Is DBZ ACTUALLY one of the best animes ever?

There is so much better material out of Japan in regards to series that will make you laugh and yet tug at your heart-strings an hour later. DBZ is not one of those products.

Its fun to watch - it will entertain you - but in a lot of ways it lacks soul. Its about as deep as a puddle is in the summer on a hot day. But to be fair - Japan produces a lot worse, at higher frequency. Good anime is often over-shadowed by cliched characters / fanservice and poor stories.

(Note: this is my bias opinion) It's popular because of Nostalgia...that's it. it is not that great of a series.

THIS A GREAT ANIME

THIS IS A GREAT ANIME

This is great anime(well most of it anyway)

....

This is just fun

@infamous_wolf said:

That's my fault. I didn't see the word "best" the first time I read it.

I don't necessarily disagree I just think your comparison is a little off.

@vance_astro: I don't necessarily disagree I just think your comparison is a little off.

Interesting. How so exactly?

DBZ is like the Michael Bay film of anime.

@frogdog: there are alot of anime that are above bleach fairytail

Dragon Ball is better than it.

Not really. Most fans tend to point out things like the humor or fights when saying why they love it instead of story or characters like they do for Avatar: The Last Airbender. It's the Transformers of anime. All eye (and ear) candy and no real brain or soul.

@dccomicsrule2011 said:

I don't think DBZ is that bad in comparison to other Animes. I get the point you were trying to make where George Mikan was good for his era where Kareem would have been good regardless of the era, but I honestly (unlike other people that posted) don't think DBZ was just good for it's time I think up until the Buu Saga it was just good, I think if DBZ had come out recently it would still be popular. It has it's plot holes and it's issues but what doesn't?

In terms of character development, story, Dragon Ball Z is very poor. It's just rehash of the first story. Look like you're losing a battle, find a new way to win. It's always the same. Doesn't stop me from loving it. Gohan is my 4th favourite fictional character. Krillin and Vegeta are also up in the top ten. However, it's a show I can watch once, and my favourite episodes umpteenth amounts of times. Dragon Ball I've actually watched 2/3 times all the way through from first episode to the last. The fillers hinder the show a lot for me.

Bakemonogatari for me, has great characters, good stories. I would say in terms of those it's better than DBZ.

However, I would say Rebuild of Evangelion kills DBZ in everything. Not characters. But character development, yes. It's hard to see past the awesomeness of epic Gohan, furious Vegeta and lovable Krillin. For others there will be Goku I guess.

You could ask me after stating why other animé are clearly better than DBZ, but yet I have DBZ as my 2nd favourite. Nostalgia.

I'm more pissed you have 's' on the end of animé.

I always found this kind of question pointless, unfair, or completely subjective. I know the anime otaku won't agree. They will look down on the people, who think DBZ is one of best type of anime, with their pretentious views. And say it's not one of the best because there are better driven plots in more recent anime. Better animation, music, character development in the recent years. However, all those points don't mean a thing in terms of whether or not DBZ is one of the best "types" anime.

Firstly, anime is not a genre. So, classifying it as one make things more confusing. There are many different types of genre in anime. Seinen, Shoujo, Shounen, to name a few. Dragon Ball is label as Action, Adventure, Comedy, Martial arts, Science fantasy So, if you put it up against some other anime, like Evangelion(which is label as Apocalyptic/post-apocalyptic, Drama, Science fantasy, Psychological) is like comparing apples and oranges. I think if you're going to compare DBZ in regard to it's quality, you have have to do it in terms of when it was made and what genre it is considered.

Dragon ball z was anime that was made in 1989.(the Manga debut a few years earlier.) It is usually label as Shounen, Action, Adventure. Dragon Ball z reinvented the Shounen Action-Adventure genre. There was no other anime that could compare with it during it's time. And when you look at it like that, you can understand it's stature. Nothing is timeless, so comparing anime that are 10, 15, 20 years apart is quite preposterous. But, it's like I said the answer, or the question itself is quite pointless, unfair, and completely subjective.

Fair enough :P

@dccomicsrule2011 said:

:)

@supreme_marvel: I don't even know where to go with Rebuild of Evangelion. Everything was great until halfway through the 2nd film and then all of sudden they took a left turn down a weird road and never came back.

The 3rd movie was like "WTF IS HAPPENING RITE MEOW" the whole time.

...at least the animation is epic...

I think Vegeta is the only one who goes through any development of any kind - lol.

It had a lot of potential. I know this sounds bad but I think I could have made it better if they had me writing the plot.

@fallschirmjager said:

Agh, man I loved it. When he was chewing Asuka and that music was played juxtaposing it. Beautiful. Then that last scene with Shinji, "I want Rei. Give her back!". I was like agggggggghhhhhooooohohohohohohoh. Loved that scene. But it not more than the scene when they're running to stop one of the angels. The entire film was one of my favourite animé experiences.

Yeah, a lot of stuff was "WTF" in the third one. But I've watched a lot of animé and see many WTF moments, they usually bring it back to oh, I get it. This series, isn't known for that. However it doesn't bother me. I just want to see some crazy stuff in the last one.

Yeah, it would appear that he would be the only one. As against Kid Buu, he accepted Goku was his better.

@fallschirmjager: So everyone else can see it. Sorry, not in English. Just enjoy the lights, action and music. Epic scene!

@supreme_marvel: Don't mean to say its bad. Its just really weird right now. I'm hoping they wrap it up nicely in #4. And hell yes - I want to see more Asuka. By far the best character :3

And yeah, that scene where the Evas are running is pretty awesome. I also loved Unit 01 vs Sachiel, and Unit 00 / 01 vs Ramiel. Both were beautifully animated. Unit 02 going berserk was amazing too. In fact ...the whole series is one of the best pure animated series to date. Modern technology FTFW.

I really wanted a Unit 01 / Unit 02 vs Isafel, but I don't think that is going to happen anymore. And I don't think Unit 02 vs Units 5-13 is going to get redone either - which is a bummer. Oh well. Can't wait for the last one in any case.

@nickzambuto:

Yes, definitely.......DBZ is without a doubt, one of the best (subjectively). Is it the best...No, not in my opinion. IMO DBZ is like Star Wars. It was great, until people who were influenced by it took the next step. It has been greatly surpassed...At its core, it's outdated greatness.

d^_^b

Also, I agree with the ones who said it was mindless action. It was, very 'one-trick-ist'. I think it was a product of it's time in that's stature. It was a Japanese 80s cartoon.

d^_^b

It is

@superstay: ...I can't believe you just compared DBZ to Star Wars.

this is what got me into anime. now is it the best when you compare it to other animes? no. but in its time it was the best. its popular, and iconic. dbz is the one reason why one piece, naruto, bleach and other great anime/mangas were created. . Naruto is the best, thats my opinion, its my fav anime and im a huge fanboy! again, just saying. Sasuke!!! <3

@fallschirmjager: I think some people fail to realize How Big DBZ is outside the anime community. DBZ is widely loved by people but people in the anime community seem to hate it. I sometimes think its the popularity that makes people hate on DBZ.

Again, I know a lot of people who love DBZ and have never watched any other anime show.

Star Wars is a good analogy for DBZ. Why? Because Star Wars is well known outside the nerd/geek and SciFi fan community.

I'm dead serious of the popularity people love DBZ but they never watched any other anime. Same with Star Wars some people love Star Wars and have never watched Star Trek, Starship Trooper, played Mass Effect and etc.

-m3th.O.D.-

@fallschirmjager:

I know right?

But seriously, I actually kind don't know where that thought came from. I kind of disagree with it, but I'm leaving it in. I knew someone would point that out, though.

d^_^b

DBZ is classic.

This.

@m3th: Popular doesn't mean good, great or "the best ever". It never has and never will.

Comparing Star Wars to DBZ is blasphemous. 1 of these has a plot (one of the best ever told no less) and character development. The other doesn't.

@m3th:

I do agree with you as well....I'm so confused.

What I meant was what you said. Star Wars and DBZ are hugely loved by the public, and are widely regarded as G.O.A.T. But in the in circle of their individual genres, they are not regarded as highly. The same was Anime fans point out the flaws in DBZ, and say Cowboy Bebop and other anime series are far better; A lot of Sci-Fi fans would say other sci-fi movies, series, and games are stated to be better than Star Wars.

d^_^b

@m3th: @superstay: Also. People who consider DBZ the best anime because its the only one they've seen is a pretty poor reason for being the best.

I'd hate to have Wolverine: Origins be the best X-Men movie, because it was the only one most people saw.

Plot and character development=good series.

Entertainment dooees

@fallschirmjager:

It's a thing of people, being too lazy to search through a genre, do. They hear from a friend, "Hey, DBZ......AWESOME!!!!!", and he says to himself "What's all the hype about" and watches it.

Since that person isn't a anime fan and doesn't know anything about it; He watches the show with nothing else to judge it on. If he doesn't see the coolness in, what he heard is, the best anime (or one of) then he says, "Ehh, I don't see it...anime probably isn't my thing.", but if he does, then he says, "OMG, this is the greatest thing I ever saw".

Then, unless DBZ gave him a big urge to find out more about anime, he automatically says, "I see what the hype is about, this is worth of being the greatest anime"; And he passes the only great thing he knows in the genre as the best.

And that scenario could work for most things. And yes, I'm paraphrasing it, and using a extreme example.

d^_^b

Story quality wise not at all. At least not in my opinion, I actual couldn't get into the show because of the animation style alone, let alone the (to me at least) uninteresting story and plot.

I dont watch many animes, but was dedicated to DBZ growing up. It was just a great show all around. Ai mean what kid doesnt want to become a super saiyan?

Far from it.

lol did someone seriously compare Star Wars to DBZ? Really? I'm just going to leave this thread.....

@fallschirmjager: MetH can see your point but tHat's not exactly wHat MetH is saying. DBZ (WAS) loved by the anime community. MetH says was because MetH can't process the fact that DBZ got so mucH exposure just because. MetH can remember seeing other anime sHows getting exposure in the U.S. and in MX but only DBZ is widely loved and accepted outside tHe anime community. WHy is that?

MetH can see your point but popularity sHould play a factor. Popularity sHouldn't be the main factor but it sHould play a part because "best" is totally subjective unless tHere is a detailed question requiring specifications to be able to answer.

Also wHy do people keep saying tHere was no cHaracter development. GoHan was a sissy then became a kid witH sometHing to prove later a dedicated warrior to tHen a scHool nerd to a Super Hero. Krillin was a coward then learned to be brave. YamcHa was selfisH but grew out of it. Not to mention Evil Vegeta + Picolo wHo botH became new men.

Honestly MetH is tired of tHis subject.

-m3th.O.D.-

It's matter of opinion but I don't think so.I haven't watched a lot of animes but from the ones I've seen I can simply say that for me they are way better than DBZ.

It's alot better than the prequels, or any of force unleashed games...

@frogdog said:

That's like comparing Empire Strikes Back to Broly: tLSS. You don't pick and choose comparisons.

Yeah you do. You pick and choose comparisons all the time otherwise you're comparing Stonehenge to Boy Meets World and everything just stops making sense.

Whenever I end my sentences with...most of the time, I'm not serious.

From reading these comments, it seems like the majority of people who like DBZ (or think it's awesome) fall into two categories

1. Nostalgic people, reliving the show they grew up on

2. Manga ignorant people who haven't watched anime/read manga outside of DBZ and a few other Shonen.

@decoyelite said:

Within the context of the previously decided upon comparable items. Come on, DE. That's a lack of intuitive leap akin to a Bendis-fan right there.

@frogdog: To be honest, the prequels are better then DBZ. I'm not one of those guys that hate them, I actually thought they were solid.

I definitly enjoyed the EU prequel novels.

Revenge of the Sith novellation >>anything DBZ has ever produced

@dccomicsrule2011 said:

The RotS novelization is fantastic and infinitely superior to the film though, to be fair.

That doesn't stop those movies from being bad, but then it proven the most people who defend the prequels, are just kids.

@fadetoblackbolt: xD True enough. That novel showed us the potential the prequels had if it was written and directed by someone other then Lucas. *shrugs*