Z has its moments, but I do not have as much affection for that saga as other people. Buu saga was better. But before Dragon Ball Super aired, my interest in this franchise had waned. The stories felt repetitive. I was starting to lose interest by the time the Cell Games came around.
Dragon Ball Super pulled me back in because it felt like a fresh start. It started on the right footing, and it got better with each passing season. Trunks came back. We caught glimpses of the potential Toriyama promised us decades ago when Gohan fought Cell. It looked like Krillin would finally get his moment in the sun.
Then the tournament arc started, and everything went downhill. DB Super fell back into the same repetitive patterns. The choreography was lazy, and the power scaling made no sense. As always, everyone that was not Vegeta or Goku lost relevance. I hated that final arc.
And yet, here I am, telling people to give DB Super another chance. My opinion of the show remains the same, but read the manga. I know what some of you think. If the show was as bad as I say, surely the manga is even worse. Well, it is not.
People started praising the manga before the show ended. Back then, the manga was several chapters behind the anime. While it followed the same trajectory, those who read it praised Toriyama for essentially executing the events of the anime more deftly.
I don’t know if that praise was deserved. I started reading DB Super from chapter 60. It doesn’t reflect positively on the story that I skipped all the chapters that came before, yet I understand everything that has happened thus far in the current arc.
But in a way, that is a compliment. DB Super is simple; it welcomes newcomers. You don’t have to understand the lore to enjoy Goku’s conflict with Granola.
The most surprising aspect of this manga is the fight scenes. The action in this franchise is incredibly fast-paced. You wouldn’t expect such frenetic choreography to translate effectively on paper. But it works.
The art is easy to comprehend. Your eyes will jump from panel to panel without slowing. More importantly, the action scenes do not wear out their welcome.
Most of the significant fights end within one or two chapters. The story has elements of nuance and subtlety that I don’t expect to see in the franchise. Don’t get me wrong; the manga is hardly a masterpiece, but it doesn’t have to be.
DB Super is so entertaining that I actually look forward to the new chapter each month. If you know anything about Dragon Ball, you can start reading the manga from the current arc.
If you like what you see, you can jump back to the beginning. DB Super is just 77 chapters long so far. It won’t take you long to catch up.
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