It’s like Dragon Ball Z… but SUPER
Unlike the original that really just focused on the core characters (Goku and the other saiyans), Super actually took time to shift some focus on the rest of the Dragon Ball cast, even while continuing to introduce a universe-load of new characters. Although the plot remains character-driven for the most part, old and new fans of the series will adore the world-building that Super has done and continues to keep doing. It really is built upon that old Dragon Ball foundation that “There’s always someone stronger than you.” Goku and friends aren’t limited to their own world or even their whole UNIVERSE anymore! They’ve been picking fights with the most interesting new characters and OHMYGOD are the fights extremely fun to watch. There were a few… setbacks… when the series was starting out. The animation was very inconsistent… but when they finally got the ball rolling… DAMN. ACTION-PACKED SCENES, CREATIVE FIGHT CHOREOGRAPHY, CLEVER FIGHTING STRATEGIES… It gets you hooked and before you know it, the episode will be over! The story and plot is.. well… simple. It follows a very basic shonen anime formula that may turn off people that want a deeper and more nuanced plot. However, this simplicity is not necessarily a negative. You don’t watch an action or comedy movie for deep philosophical meanings or emotional depth. Dragon Ball Super’s job is to provide you with flashy and entertaining ACTION that make you feel like a kid again… and it does this job well.
Now the amount of episodes alone makes it challenging for a newcomer to the series to even get started, but as someone who has followed the entire thing up to this point, I can honestly say that it’s worth it…. It may even be better to marathon it! Like the original series, Dragon Ball Super has had a TON of epic fights. These fights tend to get dragged out over multiple episodes, with each one ending on a cliffhanger which, as you can imagine, is REALLY frustrating for someone who follows the weekly releases. Meanwhile, a guy I persuaded to marathon Super thought the pacing was amazingly nice and quick! Anyway, the series’ popularity speaks for itself. Dragon Ball has been kept in mainstream for a long time now, and part of why it’s survived for this long is because of this series. If you’re a fan of Shonen action anime, then you simply can NOT go on without watching Dragon Ball Super.
