Which would you recommend more for newer fans? GT, the Super anime, or the Super manga?

[Asin]

Hi, apologies if my first topic shouldn't be in this sub-forum, but I'm acting as a guide to my friend in reading Dragon Ball, and he has reached what we would call the "Z era" finally. With this arrival into this section of the story however, it has gotten me wondering. When he eventually finishes Z and if he wants to continue with post original run material, should we go with GT, the Super anime, or the Super manga? I am aware these products are... very flawed, but it's something I'm curious what this community would have to say on the matter.

Again, my apologies if this does not belong here. I haven't tried making topics before purely because I'm nervous I'll screw something up, but hopefully, I'm doing this properly.

[Grimlock]

Neither of the cited ones. If they're reading the Dragon Ball manga, then the best thing to do after finishing it is to go and play some Dragon Ball Online. If they don't like MMORPG, just have them read everything about it. It will serve as an epilogue (though the game itself is a sequel to the manga).

You can also recommend them to read Tarble OVA (there's a manga version) and to watch Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods. If they're not reading it chronologically, there's also the Jaco, the Galactic Patrolman manga to read (if they get these three specific works one after the other, it will feel very "slice of life-y". It's better to warn them beforehand if they don't like it).

Then finally... Dragon Ball GT. No retellings! No tournaments! Though its beginning is a bit too boring, Baby saga will reward their patience with some cool stuff. Don't forget Goku Junior TV Special, in fact, don't forget Bardock and Trunks TV Specials* too (as well as Hatchiyack OVA and the old movies?) at some point, again, if they're not doing it chronologically.


* If they enjoyed Trunks TV Special, you can also tell him to go and play Trunks DLC for the Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot game (or just have them watch on Youtube). This DLC goes into some details not shown in the anime, and then it kind of becomes like a sequel to it, as it contains the Majin Buu saga for Trunks (there's a manga version if they want to stick to manga versions as much as possible, but it's from Dragon Ball Super by Toyotaro). And speaking of which, keep an eye out for the Bardock DLC too of this game, it's coming out in the near future. It's possible that CyberConnect2 will expand his story too.

[Kaboom]

I usually recommend "production order" for someone's first time through the franchise. After wrapping up the original story (and attached movies), I hold it's best to segue directly into GT. Because despite whatever quibbles one may have about how "cAnOn" it is, GT was part of that same original run — literally premiering the very next week after Z's final episode — so that feels like the best time and place to watch it even today. Then one can more easily shift gears and start watching/reading the newer, 20-years-removed, very-different-feeling modern material.

[Zephyr]

If they really still want to continue after they finish the story, I'd honestly just see which one they have more of an interest in.

You didn't mention it, but the main thing I'd recommend beyond the original story is Neko Majin. It's the only story written and drawn by Toriyama that takes place in the Dragon World and also takes place after the original story's ending. So, it's the closest we'll probably ever get to an 'authentic' 'continuation' of 'Dragon Ball'.

From those you mentioned, if they're only down to do one, I'd just recommend Super (specifically the anime, because in a reverse twist of fate, that's the source material this time around). Especially if they're just reading the Dragon Ball manga, because GT is a sequel to the original Dragon Ball/Z TV series, specifically, which they're not watching, from the sound of it.

But if they're down to do both GT and Super, I'd recommend they do GT first, and then Super, because like Kaboom I'm a fan of production order for things when possible, and in the case of Super, there are a few small GT easter eggs here and there.

[MasenkoHA]

If's he reading Dragon Ball then reading the Super manga next just seems the most sensible choice to me.

[SSJgogeto]

It's hard to say without knowing what your friend likes, but the "production order" mentioned above is a good route. However, you also can just give your friend the options and let him choose what he want to do.

My only recommendation is: stay away from things like Dragon Ball Online or Heroes. These things are for hardcore fans (more or less), so save them for last.

[Asin]

Thank you, everyone! I wasn't expecting to see this much notice, but I've let him know about what you all have said so far.

[nineko]

If's he reading Dragon Ball then reading the Super manga next just seems the most sensible choice to me.

I agree. If he's reading the manga without watching the anime, he should read the Super manga since it's a direct continuation of that story on the same medium. There are good things in it.

And if he'll ever want to switch from manga to anime, stay Super. Stay 500 metres far from GT at all times.

[Cipher]

If he’s reading the manga:

The sacred order (on God):

DB -> Neko Majin (optional) -> Jaco -> Super manga + movies

If he’s watching it, just see what grabs his attention more. GT is the continuation that came right off of the original run of Z and is interesting in its own right. For Super, I think the manga is the better version and it’s actively ongoing, but plenty prefer the anime and that’s there if he wants to keep going with animation.

If he’s set on doing a super deep-dive, I agree with hitting up GT before either version of Super, as there are a few Easter-egg nods to it in both versions. However, it’s also a little jarring moving straight from the manga to GT, as it was very much a sequel to the anime version, and incorporates a few anime-only elements as major plot points.

[nineko]

super deep-dive

Pun intended?

[Vegard Aune]

If he's going from the OG manga to the Super manga, then I would probably recommend also watching Battle of Gods and Resurrection F before starting it. And probably reading Jaco between the two since RF and the Super manga thereafter kind of just... assume the audience already knows who Jaco is. Like, even when it gets to Universe 6 I find Super's manga to be compressed to the point where it doesn't really feel like a satisfying story in its own right and would generally say to watch the anime instead, but the Beerus arc is particularly compressed and Resurrection F they just skip entirely (despite it being important later... leading to a bunch of flashbacks to it to fill in the reader on what happened) so I feel like watching the movies or TV arcs for those is... kind of mandatory. And since I think the Beerus arc is just a worse version of Battle of Gods on pretty much every level, as well as being way longer... I would just say watch the movie.

[FoolsGil]

I'd go with Super as a whole for being a newer product, and read the manga.

[batistabus]

If your friend is already reading the manga, I'd say it's a no-brainer to go with the Super manga. Definitely have them check out the films as well.

[GokuHater]

That's a wierd set of choices.
Go with Dragon Ball, DBZ, the original manga, then maybe GT and then Super (movies, anime and manga).

[Hero]

Hi, apologies if my first topic shouldn't be in this sub-forum, but I'm acting as a guide to my friend in reading Dragon Ball, and he has reached what we would call the "Z era" finally. With this arrival into this section of the story however, it has gotten me wondering. When he eventually finishes Z and if he wants to continue with post original run material, should we go with GT, the Super anime, or the Super manga? I am aware these products are... very flawed, but it's something I'm curious what this community would have to say on the matter.

Again, my apologies if this does not belong here. I haven't tried making topics before purely because I'm nervous I'll screw something up, but hopefully, I'm doing this properly.

My mom went DB anime -> DBZ anime -> BoG movie -> RoF movie and loved it. I feel like it's the best path, and people can then start Super from the U6 arc. My mom watched parts of Super this way and wasn't confused, and she did this in English which isn't her first language.

[Ashur]

If they were reading the manga first then i would suggest finishing all the 42 volumes, the jaco manga, and the super one, if they watch the anime, even if it is Kai, they're gonna experience a lot of the "Toei verse" stuff such as TV Special Bardock and villains in hell, so i would suggest them to watch the Z movies and GT TV series before moving on to the DBS era movies and TV series.

If they don't know if to read or watch i would recommend reading, as you can appreciate Toriyama's original art and amazing visual fight choreography, you experience the purest form of DB canon, without any confusing elements, and you have much more control over the pace of the story and how long it takes you to get through it, as DB isn't a text-heavy manga, i find volumes to last about 20 minutes at most, so instead of watching a nearly 400 episode run from DB to DBZ, with 20+ minutes each, they would read 42 volumes with half an hour each, that makes it a lot more digestable for newcomers than the anime, as well as having an overall brisk pace in comparison, even though i consider the anime improved on some of the arcs, it is better to experience it in it's original form first.

[TheGreatness25]

I would alwaysn recommend the manga. I just find it the most plausible way to digest the series in a quick way. It's also super portable (digital, of course).

Nowadays, I exclusively go to the manga if I want to digest the series again in full or if I want a quick piece of info. If I want ire-experience Dragon Ball, it would take me like a week tops through the manga as opposed to the hours and hours and days and weeks and months it would take me to rewatch everything.

Obviously GT is the exception (though, thankfully it's short). And yeah, it does suck that the story for Super is as altered as it is between the two versions, but I still take the manga. I just find it gives me a more enjoyable experience.

The only time I refer to the anime now is for nostalgia purposes, to be honest. Or to listen to the Ocean dub (since I haven't heard this version 10,000 times like the others).