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Twitter user @zukudaking recently tweeted out a Dragon Ball versus One Piece question to followers, which has since grown to trending levels. The question posed is whether or not Luffy becoming the Pirate King will overthrow Goku's initial Super Saiyan transformation as the most iconic Shonen moment.
Obviously, and understandably, this has ruffled the feathers and gotten the attention of many One Piece (OP) and Dragon Ball (DB) fans. The two fan bases are arguing over which will be the more iconic moment, each bringing up some good points.
Superior iconicism debate between One Piece and Dragon Ball gets attention from both sides' fans
One Piece vs Dragon Ball: DB argument
In the recently sparked OP Pirate King versus DB Super Saiyan debate, fans of the latter were quick to get involved and shut down arguments. Various points were made, with a few popular ones recurring.
Primarily, many people seemed to be defaulting to power levels and power scaling to shut down the OP versus DB debate. Despite not being incredibly relevant to the conversation, fans cited it in defense of Goku's iconicism.
Original poster @zukudaking sent out an additional tweet, sharing their opinion. They argued that in the general world, Super Saiyan would remain the superior moment in terms of iconicism as Dragon Ball Z is more mainstream in popularity.
They also argued that within the animanga community at large, OP's Pirate King crowning would be more iconic. This is an incredibly fair assessment, despite upsetting some DB fans.
Most other Dragon Ball fans involved also cited international popularity as their series' lynchpin for success. Other popular arguments were the difference in one being the achievement of a goal versus the other being a transformation.
A final, interesting point was the industry effects and ripples Goku's initial Super Saiyan transformation years ago had. Some fans correctly pointed out that nearly any series with a transformation since Super Saiyan was revealed was likely inspired by the moment.
One Piece argument
One Piece fans, however, defended Luffy's Pirate King coronation just as hard as Dragon Ball fans supported Super Saiyan.
Many cited the series' length and buildup to Luffy's final goal as to why it will eventually be more iconic. In terms of writing and planning, One Piece certainly has the superior overarching plot and long-term planning skills.
Others chose to point out DB's flaws, saying that the original moment has been since watered down by more and more transformations. While these were arguably necessary to further the story while still making future villains a threat, it remains a good point.
Even more are choosing to point out the real-life accolades of the series, such as popularity and manga sales. One user, in particular, implied their real-life experience of seeing exclusively OP merchandise in highly rural, backwood areas, meant to highlight the series' universal popularity.
Another user pointed out that, within Japan, One Piece is a much bigger draw than DB is contemporarily. While other users accurately pointed out recent sales for the series have gone down, OP is still generally more popular and generates more revenue than DB.
Finally, a user pointed out how the Super Saiyan transformation is somewhat of a niche hit these days. Many modern anime fans have likely never seen the transformation, instead getting started on recent series like Demon Slayer and My Hero Academia.
In summation
Whatever the reader's opinion is, it's clear both Dragon Ball Z's Super Saiyan transformation and One Piece's Pirate King coronation will be some of animanga's most iconic moments. Both fans are clearly devoted to their series and the respective iconic moments they built or are building towards.
In any debate, it's important to remember to be courteous to those part of the discussions. Whether the topic is power scaling or something more abstract like this particular topic, everyone involved is an animanga fan and community member.
Be sure to keep up with all One Piece and Dragon Ball news as 2022 progresses.
