'Dragon Ball GT' Producer Explains Why the Series Can't Survive Without Goku

Dragon Ball GT may not be the most fondly remembered series by fans, but many have wondered why it eventually became the story of a young Goku.

In a recently translated interview for a 2005 Dragon Box release in Japan, Dragon Ball GT producer Kozo Morishita stated that since the original approach to GT was to make it more of a series in line with the original Dragon Ball manga, it eventually became a story about Goku because he's so integral to the overall story.

Morishita elaborates on this idea with, "When all is said and done, the protagonist of Dragon Ball is Son Goku. Characters such as Piccolo, Vegeta, or Trunks may be popular too, but in the end it's Goku. As a creator I felt that in my bones, and Dragon Ball GT's biggest sticking point, was how to intertwine Goku into the story of Pan and the rest of the next generation of kids. That's when I thought of turning Goku back into a kid himself."

In order to capture the vibe of Toriyama's original work, Morishita combines many elements to create a new feeling of adventure. Using Goku as a central figure does make sense as he's been a key figure for so long.

But Dragon Ball GT does have its supporters, and its fans were mostly appreciative of the ideas it introduced to the franchise such as Super Saiyan 4 and and Super Saiyan 4 version of the fusion Gogeta.

Dragon Ball GT is often discounted by fans because of its lack of involvement from original series creator Akira Toriyama. Because of this, most fans deemed the series as non-canon. An original anime series produced by Toei Animation, the series takes five years after the events of Dragon Ball Z and has Goku revert to childhood thanks to a wish placed on a new set of Dragon Balls with black stars. Because of this Goku teams with the now teenage Trunks and Pan and travels across space to find them.

Toriyama would later have a hand in Dragon Ball Super, which serves as a true sequel series filling in the ten years after the defeat of Majin Buu. Dragon Ball Super currently airs on Crunchyroll Saturday evenings at 7:15 p.m. CST. Adult Swim airs the English dub during its Toonami block Saturday evenings at 11:30 p.m.

via Kazenshuu