Back when YouTube was still a rather up-and-coming social media website, its copyright laws were a lot less restrictive. This more content-creator-friendly atmosphere allowed users to pretty much do whatever they wanted - which resulted in a lot of parodies and spoofs of music videos, celebrities, and (perhaps most notably) anime.
Arguably one of the two most successful abridged series was Dragon Ball Z Abridged, created by TeamFourStar, a coalition of content creators founded by Scott Frerichs (KaiserNeko), Nick Landis (Lanipator), and Curtis Arnott (Takahata101). Originally a non-profit parody, the show developed so much interest and revenue for both itself and the original series. It came to take on a fully developed life of its own, outgrowing its predecessor in more ways than one.
10 It Maintained A More Tolerable Pacing
Oftentimes, 90's anime adaptions fell victim to one of two tropes. Monster-of-the-week formats or heavily expanding a singular event or fight scene to last upwards of two episodes - often resulting in the characters standing around just doing nothing. Dragon Ball Z was no exception, with some episodes largely composing of characters charging up their attacks and power levels while screaming.
The Abridged Series usually condensed various episodes into a singular installment, allowing their episodes to flow more smoothly. Fights were often more exciting, complete with characters offering witty jabs at each other and often expressing how absurd their situations were.
9 The Voice-Acting Both Matched And Improved On The Dub
Usually, when people think of parodies, the first thing that comes to mind is overacted, exaggerated, and disconnected rendition of the work it's making fun of. What made DBZ Abridged different, however, was that it felt like more than a parody. At its core, the series was ultimately a retelling of the story itself.
While there were a few exceptions, most of the characters sounded almost exactly like their dubbed counterparts (minus the sometimes childish dialogue and often overacting present in English dubs). In particular, Antfish's Android 17, KaiserNeko's Trunks, Lanpitor's Vegeta, & MasakoX's Goku were near spot-on impressions, and the entire cast was well versed in conveying dry wit, sarcasm, and even emotional weight.
8 It Featured More Sinister And Terrifying Villians
While DBZ's villains have never been a walk in the park, the way that the Abridged Series was constructed often gave them an extra "unf" in terms of power. Cell and Frieza - perhaps the franchise's most iconic villains - were each played to be even more tyrannical and sadistic than their original counterparts.
Frieza's disregard for life was amped up heavily for the Abridged version, aided in part by a hilarious and often gleeful performance by LittleKuriboh (who is also the creator of the still ongoing Yu-Gi-Oh! Abridged). Cell's flamboyant tendencies were crafted to be extremely sinister from his introduction, often singing creepy versions of songs like "Mr. Sandman," also in part aided by a masterful performance by Takahata10.
7 It Was Able To Poke Fun At Itself
When things would get really bad for DBZ's heroes, most of the time, their solution was just to stand around or stall long enough to wait for Goku... and sometimes Vegeta. They happened to do that a lot. It's a fact that The Abridged Series points out on more than one occasion, and some characters even question why they're still even trying to fight.
The Abridged Series also ridicules the "power level system" so famously broadcasted by Vegeta's "It's Over 9000!" meme, pointing out how hard it is to keep track of exactly how dangerous villains are and how only certain characters seem to be able to power up continuously.
6 Acknowledging How Messed Up Goku's Family Situation Is
A running gag in both the original show's fandom and the Abridged Series itself was Goku's rather... absent-minded parenting skills and presence. The show notes how Piccolo is essentially more of a father figure to Gohan than Goku ever has been, something Gohan is relatively grateful for, as he (like most of the other cast) considers Goku rather inept.
Chi Chi herself brings up the fact that it's rather messed up how Piccolo raised Gohan more than Goku, a fact the Sayian never denies and seems to be okay with - once even stating in a moment of rare intelligence that it was probably for the best.
5 The Dialogue & Humor Is Improved (For The Most Part)
Anime dubs often had a habit of dumbing down the dialogue of series to make it more kid-friendly or easier to understand, with varying results. Though the DBZ dub never quite resorted to calling people "granola bars", it certainly didn't have the best writing in the world.
Aside from providing plenty of laughs, TeamFourStar's writing staff was quite skilled at making equally serious and hard-hitting monologues and exchanges that solidified characters' personalities, attitudes, and powers. Like many Abridged Series, some of its earlier humor and writing is rather outdated for modern times - though the show notably faded out much of its harsher and insensitive humor as the years went by and the show grew.
4 The Overall Characterization Is Superior
Whether it was giving Vegeta monologues about how he "is the hype" or giving Android 16 a tragic background, TeamFourStar had some of the strongest characterizations of any Abridged Series to date. Their parody ultimately felt like an expansion of the show itself, and its characters didn't just fall into easily quotable tropes (though most of the series is still highly quotable).
It was a refreshing change from how other parodies would take a singular aspect of a character's personality to overexaggerate and just run with it. Viewers were watching for more than just laughs; they were genuinely invested in the story and characters.
3 It Was Better At Balancing Action With Humor
Fans of the original DBZ series tuned in week after week for one thing and one thing only: to watch unrealistically beefy men scream at each other in a remote field for 20 minutes of a 40-minute episode and then 10 minutes of actual fighting that would happen (the rest of the episode could be filled with a variety of things, such as filler arcs, important character moments, or Master Roshi being inappropriate).
As mentioned above, the crew of TeamFourStar made their series much easier to swallow - there wasn't any time wasted. Furthermore, they were able to balance their parodying humor with plenty of the show's actual fight scenes, making for a viewing experience that hit all the marks.
2 Mr. Popo's Character Was Completely Overhauled
Since the early 2000s, Mr. Popo's character has been the subject of social commentary and examination for his design and characterization. Many likened his appearance to blackface, and his role as the servant of Kami generated further criticism for its similarity to slavery. Though the argument has always been made that the West's racial issues were not as prominent in the East at the time Popo was created, the controversy surrounding him still stands.
Though some shows may have cut out Popo's character altogether to avoid controversy, TeamFourStar decided to revamp him completely. In the Abridged Continuity, Popo is probably the most powerful character in existence, not exercising his true abilities due to waiting for "the right moment." While it does little to distract from his design, it helps make him more of a character of substance.
1 This Version Gives Viewers A Satisfying End
While this may be a somewhat controversial point (considering the final season was announced but never produced), The Abridged Series ended on a high note. The threat of both Cell and the Androids had been dealt with - in both timelines - Krillin's "owned count" got down to zero, and Goku handed over the mantle of Earth's protection to his son, Gohan.
Though Majin Buu would have been the next villain to get the TeamFourStar treatment, the crew ascribed to the relatively common belief that DBZ itself started to decline in terms of storytelling after The Cell and Android Sagas. They wanted to remain satisfied with what they created, something they felt wouldn't be possible if they produced an Abridged Majin Buu saga.