While it's no secret that DBZ holds a special place in my heart, considering it was the first show that got me hooked on anime. DBZ had an alright plot, great characters, full of awesome moments, badassery and hammy as all hell, and that's why Dragon Ball and DBZ both have charm, and are beloved by millions.
DBGT manages to take such a lofty reputation and do nothing with it.
Overall as far as the art, I have no complaints. It shows a fair grasp of skill and detail, and I wish such a talented animation team actually created an anime worth watching.
Overall, the voice acting is fine. The characters are recognizable to both sub and dub watchers of the series, which is why I give it a thumbs up. What brings down the voice acting, in my opinion, is the rather lackluster music. DBZ and DB had catchy tunes happening in the background, and during epic moments, the music fit and added to the tension of the scenes.
I find none of the former in this series. The best way I can describe the soundtrack is generic.
However, these are small fish to fry compared to the biggest, glaring problems that plague this anime. The plot and characters.
If anyone is starting to notice a trend here, I mostly judge a series based on the consistency of the plot, the setting, the pacing of the plot, and more importantly, the characters.
While I love the characters in DB and DBZ, as each of them were relatable and enjoyable, even the villains, DBGT takes great characters and puts them in plot that's full of inconsistencies, completely unbelievable, full of comedic moments that just aren't funny, and it doesn't properly build tension leading up to action moments.
Speaking of action, let's talk the fights. They are boring! There's no impact to any of the punches kicks and such, the transformations are lackluster, and the action scenes lack a proper flow.
Anyone learned in action sequences, knows that they have to be entertaining and have an overall flow. Compare action sequences in DBZ to DBGT. DBZ has proper flow, tension, and resolution when Goku finally wins.
I could go on and on about just how bad this series is, and I have a theory as to why it is as bad as it is. While the series had great potential to be a different take on the series, the executive producers wanted to milk the cash cow that the Dragon Ball franchise was at the time this was released. DBZ at the time, was one of the most popular shows on the network, and when the series inevitably reached its end, the producers quickly did a mash up plot to continue making money off the series.
Which isn't surprising as Toriyama had no hand in writing this series. Even he describes it as non-canon.
I may be wrong or right about that, but it doesn't stop DBGT being a complete and utter waste of time.
Overall, the series gets a 1/10. The relatable characters and admittedly good animation isn't enough to save the absent minded plot.
Watch Dragon Ball, DBZ, or Dragon Ball Z Kai if you want the true Dragon Ball experience. You'll thank me later.
