To End or Not to End

[Jinzoningen MULE]

In most cases, I'd say they should end it. There's already a ton of Dragon Ball, and it covers more ground (in the sense of variety) than most other series' of the same length.

However, in this case, I say they can milk this teat as dry as a bone. Why? A simple reason, really; Dragon Ball is segmented in such a way where you can easily ignore material, anyway. There's very little foreshadowing linking arc to arc.

Do you think it should have ended after the first arc? Stop reading after the first arc (and ignore the last line that says "this isn't the end"). Do you want it to end after the 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai? Stop reading after the 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai (ignore the last line that says "this isn't the end" again). Same with the Cell Games, same with the EoZ, same with Movie 13, same with GT. You could even stop after BoG or Jaco if you wanted to. The story is segmented in such a way where that's an easy thing to do, there's no reason for them to stop when Toriyama has given us so many opportunities.

[ekrolo2]

The new material isn't justifying itself so yes, I say let it go back to the grave and only revisit it when someone, Toriyama or not, has a really cool concept for it a really compelling narrative hook to convey specifically through the series.

That being said, I'm not opposed to stuff like the Yamcha manga existing even without a "main DB product" around. Those are full side projects that I think enhance the series when done right but don't overly hurt it if they're not up to snuff.

[sintzu]

Z is the part where the series actually turned into a franchise.

I think Toriyama introducing Ssj2 & Ssj3 in the Buu arc is when it turned into a franchise. Up to that point all they could do is tell new stories, they didn't have any gimmick to use as a selling point like they do now.

Had he just just used Ssj2 like he did with Gohan during the Cell games as a fully powered up Ssj1 and didn't introduce 3 then I don't even think we would've gotten GT let alone what we have now.

In the case of the main story of Goku and friends, at some point it should probably end.

It won't, as long as there are Ssj forms to sell it'll go on forever. the only thing we can hope for is they take their time to craft good stories. Toriyama can still tell good stories so we'll be alright as long as he's involved but I'll be a bit worried once Toei fully take over when he's done.

The new material isn't justifying itself.

It is financially.

Artistically, certain things like Black are great additions to the story while others like Minus aren't so it's kind of a mixed bag from that point of view.

[Baggie_Saiyan]

The original Manga and series will always be there so I don't really see what jot a difference DB continuing in this modern era makes. Nobody is forcing anyone to watch or read or engage in this modern continuation of DB, if someone wants it to end then the solution is quite simple, stop watching/reading. Unless all copies of the original Manga and all traces of the anime are purged from the Earth then this modern era of DB doesn't do anything except give people who want it a continuation of the series they loved.

[ABED]

I'm sure a Friends reunion show or a Seinfeld reunion show would be very successful. That doesn't mean I think they should do it. I understand the desire to keep trying to make money off of a proven money maker, but even Dragon Ball isn't immune to being unsuccessful.

[Lord Beerus]

I'm not really sure. I mean, on one hand, I want the franchise to a have a conclusive ending, much like what GT did. But then on the other hand, with the introduction of the 12 universes, a Pandora's box was open where the possibilities of expanding the story became almost infinite. Granted, Super looks like it has already blown its load with the concept, by having a multiverse tournament, but should all the universes remain after the Universal Survival arc, there's gonna be so much they can do with that concept.

I mean, as long as they can come up with good stories in the "Dragon Ball Room" that was conceived, i'm fine with the franchise continuing. Obviously, Toriyama with eventually bow out, and while it certainly is not a determining factor to the quality of future stories, especially since Toriyama has made some questionable decisions with the perspective of the original story and the new material, having him on board does make the new material feel more organic. Like a real extension of the original story.

After all is said and done, if Dragon Ball Super was to be the final major addition to the story, I'd be fine with that. But if Dragon Ball were to keep on going, I honestly wouldn't mind. Because of course, if I don't like the new material I'm seeing, I can just read the manga. That will always be there not matter what.

[ekrolo2]

It is financially.

Artistically, certain things like Black are great additions to the story while others like Minus aren't so it's kind of a mixed bag from that point of view.

It is financially but I'm not a studio executive at Toei who makes his living off this stuff so that means nothing to me personally. With a few additions and concepts aside, the new material has been almost universally a waste of time or potential after BoG the movie opened the floodgates.

Even Jaco, which is the closest thing to a top to bottom good addition outside of movie BoG gets fucked hard by Minus being latched on to it at the very end.

[sintzu]

It is financially but I'm not a studio executive at Toei who makes his living off this stuff so that means nothing to me personally.

With a few additions and concepts aside, the new material has been almost universally a waste of time or potential after BoG the movie opened the floodgates.

This is what I'd say when someone would bring this up to me but it's worth noting when talking about weather or not the franchise should end. They're not continuing it for the sake of telling a good story or pleasing the fans, it's currently all about the $$$. DB as a story ended with the manga, everything afterwards was and is about merchandise.

I personally think BOG is a great ending chapter to the original manga AND a great opening to new material but what we got afterwards could've been a lot better.

[TheUltimateNinja]

In most cases, I'd say they should end it. There's already a ton of Dragon Ball, and it covers more ground (in the sense of variety) than most other series' of the same length.

However, in this case, I say they can milk this teat as dry as a bone. Why? A simple reason, really; Dragon Ball is segmented in such a way where you can easily ignore material, anyway. There's very little foreshadowing linking arc to arc.

Do you think it should have ended after the first arc? Stop reading after the first arc (and ignore the last line that says "this isn't the end"). Do you want it to end after the 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai? Stop reading after the 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai (ignore the last line that says "this isn't the end" again). Same with the Cell Games, same with the EoZ, same with Movie 13, same with GT. You could even stop after BoG or Jaco if you wanted to. The story is segmented in such a way where that's an easy thing to do, there's no reason for them to stop when Toriyama has given us so many opportunities.

I can't wait until we have AI that can produce infinite Dragon Ball.

[precita]

Give Super a 150-200 episode run, then end the franchise.

The videogames, merch, toys, etc. will continue till the end of time of course, but we had no new Dragonball animation for over a decade and nobody cared. The 2008 special was a one-off, and even after that it took another 5 years for the Beerus movie to come out.

We were already used to Dragonball being "over" so people will get used to it again.

[MathSSJ]

The story should end. Be it after this arc or whenever Toriyama doesn't feel like contributing to it anymore.

At worst, we can ignore everything and the 519 chapters stand perfectly on their own. Everything else is fluff.

[Cipher]

I hope Super lasts 300-500 episodes and I can read a new Dragon Ball manga every year until I die.

Goku's story is meaningless to me if it doesn't culminate in a near endless series of isolated adventures without pay-off.

Dragon Ball offers such a coherent and interesting universe separated from the very specific execution of its original author that it'd be selfish to contain it to just the original work. A company needs to publish stories about why Nappa is bald and why the Saiyans' names sound so similar to Earth vegetables, and for some reason I need to have those stories in my hands.

[sintzu]

Give Super a 150-200 episode run, then end the franchise.

They're not going to end the franchise but I do hope they take a break after Toriyama's done, regardless of how many more episodes he writes for.

I want them to take a break (A long one) for 2 reasons :

1- It'll get us excited for new content.

2- It'll give them time to plan out their next move, they'll be able to come up with new ideas among themselves and see what works and what doesn't. doing this will hopefully prevent another GT mess.

Regardless of what they do, we'll always have Toriyama's original story and modern continuation to go back to so it doesn't really matter what they do (as long as they don't take that away like what George Locus did with Star wars) but as a DB fan I want to see it do good, regardless of who's working on it.

[precita]

I think Super is planned to have around a 5 year run. By that point Goku's VA will be 85 years old, I'm not sure how much longer she can continue the role or remain healthy to do so. I definitely can't see her doing Goku/Gohan's screams during fights at that age.

I think Toei knows the franchise can't continue forever with an ongoing series, so they'll just continue the merch like they did from 1997-2013 or so when we didn't have any new Dragonball anime stuff regularly.

[Thanos]

I think the very notion of a bookend on Goku's story is gratuitous. Frustrating as it was, the end of Z works quite well--it could've gone one of two ways: either Goku would have literally spent his life with Uub training him as he said he would and how GT began, or the other, and I feel more likely scenario, where Goku would either get bored or something in the world would happen that would complicate things and Goku couldn't isolate himself like that. I think this would've been more likely because that's generally how Dragon Ball goes--rarely does someone set out to do something and it pans out just that way. GT didn't feel right in that regard--I can't imagine Goku spending all those years simply isolating himself away from everyone for the sake of training this kid. Especially since everything we've learned, Buu is no longer the latest hotness--he's pretty unimpressive compared to all the new material that, I doubt Goku with all his godly powers would be all that interested in a reincarnation of him (or, at least as much as was shown at the end of Z).

But I really think that's the best solution. Even if it truly is the end and no more stories are being created, it should be open-ended. Finality doesn't fit with the spirit of Dragon Ball, in my opinion.

[ABED]

Finality doesn't fit with the spirit of Dragon Ball, in my opinion.

I can see that, but I still think GT's ending works. It's not the most DB thing they could've done, but it doesn't seem completely out of the realm of that world Toriyama set up. It's refreshingly different.

[Cipher]

GT's ending is super un-Dragon Ball, but I still love it. It's interesting in how it responds to previous material.

The manga's ending is fine too. But my reading was that this thread was asking, "Should Dragon Ball fiction end, as opposed to continuing indefinitely?" rather than "Should its ending be open or closed?"

[floofychan333]

At the rate I'm going I don't think I'll ever stop liking Dragon Ball, and Dragon Ball is the only fanbase I'm in that wasn't obliterated within a few years after it finished so I'd love for it to go on. I'm sure Toriyama will stop eventually but I think Toyotaro and Ooishi Naho are still young so the series could go on.

[ABED]

It's interesting in how it responds to previous material.

I'm not sure what you mean.

[sintzu]

It's interesting in how it responds to previous material.

I'm not sure what you mean.

I think he/she means how it ties into the previous stories or how it takes them into account.