5 Anime With Better Writing Than Dragon Ball

Dragon Ball is one of the most famous anime of all time; it might even be the most famous (especially if we consider Pokemonanother giant series, is better known for its games). While the story is great and creative, many fans are still disappointed by the writing, with a lot of inconsistencies and plot holes (and in some cases retcons).

Although many will argue otherwise, a story does not need a perfect plot to be enjoyable. In fact, it is very easy to find inconsistencies in any long series if we start nitpicking (although yes, Dragon Ball could fill the list with obvious inconsistencies). However, there are many great anime series that combine action, battles and a better plot compared to Dragon Ball. Still, the goal of this list is mostly to introduce a few anime series that have good plots and that you might enjoy Dragon Ball fans rather than someone getting angry about writing flaws or something like that.

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A man with a chainsaw

One of the best modern Shonen series

A man with a chainsaw still ongoing (new season coming soon) but so far has a better plot than Dragon Ball. as mentioned Dragon Ball has never been a plot-driven series, in the sense of a story trying to deliver something deep. It's just a simple story with a lot of power scaling and alien monsters.

A man with a chainsaw, on the other hand, it has a dense story, carefully crafted by Tatsuki Fujimoto. They have to keep their facts straight with plot consistency in such ways Dragon Ball he'll probably never need to, which is exactly why Fujimoto's writing excels without skimping on the action. And since the battles are also pretty good and exciting, that's something Dragon Ball Fans can also enjoy reading.

Yu Yu Hakusho

Classic manga by Yoshihiro Togashi

Yu Yu Hakusho is another classic shonen series that became a worldwide hit in the 1990s and 2000s. Yoshihiro Togashi was influenced by Akira Toriyama's work and infused his humor into the story, though Yu Yu Hakusho has a more serious tone compared to Dragon Ball.

Togashi is a talented writer and both Yu Yu Hakusho and Hunter x Hunter are long but consistent stories (a rare feat for a long manga). The fight scenes are also excellent. Yu Yu Hakusho it even features 'tournaments of strength' that make any Dragon Ball fan excited.

Puella Magi Madoka Magica

Magical girls with great battles and plots

Madoka Magica is known for trying to fool his audience with cute girls that hide a darker plot that is slowly revealed from the 3rd episode. With many plot twists, Madoka Magica it still holds its own and delivers a story that is very tragic, very deep, but masterfully written, with basically no loose ends (well, fans disagree about the sequel).

The series also made many shonen anime fans get into the magical girl genre due to its darker themes and violence. While some of the tension is psychological, there's still some focus on the battles, so it qualifies for this list. Although very different from Dragon Ball in tone and composition, it's still something fans could enjoy (technically there's transformation, power scaling, aliens, and battles).

Futari wa Precure (Pretty Cure)

Daisuke Nishio “Dragon Ball for Girls”

This may come as a surprise to many, but to everyone Precure periods generally have a consistent plot. From Precure entries are only about 52 episodes long, it's easier to write a story without plot holes. What is special about it Futari wa Precurethe first anime of the franchise, is that it was directed by Daisuke Nishio. Nishio was Dragon Ball Zdirector from episode 1 to episode 199 (meaning from the beginning to the beginning of the Buu Saga). Therefore, this series is often called “Dragon Ball for girls.”

Therefore, when it comes to action and battle, Futari wa Precure relies on many shonen anime sources. It's like mixing Dragon Ball and Magical girls (with a bit Power Rangers spice). So yes, fans will find good writing, great action, and awesome battles – the later series have more “magical” battles, but Futari wa Precure is increasingly about physical contact which probably comes from Nishi's experience with DBZ. It's certainly not like the plot is trying to be very clever or anything, but it's still pretty consistent and well-watched, with many light-hearted and funny moments.

Naruto

One of Jump's “Big Three” series from 2000

Although Naruto and Dragon Ball have long been the subject of fandom wars, with both Naruto fans are trying to discredit him Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball fans argue that Naruto represented a “new, bad shonen anime” (when the series was still running on TV), it's a fact that Naruto not only has a deeper plot compared to Dragon Ballbut also more consistent. However, it is important to say that Kishimoto was influenced Dragon Ball.

Of course, that doesn't mean Naruto it's perfect, with zero plot holes. But Toriyama clearly cared more about action (and humor) than plot continuity. That's not to say Toriyama doesn't care about consistency at all; it's just that it's hard to sustain a story over the years, and not all writers have the patience for that. This is not a downside to Toriyama's work; it's more about style. Dragon Ball was originally a lighthearted story that was not intended to become a dense manga.

Dragon Ball

Release date

1986 – 1989

Network

Fuji TV

directors

Osamu Kasai, Daisuke Nishio, Kazuhisa Takenouchi, Minoru Okazaki, Mitsuo Hashimoto, Yoshihiro Ueda, Yutaka Satoh, Yûji Endô

Writers

Akira Toriyama, Keiji Terui, Toshiki Inoue, Takao Koyama, Michiru Shimada, Yasushi Hirano, Katsuyuki Sumisawa, Yuichiro Oguro, Miho Maruo, Shunichi Yukimuro

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  Masako Nozawa

  Son Goku (voice)

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  Mayumi Tanaka

  Krillin (voice)