Not that bad but could’ve been a lot better

Like most fans, I consider Dragon Ball GT to be the weakest of the 3 series. Still, there was more than enough to enjoy this show. It actually had some really great ideas:

- I loved the animation and world design. The budget and quality clearly has come a long way since the beginning of DB. I especially loved the different worlds they visited. Since DBZ revolved mostly around the battles, the backgrounds became a lot less imaginative. So here’s actually an improvement visible.
- Another improvement is the lack of filler. Since there was no manga to base this show on, there was no need to waste time. The longest battles only lasted a few episodes, which is just the right amount of time.
- There was a greater balance between the battles and adventure, which is what the original DB was all about
- The music was wonderful (The Japanese music that is). They used a little too much keyboard but the compositions gave the show a great mystical vibe. It kinda reminds me of the Final Fantasy games from the PS1.
- Kid Goku is a lot more enjoyable than adult Goku. This version of Goku is a bit of a blend, he’s smaller and more playful but he’s a lot wiser than he was in DB.
- The show finally revolved around the dragon balls again. At the end of DBZ they just became a tool to revert the earth back to its normal state after each battle: Oops, Krillin got killed again! I also liked the idea that they got to fight against the evil dragons in the end, although the dragons themselves weren’t that great.

Now here are the great flaws of GT:

- All the villains were really bland and unimaginative. They looked like recycled or rejected characters from DBZ.
- Even though there was no filler, the first couple of episodes did feel like that. The adventures were never too thrilling.
- Many characters like Piccolo really started to lose importance at the end of DBZ but this show completely disregards them. It’s all about the Saiyans this time. We see Uub finishing his training at the beginning but he never really does anything. It’s a complete waste of build-up.
- The writing contains a lot of convenient inconsistencies. Suddenly all the robots ARE living things with a power level and the dragon balls can revive people multiple times. No time is spent explaining those retcons.
- Another super saiyan transformation? When will this ever end! This one isn’t even consistent with the previous transformations. It would make more sense if the original transformation turned Saiyans into half apes. After all, why do they have two transformations: giant apes and spiky arians?
- Pan and Giru: They’re just annoying.

I think the quality was already going down during DBZ, DB is still the best entry out there. I really can’t blame this show for trying to combine elements of both shows. I can tell it really had heart. It’s the execution of some of its great ideas that didn’t work.