Things from the Anime that you prefer over the canon of the manga

[nineko]

I'm surprised that nobody mentioned this so far: if two people perform the fusion dance while naked, the fused character will be naked as well.

[Majin Buu]

The anime depicting society collapsing in reaction to Piccolo's coup since it gives us a taste of what the world will become under Piccolo's reign, which Toriyama didn't really depict. I also like how we see more of Tambourine going around killing the world's martial artists since this, along with the former, give the story a bigger sense of scale than the manga version had. Piccolo is established as a global threat in the manga, but he feels more like a global threat in the anime because that version shows more of the effects he has on the world.

All of Gohan's survival training in the Saiyan arc since it shows us how he specifically went from crybaby to willing to step onto the battlefield since Toriyama couldn't be bothered to depict that.

Mecha Freeza trying to nuke Earth to take down Future Trunks, it just feels like something he would immediately resort to when faced with another Super Saiyan so soon after getting his ass handed to him by one.

Making the inside of Buu an outright eldritch location Goku and Vegeta have to traverse to get to their absorbed friends. It expands on a neat idea that Toriyama didn't do much with, gives us a break from the long stretch of fighting we just finished, and provides a nice little mini-adventure that feels like the kind of stuff we got in pre-Z Dragon Ball.

[goku the krump dancer]

If we can include Super in this then I prefer the anime version of Zamasu's use of SSR. What I mean is, it makes more sense that his "Super Saiyan" form would have divine Ki from the jump simply because Ki is a component of the spirit and he being Divine in Spirit by default, he shouldnt have access to Mortal Ki and thus the yellow/gold regular Super Saiyan shouldn't be a thing for him inside Goku's body.

The only way I could accept him at least initially having regular SS is if it was explained that his soul wasn't fully assimilated with Goku's body until he got that final Zenkai healing from his future self, but I dont believe that was ever mentioned.. In the manga anyway.

[King Bogo]

Dr. Frappe a.k.a. Dr. Flappe being the true creator of Jinzo Ningen 8 a.k.a. Android 8

[ABED]

Honestly most of it. But two off the top of my head that I dug and don't get much recognition are
1 - the wartorn Planet Vegeta is better than the clean and technologically advanced Vegeta. They're a barbaric race of savages. Their tech is stolen. Post apocalyptic Vegeta is more fitting.
2 - The 22nd Tenkaichi Budokai taking place over several days. It makes it feel bigger.

[AliTheZombie13]

Probably opening a can of worms here, but I find Toei's portrayal of Goku to be far more enjoyable to watch than Toriyama's, especially after the Saiyan Saga, where Toriyama's Goku slowly devolves into doing straight-up villainous things for the sake of Saiyan bloodlust and becomes nigh-impossible to root for.

[Zephyr]

Doesn't Goku still do all of those things in the anime?

[AliTheZombie13]

Doesn't Goku still do all of those things in the anime?

He gets better in GT.

[LoganForkHands73]

• The Z-Fighters helping Gohan in the final beam struggle for the sake of Earth.

Tbh i consider this the worst thing anime did compared to manga, on par with Vegeta laughing at Goku's "death" on Namek and beating Gohan. While Z-fighters helping Cell was itself a cool idea, it completely changed meaning of Vegeta's help. In manga he was the only one who tried to help Gohan and it was thanks to him Cell was killed. In anime Vegeta was the only one who did NOT help, until the very end. They made him look like a coward even though in manga he was the only one who helped while others just watched.

I'm mixed on that. On the one hand, it's an uplifting moment to have the Z-Warriors back Gohan up even if their efforts are for naught and it feels true to their character for them to at least try to help, rather than stand by and do nothing. In the manga, Cell and Gohan's beam clash is apparently so destructive that the weaker Z-Warriors (i.e. everyone without golden hair) can't risk getting close, which causes Piccolo to agonise over their impotence in the face of total annihilation.

However, the anime's presentation of Cell effortlessly deflecting their tiny ickle rays with his back turned to them simply by raising his chi is slightly laughable, and it does undermine the impact of Vegeta's intervention, which is meant to be a "fuck yeah" moment similar to Han Solo swooping in to blast at Vader's TIE squadron in Star Wars. It was supposed to be the only time that Cell took his eye off the ball, allowing Gohan to overpower him. While an attack from Vegeta would obviously leave more of a dent than one from Yamcha, the series has emphasised several times that almost any weakling can damage – or at least distract – a vastly stronger opponent by sneak-attacking them from behind. Even if Piccolo couldn't really hurt Cell, a fully charged Makankosappo shot from a distance should've had a similar effect to Vegeta's blast.

[MasenkoHA]

My big beef with the anime adding the bit with the Z warriors trying to help is it's completely pointless. It didn't undermine Vegeta's contribution as much as (in my own opinion of course) make him look better at the expense of making the Z warriors look more useless. Krillin, Tenshinhan, and Piccolo combined don't even bother Cell but Vegeta on his own is just enough to give Gohan the edge? Fuck off with that. Either leave it like that manga or have Vegeta join with the Z warriors.

[ABED]

My big beef with the anime adding the bit with the Z warriors trying to help is it's completely pointless. It didn't undermine Vegeta's contribution as much as (in my own opinion of course) make him look better at the expense of making the Z warriors look more useless. Krillin, Tenshinhan, and Piccolo combined don't even bother Cell but Vegeta on his own is just enough to give Gohan the edge? Fuck off with that. Either leave it like that manga or have Vegeta join with the Z warriors.

Because it's not about plot, it's a character moment for them all. It's about them doing whatever they can even if only symbolically to protect Gohan.

[MasenkoHA]

My big beef with the anime adding the bit with the Z warriors trying to help is it's completely pointless. It didn't undermine Vegeta's contribution as much as (in my own opinion of course) make him look better at the expense of making the Z warriors look more useless. Krillin, Tenshinhan, and Piccolo combined don't even bother Cell but Vegeta on his own is just enough to give Gohan the edge? Fuck off with that. Either leave it like that manga or have Vegeta join with the Z warriors.

Because it's not about plot, it's a character moment for them all. It's about them doing whatever they can even if only symbolically to protect Gohan.

I am aware it's not about plot. I don't have plot gripes. I have "let's make the other characters look more useless to make Vegeta look better" gripes

[ABED]

My big beef with the anime adding the bit with the Z warriors trying to help is it's completely pointless. It didn't undermine Vegeta's contribution as much as (in my own opinion of course) make him look better at the expense of making the Z warriors look more useless. Krillin, Tenshinhan, and Piccolo combined don't even bother Cell but Vegeta on his own is just enough to give Gohan the edge? Fuck off with that. Either leave it like that manga or have Vegeta join with the Z warriors.

Because it's not about plot, it's a character moment for them all. It's about them doing whatever they can even if only symbolically to protect Gohan.

I am aware it's not about plot. I don't have plot gripes. I have "let's make the other characters look more useless to make Vegeta look better" gripes

Bc it's not that either. They aren't supposed to be of use. If they were, the scene loses its meaning. Vegeta in this case completes a character arc bc for once he does the right thing for the right reasons and is actually useful.

[FoolsGil]

Krillin fighting Cell alone is my favorite scene in Z. He's supposedly the strongest human? Let him prove it a little.

[TobyS]

The humans and piccolo attacking cell is dumb.

Firstly Piccolo isn't miles behind vegeta and trunks, especially
a vegeta who just got owned and wounded, so he should be able to do something especially with the humans too.

Vegeta helping was him apologising for his original mistake, surprising cell when he was supposed to he downed and someone you wouldn't expect to do it.

Cell should then be on guard after the human attack so he shouldn't be surprised by Vegeta anymore.

It makes vegeta look worse for waiting so long and the others weak for failing to achieve the same.

Cell must have had to use a smidgen of ki to resist them abd blow them back so it takes away from Gohan too.

It literally makes *everyone* look worse and weaker. Truly a weird addition