I think NA got the nostalgia because it took so fucking long to air the whole thing. Didn't they rerun rerun the Freeza saga a dozen times before every new episode?
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Why is Dragon Ball Z so universally loved?
- Thread starter DeSo
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I think NA got the nostalgia because it took so fucking long to air the whole thing. Didn't they rerun rerun the Freeza saga a dozen times before every new episode?
TickleMeElbow
Member
It appeals to everything a boy likes in a story. Action, overcoming challenges, victory, defeat, redemption, moments of humor, moments of sadness, a grand scale, and comradery amongst characters of various personalities.
Jesus, Trunks had the most badass character introduction.
Samuraicop
Member
Kids like myself wanted to be the biggest strongest and fight. That's what they did and it kept me interested, it still does
JoeyJungle
Banned
All those cool laser beams they shoot out of their hands
Woffls
Member
Aside from being my first anime, it's wayyyy hype.
I started watching it in my first few weeks of University and remember being able to watch the first 8 episodes until Goku
, and couldn't get the next episodes. It was killing me that I couldn't see how the story played out, but luckily I found a means to acquire it over the campus network.
Needless to say, the rest of the story wasn't quite as engaging, but that's where the power fantasy stuff helps. Gohan losing his shit at Cell was just... damn. There's nothing like that.
Related: Gurren Lagann is amazing.
I started watching it in my first few weeks of University and remember being able to watch the first 8 episodes until Goku
dies or whatever
Needless to say, the rest of the story wasn't quite as engaging, but that's where the power fantasy stuff helps. Gohan losing his shit at Cell was just... damn. There's nothing like that.
Related: Gurren Lagann is amazing.
Mostly this. It got way more attention than its quality should have allowed, mostly because people saw it as kids and it was unlike a lot of stuff they saw on TV before.
Actually, that's the 5th episode (or 4th in the original US edited version), which really shows the pacing problems that the series has.
Rimon-hanit
Member
Still the reason I love it.
PeterLegend
Member
It was a big part of my childhood....
A hell of a lot of people grew up on it and its probably one of the most successful power fantasies ever. I still have a great fondness for the show though I do not think it has aged particularly well. The original show is just way too slow moving to ever re-watch and frankly Goku is a terrible character who in Super has become completely insufferable. The show would have been stronger if Gohan became the shows main protagonist.
Dragon Ball on the other hand remains a great show which has actually aged pretty well.
Dragon Ball on the other hand remains a great show which has actually aged pretty well.
Kyleripman
Member
Because we didn't know any better as kids.
Yu Yu Hakusho >> Dragon Ball >>>>> Dragon Ball Z
I'm rewatching Dragon Ball right now and holy shit am I tired of their depiction of black people.
Yeah that part is often...not great. I will say that Uub in GT was pretty awesome, for the few minutes he actually got to do something. Hope they bring him back for Super.
Uub isn't black. He just has slightly darker skin.
Mechanized
Member
Nostalgia and the fact that it was about never giving up. People could relate to Goku or Vegeta; a kind father doing his best to survive and defend what is right, and the ultimate underdog that never gave up despite being put down so many times, eventually redeeming himself to show not everyone is a lost cause.
I couldn't understand the hype because I was staying up late to watch Cowboy Bebop
You were either much older than me when DBZ was on or just a really awesome dude.
Vegeta is such a strange character when you actually think about him. The guys backstory is that he was essentially a space Nazi whose job was committing genocide but who ultimately becomes an angsty anti-hero. It's a pretty great credit to Akira Toriyama for pulling something like that off. I actually can't think of a fictional character who has committed worse crimes and become good excluding the influence of mind control.
Already Torn
Banned
Good artsyle
Good music
It's a show all about dick measuring IN SPACE
It was on TV all the time in America
The characters are cool and usually wear the same clothes
Aliens, muscles, and explosions
What's not to like? I can understand women not digging it though.
Good music
It's a show all about dick measuring IN SPACE
It was on TV all the time in America
The characters are cool and usually wear the same clothes
Aliens, muscles, and explosions
What's not to like? I can understand women not digging it though.
Kyleripman
Member
Wait seriously? I always thought he was.
jts
...hate me...
IDGAF, Gohan was the GOAT and we were robbed out of that.
Because it's a series that didn't take itself seriously and only focused on bringing tons of humor and awesome battles with badass enemies while also having a likeable cast. It was so good my dad watch it with me too! I was so lame I raised my hands the very first time I saw the ending battle with Bu when Goku was doing the Spirit bomb I had like 9 years old. Good times :')
Damn, Funimation. Doubt that's a black guy voicing him either.
Kyleripman
Member
Yikes, that's bad. Forgot about him altogether.
Isn't that essentially Hiei from Yu Yu Hakusho, except he actually wins fights.
HeartlessNobody213
Member
It's pretty amazing when I think about it. No matter what race you are, whether you're were a nerd, jock or whatever, everyone loves DBZ.
True Savior
Member
Because it's ridiculously fun.
Watching Goku start as a child and then getting older as the show progresses promotes a level of authenticity to the fantasy that, to kids, leaves a huge mark. He started like one of us and then he became that. His adventures are tangled with my own childhood.
That sort of familiarity mixed with the crazy power escalation and the set of characters, made it a special kind of entertainment.
Watching Goku start as a child and then getting older as the show progresses promotes a level of authenticity to the fantasy that, to kids, leaves a huge mark. He started like one of us and then he became that. His adventures are tangled with my own childhood.
That sort of familiarity mixed with the crazy power escalation and the set of characters, made it a special kind of entertainment.
Other than being rival characters, not really. They have different goals, different arcs, fairly different personalities.
George Washington
Member
Because always waiting for and watching Kuririn die.
Vicarious release from power up screaming and the symbolism of transcendence (SS1/SS3) afterwards. Urban people can't just spontaneously scream with pedestrians or neighbours around, and you can't just schedule a scream.
Why didn't Super and GT have the same effect as Z? SS4 was a shrunken ape, SSG an infantile Ring o' Roses game, and SSGSS an instant switch.
Why didn't Super and GT have the same effect as Z? SS4 was a shrunken ape, SSG an infantile Ring o' Roses game, and SSGSS an instant switch.
TangerineCloud
Banned
These white supremist cartoons must be stopped
Aside from what everyone has already said, it felt like the series and universe had a huge, expansive lore when I was a kid. I didn't watch from the beginning so all the callbacks and cameos made it feel it feel really expansive. Perfect for kids on the playground to trade "Did you know that when Goku was a kid..." sorts of stories.
Also cliffhangers for months. That Frieza fight was everything.
Also cliffhangers for months. That Frieza fight was everything.
I was doing both because I'm rad.I couldn't understand the hype because I was staying up late to watch Cowboy Bebop
Do you think that turning Super Saiyan makes your pubes stand up? Maybe Super Saiyan 2 makes them harden, and Super Saiyan 3 makes them all shaggy.
(Sorry.)
Both have traumatic pasts and believe themselves to be destined for greatness and willing to do evil deeds to reach them. Both are defeated by the main protagonist and go through a redeeming phase. Both see the main protagonist as a worthy rival that they will one day defeat in a rematch. Both join the team to fight for the good guys, while maintaining their anti-hero attitude. Both eventually settle down with a lady.
TBH you would have to give me context because I haven't watched Yu Yu Hakusho.
I'm rewatching Dragon Ball right now and holy shit am I tired of their depiction of black people.
Other than the unfortunate way his mouth is drawn, and his code name being black (remember, RR army assigned colors to all their high ranks), did he do anything problematic? i recall him being pretty badass and the actual master mind of the RR army.
That's really reaching imo. Vegeta's traumatic past has little to do with the way he is, his journey to being a good guy is completely different, Vegeta's rivalry is vastly more important to him,
his lady's way hotter.
You could probably transfer what you said to most rival characters.
Begs the question, how much older was Vegeta supposed to be than Goku?
Like 10 or so years older, no? Would look kinda bad on Bulma if he was the same age as Goku.
That character is one of the least offensive depiction of black people in Dragon Ball. They all have fat red tire lips, beady eyes that are much closer together, bad teeth, messy hair, etc..
Vincent Alexander
Member
Re-watching this right now with my son. He hasn't seen it before and loves it. Last night Goku nailed Frieza with the spirit bomb when we stopped last night, and our heroes think the batle is over.
Shit is about to get real....Can't wait to see how my son reacts to SSJ.
Shit is about to get real....Can't wait to see how my son reacts to SSJ.
Galactic Specter
Member
Because we didn't know any better as kids.
Yu Yu Hakusho >> Dragon Ball >>>>> Dragon Ball Z
I'm rewatching Dragon Ball right now and holy shit am I tired of their depiction of black people.
Officer Black's design was changed in the Path to Power movie so Toei probably were aware of how the original design could be considered offensive outside Japan.
Why would a 4 year age difference be bad?
Also if you go by their birth years Vegeta is 1 year older than Bulma. Goku is 4 years younger than Vegeta.
The mouth is problematic, but it is also kind of a necessary evil. The series doesn't has a big budget and a very cartoony still, so the colors are very contrast rich. If General Black would not have a pink mouth, you couldn't really see his mimic, while he kept it closed (black on dark skin). So there is less room for emotions.
Another reason for less black character (mostly in manga adoration) are the extra work. You need to ink all black characters on every panel. Many cartoonist have to draw weakly chapters, they take every shortcut necessary. That's why there aren't as many or in big roles ...
STILLethal
Member
foxuzamaki
Doesn't read OPs, especially not his own
I mean....he still does that, in fact the last 2 episodes have been him doing that in super, he's basically superman now
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