'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD/2wCEAAMDAwMDAwQEBAQFBQUFBQcHBgYHBwsICQgJCAsRCwwLCwwLEQ8SDw4PEg8bFRMTFRsfGhkaHyYiIiYwLTA+PlQBAwMDAwMDBAQEBAUFBQUFBwcGBgcHCwgJCAkICxELDAsLDAsRDxIPDg8SDxsVExMVGx8aGRofJiIiJjAtMD4+VP/AABEIAAUACgMBIgACEQEDEQH/xABjAAEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABwgQAAIBBQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAEDAgAEBREhBhIHAQEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAADBhEAAQMDBQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAwECEQAEBQYSEyEiYf/aAAwDAQACEQMRAD8AnQyvmm5ZaLDzibO1Y1T7ZBZFsUTgD3qx9k67utSYnD/lrsXYsb4HGSnO2VKctxGyYgnnxSlSepc1lceMRLa7KNxCO3rMz19pOED2DRRDhrGx4Sv/2Q=='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Dragon Ball is arguably one of the greatest shonen animanga series of all time. Its influence cannot be overstated, and the sheer impact it had on the entire world cannot be quantified.
Over the past few decades, the series has garnered a massive fan-following. Akira Toriyama’s magnum opus was a source of inspiration for the likes of Masashi Kishimoto, the author of Naruto. He admitted on record that Toriyama’s series and Goku was a source of inspiration for his work.
But it is certainly sad to see that the series doesn’t live up to its former glory. While its popularity hasn’t taken a hit, fans are yet to receive content that excites them like the series did in the past.
Trending
Dragon Ball: Flaws while handling the show
Most fans will agree that the main reason for its irrelevance is simply not having enough content being put out from time to time. When Dragon Ball Z was in full swing, the fanbase was excited and there was a sense of anticipation throughout the week before the release of an episode.
Now, if we take a look at the most recent Dragon Ball Super episode, it was released in March 2018. It has been over five years since we watched another episode of the Super series.
The franchise released a movie, Dragon Ball Super: Super Heroes, which wasn’t the series’ best content out there. It did not feature traditional animation, and the entire thing was CG. Plenty of fans believed that Super Heroes looked like a cut scene from Xenoverse, which is a popular fighting game from the same franchise.
Another factor for its decline is the series’ struggle with power progression, which has been a problem for a while. The series churned out extremely strong and overpowered villains regularly. Eventually, there came a point when the subsequent arc’s villain would have to be made even stronger to keep the series alive. This impacted storytelling, which has also taken a massive hit lately.
The structure of most story arcs in Dragon Ball is rather repetitive. The adage “Don’t fix something that isn’t broken” only holds true for a certain period of time. The arcs will feature strong villains that will initially overpower Goku and Vegeta.
After their struggle, one of the two characters receive a power-up and defeat the villain. This has been quite repetitive, and there is a dire need for fresh content from this series. A very important aspect of a good shonen anime and manga series is emotionally heavy scenes. The Dragon Ball series had plenty of those in its prime.
For example, Vegeta’s sacrifice during the fight against Majin Buu and Gohan going Super Saiyan 2 for the first time are just a few among the many emotional scenes. Not only do these scenes make the series memorable, but it also engages the fanbase.
In the recent manga chapters of Super, there aren’t moments like these. These are a few reasons why the Dragon Ball series is becoming irrelevant today.
One cannot deny the impact this series has had on the anime and manga community. However, it is important for the community to acknowledge and understand the flaws of what is considered one of the best shonen series of all time.
Stay tuned for more anime and manga updates as 2023 progresses.
