I know, one of the big mistakes about this series is its sloooooow story-telling. Nevertheless, I can't forget to mention its incredible originality for the world of anime which has played a very important role in the life of young kids and created for them a fanatism which I always had to suffer being a girl and liking Sailor Moon.
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I always hated this show, but the truth was I had never really watched it. And now, I have the oportunity to do so with a little help of Mr.DVD and WOW! This cartoon really works! It even made me belive I could fly by controlling my kii!

So anyway, if you like old school anime, you can't miss this.

I really don't understand why this show is so disliked. Sure, it takes twenty episodes to get anywhere, sure power level three million is easily attainable, and death is not existent, but hey it's fun.

The Dragonball formula is easy to break down. A threat is coming (10 episodes). Goku attempts to train harder (20 episodes). The threat arrives, and much smack talk ensues (50 episodes). The fight begins, and Goku generally gets whooped (20 episodes). Goku somehow manages to gain a whole new power level and unbeatable power (30 episodes). Finally the threat is taken care of (50 episodes). And voila, everyone who died is wished back, and we have some filler (3 episodes). Rinse and Repeat, and you've got Dragon Ball Z.

It's dumb and repetitive, but its a darn good time. All the characters are likeable, and the one-liners can even be clever. Dragon Ball Z is enjoyable to watch even though I know everybody will be fine, and I also know exactly what will happen each episode.

Dragon Ball Z may not be the greatest example of story telling, but it sure is fun.

"Dragonball Z" might be one of Japan's most well known and famous animés, but I believe that its reputation is overrated, even for its time. There are a number of aspects I could cover in order to explain why I don't like it. The never ending, ever growing power of the characters. The weak plots don't help either. And the insanely ridiculous fights are also another reason not to watch it. Also, if you haven't seen it, you'll need to see "Dragonball" first in order to understand "Dragonball Z".
My advice: don't bother watching this.

A main character that dies and then comes back to live, several times, isn't one that you can gain any feeling of worry for. The immensely prolonged fights which take more episodes to come to their conclusion than other (and better) shows have lasted in their entirety, isn't something that I can say is justifiable. Oh and some of the worse dubbing in the history of dubbing (Maybe the Japanese language version is better, but I'm in no hurry to find out). The "high octane action" would be fine and dandy, if the action didn't consist of the characters standing looking one another, trash-talking about how they are the most powerful being in the known universe and can't possibly be beaten. And when the fights do start they tend to recycle animation a awful lot more than is good for any series, yes its a method to bring down costs, that's why it looks so cheap. If only the Eternal Dragon could grant my wish, that I had never seen this monstrosity.

Okay, I will admit it. I really enjoy this series.

Of course, I've also read the manga, which is the basis of the popular series (both Dragonball and Dragonball Z), but the anime adds a voice to these powerful (and sometimes not-so powerful) characters. Sure, the DBZ craze has been run into the ground and destroyed, but that's mainly because of the recent dubs and what has been shown on television.

But, if you watch the show in its original form and think about the fact that this show was created in the 1980s, maybe fans could appreciate it more for what it is.

I give this 3.5 stars mainly because of the large amount of filler that the show offers (like a driving lesson episode (?) and a couple of episode sagas that were brand-new to the series) and the longevity of many of the major fights. But at least the characters are many and the villains are quite interesting.

I say, give DBZ a chance (especially with the new uncut DVDs that are out now) and you may be surprised on how much you'll enjoy the personalities of good and evil. It's got action, comedy, violence, adventure, and mystical powers that will make you want more.

After a good and interesting "Dragon Ball" series, this crap came to follow it. Simply put,this one of the worst animes ever created.This show is strictly for pre-teens with with attention spans lasting a millisecound, the mindless stories and the dragged out fights will definetly attract this age group. I highly suggest you check out the vastly superior "Dragon Ball" series instead.

Edit: Since Juuchan brought it up, I have seen original japanese versions. There are differences that do hinder the quality of the show, but not that much.

The original Dragonball is played more for laughs. Dragonball Z ups the ante a hundred fold in terms of violence and things getting destroyed. There's a plot buried somewhere in all this nonsense. Apparently superpowered alien villains want to control the galaxy and enslave races, and if you find and gather all the dragon balls, your wish will be granted without question. But this overstuffed, overrated anime is just an excuse to show off triangle-eyed, muscle-bound freaks who can cast mountain-destroying powers and fight at superhuman speeds. The episodes are always the same. Hero A gets his butt whooped by Villain B so Hero A goes "I must gather all my power or all is lost". So Hero A somehow discovers yet even more power buried within himself, and that turns out to be just enough to beat Villain B. The anime is nothing but yak about power levels and everybody just keeps going up and up without limits. But Dragon Ball Z isn't just about fighting. The heroes and villains talk trash to each other so much that a fight or a story arc that should last only 30 minutes gets dragged out on and on to several or more episodes. It's enough to make one pull out one's hair and go "Get it over with already!" And Goku is the worst superhero ever made. He dies multiple times and always comes back to life. How are we supposed to feel any emotional connection to something like that? I really don't see the appeal of this show.