I wish to add in opinion!
(These numbers are to seperate my points, not to answer the numbered questions)
1) Relax, if DBZ really sucked so bad, Toriyama wouldn't have been all but forced at gun point to stretch it out to the degree it was. So really, it isn't Dragonball's fault... it's the fans from years ago who couldn't get enough of it.
2) It wasn't always all action, and obviously this story was adapted to please people who said 'We want to see more of what was at the Tournament!'. Thus, it went from 'Comedic parody of Journey to the West' to '
It's over 9000!'
3) The characters aren't identical, especially the ones who listed. Piccolo and Vegeta may have started in a similar fashion (Only in that they both wanted to kill Goku) but their stories actually panned out completely different. All Piccolo needed was a friend, and afterwards he took over the wise and formerly powerful role that was Kami. Vegeta, however, went on to have an obsession with becoming more powerful, had a family, and remained moderately angry to the end of the story. Besides... Vegeta is short and Piccolo is tall...
And how can you think Goku and Gohan are the same? Even for being Father and Son, those two never really seemed all that similar. Let's face it, Goku is an idiot who only went places for the chance to hit something harder than he's ever hit something before. Gohan, however, is the scholar who only saved the day after he was forced to, and eventually gave up fighting.
My only problem is that far too many of the characters are quickly left behind in the dust and are suddenly of no use to anyone.
4) As for all the super attacks being basically the same... that's just a stereotype brought about by Sparking!...
