Most people consider the anime to be slightly less enjoyable than the manga due to the drawn-out fights and unnecessary filler. However, regardless of its faults, there are some avenues where the anime surpasses its manga counterpart. Keeping this in mind, here are some of the most notable ways in which the Dragon Ball anime ends up being a marked improvement over the manga.
10 Fight Scenes That Truly Feel Epic
The fight scenes in Dragon Ball’s manga are certainly great in their own right. However, even the most ardent fan of the manga has to admit that it’s the anime that truly makes these fights feel all the more epic and powerful.
From massive punch rushes to blinding beam attacks — the Dragon Ball anime pulls no punches in this department. It’s easy to see why most of the fights in Dragon Ball Z have remained legendary to this day.
9 A Score That’s Amazing For Both The Japanese And American Counterparts
This might be an unfair point to bring up, since it’s obvious that the manga would be incapable of incorporating audio into the overall experience. However, props must be given to the Dragon Ball anime for featuring an excellent score that is infinitely watchable.
This is especially true in the case of Dragon Ball Z, with both the Japanese and American counterparts featuring unique scores of their own that have gone down in history as some of the best anime scores of all time. The American score is especially notable in this regard, with Bruce Faulconer becoming a legendary figure due to his amazing score for the anime.
8 The Transformations Feel More Awe-Inspiring
A big part of what makes Dragon Ball Z so legendary is the numerous transformations undergone by the major players of the series. These are present in the manga as well, but these moments don’t really feel as epic as their anime counterparts.
Watching Goku and Vegeta reach new heights in power over the course of the series is a visual treat for the ages. These transformations are further bolstered with the addition of great animation and music that help them stand in a class of their own.
7 The Z Fighters Only Team Up Against Cell In The Anime
This might be a minor change, but it’s indicative of how badly the side cast of Dragon Ball is shelved over time in the manga. During the Cell Games, the entire Z Fighter force bands together in a bid to distract Cell during his fight with Gohan.
However, in the manga, only Vegeta has the honor of distracting the powerful android. This leads to the other Z Fighters feeling rather useless as they watch helplessly from the sidelines.
6 The Fanservice Has Been Toned Down In The Anime
A big sticking point that ends up annoying fans to no end in most anime and manga is the unnecessary level of fanservice that hampers a person’s experience. The Dragon Ball manga is especially guilty in this regard, featuring copious amounts of fanservice in areas where it was completely unwarranted.
The anime still features moments of fanservice that can be incredibly annoying to bear, at times. However, for what it’s worth, these moments are nowhere near as horrid as the manga, which makes them a bit easier on the eyes.
5 The Anime Tones Down The Gore To Make It Less Gratuitous
Another aspect of the manga that has been considerably toned down in the manga is the level of gore in the show. The manga faced no restrictions in this regard and ended up going a bit too overboard, with one rather queasy scene coming in the form of Dr. Gero sucking the life out of a human before ripping his head apart!
Thankfully, the anime shies away from this unnecessary gore. While the amount of blood in the series is fairly high, there’s little to no unnecessary gore strewn across the series. It might be a sore spot for a minority of viewers, but most people would prefer their viewing experience of Dragon Ball Z to be completely untainted in this regard.
4 Some Dragon Ball Movies Touch Upon Canon In A Tasteful Manner
The movies of Dragon Ball are also quite notable in their own right. For the most part, the majority of these movies are filler that serve as nothing more than excuses to show off some cool moments that couldn’t be placed in the anime
However, there are some movies that end up touching upon canon moments in the series that didn’t get their limelight in the manga. Dragon Ball Z Special 1: Bardock, The Father of Goku, Dragon Ball: Episode of Bardock, and Dragon Ball Z Special 2: The History of Trunks are a few notable mentions in this regard that fans absolutely adore.
3 Dragon Ball Kai Took Care Of Most Of The Original Anime’s Issues
There are several faults that one can pick out in the original run of Dragon Ball Z. The fact that the anime was incredibly slow and featured copious amounts of filler was definitely a sticking point that would’ve deterred modern anime viewers from experiencing this epic for the first time.
However, the release of Dragon Ball Kai has removed all of these issues. Now, episodes feature little to no downtime and are quite enjoyable to get through. The only issue here is the score, and most people can put a fair bit of effort by digging around on the internet to bring either the original Japanese or American score back into the mix.
2 Dragon Ball Super’s Anime Adaptation Features More Epic Moments
Dragon Ball Super was a much-awaited continuation of the events of Dragon Ball Z that was released two decades after the latter finished its run. It features new powerups, fights, and epic moments that have become legendary in their own right.
However, viewers who are following the manga will realize that this version is certainly inferior to the anime. Many cool moments are either changed or removed, which makes the act of reading the manga rather painful. Viewers who want to enjoy the definitive Dragon Ball Super experience should stick to the anime instead.
1 The Iconic “It’s Over 9000!” Line Exists Only In The Dub
This might seem like a minor point, but most people understand that the “It’s Over 9000!” is easily one of the most iconic parts of the entire Dragon Ball Z viewing experience. However, most people don’t know that this line was a mistranslation.
In the original script, Vegeta actually mentions the number 8000 instead of 9000. It’s a small change, but the legendary nature of this dialogue means that even the smallest change is bound to be an unwelcome one.
Next: The Best Dragon Ball Games Of All Time, Ranked
