‘Dragon Ball GT’ Animator Shares Animation Regrets

Dragon Ball GT is often looked at in a different light from the rest of the series as it was the only series made without any kind of involvement from original series creator Akira Toriyama.

A major shift in animation also pushed curious fans away, and even one animator who worked on the series has some regrets about the series’ art style.

Speaking with Dragon Ball animator Naotoshi Shida on Twitter, one fan asked if there was one point where the series was hard to draw. Shida responded, “I would say Dragon Ball GT, I frantically thought “I’ll continue to make interesting art even after [Toriyama’s manga] ends…I started to pointlessly add stuff like two-tone shadow shadings and highlights. I was foolish.”

GT’s art style was one of the more distinct looks seen in the series overall, and a large part of that is due to he shading techniques artists like Shida added to the series. Although Shida admits he made the art harder for himself by adding unnecessary flourishes, in the end it helped make GT stand out from the series that had just ended, Dragon Ball Z.

Dragon Ball GT‘s art may be a point of contention for some fans, but there aare just as many who appreciate the risks it took to distinguish itself.

The first Dragon Ball Super film is set to release this December in Japan, and it has just released its first trailer. The film will focus on the Saiyans, the “origins of Goku‘s power,” and potentially the story of the very first Super Saiyan. Not only does it aim to be the best film in the series, original creator Akira Toriyama will be contributing to the film’s script and character designs.

Dragon Ball Super currently airs its English dub on Adult Swim during the Toonami programming block Saturday evenings at 9:30 p.m. It is also available to stream on FunimationNOW and Amazon Video. The Japanese language release of the series is complete, and available to stream on FunimationNOW, VRV, and Crunchyroll.

If you want to catch up with the English dub, the first 52 episodes of Dragon Ball Super are now available to stream on FunimationNOW, VRV, and available to purchase on Amazon Video as well. The 52 episodes span the full range of what has aired in the North America and covers the “Battle of Gods” arc, “Revival of F” arc, the “Universe 6” arc, and bringing the series right up to the current TV airings of the “Future Trunks” arc.