. Super Saiyan 4 also returned with a makeover during the series’ final act.
The fan base is largely split on which series did it better, but both are a worthwhile watch for fans who might’ve missed out. Dragon Ball GT is the franchise’s most divisive entry by far, but there’s enough there to entertain anyone looking for more of Goku in action.
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- Date de sortie
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1997 – 1997 -00 -00
- Réseau
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Fuji TV
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