Dragon Ball Z (1989)

Dragon Ball Z has some filler episodes that slow the pacing. Get past them. The story arcs surrounding Majin Vegeta vs Goku are worth every minute of slower content. The best parts are genuinely great.

Dragon Ball Z raises the bar for what anime can look like. The action sequences are choreographed and animated with a level of craft that live action can't match. Vegeta's arc from villain to antihero is jaw-dropping every single time.

Dragon Ball Z has moments that hit harder than any film I've seen this year. Frieza saga completely wrecked me. Akira Toriyama has an understanding of grief, hope and the human condition that is genuinely exceptional.

Dragon Ball Z has one of the great anime soundtracks. The music elevates emotional scenes to something transcendent. Vegeta's arc from villain to antihero is made three times more impactful by the score. Akira Toriyama clearly understood how music and image work together.

Dragon Ball Z was the first anime I watched and it set an impossibly high standard. The story of Gohan explores redemption and rivalry with a maturity I didn't expect. I've watched dozens of anime since and this remains the peak.

Dragon Ball Z establishes its world, characters, and stakes within the first three episodes. There's no wasted time. Gohan is immediately compelling and redemption and rivalry is clearly defined. A sign of confident purposeful writing.

I always skipped anime. A friend made me watch Dragon Ball Z and now I understand the fuss. the Saiyan warrior spirit is explored in ways that make Western animation feel shallow by comparison. Just try it.

Dragon Ball Z took narrative risks that paid off completely. Akira Toriyama's willingness to subvert expectations while honouring its themes makes it genuinely original. The Cell Games arc is one of the great story arcs in all of fiction.

Dragon Ball Z uses its genre conventions to explore pushing beyond limits in genuinely surprising ways. Akira Toriyama's work rewards careful attention. There are layers here that only reveal themselves on rewatch.

Great stories need great antagonists. Dragon Ball Z's villain understands that the most compelling opposition comes from someone with internally coherent logic. The conflict between Goku and the antagonist is one of the great rivalries.