Goku with an angry look on his face with the cast of Dragon Ball in the background.Custom Image by Evan Mullicane
By
Evan D. Mullicane
Published 14 minutes ago
Evan Mullicane is the senior editor and founder of Screen Rant's anime section. Having started as a writer for the Comics Team at the beginning of the Pandemic, Evan was swiftly promoted from writer to editor, and then from editor to lead of Screen Rant's newly established anime vertical.
Throughout his time with Screen Rant, Evan has made a handful of appearances at conventions such as Anime Expo and San Diego Comic-Con, and has interviewed some of the biggest names in Anime and Comics history.
In addition to editing anime and manga articles for Screen Rant, Evan is also a science fiction and fantasy author. In 2018 and 2019, his short story "The Demon's Mother" won honorable mentions from the Writers of the Future contest.
You can find Evan on Twitter @EvanDM and BlueSky @evandmu.bsky.socia
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Though Dragon Ball Super is generally beloved, many hardcore series fans are less than impressed with the official follow-up to Akira Toriyama's generation-defining series. Early criticisms of the series focused on poor animation quality and awkward pacing.
Unfortunately, even after the series found its footing and stopped adapting the newest line of movies, Super has still faced a litany of complaints from fans who feel it's a step down in terms of storytelling quality.
Big criticisms, such as too much focus on Goku and Vegeta, poor handling of the series' supporting cast like Gohan, and an over-reliance on big new transformations, hold the series back in the eyes of some. A closer look at the franchise's entire history, however, reveals these are all problems Super inherited from Dragon Ball Z.
Dragon Ball Z's Buu Arc Wrote The Recipe That The Franchise Would Follow Going Forward
Kid Buu in a fight, preparing a ki blast to attack his opponent.
Dragon Ball Z's Buu Arc had a tough act to follow. After Dragon Ball peaked with the Cell Arc, the series couldn't be the same going forward. Goku was dead, Vegeta had finally become a legitimate hero, and Gohan had officially stepped into his father's role as Earth's strongest warrior.
The Buu Arc begins 7 years after the end of the Cell Arc, and sees Gohan adopting a superhero persona. Even echoes of this slice-of-life mini-arc can be seen in some of the Dragon Ball Super anime's filler episodes, and its influence can more directly be seen in the Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero prequel arc focusing on Goten and Trunks.
While this initial arc was offering fans something a little new, it didn't take long for Gohan to wear out his welcome, leading to Goku's infamous resurrection. Though Gohan did receive some development and power-ups, he ultimately failed his first major test as Earth's Guardian against Buu, leading to Goku taking the leading role once again.
Unfortunately, Gohan isn't the only character who doesn't get much to do. Pretty much every human fighter, outside Hercule, is sidelined. While Yamcha and Tien's relevance had been fading for quite some time, it was disappointing to see Krillin taken out and killed once again.
Dragon Ball Z's Buu Arc Didn't Get Goku Right Either
Goku standing in his Super Saiyan 3 form while looking at the viewer. Behind him a background of sapce with broken glass at the sides can be seen. Custom Image by Ana Nieves.
Unfortunately, it wasn't just the side characters who had a rough time of it in terms of character development. Though Goku didn't suffer nearly the same character-assassination that he'd receive in Super, he also didn't meaningfully grow or develop in the Buu Arc.
The best symbol of this is Dragon Ball's worst transformation, Super Saiyan 3. Goku's Super Saiyan 1 transformation was a banner moment for the series and represented an entire arc's worth of training and development for Goku. Even the Cell Arc gave Goku some much-needed development as a father and mentor to Gohan.
In contrast, Super Saiyan 3 feels forced. It ends up telling audiences very little about Goku or how he's developed since his death.
Dragon Ball's Buu Arc Is Still a Classic
Goku standing in front of the camera looking confused. Behind him, the sky of the other world can be seen. Custom Image by Rodrigo Sandoval Lahut.
None of this is to say that the Buu Arc is bad. Akira Toriyama's action is still unparalleled in the world of manga, and the arc introduced many iconic elements that have gone on to define the franchise, such as fusion. The Buu Arc also gave Vegeta his best moment in the entire franchise.
Additionally, the arc's ending, which ends the entire series, is literally perfect and actually does show Goku's development.
Unfortunately, it seems like subsequent Dragon Ball follow-ups paid attention to the wrong parts of the arc.
Super, for what it's worth, isn't horrible either. At its worst, Dragon Ball Super is a bland show. At its best, however, there are glimpses of brilliance that rival some of the original Dragon Ball's most unforgettable moments.
Fans can only hope that, if and when Dragon Ball Super returns for a second season or manga continuation, it will lean more into what the Buu Arc did right than into some of its many missteps.
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Like Follow Followed Dragon Ball Super TV-PG Animation Action Adventure Anime Fantasy
7/10
144
9.0/10
Release Date
2015 - 2018
Network
Fuji TV
Cast
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Masakazu Morita
Whis (voice)
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Masako Nozawa
Son Goku/Goku Black/Son Gohan/Son Goten (voices)
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Like Follow Followed Dragon Ball Z TV-14 Action Adventure Fantasy Animation 109 9.1/10 Release Date 1989 - 1996 Network Fuji TVCast
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Masako Nozawa
Son Goku / Son Gohan / Son Goten (voice)
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Ryo Horikawa
Vegeta (voice)
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Anime
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Dragon Ball Z
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Dragon Ball Super
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