Dragonball Z

LightningCountX · Post by **LightningCountX** » Wed Jul 14, 2004 5:16 pm

DragonIceX wrote:The Artist Akira Tokiyama is a disgrace to anime history.

Man, DBZ suxorz

~DRAGON~

no, he made an excellent series, when he let it go cause he knew it was enough, THEN it blew

android21 · Post by **android21** » Wed Jul 14, 2004 11:37 pm

Yeah But some people still hate him.

Infinity's End · Post by **Infinity's End** » Thu Jul 15, 2004 12:29 am

This is the wall in my bedroom:

Now that I have that out of the way, I'll tell you exactly why I love DBZ. Whether you hate it because it's played out, or because it's poorly animated, or because it takes a million eps to get one thing accomplished, or because it's tame compared to any anime you see today, you might want to look closer at any anime in existence, because all the stuff you see, whether you like it or not, wouldn't be anywhere without DBZ. DBZ is one of the pioneers of modern anime. Just like Speed Racer, Astro Boy, etc., without DBZ, there would not nearly be a phenomenon of anime as there is today. DBZ was realized in fandom with such intensity that they were forced to keep the series running way more than it should have. Now I'm not trying to convince anyone to like DBZ, because I'm sure if you hate it now, there's probably nothing I can say to make you like it, but it at least deserves a lot more respect than what it gets by "true" *cough*arrogant and self-righteous*cough* anime fans.

I will admit, I personally detest the American dub of DBZ. They basically ruined the entire series with their horrible editing, poor acting, name changes, and just an all out removal of what some key elements that make the series a great show to watch. But even after all of that, the phenomenon that DBZ has over kids young and old is still very prevalent even to this day, more than a decade after it was canceled.

DBZ in America *single-handedly* brought anime into the mainstream. Without the existence of DBZ on Cartoon Network, in which it heralded it as the "greatest action cartoon ever made," there would never have been a resurgence and newfound respect for anime in this country. Take a look at the attendence of anime conventions starting around 1998, compare it to now, and you'll see what I mean. Anime sections in stores went from becoming little shelves way in the back of the store to covering entire walls. DBZ, and all the merchandising that came with it is so strong and so popular that anime sales rose through the roof. New liscensing studios opened up, new anime series were picked up for dubbing, more kids began to learn about a new culture, and more college students began to take Japanese language classes. There is no reason why anyone who calls themself an anime fan and lives in this country should say "Dragonball Z sucks." It was so popular that they went back and re-dubbed the rest of the series, after the Ocean Group had given up on it.

Anyway, back to your topic. My favorite part of DBZ is of course the Namek saga, where Goku turns SSJ for the first time. I feel (and still do) that this is one of the greatest moments in anime history. It was groundbreaking. Like Akira, it was something that had an effect on everyone that watched it. The Android Saga and Cell were entertaining but still lacked that extra edge that the Namek saga had: a great feeling of despair, anxiety, and helplessness. And the HUGE build-up of when Goku finally lands and kicks the Ginyu Force's ass is just unforgettable.

In closing, I will say a few last things about why I love DBZ so much. I am 23 years old. Growing up, what cartoons did I have? Transformers, G.I. Joe, He-Man, Voltron, Thundercats, and old Flintsones and Scooby-Doo reruns (that STILL suck after all these years). Hell, I even watched Jem every once in a while because my sister would steal the TV from me. Looking back on these 'toons, not a single one of 'em hold a candle to DBZ. DBZ has plot (whether you accept it or not), in serial form, action, drama, humor (sexual even!), and loveable characters. What could be better. So I guess what I'm trying to say is that I yearned to have a cartoon like that in the late 80's and I felt kinda gypped for not been given that opportunity. I deserved DBZ when I was 9 just like all the young boys in Japan did--so maybe I'm playing a proverbial game of catch-up. DBZ will always hold a place in my heart, and it really saddens me when people trash it, since it still remains, historically, one of the greatest action cartoons ever made.

And as much as I love Naruto--even with all its droning filler, constant flashbacks, and monotonous talking about one single form of Ninjitsu--it's still not as cool as DBZ!

android21 · Post by **android21** » Thu Jul 15, 2004 12:31 am

Nice wall....

CerebralAssamite · Post by **CerebralAssamite** » Thu Jul 15, 2004 1:13 am

Im a dbz fan, not as huge as i used to be but still awesome to turn back to and watch from time to time.

P.S Naruto sucks. Stupid Dbz try hards.

Pie Row Maniac · Post by **Pie Row Maniac** » Thu Jul 15, 2004 5:18 am

Infinity's End wrote:This is the wall in my bedroom:

Good gravy, what did you do to your pillow!?

TheKorovaMilkbar · Post by **TheKorovaMilkbar** » Thu Jul 15, 2004 7:23 am

Good gravy, what did you do to your pillow!?

LOL

Navi en Grey · Post by **Navi en Grey** » Thu Jul 15, 2004 7:35 am

what a coincedence, you have the same posters as I used to have =/

- Navi

android21 · Post by **android21** » Thu Jul 15, 2004 8:25 am

I've got Those and more in my dresser( Clothes in closet).

I've also dot a set of IF Labs androids 13-20 On my book case.

Infinity's End · Post by **Infinity's End** » Thu Jul 15, 2004 9:00 am

Pie Row Maniac wrote: Good gravy, what did you do to your pillow!?

It's mostly bad lighting, trust me.