Dragon Ball GT Handled Its Only Transformation Better Than Dragon Ball Z’s Three
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Dragon Ball GT is the franchise’s curious black sheep entry that rubbed many long-time fans the wrong way upon its initial release in 1996. Dragon Ball GT broke new ground for the franchise as an original anime that was developed as Toei, rather than an adaptation of any Akira Toriyama source material manga. Dragon Ball GT started its short 64-episode run only a week after Dragon Ball Z’s conclusion and it stuck when the iron was still hot. Audiences were excited to see Goku’s continued adventures, now with Uub in tow, and what was next for a series that routinely traded in excess. Dragon Ball GT faced a rocky start with storytelling and tonal decisions that confused fans and seemed counterproductive to what helped Dragon Ball Z become so popular.
Dragon Ball GT’s Baby Saga was an important turning point for the series that felt more representative of Dragon Ball Z’s interests. This story arc also marks the debut of the Super Saiyan 4 transformation, which has gone on to become one of Dragon Ball GT’s most popular elements. Super Saiyan transformations are certainly nothing new for Dragon Ball. Dragon Ball Z alone introduces three major Super Saiyan transformations, which irrevocably change the series. Dragon Ball Z’s Super Saiyan, Super Saiyan 2, and Super Saiyan 3 transformations are all landmark moments. However, one could argue that Dragon Ball GT’s singular Super Saiyan 4 transformation is actually more effective and better handled than all of Dragon Ball Z’s preceding Super Saiyan forms.
There’s always considerable pomp and circumstance that surrounds each new Super Saiyan transformation, and they’ve become defining events for their respective series. Dragon Ball GT fans were beginning to worry that the sequel series wouldn’t feature a Super Saiyan 3 successor, but these fears were thankfully quelled in Dragon Ball GT Episode 34, “Back in the Game.” It takes more than half of the series to reach a new Super Saiyan milestone, but it finally happens and Dragon Ball GT is better off for it. Audiences were slightly numb to the conventional spectacle that occurs with each new Super Saiyan transformation. However, Super Saiyan 4 immediately stands out for the many ways in which it subverts expectations.
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