Ways Dragon Ball Super Left Fans Wanting

Dragon Ball Super made its debut in the U.S. just last weekend, but Japan was introduced to the anime back in 2015. Dragon Ball Super marked the first new anime of the long-running franchise is more than a decade, and fans were interested to see if it would erase the bad taste that Dragon Ball GT left with fans.

While there’s plenty of high-points to Dragon Ball Super, there are a few pitfalls which leave fans scratching their heads. Here are the five biggest ways the shonen series leaves Dragon Ball fans wanting and even itching to avert their eyes.

Few Stakes & Little Urgency

One of the biggest complaints fans have about Dragon Ball Super is its lack of urgency. When Dragon Ball Z was on air, the action-packed show was known for leaving fans on the edge of their seats. Villains like Freeza and Cell were wholly monstrous, and the Z-Fighters were lucky to get through a battle without someone dying or being crippled. However, Dragon Ball Super has removed that element of dread; The heroes are too strong, characters can literally rewrite time, and there are now gods who can overrule anyone who dares threaten Earth.

Animation Quality

It might be a basic concern, but animation is the foundation of any good anime. If there are blurry backgrounds or disproportioned characters, it is very noticeable. Sadly, Dragon Ball Super has fallen prey to shoddy animation, and fans are starting to vocalize their complaints. While the original Dragon Ball series may not have been paragons of beautiful animation, Dragon Ball Super does have a noticeable drop in fighting animation – and those scenes can make Goku look real wonky.

Goku & Co. Lacking Characterization

Oh, Goku. You stand as one of the most popular anime characters of all-time, but you continue to find ways to leave fans befuddled. Created by Akira Toriyama, Goku was introduced to fans as a child before he grew into the beefy Super Saiyan audience have grown to love. However, the hero has hit a plateau of some sort; The character has almost regressed back to his childish, prepubescent ways in Dragon Ball Super with his gullible nature. And, while fans are all-for Goku being oblivious, the coddled characterization can be a bit much at times.

The Pacing

The Dragon Ball franchise has long been criticized for its uneven pacing, and fans were hoping that Dragon Ball Super would break the curse when it debuted. Sadly, no such thing happened. Dragon Ball Super falls into its predecessor’s trap of fast-moving sagas which burn quickly before a barrage of filler episodes roll into town. While the pacing for the anime is no worse than that of Dragon Ball Z, fans were still letdown once they realized no changes had been made to fix the on-going problem.

Too Many Characters BUT Not Enough Of Them

Dragon Ball Super has a massive cast, and it only continues to grow. Characters are brought into the series on a regular basis as folks like Whis and Zen-Oh make themselves known. However, with such short episodes, the anime finds itself having to narrow down on just a handful of characters. And, as you might have guessed, Goku and Vegeta tend to be those stars. While the heroes are undeniable leads for the series, fans have grown tired of Dragon Ball Super‘s Saiyan focus and would like to see what Tien or Master Roshi are up to.