MistareFusion's Dragon Ball Dissection! (Updated 2/16/26!)

[ekrolo2]

Even though I really like the Freeza arc and think the first third where its just everyone trying to screw over everyone else is great, the last two portions are where the problems are gonna set in. Once the Ginyu's show up, the power levels go really off the handle quickly and the third chunk where everyone fights Freeza starts a LOT of tropes Z just kept obnoxiously re-using afterward.

[Doctor.]

and the third chunk where everyone fights Freeza starts a LOT of tropes Z just kept obnoxiously re-using afterward.

I agree with this, but I wouldn't necessarily blame it on the Freeza arc. Just like I don't blame the extreme absurdity of battle powers on the Saiyan arc, but on the Freeza arc instead, or like how I don't blame the abuse of the "Goku comes to rescue everyone at the last minute" trope on the Daimao arc, but instead on every other arc for abusing it in the same way.

[ekrolo2]

and the third chunk where everyone fights Freeza starts a LOT of tropes Z just kept obnoxiously re-using afterward.

I agree with this, but I wouldn't necessarily blame it on the Freeza arc. Just like I don't blame the extreme absurdity of battle powers on the Saiyan arc, but on the Freeza arc instead, or like how I don't blame the abuse of the "Goku comes to rescue everyone at the last minute" trope on the Daimao arc, but instead on every other arc for abusing it in the same way.

Yes, you're right. The Freeza arc did start the whole transformation craze but really it would've been fine if Toriyama didn't end up making it a crutch to keep easily raising the stakes.

[Prince Ire]

My guess is Cell #3 and Buu #1. I quite like the Cell arc so I'm probably biased, but I feel that the idiot balls are a bit more justified in the Cell saga and that the transition from Fat Buu to Super Buu is a colossal downgrade in villainy that last for most of the arc. Fat Buu was something new and interesting, while everything about Super Buu had already been done better by previous viallians.

[Lord Beerus]

I'm not shocked the Saiyan arc is so high. It's truly fantastic from start to finish. I'm thinking the Cell arc is gonna be #1 with the Majin Boo arc at #3 and the Freeza arc at #5. The Cell arc is just... bad. I mean, it's aged horribly. The only battle worth a damn is Goku vs Cell, and even then, Goku spoils the ending of the fight ruining any tension it would have had, most of the characters are either OOC or really fucking stupid, Gohan is poorly built up, the whole concept of the androids is total bullshit even by Dragon Ball standards and the arc itself just takes itself too damn seriously.

[RandomGuy96]

My guess is Cell = 1, Freeza = 5, Buu = 3. I very highly disagree with those ratings, plus rating the RRA arc and tournament arcs so high (I would've put the Saiyan arc in the same place though), but whatevs.

[matt0044]

I'm probably biased against the Cell Saga because of the Dragon Ball Z Kai dub doing brilliant work with Dameon Clarke's Cell and other VAs like Chuck Huber's 17.

[Kid Buu]

Not a big RRA guy, but to each his own.

Not sure if I like Freeza or Buu arc better. Both start off interesting but kinda self-destruct later on, to me anyway.

[matt0044]

I think I like the DBZ Kai version of the Cell Saga better since it leaves in a lot of good filler that helps the story like Piccolo and the others going at Cell himself to help Gohan (could've stood to edit out Mr. Satan's followers but they're amusing enough to forgive). I feel like that was a better way for the characters to bow out gracefully than in the Manga. Plus, "The History of Trunks." Nuff said.

[ShadowDude112]

So I guess I had some problems where I thought I watched part 8 when I didn't? So I just watched it. Glad to see the Saiyan arc getting the number 2 spot. It honestly deserves it. I have a question though. How far ahead do you plan out when you do certain things. Like, after the Saiyan arc is the Piccolo Daimao TV series dissection? It seems a tad late, but it works. I was just wondering how you plan that out.

[TheAmericanDream]

I remember it being explained in an earlier Dragonball Dissection video or comment section that the reason for this is because often times the anime would draw influence from later story arcs. So Mistare Fusion wants to discuss everything in chronological order.

Instances of this that come to mind are Tenshinhan and Chaozu appearing before the 22nd Tenkaichi Tournament arc, and Saiyan arc Grandpa Gyumao appearing in the 23rd Tenkaichi Tournament anime version, earlier than in the manga. It makes me wonder just how many more major manga story points were spoiled or hinted at in the anime long before their proper introductions. Those are the only two big ones I can think of off the top of my head.

[Gaffer Tape]

Yep, that's pretty much it. Due to the anime having access to later parts of the story through the manga, certain characters and designs appear chronologically earlier than they do in the manga, and I really didn't want to have to deal with that, relatively minor as it is. So while my initial plan was to hurry and play catch-up so I could follow every manga arc with its anime equivalent, I later decided it was better to give the manga a wide berth. I don't think I ever said any of this in DBD proper, though. I think I said it in this thread in the past.

[Kakarotto92]

So correct me if I'm wrong but if you're giving each arc a different rating from 1 to 10, given that there are 10 arcs the logical conclusion would be that your global score of the whole manga is a 5.5/10, right?

[Kuririn Fan]

So correct me if I'm wrong but if you're giving each arc a different rating from 1 to 10, given that there are 10 arcs the logical conclusion would be that your global score of the whole manga is a 5.5/10, right?

No, its just how the arcs are in comparison to each other. He loves all of Dragon Ball, even the arc that gets 1.

[matt0044]

Much as the Z Fighters may blow at teamwork or fighting dirty, I can see the logic in the more weaker members letting the strongest take care of the rest so they don't interfere. Mind you, Gohan and Cell's final clash is a lot better in the Anime where the others go in to at least try hitting Cell with all they got, filler I'm glad that DBZ Kai retained.

[Noah]

I've started watching your videos in the last week and I'm enjoying very much!

I just wondering, when you had the idea to make these dissection videos, how many years you followed the series?


Thanks and keep the good work!

[Gaffer Tape]

Funnily enough, someone just posted an interview with me, and one of the things I talk about is where Dragon Ball Dissection came from.

But I got into Dragon Ball in 1998 when I was 12. I started Dragon Ball Dissection in 2012, right before I turned 26, but I first had the idea for Dragon Ball Dissection in 2010 when I was 24. So when I came up with it, I had been a fan of Dragon Ball for nearly 12 years.

[Noah]

So when I came up with it, I had been a fan of Dragon Ball for nearly 12 years.

Just as I thought, I see people in your video comment sections asking to you to do dissections about other series... I think is difficult because requires to have the same involvement as you have with Dragon Ball for such a long time.

[Kuririn Fan]

Yeah, that actually surprised me too. I thought for sure the stretch between Gotenks and the end of Boo was longer. In fact, when I originally wrote the script, I wrote it under the assumption that all the continuous fights after this were longer. But I decided just to check to be sure. In fact, I counted. The Saiyan fight and the Boo fight are both 28 chapters long, and since chapters in the Boo arc were shorter, that means the Saiyan fight edges it out. (And in case you're curious, the Freeza fight is 33 chapters, and the Cell Game is 20.) I guess the Boo stuff just feels like it's a lot longer...

Anyway, I'm extremely curious what everyone thinks of my new tactic here of not necessarily handling the battles chronologically but categorizing events based on characters or themes.

The Cell Arc had 22 chapters worth of fighting of Cells path to perfection, but yeah final battle was 20 chapters, and 2 Trunks fight chapters after that. Also, its interesting that Cell Arc is the longest one in the manga, Boo has more chapters but a lot of them are 13 pages instead of standard 15. Its such a weird arc, i have love-hate relationship with it, it has a lot of great moments but also a lot of problems. I think it will be the last one on your ranking.

[Kuririn Fan]

I also said this in another thread, but ill post it here too :
I like Vegeta, but the way he joined the good guys always felt so weird. "Hey, you brutally murdered the entire Namekian village, including those poor kids that cant never be brought back! You should come stay at my home, i like you, i want your kid!" - Bulma. "Hey, you brutally murdered all those innocent people at the Tournament grounds, you also murdered Dende knows how much innocent people in your past, youre a good guy, ill bring you back!" - Polunga. Soo weird. I cant wait till you get to these parts, youll have a thing or two to say.