Dragon Ball Z

First of all, I want to explain why I put 2 amv’s : 1) They show what’s best in the Z series and it’s movies; 2) You see moments from the beginning of the series, the middle and the end so you can see the evolvement of the anime ( graphically, and not only ); 3) It shows a complete cast of all the Dragon Ball Z characters, both from the series and the movies. It also shows moments from the GT series, but I will talk about them next time.

When I was deciding what anime to review next, I discussed with Animenerdz if we should do something with Dragon Ball. At first, he wasn’t sure if it was worth it, but I think it is. After all, it has it’s own movie ( even if it sucks balls, should I say Dragon ballz ? ). Plus, if you ask someone what was the first anime he saw, or what anime he grew up with, the answer will most likely be Dragon Ball Z. It has a certain nostalgia factor and is a prized memory for many. Looking at it now, it is a bit retarded, but still satisfying and entertaining. The idea of it isn’t very original, it feels more like a superhero cartoon, but remember, those were the early ’90, in the western countries we knew only Superman as the ultimate super-powered being, and the east had nothing to offer as cool as he was. But here comes Goku, the guy who, I believe, in a fight will rip Superman’s asshole inside out. He is THE ULTIMATE embodiment of POWER and JUSTICE. He was so cool, western countries translated the series in every language they can, and his popularity grew. The plot is that five years have passed since Goku and his friends defeated Piccolo Jr. and restored peace to the planet. Gohan - Goku's son - and a variety of good, bad, and morally ambiguous characters are back, and perpetually not ready for action! Aliens, androids, and magicians all hatch evil plots to destroy the world and it's up to Goku to save the Earth once more - that is, once he and his comrades train plentifully in preparation. Enemies will become friends and power levels will rise to unimaginable levels, but even with the help of the legendary Dragon Balls and Shen Long will it be enough to save Earth from ultimate destruction? Why I chose this series to review before the other two, is that I believe it is the BEST. How many games have been made based on the Z series ? Hundreds. And how many based on the others ? None. Well there is one GT game, but few people knew about it, and I’m sure it sucked. The Z series show us a more mature Goku on his path of becoming the strongest warrior in the universe. At the beginning you see him rather weak, but at the end he is UNBEATABLE ! Also, you see a great addition to the show, and that is Gohan, Goku’s son. Here you see him evolve from a baby, into a powerful adult. Also, towards the middle you see another son, Goten. Another newcomer, which I like, is Vegeta and his son, Trunks. At the beginning, Vegeta is Goku’s rival, but at the end he is his most trusted friend and ally. Plus there is a variety of villains, which are very powerful, are hell-bent on destroying the Earth, and killing Goku, and they offer awesome and epic battles. So you see why I like this anime so much. Other aspects, like graphics, depend on the year. Remember that the series started of in 1989. The graphics then were goofy looking, but as the series progressed, so did the graphics. They improved substantially at the middle of the series, and are actually eye pleasing at the end. From the middle to the end they are beautiful. Sharp and smooth, bodies are more realistic, muscular and defined and the visual effects are nice. The sound evolved the same as graphics, so there is not much to say. I never heard the Japanese version, but the English dub is well done. Each voice is in accordance with the character it accompanies. The action is kick-ass. There isn’t much drama. Just mind-numbing, senseless fighting for which the series is so acclaimed. And the is also a nice dose of comedy. There is never one moment when you’re feeling dull. My only complaint is that each and every battle goes on for like 10 or 12 episodes. But that’s Ok. It just leaves you wanting to see the next episode even more. 
So yeah it is pretty old and kind of dumb, but even now it’s good and fun to watch. It’s not a favorite but I think that every anime fan has seen or has to see it at least a couple of episodes. It is definitely worth watching.