My Problem with Dragon Ball

Introduction

I’ll start with one thing: I love Dragon Ball. It was a huge part of my childhood, filling it with unforgettable moments—some of the best I’ve ever experienced.

When I finished Dragon Ball Z and heard there’d be a new season called Dragon Ball Super, I was beyond excited. But along with that excitement, I also felt a bit of fear—a fear that the incredible legacy and the emotions Dragon Ball Z left with me might get tarnished.

So, I waited… and waited until Super wrapped up.

Then, a couple of weeks ago, I finally watched all of Dragon Ball Super.

I’m not going to dive deep into my thoughts on Dragon Ball Super, but I will say it left me with a bitter taste. And I think this all traces back to two major flaws that are holding it back:

  • A problem with stakes
  • A problem with power levels

The Problem with Stakes

To explain what I mean, I need to share a quick story.

The first time I watched Dragon Ball, it was dubbed in Arabic on a channel called Spacetoon (side note: I’d argue the Arabic opening is the best of all Dragon Ball openings!). In Arabic culture, concepts like the afterlife or reviving the dead are sacred; they’re essentially “God’s business,” so it’s culturally inappropriate to portray these ideas, especially to children.

Spacetoon chose to adjust the story to avoid conflicts between the original anime and cultural beliefs. Now, sure, you could argue this changes the original material, but that’s not the focus here. What’s key is that by eliminating things like reviving dead characters, Spacetoon created an atmosphere where the stakes were sky-high. In their version, if someone dies, they’re gone forever—no coming back.

This made moments like Vegeta’s death hit incredibly hard because there was a lingering feeling that he was truly gone. But the scene that really shattered me was Goku sacrificing himself against Cell.

I can’t even describe the tears I shed that night watching that episode for the first time. Seeing my favorite character die—and deeply feeling that he would never come back—was heartbreaking.

Eventually, I had to switch to the original Japanese version. There, I discovered just how much Spacetoon had altered the story and, most shockingly, that the Dragon Balls could bring people back to life.

After that, every time I watched Dragon Ball, a voice in my head whispered, “No matter what happens, no matter who dies, they can always come back.” And that killed the tension for me.

Now, I get that stakes in a story don’t always have to mean life and death, but in the context of Dragon Ball—a world full of super-powered battles where villains threaten to destroy everything—it’s hard to avoid those stakes. When you remove the real possibility of death, you strip away the suspense and tension in every scene.

If I were to write a final arc for Dragon Ball, I’d get rid of the Dragon Balls altogether. Then, if someone dies, they’re truly gone, and the stakes would rise drastically.

The Power Level Problem

I won’t delve too much into this because Totally Not Mark made a fantastic video on it.

In short, the transformations in Dragon Ball have lost their significance. Whenever a character transforms, it just feels like another costume change.

When Goku first transformed into a Super Saiyan, it was monumental—a highlight of the whole series that still resonates today. It came at a moment of absolute despair. Even Goku’s most powerful techniques couldn’t take down Frieza, and we had no idea what else our heroes could do. Then, that transformation happened, and it felt earned. We endured so much for that moment, and the payoff was huge.

But with the continuous addition of new transformations, that impact has worn off, leaving a confusing mess of power levels.

When Goku first became a Super Saiyan or when Gohan hit Super Saiyan 2, those transformations came with a sense of massive power. Now, with transformations like Super Saiyan God, Super Saiyan Blue, and even Ultra Instinct, it’s hard to tell just how powerful each form is supposed to be.

What’s the difference between Super Saiyan God and Super Saiyan Blue? Well… Blue is “stronger”—but we never really get a sense of just how much stronger. The lines between each transformation are just blurry now.

⁉ Common Opinion

Some people might say I’m putting too much emphasis on things that would make the story darker and more serious—elements that aren’t in the “spirit” of Dragon Ball, and not why people still watch it.

I’d disagree. Yes, the fights and transformations are exciting, but for many, Dragon Ball is memorable because of its emotional weight. When you focus solely on spectacle, you end up with a shallow story that’s easy to forget.

Final Thoughts

It feels like Toei Animation is trying to cater to fans by packing in more action, transformations, and screaming—but at the cost of a strong, well-crafted story.

I might sound harsh, but that’s because I love Dragon Ball deeply. It means a lot to me. I want to relive the feeling of being that young kid, glued to the screen, scared for his favorite characters because they might actually die.

That’s what Dragon Ball is for me.

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