Things GT Actually got Right

Written by Shiggins

With Dragon Ball Super's dub finally reaching it's thrilling end, and you're damn right I'm buying all the blu-rays, I decided to take a look back at the black spot of the canon, Dragon Ball GT, and relive the trauma we've all experienced at least once from it. And the result? It's still a pile of crap... but there are actually some things worth praising. And so, let's take a look at what few areas GT didn't complete mess up on.

Animation Style

Ever since Battle of Gods, Dragon Ball has followed a new style of animation, with softer edges and brighter colours. This keeps Dragon Ball more in line with modern anime, since very few anime go for the style of the 80s and 90s. GT on the other hand, obviously looks more like Z did, and thus has the benefit of looking exactly like a Z sequel. A Zequel if you will.

Everyone is heavily detailed and broad, Baby's chin is extraordinary, and the fight animations are crisp. I personally enjoy the Super animation most of the time, but it's hard to argue that behind-the-scenes issues caused a lot of problems back in the day, and GT doesn't suffer anywhere near as much as Super did. (Remember the episode where Goku fought Beerus?). And with some choice direction and designs, the animation of GT really does flourish where it counts.

Can we all agree though that the next series should look exactly like Super: Broly did?


Genius Concepts

If I had been given the pitch for Dragon Ball GT on a piece of paper before it was announced, I would have BEGGED for GT to exist. Goku finding the Dragon Balls by going to space?! Trunks and Goten as teenagers, helping out the heroes? Super 17? ...well no, that one is still dumb... but the Dragon Balls themselves becoming villains?!

Unfortunately, the execution of almost everything was flawed and pathetic. Keep in mind that I placed quite a few GT folk on my Worst Dragon Ball Characters list, including the Shadow Dragons, and very little of the audience even remembers most of the Black Star Dragon Ball Saga. I can promise you that nobody is calling out for the return of Ledgic.

But never forget that there was at least one smart person on that writing team that was a prodigy for ideas. And whoever that one person is, I salute you! I salute you dearly, because you were brilliant. And it's a shame your work was GT'd.


The Death of Piccolo

I don't think I've met one fan of Super who isn't hoping for a timeskip at some point to officially retcon the existence of GT forever. That's not because of how they, and I, feel about GT, but rather because the stakes often feel fairly low because of where this is all placed. Did anyone think Frieza was going to permanently kill off a single character when he was resurrected? No, because we knew for a fact that the main cast are all at the end of Z, so we knew they'd be okay at the end.

On the other hand, GT is set after Z, which immediately raises the stakes and brings out an uncertain future for every character. And nowhere is this more beautifully done than, in my opinion, the best moment of Dragon Ball GT, in which Piccolo dies for the last time. He chooses to stay behind on an exploding Earth to ensure the Black Star Dragon Balls never return, says a final farewell to Gohan about how proud of him he is, and disappears in a roar as the planet is covered in flames and erupts. You'll never get a tragic moment as powerful as this, I fear, until after Super passes Z's final point.

One could argue that the entire ending of Z is now completely retconned anyway, but I don't think we should say that without official confirmation. Besides, imagine what we'd get from another timeskip. Teenage Gotenks! Uub! The return of Vegeta's moustache!


Super Saiyan 4

So personally, I'm a Blue man. Super Saiyan Blue, once known as Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan, is a simple yet bombastic design that has been managed perfectly to give it a sense of strength and ferocity. When you see Blue in action, you know it's a powerhouse. That being said, Super Saiyan 4 is the best creation from GT.

Don't get me wrong, it's ridiculous. Somehow, Goku in his kid body turns into a full-grown man with a gritty Sean Schemmel voice, becomes shirtless but his torso is half-covered in red ape fur, a new pair of baggy trousers, massive amounts of black hair even though all Super Saiyans change the original hair colour, and he even gets red eyeliner. It's hilariously over the top, but that's kinda why I love it.

In a way, Super Saiyan 4 is a perfect highlight of everything good and bad about GT from a visual standpoint. It's a fun, ridiculous design that screams "edgy" but is actually better when used in a more fun light, usually by other writers who know what they're doing. If you're aware of Xeno Goku, you know what I'm talking about.


What's your favourite thing about Dragon Ball GT, if any? Let me know in the comments.

Shiggins:[Admin]
  .

Born under the stars of the Dark Gods, Shiggins owns the power of the Great Eye and is utterly magnificent in his omniscience. If you dare to discover more about someone as great as him, then go ahead. And to all my friends and family members, YOU are wrong and I should be disappointed! Not the other way round!,. You can find out about him or ask him stuff on ask.fm/shigginsishere or go to his tumblr page http://otakugajeel.tumblr.com/