Kuririn Fan wrote:TenshinFan wrote:I think it's just as reasonable to split 1-15 from 16-40 or just have two arcs, 1-40 and 41-64 + movie. The first 15 episodes are admittedly pretty lame. Except 1 and 2, those are two of the best in all of GT. But, damn. Don Kea is super lame. The Ledgic fight lasts a whopping 45 seconds. Tsunuma is hard to get through. Para Para brothers, Luud, Doll taki... these are some of the worst moments in GT, and I think fans have trouble sitting through them, which leaves a bad impression on the series. However, as soon as Mu, Rilldo, and M2 debut... it is game on. Super Saiyan 3 Kid Goku, and Super Saiyan adult Trunks before we know it. So badass. Yes I know the Black Star Dragon Balls kind of lead in to it. But to me it's the same distinction as the Pilaf Saga blending into the Tournament Saga, or the 22nd bleeding into Piccolo Daimao, or the Saiyan Saga bleeding into Namek and then into Freeza. It's like a sub-arc. Thematically different but part of the same overarching story.
But they also collect the Dragon Balls in episodes 25,26 and 27. I think this split exists because of "Lost episodes"...
Don't get me wrong, I thought it was a heinous decision for Funimation to withhold the first 15 episodes until later overseas. Of course they should be seen first, especially the first 2. Also, Toriyama's most solid contributions to GT were the adventures of the trio of Goku, Trunks, and Pan (and Giru) traversing alien worlds. That's where the GT comes from,
Grand Tour, and some of AT's most beautiful original colour artwork depicts these scenes. Initially it was meant to be different than Z, and sort of harking back to the younger days. He spent the effort redesigning most of the humans and saiyans and their ageing, and intended the scope to be less dramatic or cosmic. He never designed a villain. Just a simple adventure tale. That's why GT 1-15 I think parallel's DB volumes 1 and 2, the Pilaf, pre-21st arc. Minor characters, beasts, and aliens compose the villains, who never pose an ultra serious threat. The focus of the plot is put back on the titular Dragon Balls, and let's face it, it's been a while.
However, when you hit about episode 16, the tone changes dramatically. Maybe for the same reasons as DB's tone change with the fight-centric Tournament Saga, who knows. Probably to reel in fans, and virtually every fan on this board prefers the Baby Saga to the Black Star Saga, and I would even say a plurality prefer the 21st Saga over the Pilaf Saga. After the "Lost Episodes"/Black Star Saga/First 15, we get the introductions of Dr Mu, Planet M2, and General Rilldo. A far cry from puny adversaries like Redict/Ledgic, Don Kea, Para Para Bros, Doll Taki, Luud, even Mutchi Motchi, all of whom are handled with ease by Goku, who's Super Saiyan 1 form, even as a kid, seems like over kill. It's about time for Trunks to turn it on, plus Kid Goku as SSj3 is really badass. Then it kicks overdrive with Baby and Vegeta etc. The first time the series goes from "spirit of Dragon Ball" to "next level threat since Majin Buu."
