It's typical for exceptional, groundbreaking works of art that transcend their medium to incrementally accrue disdain over time. Fans that weren't alive to experience the original work—and who have only interfaced with media influenced by the older piece of art—have difficulty understanding the reverence that groundbreaking art receives. For example, Bruce Lee set the tone for modern kung fu films, but to most audiences under 20, Lee's movies aren't as visually impressive as Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
Dragonball has suffered a similar fate in the world of anime. Despite creating a host of tropes that modern shonen stories adhere to, Dragonball is frequently the subject of either apathy or antipathy from a growing number of contemporary anime fans. I believe a large portion of the hate Dragonball garners comes from the outdated animation of the 80s series. Modern fans might take to the timeless story, based on the ancient fable Journey to the West, if the series received a vibrant and contemporary facelift.
In the video linked above, Studio Stray Dog created a slick Dragonball fan movie that features some kinetic animation and takes brilliant creative license with the series' story and characters.
