This classic anime is somehow even better than its legacy suggests

(Welcome to Ani time Ani-woa regular column designed to help the uninitiated understand and appreciate the world of anime.)

Anime is more popular than ever, and major American studios are now looking for Japanese studios to collaborate on projects with big IPs like Lord of the Rings and DC Comics. With dozens of shiny new series coming out every four months, it’s hard to justify spending the time watching hundreds of episodes of an older series with limited animation, especially when the things they remade are copied, remixed, and edited Deaths were parodied.

Take “Dragon Ball” for example. Countless manga and anime, from One Piece and Naruto to My Hero Academia and Hunter x Hunter, owe their existence to the late maestro Akira Toriyama and his work. Would Live-action superhero films like Superman pay homage to classic anime series Didn’t Dragon Ball spark a million playground discussions about who could beat Goku in a fight?

It’s easy to underestimate the huge cultural impact that Dragon Ball (and its sequel, Z) has had, both in Japan and abroad. That is a franchise that helped save Toonami and turned an entire generation of children into anime fans. Similarly, Dragon Ball itself has become synonymous with anime, with Goku becoming the archetypal anime protagonist. (Just think of how many anime characters have spiky hair just like him.) What other show would bring tens of thousands of people together on the streets of Mexico just to watch an animated fight?

All of this means that Dragon Ball’s legacy is clearly unparalleled. But if you watch Dragon Ball today, you might find that this is a classic that is somehow even better than its reputation (and our collective memories) would suggest.

In case you’ve been living under a rock for 40 years, Dragon Ball follows Son Goku, a young boy who goes on adventures around the world (and to other worlds) in search of magical Dragon Balls that grant every wish. From there, the series quickly evolves into a superhero story in which Goku and his friends fight against increasingly powerful enemies to save the world and sometimes the multiverse.

First, let’s get something out of the way: No, you should never skip Dragon Ball and go straight to Z. To do so would be to ignore the genius of Akira Toriyama’s storytelling and, most importantly, his sense of humor and comedic timing. The original series isn’t so much a constant brawl as one a fantasy adventure inspired by Jackie Chan films that relies on gag comedy. (The first episode devotes a lengthy scene to little Goku peeing in a river.) It only takes 11 episodes for Goku and his friends to collect all the Dragon Balls, and even then, they’re used for a joke for the first time Wish. In the original “Dragon Ball,” every step of the way is about finding the silliest gag and therefore the most imaginative and imaginative joke. Even when the series started introducing major tournament arcs, the main focus was how fun it was to watch little Goku defeat much larger and seemingly stronger opponents (or wipe out wave after wave of Red Ribbon Army soldiers). ).

Take the parade of villains Goku faces throughout the “Dragon Ball” saga (including “Z” and “Super”), many of which are less threatening or scary than incredibly silly and absurd. In fact, the very first antagonist in Dragon Ball was a tiny wannabe tyrant with no nose, while the Red Ribbon Army was made up of ridiculous generals. This continued with “Z,” where we met the Ginyu Force (incredibly muscular warriors more concerned with striking a cool pose than actually fighting) or the lovable Majin Buu, who turned people into chocolate and ate them.

The action in “Dragon Ball” is also unprecedented, both before and after the series’ shift in focus. Initially, the series is all about martial arts, with Tiny Goku executing Jackie Chan-style moves (and fighting a poorly disguised Master Roshi who calls himself “Jackie Chun”) and battling dozens of enemies in exciting battles. (Part of what makes “Dragon Ball Daima” so good is that it brought back the property’s martial arts-inspired combat.) But even as the show essentially evolves into a superhero adventure, it continues to find new ways to raise the stakes and make each confrontation memorable and unique . Individual battles can last dozens of episodes, but every second is exciting and dynamic. The only reason “Yu Yu Hakusho” defies anime tropes and conventions That’s because Dragon Ball defined them in the first place.

Even though most of Dragon Ball’s iconography has to do with Goku fighting, the series is much more than that. Part of the franchise’s brilliance is that it can encompass many things and explore many genres. Akira Toriyama may have never planned to make a series like Dragon Ball. or seeing it develop as it did, but he made the best of it and managed to keep the story going as it developed. The plot began as a fantasy adventure inspired by Journey to the West and Chinese mythology and culture, although it also included a fair amount of Goku fighting dinosaurs. And yet, in addition to demons and aliens from distant planets, “Dragon Ball” could also contain a lot of futuristic science fiction technology. Heck, “Dragon Ball Super” even brought the multiverse with it.

This is the kind of worldbuilding that makes anything possible, giving anime series like Naruto and One Piece inspiration and creating sophisticated worlds that contain a variety of tones and characters that are so strongly written that they even remain recognizable as they change. In fact, the same Goku who fooled around in Dragon Ball and didn’t know what kind of car or girl it was is also the same Goku who became a Superman-like alien with inhuman powers, as well as an absentee father who was a Education went through both heaven and hell, but couldn’t even get his driver’s license.

Arguably one of Dragon Ball’s greatest contributions to the anime world was its take on friendship and finding allies. Before “The Fast Saga” turned mortal enemies into friends to invite to dinner, in “Dragon Ball” Goku became friends with everyone who once tried to kill him. Krillin went from being Goku’s biggest rival as a child to his closest friend, while Yamcha became a core member of the team after once attempting to rob Goku. Even Piccolo and Vegeta, who started out as incorrigible villains, eventually changed their ways, with the former becoming a surrogate father to Gohan and Vegeta transforming into the best husband in the series. Vegeta in particular even started a trend of anime rivalries that has lasted for decades and continues to this day. Everyone from Bakugo to Sasuke owes their arc to the fact that Vegeta becomes Goku’s rival.

It’s been 40 years since the Dragon Ball manga was serialized, and the world of manga and anime hasn’t been the same since. Whether you’re a hardcore anime fan who watched “Dragon Ball Z” on Toonami, someone familiar with every modern battle shonen manga but afraid to go back to the source, or simply a newbie, who has never dared to watch “Dragon Ball” “Because it’s old or too long, I assure you: the trip is worth it.

Even if you think you know what “Dragon Ball” is based on its reputation or the endless memes and iconic quotes, the franchise is so much more than that. It’s a hilarious, action-packed, heartfelt, endearing, bone-crushing, mind-bomb-firing one , father-son Kamehameha shooter epic that more than lives up to its reputation as one of the best anime of all time and certainly the most famous. Again, there’s a reason why every anime protagonist looks or acts a bit like Goku, while time jumps and power-ups are equally common in anime. It’s not just that “Dragon Ball” made them first; It’s that the show did these things so well that everyone wants to pay homage or copy their impact.

Akira Toriyama may no longer be with us, but Dragon Ball is forever.

Check it out if you want: “Hunter x Hunter”, “My Hero Academia”, “Naruto”.

“Dragon Ball” is currently streaming on Crunchyroll and Hulu.