It feels like newer otaku don’t want to watch this classic anymore.
Summary:
- Dragon Ball Z is getting harder and harder to recommend to newer fans.
- DBZ is largely standalone, despite being a sequel.
- Fans might want to watch other Dragon Ball series or different anime instead.
Back in the day, Dragon Ball Z was considered the go-to anime to start your otaku journey with. Airing all around the world, it became one of the biggest anime hits ever, re-defining the battle shounen genre and creating a generation of devoted fans. DBZ, however, ended; while the franchise continued on, none of the subsequent entries were quite as popular, and it had to compete with newer anime for the fans’ attention. Nowadays, to many DBZ fans, it feels like it’s too hard to recommend the series to the newer otaku.
DBZ is actually a sequel
While DBZ is a sequel to the original Dragon Ball series, it does not actually require it to be enjoyed thoroughly. Yes, you will be missing out on some context, but it’s not vital enough to be an absolute requirement. That alone wouldn’t be stopping newer fans from watching the anime. However, the newer otaku are generally more reluctant to watch older series. DBZ started airing in 1989 — which is way too old for many newer fans. It can be argued that the fact that an anime is older doesn’t mean it is actually worse — but for many fans nowadays, the original DBZ’s art style might feel too dated.
Other Dragon Ball series
Moreover, Dragon Ball is a huge franchise. The sequel to Z from the 90s, Dragon Ball GT, was not exactly well-received by the fans. It is largely considered non-canon, and the other sequel, Dragon Ball Super, is much more loved by the otaku. Especially with the fact that Super, just like Z, can technically be watched as a standalone anime, many fans feel like Z is not worth getting into anymore. Z was also getting criticized for its fights often dragging out for too long — and the remake, Dragon Ball Kai, largely re-animates the series, cutting the length of those fights down and making it much more palatable for newer viewers.
Fans want to watch something else instead
Overall, DBZ might be just way too hard to recommend to newer fans, and while it is an iconic anime, it is a product of its time. With many other Dragon Ball series coming out in the later years, it becomes harder and harder to explain why someone should watch Z over anything else. For more modern animation, fans might consider Super or Kai, and for the historical context, they might want to start with the original instead. And besides that, the franchise is just too long at this point, and many fans would rather watch newer and shorter anime instead.