Manga's Greatest Masterpiece Makes Dragon Ball Feel Pointless

Published Oct 18, 2026, 11:59 PM EDT An experienced Editor representing Canada via ScreenRant's Team Anime, J.R. has been reading manga since the first printing of Shonen Jump in North America. This passion drove him to write about anime, manga, and manhwa since 2022, having recently served as Lead Anime Editor for ComicBook.com. His favorite moments in media coverage include reviewing the series premieres of Zom 100 and Bleach: TYBW Part 2 back-to-back and briefly meeting Junji Ito at a VIZ gallery event in 2023. Sign in to your ScreenRant account For entire generations of anime fans worldwide, Dragon Ball has transcended its limits as a franchise and became an institution for many. It's regarded as a perennial favorite among the Millennial generation, yet its also crossed generation gaps with new productions and stories thanks to Dragon Ball Super's manga and anime, as well as other projects like Daima and various video games. But with Dragon Ball Super's future understandably in doubt, even if it has a reasonable path forward, some readers might understandably branch out. Dragon Ball is what got many into the world of manga and anime, and has influenced countless franchises, but it's not alone in that feat. While Dragon Ball is reasonably considered the most classic gateway franchise for future otaku or casual anime fans, similarly old stories occupy other spots in people's hearts, gaining greater fixation with each passing year. Such is the case of Berserk, perhaps the longest-serving gateway series for seinen audiences (18-40+) as compared to Dragon Ball's shonen appeal. Created by Kentaro Miura and amassing critical acclaim as well as a not-insignificant sales impact of its own, Berserk is a masterpiece that has now successfully changed hands following his death, while fans continue waiting for new Dragon Ball stories to be told. While certainly not a case for abandonment, it's entirely fair to see what experiences Berserk offers, what Dragon Ball lacks, and vice versa. Dragon Ball Has Better Anime, But Berserk's Manga Is A Stunning Visual Showcase Right off the bat, it's important to recognize that by saying Berserk's art is gorgeous, is not to say Akira Toriyama's work on Dragon Ball, or Toyotaro's work on Dragon Ball Super, is by any means bad. Relying on vastly different styles and conveying entirely alternating genres between the two franchises, one can genuinely have a preference of one over the other. But it's impossible to deny that Berserk's visuals, especially for those who only grew passively familiar with anime through Dragon Ball and similar stories, pop particularly on the page. Toriyama's expressive character designs, dynamic action, and strong linework were undeniable, but Miura's growth over time become uniquely rewarding for readers through each arc. Berserk arguably starts on uneven ground, achieving momentary brilliance in its Black Swordsman Arc with some fascinating M.C. Escher influence on its striking God Hand debut. But it doesn't truly grasp at its future greatness until the Golden Age Arc, arguably peaking with its visuals in the Millennium Falcon Arc. Its ongoing Fantasia Arc is admittedly in a tougher spot following Miura's passing, but even then it's achieved remarkably elegant visuals, and depicted colossal dark fantasy horrors evoking concepts out of everything from Hieronymous Bosch to Go Nagai. Berserk's manga has incredible panels, and its two-page spreads are a singular selling point for readers to pick up Dark Horse's fantastic Deluxe Edition hardcovers. That being said, it's important to address the other sides to the visual arguments. Dragon Ball's various anime productions have generally been well-regarded as beloved Toei Animation products that are still looked upon fondly. Meanwhile, Berserk has now had three official anime projects, none of which appear to competently handle the series past the Black Swordsman and Golden Age eras. It's especially frustrating, as the most visually-striking moments from the manga are either underwhelmingly adapted, or skipped entirely, such as the entire Wyald segment being omitted, for understandable reasons. Berserk Has A Clearer Path Forward An unfortunate connection already made between these two franchises is how much their fans love their respective creators, and how both passed away only a few years apart. Toriyama's passing particularly felt like a global moment of mourning among generations of fans, and the state of limbo directly following it affected the manga's progression. While the manga largely still remains under Shueisha's control, tensions between the publisher and Capsule Corp Tokyo made for a significant period of uncertainty to follow. Now, the manga's existing arcs are continuing to be adapted with Dragon Ball Super: The Galactic Patrol, but there is no clear answer on when actual new story arcs, such as the Black Frieza Saga, will hit V Jump. Meanwhile, Berserk encountered a period of mourning itself. Following Miura's death in 2021, the series encountered a hiatus lasting roughly 1 year and 1.5 months. It's since released new chapters at a snail's pace, most recently having an impressive (for Berserk) burst of three chapters over the summer, but it has overcome some of the most daunting narrative hurdles left in Miura's wake, following a devastating cliffhanger that threw Guts into over 20 chapters' worth of despair. Now, having overcome that in the most recent chapters, with Studio Gaga and Miura's closest friend, Kouji Mori, overseeing its production, Guts has a way forward, seemingly overcoming his abyssal despair, lingering desire for vengeance, and even gaining attunement to the Astral Realm. Dragon Ball Super similarly has potential to move forward, although its hype could risk waning, to no fault of Toyotaros as he clearly wants to continue, should the manga continue remaining on hiatus. Guts and the Kushans are increasingly likely to face off against Falconia and Griffith's might, with massive cathartic developments making their fight seem far less hopeless now. But for Dragon Ball, despite looming villainous threats and the integration of new forms introduced in the 2022 Super Hero movie, there's not as much to work with, for now. Dragon Ball Makes New Fans Of The Medium, But Berserk Is The Next Step Up There's simply nothing wrong with enjoying Dragon Ball as a franchise. It's fun, the characters are incredibly memorable, and Toriyama's humor cuts through much of even its darkest eras. One-time existential threats to Earth have become surprisingly wholesome father figures like Vegeta, and old villains like Piccolo became icons among the fandom and arguably a better parent than Goku. Even Goku's depiction varies from the Japanese original to the West, painting over his more basic thrill-seeking motivations with something more noble. But Berserk surprisingly has many of the same fun and layered elements to itself. Past the usual imagery co-opted by gym bros and predictable quotes even the most casual fans will know, the series has surprisingly light moments thanks to characters like Isidro and Puck. But more importantly, its primary character, Guts, has profound moments of growth where he faces trauma backed by the support of his friends and allies, instead of lashing out and causing immense suffering, such as how Griffith addressed his. Previously ineffectual and weak characters like Farnese, overwhelmed with the world's horrors, found their purpose and grew into spotlight-worthy moments, becoming incredible savior figures, unlike much of Dragon Ball's cast fading into the background save for rare Yamcha redemption moments. Each character in Berserk is carefully crafted with a significant arc of their own and major obstacles to clear. Conversely, much of the core message of Dragon Ball Super, by this point, continues to be about self-improvement and breaking past one's limits, but in simpler battle shonen terms, although Vegeta's character arc continues to be an enormous highlight. To say Dragon Ball is bad would be to deny the genuinely great moments the franchise has had, even if its timeline is rather messy depending on who one may ask. It's a beloved series for a reason, after all, and that will simply never change. But for manga readers looking for something more challenging, demanding, and ultimately rewarding, Berserk continues to be the answer as a shining example of what the medium can achieve for people looking past hype moments and aura farming. It's exceedingly gorgeous, has enormously memorable moments of its own, and as of the most recent chapters, its cast and characters have a meaningful path forward, beyond the next big bad alone. Created by Akira Toriyama First Film Dragon Ball: Curse of the Blood Rubies Latest Film Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero First TV Show Dragon Ball Latest TV Show Super Dragon Ball Heroes First Episode Air Date April 26, 1989 From the creative mind of Akira Toriyama, Dragon Ball is a mega multimedia franchise that spans back to the 1980s. Dragon Ball expanded quickly, starting as a serialized manga for Weekly Shonen Jump in Japan. It made its way overseas via manga and an anime adaptation that is enjoyed worldwide. Dragon Ball was the initial starting animated series that followed the adventures of the young Son Goku as he sought after the Dragon Balls. These mystical orbs would grant the wish of any who gathered them together. Then, the series would branch off into the immensely popular Dragon Ball Z, which followed Goku as an adult and featured high-intensity battles and Goku's never-ending search to be the strongest. The series has also enjoyed several popular video game adaptations and continues to release several new animated series and theatrical films up to the recent popular Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero. Created by Kentaro Miura, Kouji Mori First Film Berserk: The Golden Age Arc 1: The Egg of the King Latest Film Berserk: The Golden Age Arc 3: The Advent First TV Show Berserk Latest TV Show Berserk First Episode Air Date October 7, 1997 Berserk is a dark fantasy manga series by Kentaro Miura, first published in 1989. Set in a medieval Europe-inspired world, it follows Guts, a lone mercenary, and his struggle against demonic forces after his betrayal by Griffith, leader of the Band of the Hawk. The franchise has expanded into multiple anime series, films, video games, and merchandise.