I think Dragon Ball original is the best. Why? Because it kinda makes more sense.
First of all, the title itself is more than explicit, this anime was meant to show the fight for those balls that are able to summon the dragon and grant wishes, and all the adventures that are born from it. And it really was a thing, because in order to find the balls you had to own special devices, and a trip around the world was huge stuff. Nowadays, it's really a matter of minutes/hours to gather the balls and summon the dragon... and they don't have any competition anymore (in DB there was emperor Pilaf and Red Ribbon army who really meant something). That's why death was an actual consequence and could break a heart, unlike now. I know that revivals per person are limited, but in DB if you fought and got injured/dead it was a big deal, they didn't have the access to senzu beans and dragon balls that they have now.
Also, people had to work hard to achieve things. Remember when master Roshi was a real thing? He was maybe the most powerful human back then (he was able to destroy the moon ffs!) and had fancy techniques, including Evil Containment... Goku and Krillin looked up to him and the training he put them through was difficult for them. Moving a big rock with their bare hands was a wow back then. And remember when they didn't know how to fly? It was a challenge to get from one place to another, in time. Also it was a challenge for Goku to climb the Korin tower (and Korin was also a thing back then) and also fight with enemies like General Tao or Tien Shinhan, who are mere humans. Goku took a lot of beatings which only helped him get stronger and he was actually scared to die (unlike now when he's willing to die because the other world is a nice place also). It's interesting to see his gradual growth and development, and trying to win through martial arts and lots of effort, instead of always pulling an ace up his sleeve, making his victories only look...fortunate.
Third thing, all those power levels things went like crazy. In DB, all the side characters (Bulma, Yamcha, Krillin, Tien, Chaotzu, Roshi, even Oolong and Puar...we can also include Piccolo) were contributing to the plot. And some had to work hard as well. But over time, in DBZ, their roles went downhill to... just a part of the scenery, or watching the fights, or trying but dying the first minute, or delivering stuff from one place to another like postmen or etc etc. Now it's mostly about the saiyans and various overpowered monsters than only saiyans can stand. Dragon balls are just a...stuff and that'd be it. Not to mention that they don't focus on the hard work part anymore. I was baffled to see how long it took Goku, Gohan and Vegeta to reach SSJ, but then Goten and Trunks, who are only around 8-years-old, had it just like that; it's a child's play for them. It's like producers got bored at some point to create background stories and character development and went like 'let's give them SSJ to check that on our to-do list; story behind it: whatever'.
And don't even get me started on the OP enemies... Of course it takes a strong nemesis to make the characters grow, but they are like: saiyans, very powerful aliens, we gotta train like fuck to beat them. Then they barely beat them and here comes Frieza, who is so strong he/she (for me it was always a she, lol) could destroy a planetful of them. But Goku barely beats Frieza then here comes Cell, who is so strong he could eat Frieza with no fight. And so on, and so on...
But, I don't say DBZ entirely sucks. What I mostly like about it is the development of Gohan as a kid (he's one of the best newly introduced characters for me) who still kept the last remainings of the 'hard work institution' from the first series. He had a native power, but they didn't make him go overboard with it. He had to train hard and it's interesting to see his journey from a pussy, soft crybaby to an ambitious, courageous and ultimately strong young man. I also enjoyed his relationship with Piccolo and would have liked to see more of it (not in that way, you pervs). It's sweet how he was his father's arch enemy and killed him in the past, but then he clinged on to that molecule of good that he had within to join in saving the earth... only to develop that molecule while training and spending time with Gohan, who gave him a new purpose in life. He started out rather hurting Gohan and putting his life in danger or in hazard but I think it was Gohan's pure and good nature that changed him. For me it's one of the best, non-abusive (...later) relationships in Dragon Ball universe... maybe even in anime.
And DBGT... I didn't dare yet to watch it... Too many bad reviews lol.
Now what's left for me is Super. |