Why has Dragon Ball Endured the test of time, in your opinion

[TheGreatness25]

Honestly, for me, I think it's nostalgia driven. It can't along at the right time and hit the right note. When I look back at the series, there's nothing particularly phenomenal about it, but it fondly resides in my life. Now, I know that's subjective, but I feel like the same can be said for places like this and other big forces in Dragon Ball random. I mean, it's not like the story or characters are the greatest ever-- it's just warmly nestled in people's memories. I think every fan has that warm and fuzzy feeling with it, whether it's getting the fansub VHS tapes in local shops, or watching it on Toonami or playing the video games, whatever. So, I think the nostalgia factor kept the series alive and typical way more than its actual story. And I also think that the nostalgia has far surpassesd the reality of the series, which is why I think people have a hard time diving into Super.

[Dragon Ball Ireland]

If I recall correctly, Osamu Tezuka overworked the people at his studio to the point some died and made his shows toy-driven because it was what was helping them fund his stories.

Granted its not animation, but with Star Wars there was kind of an interesting story worth mentioning.

Basically producer Gary Kurtz fell out with George Lucas over differing creative visions with their original vision(s) for Return of the Jedi, seemingly because he didn't fully understand George ultimately intended Star Wars to be for kids (I don't agree entirely but George has stated on numerous occasions this was who he targeted the movies towards). Gary wanted the movie to be character and story driven, but felt because toy sales were high at the time George only rewrote the movie to help the latter at the expense of the former. Some main characters were going to be killed off, and the ending was going to be a lot darker than what we got.

I'm a Return of the Jedi defender, as I think it has the best balance of the darker and also the family friendly stuff in the original trilogy, so I don't blame George at all for wanting it to bring back the latter. Like Dragon Ball, Star Wars was always meant to be hopeful, lighthearted and fun. The more mature stories (like Empire Strikes Back or Bardock : The Father of Goku) are nice to have, but more as juxtapositions. If any series strays too far from targeting the originally intended demographic it loses its soul. Dragon Ball would not be Dragon Ball if TOEI changed course to targeting adults exclusively. That is not a detriment to any kids property, which has to have the intention of pushing toy sales to an extent (which as Cure Dragon 255 can be applied to any kids property) as adults can certainly enjoy series like Star Wars and Dragon Ball but they weren't made primarily for adults.

Getting back to the thread at hand, yes part of the reason Dragon Ball stands the test of time is because good kids shows and movies transcend their intended demographics and do have some value for adults as well.

[AliTheZombie13]

I would say I think what you are trying to say isnt just "Toy Driven" but rather The creators dont give a damn about quality, just that the toys sell.

Yes, that.
Dragon Ball stood the test of time because it didn't treat its audience like stupid little kids, even though it was targeting them.
It wasn't happy with just, "Eh, put some good cool-looking fights in there and everybody will eat it."

I know it's a joke within the fandom that "You don't watch Dragon Ball for the story", but if that was really the case, then the franchise would've already fallen into obscurity.

[MasenkoHA]

Having rewatched a lot of bad shows from my childhood:

Because it feels like a genuine story, a world your father would tell you about to make you fall asleep and have nice dreams.
It's something you can still watch as an adult without feeling cringe at every second, because it doesn't outright insult your intelligence or treats you like a stupid toddler who will just consume whatever they throw at you.

Not putting show names here as to not insult anybody, but... a lot of the stuff we used to think was cool as kids was actually awful.
Every second we watched them, they would treat us as dumb. Characters looked at the camera, saying obvious things to appease moral guardians, every episode ended the exact same way with the characters discussing the moral of the episode, then laughing as the camera faded to black, and everything always remained the ever unchanging Status Quo.

Most of these old shows were very, very, VERY obviously corporate. Like, every single week, there would be this great new invention, this great new vehicle called the Supreme Somethinginator, this new cool villain/hero that would once and for all defeat the villains/heroes, and it would get quickly forgotten in favor of the next big thing next week. It's as if the creators of these shows were yelling directly at you, "HEY KIDS!!!! BUY OUR SHIT!!!!"

It's one of the reasons why I'm not fond of Super, it reminds me a lot of these bad old shows. The original Dragon Ball, even with its numerous writing flaws, still felt like it was trying to build a world and tell you a good story, while Super felt like it was desperately trying to sell you the next big cool thing before quickly forgetting about it and resetting everything to the way it was.

As adults, we are more savvy about the things we consume. I don't know about you, but I would gladly sit down to hear and put up with a friends' bad story, taking a peek into their creative mind and see what crazy stuff they came up with a smile on my face rather than hear a businessman tell me at the end, "And you can get your very own Goku for only $99!"

TL;DR: Dragon Ball has "soul" whereas lots of other shows feel like they only exist to sell you something.
Just my two cents on this.

I agree with this 1000 percent.

Not to yuck anyone's yum but this is one of the big reasons I can't sit through Yu-Gi-Oh anymore, despite being a huge fan of it from 4th grade until just before I started 7th grade. No amount of nostalgia can get me to sit through the absolute shameless promotion of a trading card game.

[JulieYBM]

Having rewatched a lot of bad shows from my childhood:

Because it feels like a genuine story, a world your father would tell you about to make you fall asleep and have nice dreams.
It's something you can still watch as an adult without feeling cringe at every second, because it doesn't outright insult your intelligence or treats you like a stupid toddler who will just consume whatever they throw at you.

Not putting show names here as to not insult anybody, but... a lot of the stuff we used to think was cool as kids was actually awful.
Every second we watched them, they would treat us as dumb. Characters looked at the camera, saying obvious things to appease moral guardians, every episode ended the exact same way with the characters discussing the moral of the episode, then laughing as the camera faded to black, and everything always remained the ever unchanging Status Quo.

Most of these old shows were very, very, VERY obviously corporate. Like, every single week, there would be this great new invention, this great new vehicle called the Supreme Somethinginator, this new cool villain/hero that would once and for all defeat the villains/heroes, and it would get quickly forgotten in favor of the next big thing next week. It's as if the creators of these shows were yelling directly at you, "HEY KIDS!!!! BUY OUR SHIT!!!!"

It's one of the reasons why I'm not fond of Super, it reminds me a lot of these bad old shows. The original Dragon Ball, even with its numerous writing flaws, still felt like it was trying to build a world and tell you a good story, while Super felt like it was desperately trying to sell you the next big cool thing before quickly forgetting about it and resetting everything to the way it was.

As adults, we are more savvy about the things we consume. I don't know about you, but I would gladly sit down to hear and put up with a friends' bad story, taking a peek into their creative mind and see what crazy stuff they came up with a smile on my face rather than hear a businessman tell me at the end, "And you can get your very own Goku for only $99!"

TL;DR: Dragon Ball has "soul" whereas lots of other shows feel like they only exist to sell you something.
Just my two cents on this.

I agree with this 1000 percent.

Not to yuck anyone's yum but this is one of the big reasons I can't sit through Yu-Gi-Oh anymore, despite being a huge fan of it from 4th grade until just before I started 7th grade. No amount of nostalgia can get me to sit through the absolute shameless promotion of a trading card game.

Even though I've had a Yuugi-Ou username online since 2003 (the YBM refers to the Black Magician card rofl) I haven't actually read or watched it in about twenty years. Oddly enough, all the parts I do remember it for are the Boy's Love elements, so if I ever do read or watch it again it's pretty much going to be only for the voice acting, the music, and the gay shit.

Which, honestly, is why I watch anything anymore, anyway. lol

(I do have to wonder if the sequel series capture these elements at all. There inherent queerness to YGO is one of the best things about it)

[Cure Dragon 255]

Having rewatched a lot of bad shows from my childhood:

Because it feels like a genuine story, a world your father would tell you about to make you fall asleep and have nice dreams.
It's something you can still watch as an adult without feeling cringe at every second, because it doesn't outright insult your intelligence or treats you like a stupid toddler who will just consume whatever they throw at you.

Not putting show names here as to not insult anybody, but... a lot of the stuff we used to think was cool as kids was actually awful.
Every second we watched them, they would treat us as dumb. Characters looked at the camera, saying obvious things to appease moral guardians, every episode ended the exact same way with the characters discussing the moral of the episode, then laughing as the camera faded to black, and everything always remained the ever unchanging Status Quo.

Most of these old shows were very, very, VERY obviously corporate. Like, every single week, there would be this great new invention, this great new vehicle called the Supreme Somethinginator, this new cool villain/hero that would once and for all defeat the villains/heroes, and it would get quickly forgotten in favor of the next big thing next week. It's as if the creators of these shows were yelling directly at you, "HEY KIDS!!!! BUY OUR SHIT!!!!"

It's one of the reasons why I'm not fond of Super, it reminds me a lot of these bad old shows. The original Dragon Ball, even with its numerous writing flaws, still felt like it was trying to build a world and tell you a good story, while Super felt like it was desperately trying to sell you the next big cool thing before quickly forgetting about it and resetting everything to the way it was.

As adults, we are more savvy about the things we consume. I don't know about you, but I would gladly sit down to hear and put up with a friends' bad story, taking a peek into their creative mind and see what crazy stuff they came up with a smile on my face rather than hear a businessman tell me at the end, "And you can get your very own Goku for only $99!"

TL;DR: Dragon Ball has "soul" whereas lots of other shows feel like they only exist to sell you something.
Just my two cents on this.

I agree with this 1000 percent.

Not to yuck anyone's yum but this is one of the big reasons I can't sit through Yu-Gi-Oh anymore, despite being a huge fan of it from 4th grade until just before I started 7th grade. No amount of nostalgia can get me to sit through the absolute shameless promotion of a trading card game.

Even though I've had a Yuugi-Ou username online since 2003 (the YBM refers to the Black Magician card rofl) I haven't actually read or watched it in about twenty years. Oddly enough, all the parts I do remember it for are the Boy's Love elements, so if I ever do read or watch it again it's pretty much going to be only for the voice acting, the music, and the gay shit.

Which, honestly, is why I watch anything anymore, anyway. lol

(I do have to wonder if the sequel series capture these elements at all. There inherent queerness to YGO is one of the best things about it)

I dont watch Yu Gi Oh anymore other than listening to the openings both dub and sub, but while I do agree YGO has reached the "We care more about selling toys than quality" the manga WAS NOT A MERCH DRIVEN THING. It was a creator driven manga story about a boy gaining friends and become more confident. Sure then Kazuki Takahashi-sensei introduced the card game, and we all know what happened next, but it is a disservice to his work that his manga is a toy shilling piece of crap.


Again, hate Capitalism all you want it deserves it, but like it or not in this system you have to make money to survive... no its way beyond that. To tell your story, to see your vision realized, to make your dream of having MILLIONS OF PEOPLE to see your work and fall in love with it come true, you have to engage with capitalism and that's what Takahashi-sensei did. But he never lost sight of his goal, the series ends with Yugi growing past Atem and so the Pharaoh can finally go into the afterlife. The Tale Ends in Light.

Yu Gi Oh GX IS inexcusable shit tho.

[Dragon Ball Ireland]

I can sit through an episode or two of Yu-Gi-Oh tops, the sluggish pace, cheesy dialogue and shallow storytelling does take me out of it after that though. I think as an adult clips or fast paced edits of all the duels would be ideal because as much nostalgia as I have for it myself it doesn't hold up well. Dragon Ball is easier to still enjoy as an adult because it has a lot more substance.

Yu Gi Oh GX IS inexcusable shit tho.

I kinda felt Yu-Gi-Oh GX was "good because its so bad". The first two seasons are incredibly lighthearted, maybe to the detriment of seasons 3 and 4 when they tried to take it in a darker direction, as it was a bit too drastic of a change. The original Yu-Gi-Oh Duel Monsters had a better balance of the goofiness and serious stuff.

Yu-Gi-Oh 5Ds was interesting because it had a more serious tone, while casually embracing Yu-Gi-Oh's silliness by making them play duels on motorcycles but somehow it didn't feel jarring. I guess 5Ds worked because it was self-aware but not to the degree GX was, especially with the overly campy feel of GX seasons 1-2.

I stopped watching about 26 episodes into Zexal, that was by far the worst series so far.

Have not seen Arc-V, Vrains, Sevens or any of those other spinoffs and don't know if I ever will. I haven't heard enough to suspect I'm missing out.

[JulieYBM]

Okay, I had to look up a scene from Yuugi-Ou and watch it because it really has been too long and by god, now that I'm older it's even better than ever before. This is pure, unbridled yaoi.

I remember watching the last movie when it came out and being utterly stunned at how tragically romantic it was that Kaiba kept trying to bring his dead boyfriend back to life anyway he could.Kaiba even went so far as to use artificial intelligence to try and recreate Atem, but even his genius wasn't enough to quite recreate his boyfriend.

Anyway, Dragon Ball needs more Boy's Love.

[Cure Dragon 255]

I know the anime IS the shallow shit people think it is, but I will stick to my guns, It is not utter shit devoid of heart and the MANGA is legit great. But I have to ask this question to you Julie and DBI, what if you made a story that is beloved and WAS NOT intended from the get go to be a Money Maker, but a story you REALLY believed in... But then it got so popular and so marketable you are derided as "A souless sell out" a lazy (Takahashi, like any Jump author, worked until he VOMITED BLOOD) hack sucking the teat of Capitalism. HECK its not even a "SELL TOIZ U GAIZ!" shit show, just a story that became that way retroactively. I dont watch Yu Gi Oh anymore and it probably is true its hard to stomach as an adult. Like it or not, we live in a capitalist society and until this broken system is replaced even the most noble storyteller HAS TO ENGAGE WITH IT.

You can not like Yu Gi Oh, even hate it, but the whole "It's souless capitalist crap" thing needs to be yeeted into the sun.


BTW here's voice by cloud for no reason.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONBQorvPlGk


Also Julie IS RIGHT. More Shonen-Ai. We got Yuri now we need shonen ai on Dragon Ball.

[tonysoprano300]

Its hard to say, I'm not to familiar with the anime/manga scene in general, I can only compare to the shows that were on at the time.

I feel its a bunch of different things, DB when compared to American cartoons and comic books feels like a continuous narrative where things are constantly evolving. Classic DB wasn’t really stuck in any one particular place, at its heart DB is an adventure story, you’re going along with Goku as he gets older and the challenges get harder. You’re seeing the ascent of him going from a young monkey boy in the woods to practically god by the end of the series.

I think in general, audiences probably prefer serialized stories over a more episodic structure. Even if you zoom out and look at some the greatest TV shows ever, they all tend to be structured in a way where each episode directly builds on the last. The Sopranos, The Wire, Mad Men, Breaking Bad, GOT etc. All follow that trend. Most cartoons were episodic, DB was different in that regard.


I don’t actually buy into the idea that DB was popular because roided out blonde dudes got to punch each other, DB didn’t start in the Freeza arc lol. It was a very popular series for years prior to that point. Martial arts is a core element of the series but I don’t see DB to be anywhere near as mindless as something like Transformers or the Fast & Furious franchise

[Dragon Ball Ireland]

I agree that Yu-Gi-Oh, despite being an inherently gimmicky card game commercial did have a lot of heart to it. There were other card game anime that followed like Duel Masters that didn't really have any of Yu-Gi-Oh's charm, which came because Kazuki Takahashi's characters were genuinely likeable.

But I have to ask this question to you Julie and DBI, what if you made a story that is beloved and WAS NOT intended from the get go to be a Money Maker, but a story you REALLY believed in... But then it got so popular and so marketable you are derided as "A souless sell out" a lazy (Takahashi, like any Jump author, worked until he VOMITED BLOOD) hack sucking the teat of Capitalism. HECK its not even a "SELL TOIZ U GAIZ!" shit show, just a story that became that way retroactively

I think the key is to give your story a reason to continue past what would be considered a natural end point. People's main complaint about stories becoming too commercial is that there was nowhere to go after the original story was told. This is a common complaint about Super, that Goku's arc was done, Vegeta backtracked on calling Goku number one and things like that. While I enjoy Super I do feel it doesn't do much to justify its existence. GT makes a bigger effort in that regard as characters like Vegeta genuinely mature and move on (he stopped training merely for the purpose of surpassing Goku), there is expansion of lore from filler, like how the Tsufurians built off the story King Kai/Kaio-Sama told Goku".

If I was a writer of a story I went into with good intentions and at any point had editorial pressure to continue because it became hugely successful I would try and look at previously established plot points, major and minor to see if anything can be developed. I think this is the reason people don't call Eichira Oda a sellout for continuing One Piece for so long, no doubt the success influenced how long its been going on but Oda continues to grow his world as he's been foreshadowing future events for years.

I'd say this is why planning is so important, as if you come up with a load of ideas and plot them out before doing any sctual writing it will feel more natural when you refer back to these ideas when your working on the scripts, screenplay, panels, etc.

[Grimlock]

To say that the Transformers franchise is "mindless" is to explicitly show everyone you don't know what you're talking about. I can only suggest some educated, well thought-out research before making such claim. I would also go in defense of Yu-Gi-Oh! but Dragon Ball Ireland already did that.

Can we please not start making some nonsensical arguments about things you don't like? It's okay to not like them, but be constructive about it.

I mean, who doesn't want to see Goku showoff his newest form where he defeats the latest villain with a massive laser beam, a giant ball of energy, or just punching through them??? It's worked for 40 years, why change a good thing?

Me. Goku can do all those things without showing off his newest form. It may have worked forty years ago, but nowadays? It's never a good thing to become nothing but a parody of yourself. And I would also want other characters to do those things (preferrable without showing off their newest forms as well).

[Cure Dragon 255]

I agree that Yu-Gi-Oh, despite being an inherently gimmicky card game commercial did have a lot of heart to it. There were other card game anime that followed like Duel Masters that didn't really have any of Yu-Gi-Oh's charm, which came because Kazuki Takahashi's characters were genuinely likeable.

But I have to ask this question to you Julie and DBI, what if you made a story that is beloved and WAS NOT intended from the get go to be a Money Maker, but a story you REALLY believed in... But then it got so popular and so marketable you are derided as "A souless sell out" a lazy (Takahashi, like any Jump author, worked until he VOMITED BLOOD) hack sucking the teat of Capitalism. HECK its not even a "SELL TOIZ U GAIZ!" shit show, just a story that became that way retroactively

I think the key is to give your story a reason to continue past what would be considered a natural end point. People's main complaint about stories becoming too commercial is that there was nowhere to go after the original story was told. This is a common complaint about Super, that Goku's arc was done, Vegeta backtracked on calling Goku number one and things like that. While I enjoy Super I do feel it doesn't do much to justify its existence. GT makes a bigger effort in that regard as characters like Vegeta genuinely mature and move on (he stopped training merely for the purpose of surpassing Goku), there is expansion of lore from filler, like how the Tsufurians built off the story King Kai/Kaio-Sama told Goku".

If I was a writer of a story I went into with good intentions and at any point had editorial pressure to continue because it became hugely successful I would try and look at previously established plot points, major and minor to see if anything can be developed. I think this is the reason people don't call Eichira Oda a sellout for continuing One Piece for so long, no doubt the success influenced how long its been going on but Oda continues to grow his world as he's been foreshadowing future events for years.

I'd say this is why planning is so important, as if you come up with a load of ideas and plot them out before doing any sctual writing it will feel more natural when you refer back to these ideas when your working on the scripts, screenplay, panels, etc.

But that's the thing. Kazuki Takahashi's Yu Gi Oh is ONLY the first series, his story ended the way he wanted to and then did ONE more movie to truly wrap everything up forever and ever. You cant say he extended his story past its expiration point when his story ended years ago at the exact point he wanted with only one more film sequel before it ended forever.

[Dragon Ball Ireland]

I think in general, audiences probably prefer serialized stories over a more episodic structure. Even if you zoom out and look at some the greatest TV shows ever, they all tend to be structured in a way where each episode directly builds on the last. The Sopranos, The Wire, Mad Men, Breaking Bad, GOT etc. All follow that trend. Most cartoons were episodic, DB was different in that regard.

Yup, serialised storytelling wasn't really popular in animation before Dragon Ball, but for a lot of us who grew up watching Cartoon Network Dragon Ball was our introduction to that. My 8-year old mind was blown away by this being a continuous story where one episode leads in to the next over and over again. I'd never seen anything like it and as such it felt incredibly innovative. Of course it wouldn't have been as much of a novelty had I watched serialised live action, but it was arguably still generally unexplored territory for a cartoon in English-speaking countries.

[Koitsukai]

I think it comes down to the characters.
Goku is loveable, or was for a huge chunk of his run, and the rest of the cast, while flawed, have proven to be likeable as well. Most of them, at least, like Tenshinhan, Yamcha, Krilin, NOT OOLONG, Gohan, Piccolo... in their own ways are endearing and have shown personal growth. Neither of them is the same as they were when introduced, except for that motherfucker Oolong.

Also, the evil people that end up proving to be redeemable also might help. It's a show that finds the good in people, in villains mostly. It's never been black or white, good or evil. Stories that have somebody being an asshole, now be a guy defending those who he tried to kill before are appealing.
Piccolo jumping in to save Goku's son at the expense of his own life.
Vegeta beggin Gohan's forgiveness after fucking it up vs Cell. Or lamenting after getting him killed after the Majin situation.
Tenshinhan apologyzing to Yamcha after breaking his leg, and them fighting together side by side.

[tonysoprano300]

To say that the Transformers franchise is "mindless" is to explicitly show everyone you don't know what you're talking about. I can only suggest some educated, well thought-out research before making such claim. I would also go in defense of Yu-Gi-Oh! but Dragon Ball Ireland already did that.

Can we please not start making some nonsensical arguments about things you don't like? It's okay to not like them, but be constructive about it.

I mean, who doesn't want to see Goku showoff his newest form where he defeats the latest villain with a massive laser beam, a giant ball of energy, or just punching through them??? It's worked for 40 years, why change a good thing?

Me. Goku can do all those things without showing off his newest form. It may have worked forty years ago, but nowadays? It's never a good thing to become nothing but a parody of yourself. And I would also want other characters to do those things (preferrable without showing off their newest forms as well).

Sorry, I should clarify. I'm referring specifically to the Michael Bay film adaptations, not the original cartoons.

I think the key is to give your story a reason to continue past what would be considered a natural end point. People's main complaint about stories becoming too commercial is that there was nowhere to go after the original story was told. This is a common complaint about Super, that Goku's arc was done, Vegeta backtracked on calling Goku number one and things like that. While I enjoy Super I do feel it doesn't do much to justify its existence. GT makes a bigger effort in that regard as characters like Vegeta genuinely mature and move on (he stopped training merely for the purpose of surpassing Goku), there is expansion of lore from filler, like how the Tsufurians built off the story King Kai/Kaio-Sama told Goku".

If I was a writer of a story I went into with good intentions and at any point had editorial pressure to continue because it became hugely successful I would try and look at previously established plot points, major and minor to see if anything can be developed. I think this is the reason people don't call Eichira Oda a sellout for continuing One Piece for so long, no doubt the success influenced how long its been going on but Oda continues to grow his world as he's been foreshadowing future events for years.

I'd say this is why planning is so important, as if you come up with a load of ideas and plot them out before doing any sctual writing it will feel more natural when you refer back to these ideas when your working on the scripts, screenplay, panels, etc.

Yea thats a big problem, part of me thinks that certain products are just content to try and relive the glory days. Thats what makes a product feel commercialized imo. When I watch a film like ROF and see piccolo’s death scene re-enactment, its hard to take the film seriously as a story rather than a bunch of references/call backs to iconic moments. Same goes for the Super 17 arc.

[Vhanos]

Honestly, for me, I think it's nostalgia driven. It can't along at the right time and hit the right note. When I look back at the series, there's nothing particularly phenomenal about it, but it fondly resides in my life. Now, I know that's subjective, but I feel like the same can be said for places like this and other big forces in Dragon Ball random. I mean, it's not like the story or characters are the greatest ever-- it's just warmly nestled in people's memories. I think every fan has that warm and fuzzy feeling with it, whether it's getting the fansub VHS tapes in local shops, or watching it on Toonami or playing the video games, whatever. So, I think the nostalgia factor kept the series alive and typical way more than its actual story. And I also think that the nostalgia has far surpassesd the reality of the series, which is why I think people have a hard time diving into Super.

The nostalgia thing is not good. And that alone isn't going to keep something going.

Dragon Ball series didn't try to act all deep and stuff. It did what it was supposed to do, even though all some people wanna do is find fault with it.

For the franchise to have many other anime be inspired and emulate it, it had to do something unique in the industry. It's hard or even impossible to be objective when it comes to such medium. Unlike with sports, you don't have a who is going to the hall-of-fame.

[Cure Dragon 255]

Honestly, for me, I think it's nostalgia driven. It can't along at the right time and hit the right note. When I look back at the series, there's nothing particularly phenomenal about it, but it fondly resides in my life. Now, I know that's subjective, but I feel like the same can be said for places like this and other big forces in Dragon Ball random. I mean, it's not like the story or characters are the greatest ever-- it's just warmly nestled in people's memories. I think every fan has that warm and fuzzy feeling with it, whether it's getting the fansub VHS tapes in local shops, or watching it on Toonami or playing the video games, whatever. So, I think the nostalgia factor kept the series alive and typical way more than its actual story. And I also think that the nostalgia has far surpassesd the reality of the series, which is why I think people have a hard time diving into Super.

The nostalgia thing is not good. And that alone isn't going to keep something going.

Dragon Ball series didn't try to act all deep and stuff. It did what it was supposed to do, even though all some people wanna do is find fault with it.

For the franchise to have many other anime be inspired and emulate it, it had to do something unique in the industry. It's hard or even impossible to be objective when it comes to such medium. Unlike with sports, you don't have a who is going to the hall-of-fame.

While I agree with the entirety of this post EXCEPT this part because you can. Toriyama was mourned on such an insane level you'd think people are joking, but foreign presidents and prime ministers mourned him. With one country declaring a day of mourning. If that's NOT "Hall Of Fame" absolutely nothing is.

But yeah, Dragon Ball DID so something NO ONE else did, its not just a fad or "Did the right thing at the right time and got lucky" After 40 years the series still atracts new people, who are utterly divorced from the context of DECADES AGO and still love it as mightily as a "Day One Fan." I really dont know what it did but it did, and that answer is up to every fan to decide WHAT IT WAS.

[JulieYBM]

Dragon Ball series didn't try to act all deep and stuff. It did what it was supposed to do, even though all some people wanna do is find fault with it.

What do you mean by this?

[Majin Buu]

Honestly, for me, I think it's nostalgia driven. It can't along at the right time and hit the right note. When I look back at the series, there's nothing particularly phenomenal about it, but it fondly resides in my life.

Nostalgia is definitely part of it.

I think another part is that it was simply hugely popular in its initial run. A property is more likely to withstand the test of time if a large amount of people were fond of it in its heyday.

But I think even that's only a part of it too. Looking at Dragon Ball itself, I think another aspect at play is Dragon Ball's ability to keep its overall storytelling simple while giving just enough story/character information to get you speculating about these characters and this world outside of the immediate story, making people want to see more of it.

That, and Toriyama's art style and character designs. The man knew how to create designs that just look cool and his art style, rounded or angular, was just great to look at (when he was on his game and not suffering burnout that is).