Featured
- Get link
- X
- Other Apps
Dragon Ball GT Is Better Than Dragon Ball Super
Dragon Ball GT Is Better Than Dragon Ball Super
Buckle up, Zen-Oh-sucking mortals, because the goddess of takes is back from the digital abyss to deliver a sermon that will leave your power levels in the negatives. It is I, Ultima Ultear, the sovereign of Peak Aura Anime, and today we are committing the ultimate heresy. We are going to talk about the black sheep, the mustache-wearing stepchild, the absolute fever dream that is Dragon Ball GT.
Before we descend into this glorious madness, you need to educate yourselves on why the current state of the franchise is essentially a colorful ball pit for toddlers. Go read my previous manifesto: DRAGON BALL Z WAS WAR, SUPER IS A PLAYGROUND. Read it and weep for the lost era of blood, sweat, and actual stakes.
Now, let’s get one thing straight: Dragon Ball Super is a sanitized, neon-soaked corporate fever dream designed to sell colorful hair dye and plastic figures. It’s "Sparkling Water: The Animation." Meanwhile, Dragon Ball GT? GT is a high-octane, leather-clad, experimental jazz solo played on a burning guitar. It’s unhinged. It’s weird. It’s beautiful.
Here are the first three reasons why the Grand Tour leaves the Super era choking on its own lack of grit.
1. Super Saiyan 4: The Primal Design
Let’s talk about hair. In Super, what do we get? A palette swap. Oh, look at Goku, he’s blue now. Oh, wait, now he’s pink! Now he’s silver! It’s like watching a middle-aged man go through a mid-life crisis at a Sephora. There is no biological logic; it’s just RGB lighting for martial artists.
But Super Saiyan 4? SSJ4 is a primal scream from the very depths of Saiyan DNA. It brings back the Oozaru. It says, "What if we took a warrior and made him look like a 70s rock god who just emerged from a heavy metal album cover?" The red fur, the eyeliner that screams "I haven’t slept because I’ve been busy being a menace," the long black hair—it’s peak design. It feels like a transformation that costs something. When Goku goes SSJ4, his voice drops an octave, his height increases, and he stops acting like a lobotomized toddler who forgot what a kiss is. It’s the ultimate evolution of a warrior race, not a celestial glow-up.
Toei Animation and Capsule Corp Tokyo know that this transformation is so epic and loved by most DB fans that even Dragon Ball Daima had to bring it back.
2. Dangerous Stakes & Permanent Consequences
In Super, if a planet blows up, we just call Whis and hit the "Undo" button. Death is a revolving door with a "Welcome Back" mat. It’s hard to feel tension when the literal gods of the multiverse are sitting on the sidelines eating ramen and cracking jokes while a "universal threat" is happening.
In GT, the stakes were personal and gritty. When the Earth was at risk of exploding because of the Black Star Dragon Balls, there was a sense of atmospheric dread. Piccolo’s sacrifice wasn't just a plot point; it was a heartbreaking finale to a legendary character that Super has relegated to a glorified babysitter. GT felt like the end of a journey. It felt like the shadows were closing in. It wasn't always "fun," but it was impactful. It didn't feel like a Saturday morning cartoon; it felt like a Viking funeral for our childhood heroes.
3. Baby: The Best Villain Since Frieza
Let’s look at the villains. In Super, we have Jiren (a muscular thumb with a tragic backstory written on a napkin) and Goku Black (who was cool until he turned into a giant purple cloud).
Then we have Baby. Baby is a Tuffle parasite born from the genocide committed by the Saiyans. He is a living, breathing consequence of our "heroes'" dark history. He didn't just want to "be the strongest"; he wanted revenge. He possessed Vegeta—giving us the best version of a "Dark Vegeta" ever—and turned Goku’s own family and friends against him. Watching Goku have to fight his own sons because they were infected by a vengeful parasite? That’s psychological warfare! That’s drama! That’s more interesting than "I hit you hard, now I hit you harder in a different color."
4. The Shadow Dragons: Cosmic Karma
In Super, the Dragon Balls are basically a cosmic "Get Out of Jail Free" card. They’ve been used to wish for a tighter butt (looking at you, Bulma) or a slightly younger complexion. It’s a joke. The magic has been stripped of its wonder and replaced with a mundane utility bill.
GT did something absolutely unhinged and brilliant: it turned the Dragon Balls into the final boss. The Shadow Dragons were a direct manifestation of the characters' selfishness. Every time they wished someone back to life or fixed a city, negative energy built up. The series literally looked Goku in the face and said, "You’ve been overdrawing from the cosmic bank for thirty years, and now the debt collectors are here to break your kneecaps."
Syn Shenron isn't just a dragon; he’s the physical embodiment of the Saiyans' arrogance. To beat him, they couldn't just "power up" to a new hair color; they had to confront the legacy of their own choices. That’s poetic! That’s peak writing! It’s a hell of a lot more interesting than "I practiced moving my body without thinking for forty-five minutes and now I’m a silver-haired deity."
5. The Art Style Had "Aura" (Literally)
Let’s get technical. If you look at Super, especially the early arcs, it looks like it was drawn on a tablet by someone who was simultaneously eating a sandwich and being chased by a bear. The lines are thin, the colors are oversaturated, and everyone looks like they’re made of shiny plastic. It’s sterile.
GT? GT was the last gasp of that beautiful, gritty, 90s aesthetic. The shadows were heavy. The character designs had weight. Even the "bad" animation in GT had a sense of atmosphere. When a blast hit the ground, you felt the dust and the grime. The palette was darker, more melancholic. It felt like a world that had actually been lived in for decades. Goku’s design as a kid—despite the controversy—gave us a chance to see his martial arts genius stripped of his massive power, forcing him to be creative again. It wasn't just "Who has the biggest number?" It was "How do I survive this absolute nightmare with a smaller body and a tail?"
6. Vegeta's Character Evolution & The Drip
We need to talk about the Prince of All Saiyans. In Super, Vegeta is basically a tsundere housewife who occasionally screams about his pride while wearing the same spandex he wore in 1991. He’s stagnant. He’s "Training: The Character."
In GT, Vegeta evolved. He got a haircut that screamed "I’m a father now, and I might own a motorcycle." He wore leather pants. He became a domestic king who still had the fire to protect his family. And let’s not forget the mustache. People meme the mustache, but it represented a Vegeta who was comfortable in his own skin, living a life outside of just "surpassing Kakarot." When he finally took the leap to Super Saiyan 4 via Blutz Waves, it wasn't a handout; it was a technological and biological fusion that suited his growth. He went from a genocidal maniac to a protective, slightly grumpy, leather-wearing legend. That is character development, people!
7. The Spirit of Adventure: The Grand Tour
The first arc of GT gets a lot of hate because it isn't "Z-level" fighting. But you know what it had? Adventure. It felt like the original Dragon Ball. They went to weird planets with giant monsters and bizarre cultures. It wasn't just a sequence of empty voids or rocky wastelands where people punch each other for twelve episodes.
Super has a whole multiverse to play with, and what do they do? They go to a void for a tournament. Then they go to another void for a tournament. It’s like the writers are afraid of world-building. GT took us to the corners of the universe. It felt like a journey. It felt like a "Grand Tour." It reminded us that the world of Dragon Ball is bigger than just the backyard of Capsule Corp.
8. The Perfect Masterpiece Ending
Let’s be real: How did Super end? With a giant glow-in-the-dark fight where everyone teamed up to push a grey alien off a ledge, followed by a wish that reset everything. It was a "Happily Ever After" with zero permanent change. It felt like the end of a filler arc. I know, I know it was not THE END but the "Season's End", anyways...
The ending of GT? It’s the most emotional, unhinged, and beautiful five minutes in anime history. Goku merging with the Dragon Balls and flying off with Shenron while "Dan Dan Kokoro Hikareteku" plays in the background? I am a goddess of salt and take, but even I have a tear in my eye. It was a literal ascension. It signaled that Goku was no longer just a man; he was a legend, a myth, a part of the universe itself. It gave the series closure. It didn't leave the door open for a "Super Duper Dragon Ball" sequel; it said, "The hero has finished his work. Rest now." It was haunting, bittersweet, and infinitely more respectful to the character than making him fight a purple cat for the 50th time.
9. Pan & The Growth of the Next Generation
I’m going to say it: Pan was the heart GT needed. Sure, she was loud, she was stubborn, and she never went Super Saiyan (a crime I will never forgive), but she felt like a real person. She had a complex relationship with her grandfather. She had stakes.
In Super, the side characters are either power-scaling fodder or gags. Remember when Gohan was a scholar? In Super, he’s a guy who forgets his tracksuit. Remember when Goten and Trunks were relevant? In Super, they are literally the same height they were ten years ago. GT showed us a world that moved forward. It showed us the next generation—flawed, annoying, and adventurous. It felt like a family legacy, whereas Super feels like a retirement home where the residents occasionally glow blue and scream.
10. Atmospheric & Soulful Soundtrack
Finally, we have to talk about the soundscape. Super’s soundtrack is... fine. It’s heroic. It’s orchestral. It sounds like every other modern shonen.
But GT’s music? It was iconic. From the opening theme that perfectly captures the "sadness of growing up" to the moody, synth-heavy background tracks, it had an identity. It wasn't trying to be "epic" all the time; it was trying to be atmospheric. It captured the loneliness of space and the weight of the Saiyan history. When you hear those first few notes of the GT score, you know exactly what you’re watching. It’s got that "Peak Aura" that Super tries to manufacture with shiny filters and fails every single time.
- Get link
- X
- Other Apps
Must Read!
Why the Suspender Micro-Miniskirt is the Final Boss of Waifu Fashion (And We LOVE IT!)
- Get link
- X
- Other Apps
The Ultimate Aesthetic: Mature Waifus in Suspender Miniskirts Only 🖤🏆
- Get link
- X
- Other Apps
💖 The Highschool Uniform Remix: Why This Look Is Our New Waifu Obsession
- Get link
- X
- Other Apps
🔑 Zelda Unlocked: A Private View of the Royal Wardrobe 👑
- Get link
- X
- Other Apps
Domestic Goddesses: The Mature Maid Waifu's Irresistible Charm ☕🖤
- Get link
- X
- Other Apps
THE "FOOD FIGHT" TOURNAMENT: WHY THE CHAMPA ARC NEEDS A TOTAL LOBOTOMY
- Get link
- X
- Other Apps
Comments
Post a Comment