This classic anime is in some ways even better than its legacy could offer

(Welcome to No time No where(a regular column dedicated to helping the uninitiated understand and appreciate the world of anime.)

Anime is more popular than ever before, and now major American studios are looking to Japanese studios to collaborate on projects based on big IP, including Lord of the Rings and DC Comics. With dozens of brilliant new shows coming out every four months, it’s hard to justify spending time watching hundreds of episodes of an old show with limited animation, especially when what made them new has been copied, remixed and parodied to death.

Take “Dragon Ball” for example. Countless manga and anime, from One Piece and Naruto to My Hero Academia and Hunter x Hunter, owe their existence to the late maestro Akira Toriyama and his work. Would live-action superhero movies like Superman pay homage to classic anime series didn’t “Dragon Ball” start a million debates in forums about who could beat goku in a fight?

It’s easy to underestimate how much of a cultural impact “Dragon Ball” (and its sequel, “Z”) has had both in Japan and abroad. This the franchise that helped save Tunami and turned a whole generation of kids into anime fans. Likewise, “Dragon Ball” itself has become synonymous with anime, and Goku has become the archetypal anime hero. (Just think how many anime characters have the same hair as him.) What other show would bring tens of thousands of people to the streets of Mexico just to watch an animated fight?

All of this means that the legacy of “Dragon Ball” is definitely unmatched. Still, if you watch Dragon Ball today, you might find that it’s a classic in some ways even better than its reputation (and our collective memory) might suggest.

In case you’ve been living under a rock for the last 40 years, “Dragon Ball” follows Son Goku, a young boy who goes on adventures around the world (and other worlds) in search of the magical dragon balls that grant any wish. . After that, the series quickly turns into a superhero story where Goku and his friends fight increasingly powerful enemies to save the world and sometimes the multiverse.

Let’s get this out of the way first: No, you should never, ever skip “Dragon Ball” and go straight to “Z.” To do so would be to miss the storytelling genius of Akira Toriyama, and most of all, his sense of humor and comedic timing. The original series isn’t about constant brawling, it’s about much more fantasy adventure inspired by Jackie Chan movies it depends on the gag comedy. (The first episode features an extended scene of tiny Goku just peeing in a river.) It only takes 11 episodes for Goku and his friends to collect all of the Dragon Balls, and even then, the first time they’re used in a joke is a wish. At every turn, the original “Dragon Ball” is a quest for the silliest gag and, with it, the most inventive and creative joke. Even when the series began to feature big tournament arcs, they were mostly about how funny it was to see tiny Goku defeat much larger and seemingly stronger opponents (or how he destroyed wave after wave of Red Ribbon Army soldiers).

Take the parade of villains Goku faces throughout the “Dragon Ball” saga (including “Z” and “Super”), many of which aren’t so much menacing or scary as hilariously silly and absurd. In fact, the very first antagonist in “Dragon Ball” was a tiny wannabe tyrant with no nose, while the Red Ribbon Army consisted of ridiculous generals. This continued in “Z” where we met Silas Ginyu (incredibly muscular warriors who are more concerned with striking a cool pose than actually fighting) or the lovable Majin Buu who turned people into chocolate and ate them.

The action in “Dragon Ball” is also second to none, both before and after the show’s shift in focus. At first, the series focuses on martial arts, with Tiny Goku performing Jackie Chan-style moves (and battling a poorly disguised Roshi master who calls himself “Jackie Chun”) against dozens of enemies in thrilling battles. (Part of what makes “Dragon Ball Daima” so good it’s that it brought back the property of martial arts inspired by martial arts.) Still, even as the show mostly turns into a superhero adventure, it continues to find new ways to raise the stakes and make each confrontation memorable and unique. Individual fights can last dozens of episodes, but every second is exciting and dynamic. The only reason Yu Yu Hakusho doesn’t conform to anime tropes and conventions that’s because “Dragon Ball” defined them in the first place.

Although much of Dragon Ball’s iconography revolves around Goku fighting, the series is much more than that. Part of being a brilliant franchise is that it can be many things and explore different genres. Perhaps Akira Toriyama never intended to make a series like Heat of the Dragon or see it develop as it did, but he made the most of it and managed to keep the story going as it developed. The story began as a fantasy adventure inspired by Journey to the West and Chinese mythology and culture, although it also included a significant amount of Goku fighting dinosaurs. And yet, “Dragon Ball” could also have a lot of futuristic sci-fi technology besides demons and aliens from distant planets. Heck, “Dragon Ball Super” even brought a multiverse.

This is the kind of “anything goes” way of creating a world that would inspire anime shows like Naruto and One Piece, creating detailed worlds that support multiple tones and characters written so vividly that they can remain recognizable even as they change. Indeed, the same Goku who used to ape and didn’t know what a car or a girl was in “Dragon Ball” is also the same Goku who becomes a Superman-like alien with superhuman powers, as well as an absentee father who trained in a paradise. and hell, but could not even get a driver’s license.

Undoubtedly, one of Dragon Ball’s greatest contributions to the world of anime was its take on friendship and making allies. Before the Fast Saga turned mortal enemies into friends you invite over for dinner, in Dragon Ball Goku was friends with anyone who once tried to kill him. Krillin went from Goku’s biggest rival as a child to his closest friend, and Yamcha became a core member of the team after one attempt to rob Goku. Even Piccolo and Vegeta, who started out as incorrigible villains, eventually changed ways, with the former becoming a surrogate father to Gohan and Vegeta turning into the best husband in the franchise. Vegeta in particular even started a trend of anime rivalries that lasted for decades and continues today. Everyone from Bakugou to Sasuke owes their arcs to Vegeta becoming Goku’s rival.

It’s been 40 years since the Dragon Ball manga started being serialized, and the world of manga and anime hasn’t been the same since. Whether you’re an anime fan who watched “Dragon Ball Z” on Toonami, someone who’s familiar with every modern fighting shonen manga but dreads going back to the original source, or just a newbie who’s never dared to watch “Dragon Ball” ” because it’s old or too long, let me assure you: the journey is worth it.

Even if you think you know what “Dragon Ball” is because of its reputation or endless memes and iconic quotes, the franchise is much more than that. It’s a fun, action-packed, heartfelt, sweet, heart-pounding, wind-bomb-launching, father-son-shooting Kamehameha epic that has more than earned its reputation as one of the best anime of all time, and certainly the most famous. Then again, there’s a reason why every anime character looks or acts a little like Goku, while time skips and power-ups are equally common in anime. It’s not just that “Dragon Ball” made them first; the point is that the show did these things so well that everyone wants to pay tribute or copy its effect.

Akira Toriyama may be gone, but “Dragon Ball” is forever.

Watch it if you like: Hunter x Hunter, My Hero Academia, Naruto.

“Dragon Ball” is currently streaming on Crunchyroll and Hulu.