Dragon Ball GT Ending; Moving or Depressing?

[Cure Dragon 255]

I for one love it and think its extremely moving.

[Lord Beerus]

I actually talked about the ending of GT when I rewatched the show a few years ago.

To paraphrase what I previously said:

The ending of GT is so anti-Toriyama, but you know what, I can't imagine the ending being as effective as it was if they didn't go that route. This final episode carries such a melancholic and conclusive tone that has yet to be matched by any other Dragon Ball anime, whether it be the TV shows, movies, specials or OVA's. This is not just the best episode of GT's entire run, it's a major franchise highlight.

I think more than anything, Dragon Ball GT, especially with its conclusion, gave me closure. Something I didn't really have with the original ending of the manga. Goku visiting Krillin and Roshi one last time at Kame House, Vegeta telling Pan to hold onto the tattered remains of Goku's fighting gi, Goku visiting Piccolo in Hell and then Goku leaving with Shenron... it feels cumulative. It's the sort of stuff Toriyama would never write and I greatly appreciate that GT went that route and wanted to give Dragon Ball a proper ending. They didn't want to leave the book open. They wanted this to be the Dragon Ball's final chapter. It may have been a dumb move to make from a business perspective, but from a narrative perspective, it couldn't have been handled any better. The characters had grown old and moved on and GT wanted Dragon Ball to close out at a point where they felt there could tell no more adventures like we had been treated to in the past.

[Dragon Ball Ireland]

I would say moving, even though it was unlike anything Toriyama would write, I think more broadly for Dragon Ball's genre it was fitting because it felt mythical to the point the three original animes as a whole with its addition could be viewed as this one big legendary tale.

It was great to see things like Goku and Krillin reminiscing about old times, and ironically for Goku it looking like he literally never grew up. Bidding farewell to Piccolo was also appropriate given how much of a role model he was for Goku's own son.

I did appreciate the fact it was ambiguous and we weren't meant to know, for example, what happened to Goku afterward or whether or not the Dragon Balls would ever return, but it's nice there was a hope.

I don't hate Toriyama's own ending, as he's a more simplistic writer that explores themes like growth, discovery and adventure, which lend themselves more to undefined endings in his stories. Its nice to have for people that prefer how his manga ends, but for GT fans episode 64 is a wonderful alternative.

[JulieYBM]

I wouldn't say depressing but I also haven't watched it since pre-transition when I had no feelings. Even then I wouldn't call it depressing. It doesn't affect me personally in any way.

[MrSatan2099]

I really do enjoy the ending myself. I wouldn't call it depressing, but it certainly is melancholy. I think that actually suits it well too. I've always thought it had kind of a "last day of school" feeling.

[SuperSaiyaManZ94]

Honestly, i actually like the GT ending better than the OG manga's ending. It's not nearly as abrupt and open ended the way the last chapter was with the whole "Goku happily flies off to who knows where to train this random kid on a whim he just met after fighting him briefly and BTW he just happens to be Majin Buu's reincarnation but good" and had more of a sense of closure on the story, and the fact that it's so different from the way Toriyama ended the manga itself back in 1995 (Yeeeeah...not a big fan of the altered Kanzenban version) just makes it feel like much more of a proper send off to the series at the time in animated form.

[ABED]

I would say moving. I still get emotional watching it. I wouldn't say "depressing", but rather "bittersweet".

[Jord]

Honestly, i actually like the GT ending better than the OG manga's ending. It's not nearly as abrupt and open ended the way the last chapter was with the whole "Goku happily flies off to who knows where to train this random kid on a whim he just met after fighting him briefly and BTW he just happens to be Majin Buu's reincarnation but good" and had more of a sense of closure on the story, and the fact that it's so different from the way Toriyama ended the manga itself back in 1995 (Yeeeeah...not a big fan of the altered Kanzenban version) just makes it feel like much more of a proper send off to the series at the time in animated form.

My head canon is that the DBZ anime ends after that episode where Goku watches over the eggs after which he goes to the party with his friends. It bookends to DB with the dinosaur, is typically Goku and feels like a feel good ending, especially with the narration.

[MasenkoHA]

To be honest I'm not quite sure what would make it even qualify for a depressing ending. It's about as uplifting as it could possibly be

[WittyUsername]

A depressing ending would be if the majority of the cast (along with the rest of the Earth) were killed off, with no hope of coming back, and Goku was forced to live with that for the rest of his life. The ending that we got is bittersweet, and is clearly going for the feels, but that doesn’t make it depressing.

[TheGreatness25]

I think the only "depressing" part was that the series was over. This long, long ride that so many people jumped on was going away. And, unfortunately, it was going away with a whimper, not a bang.

I really wish that I saw the Japanese version of the series before the dub. Or, in the very least, I wish that the green bricks existed when I first saw GT. I think that the original GT dub totally turned me off from the series. As a result, I really didn't watch GT when it aired on Toonami.

The completionist in me wouldn't allow me to not collect the series on DVD, so I really watched all of GT for the first time in 2006 I think. But, I hadn't watched all of Z in Japanese yet, so I watched the dub on DVD. And that music ruined the ending.

I'm pretty sure that I either saw the original ending online or through the DVDs, but I really like the Japanese version. I found it really nice and nostalgic. I'm a very nostalgic guy--I recognize this. Call-backs and old footage is right up my alley. And I had nostalgia for the music anyway (I heard it way before I saw the series). So, I liked the ending.

But, yeah, US and Australian (I believe) fans who saw that dub ending first were cheated.

[MasenkoHA]

But, yeah, US and Australian (I believe) fans who saw that dub ending first were cheated.

I will say of all the music changes Funimation's decision to replace a sentimental arrangement of Dan Dan, when the dragon balls disappear inside Goku while he's on Shenron, with generic "danger is approaching" music certainly was....a choice.

[Dragon Ball Ireland]

But, yeah, US and Australian (I believe) fans who saw that dub ending first were cheated.

I will say of all the music changes Funimation's decision to replace a sentimental arrangement of Dan Dan, when the dragon balls disappear inside Goku while he's on Shenron, with generic "danger is approaching" music certainly was....a choice.

Menza's score was far too dark for GT. Tokunaga was able to capture moments of tension, but also the lighter tones of GT. For all its faults the Faulconer score at least tried during some of the more peaceful and serene moments, like in the episode everyone was revived after Namek. Of course the lack of silence was a huge flaw in both, luckily the season sets made the original score an option.

[SuperSaiyaManZ94]

But, yeah, US and Australian (I believe) fans who saw that dub ending first were cheated.

I will say of all the music changes Funimation's decision to replace a sentimental arrangement of Dan Dan, when the dragon balls disappear inside Goku while he's on Shenron, with generic "danger is approaching" music certainly was....a choice.

Menza's score was far too dark for GT. Tokunaga was able to capture moments of tension, but also the lighter tones of GT. For all its faults the Faulconer score at least tried during some of the more peaceful and serene moments, like in the episode everyone was revived after Namek. Of course the lack of silence was a huge flaw in both, luckily the season sets made the original score an option.

Yes, it definitely fits with the faux “ZOMG HARDCORE EDGINESS!!!!!!” they were trying to portray GT as.

[ABED]

It gets even weirder when you watch the dub but with the Japanese score, so the music conveys the proper mood, but the narrator (Andrew Chandler) is all grimdark.

[MasenkoHA]

It gets even weirder when you watch the dub but with the Japanese score, so the music conveys the proper mood, but the narrator (Andrew Chandler) is all grimdark.

Right, there's no winning with it.

While I disagree with the notion that the Z dub doesn't go with the original Japanese score and believe that it fits just fine, the same can't be said for GT. The joyous Japanese score doesn't work with Chandler's ott grimdark narration and the dub replacement score often doesn't work with the emotion the scene is clearly trying to convey.

[SuperSaiyaManZ94]

It gets even weirder when you watch the dub but with the Japanese score, so the music conveys the proper mood, but the narrator (Andrew Chandler) is all grimdark.

Right, there's no winning with it.

While I disagree with the notion that the Z dub doesn't go with the original Japanese score and believe that it fits just fine, the same can't be said for GT. The joyous Japanese score doesn't work with Chandler's ott grimdark narration and the dub replacement score often doesn't work with the emotion the scene is clearly trying to convey.

OMG....Andy Chandler's edgy hardcore narration clashes with Tokunaga's score so hard that it's hilarious.

[TheGreatness25]

I haven't even watched the GT dub with the Japanese BGM. How sad is it that I've owned the green bricks since day one and never actually sat down to watch them? Lol I could imagine the cluster of watching that version of the dub.

I am curious how they handle the ending, though. They took out Day of Destiny: Spirit vs. Spirit in the Z dub. In curious if they did the same or let Dan Dan play. Damn, I guess it's easy enough to find out on my end lol

[Gilby1385]

I am curious how they handle the ending, though. They took out Day of Destiny: Spirit vs. Spirit in the Z dub. In curious if they did the same or let Dan Dan play. Damn, I guess it's easy enough to find out on my end lol

They just used the Japanese version of Dan Dan, in spite of an English cover already being produced for the Green Bricks.

[MasenkoHA]

I haven't even watched the GT dub with the Japanese BGM. How sad is it that I've owned the green bricks since day one and never actually sat down to watch them? Lol I could imagine the cluster of watching that version of the dub.

I am curious how they handle the ending, though. They took out Day of Destiny: Spirit vs. Spirit in the Z dub. In curious if they did the same or let Dan Dan play. Damn, I guess it's easy enough to find out on my end lol

Toei left Dan Dan in the music track they provided Funimation