It's just so weird hearing Goku curse.

[linkdude20002001]

As much as I think it's stupid that words like "damn", "shit", and "bastard" are considered "bad" words, Dragon Ball shouldn't have such words in it. It's a children's show, so it has to follow the standards of a children's show. Then again...it has nudity, which isn't allowed on children's cartoons in English speaking countries... :/

[thedarkuniter]

The way I see it, I find Dragon Ball the series itself to be aimed towards teenagers and young or some cases older adults than younger kids. Like you mention, some of the nudity, swearing and perverted stuff aren't in a typical cartoon for younger kids ( at least for international audiences).

[Cipher]

As much as I think it's stupid that words like "damn", "shit", and "bastard" are considered "bad" words, Dragon Ball shouldn't have such words in it. It's a children's show, so it has to follow the standards of a children's show. Then again...it has nudity, which isn't allowed on children's cartoons in English speaking countries... :/

See, that's the problem. The show doesn't really dumb itself down (apart from being pretty ridiculous in the first place), so it's jarring to hear characters in dire situations saying "darn," and other psuedo-swears.

At the same time, it's a children's show, it acts like a children's show in most ways, and whether you know it or not you expect it to conform to certain children's show standards. So really strong language is out. If they're going to go fully realistic with things like that, the show just falls apart.

So I think light cursing like "damn" et all is a decent solution.

The way I see it, I find Dragon Ball the series itself to be aimed towards teenagers and young or some cases older adults than younger kids. Like you mention, some of the nudity, swearing and perverted stuff aren't in a typical cartoon for younger kids ( at least for international audiences).

There's no way Dragon Ball holds up as a show for late teens or adults. It's not nearly consistent or realistic enough (even by its own zany logic). It's just a children's show produced under the broadcasting standards and cultural expectations of 1980s Japan, rather than modern day America.

So how do you translate that same experience while keeping content appropriate for the same age group? Again, "damn," "Hell," "bastard," etc should all work fine. They're realistic enough so that they don't feel like awkward censoring, but not so inappropriate that most people (should) have problems letting a younger child hear them. They really hit an "all-ages" mark, which is what Dragon Ball should be going for anyway.

[thedarkuniter]

I didn't say older teens, just the term teenagers, like in a group. Even with light swearing, people wouldn't take it lightly as there as some over-protected parents and certainly some parents wouldn't want to see their child exposed to nudity either especially early Dragon Ball nudity.

[Mewzard]

I would put Dragon Ball at the middle of the road for Shonens with content issues. I'd say YYH goes above for playing things a bit darker, it's own share of violence, and a dub not afraid to add more than we usually get with DB. But in terms of 80s Shonen? It's nothing. Fist of the North Star, Jojo's Bizarre Adventures, Saint Seiya, all those series had violence that surpassed Dragon Ball manga-wise (from the "every moment is gory and detailed" Fist of the North Star, to Saint Seiya's occasional "I'll fake you out with an illusional decapitation or heart being ripped out and still beating).

Language is a non-issue in Japan. They don't have curse words, they can speak rude though (unless you count some anime having people swear in English, which has happened on occasion, like Sonic randomly saying "Shit!" in English early on in Sonic X's Japanese version).

That said, I can't see damn as a curse word anymore, and bastard's not that bad. We never got anything major so far (to my knowledge), but Guldo's one use of shit before his death (well, two, if I want to reference South Park on death, lol).

What should Goku say in place of "Damn"? Golly (Gadget owns that)? Great Scott/Rao (Supes had that one, and post Z Goku's origin is close enough to Supes' without giving him old Silver Age/TV lingo)? Just stick with small, simple stuff, I say.

[thedarkuniter]

I almost forgotten about comparing Dragon Ball to Fist of the North Star, that show is very awesome in itself and I guess if you are to compare it that way, yes you are right. Its even more hard to think of Fist of the North Star as a kid's show, so bloody. Still, I can't help to think that the nudity in Dragon Ball gives its adult feeling to me. Its still very unusual to see American cartoons to have full frontal nudity like Goku.

[Mewzard]

I almost forgotten about comparing Dragon Ball to Fist of the North Star, that show is very awesome in itself and I guess if you are to compare it that way, yes you are right. Its even more hard to think of Fist of the North Star as a kid's show, so bloody. Still, I can't help to think that the nudity in Dragon Ball gives its feeling adult feeling to me. Its still very unusual to see American cartoons to have full frontal nudity like Goku.

Yet don't forget, Fist of the North Star was in Weekly Shonen Jump, like Dragon Ball was. In fact, by the time Fist of the North Star ended it's Weekly Shonen Jump run, Dragon Ball was over a year into it's run. So, we had exploding Martial Arts right next door to more comedic action Martial Arts.

As for nudity, Goku's just an innocent kid, Japan doesn't care when little boys run around fully showing things. Nothing sexualized to them about that (well...not to the editors and average joe). Full grown adults, though? Nope. In fact, you can't even show the privates uncensored in Japan, even in adult material (oddly enough).

It's all cultural, and generational. It's not only because it was in Japan, but 80s Japan that it turned out the way it did. You used to see a woman's nipples occasionally in Shonen back in the 80s. Now? Rarely, if ever. That's saved for higher rated stuff (or at least non-SJ magazines).

Culture and the Times changing them do affect what is acceptable for someone to watch at a certain age (or at all, in some cases). It's just how the world works. So, that's why cursing isn't an issue for Japan (Culture), and why it can be here (translational, and cultural reasons).

Swearing covers extreme rudeness. If we directly tried rude comments, we'd never be able to take it seriously. I'd give an example, but it'd be too silly not to laugh at.

[Cold Skin]

It is true that I can hardly imagine Goku saying vulgar words, he will remain quite polite unlike other characters like Vegeta. That is what was actually chosen and explained in the French retranslated manga, where he says things like "damn" even in the worst situations, but never says "shit", "fuck", "bastard", "asshole" and so on unlike other characters. It is said that it wouldn't fit his character, as the Japanese language makes him somebody who shows natural kindness and total lack of aggressive behavior just by the way he speaks: therefore, in French, somebody speaking unusually which you can't imagine as a threat would be somebody who speaks in a familiar, carefree way but cares to never use vulgar words... which you never encounter in reality of course, that's what makes Goku special just by the way he speaks, you would never see anyone about to die just say "damn".

[sangofe]

In Japanese language, cursing isn't a big deal unlike English. Goku says many abusive epithets like "chikushou", but such words are even used by primary school teachers. There is no word that found as much dirty as fuck or shit in Japanese.

Hey, it's not really a big deal to curse in English I tell ya, at least it was not in Australia, and I know for sure it's not in the UK. A little bit off topic, but what would "shit" be in Japanese?

[kei17]

A little bit off topic, but what would "shit" be in Japanese?

"kuso" literally means shit, but is not as much offensive as shit. Kuso is a very common word just like "Scheiße" in German. So, there is no exact word that means shit and is very dirty in Japanese.

[Bussani]

Hey, it's not really a big deal to curse in English I tell ya, at least it was not in Australia, and I know for sure it's not in the UK.

Uhhh, I don't know about Australia, but most places it really depends on who's cursing and who they're in the company of. I went to school in the UK, and one kid got in trouble for saying "smeg" at one point. Hell, I got punished for saying "piss" once.

[Mewzard]

Hey, it's not really a big deal to curse in English I tell ya, at least it was not in Australia, and I know for sure it's not in the UK.

Uhhh, I don't know about Australia, but most places it really depends on who's cursing and who they're in the company of. I went to school in the UK, and one kid got in trouble for saying "smeg" at one point. Hell, I got punished for saying "piss" once.

I'm pretty sure cursing in Australia publicly comes with a hefty fine. They're even trying to pass a law to bypass Courts ruling on it, and to let cops who hear swearing directly give tickets, if I recall correct.

Once again, it's an issue of the different cultures and the times.

Maybe one day, certain words won't be allowed in anime on Japan's side. You never know.

[kemuri07]

it's not weird to hear Goku curse.. Cause he doesn't even CURSE.. All he says is "DAMN". It makes me kind of mad.. You can't say fuck to the enemy who killed your closest friends? LOL.

Yeah...No.

As mentioned previously, Dragon Ball is - despite the violence - a children's show, and cursing on the level of "fuck" really has no place on the show. Besides, there are better ways to show emotions such as rage without throwing the "F bomb."

[Sun-Wukong]

Just so we're clear, I understand and agree that it totally fits Goku's character to curse. I just thought it was funny hearing Clark Kakahent do it, even if they aren't really portraying the character that way anymore... It was especially jarring since the first uncut bit of Kai I watched was the part where Freeza kills Kurilin.

[DemonRin]

it's not weird to hear Goku curse.. Cause he doesn't even CURSE.. All he says is "DAMN". It makes me kind of mad.. You can't say fuck to the enemy who killed your closest friends? LOL.

Yeah...No.

As mentioned previously, Dragon Ball is - despite the violence - a children's show, and cursing on the level of "fuck" really has no place on the show. Besides, there are better ways to show emotions such as rage without throwing the "F bomb."

Ok, now, is there ANY version of this series in which Son is EVER seen speaking that way? I mean, full-on F-Bombs?

[Fionordequester]

Probably really bad fansubs, or that one series of parody videos where Piccolo speaks like a stereotypical black man.

[Piccolo Daimaoh]

I'm pretty sure cursing in Australia publicly comes with a hefty fine. They're even trying to pass a law to bypass Courts ruling on it, and to let cops who hear swearing directly give tickets, if I recall correct.

Yep. That's true. Suffice it to say, it's fucking bullshit.

[Super Sonic]

While I didn't really have a problem hearing Goku curse, I do know what the topic starter means in another series. For me, it was weird hearing Tara Strong and Cree Summer curse on Drawn Together. Though there I think it kind of how the topic starter said he wasn't used to Sean Schemmel cursing in his Goku voice, I wasn't used to them cursing, likely stemming from my being used to them being in mainly kids' cartoons.

[Nex Carnifex]

In japan they could care less what content is in a childrens manga, as long as it appeals to kids. Kids usually do not care about bad language, and raunchy humor and tons of blood and violence is probably going to appeal to them more than a watered down slapstick loony toon. Toriyama isn't a kid either, he makes what he thinks is fun and therefore the actual demographic is only a product of who can enjoy the manga, not who will, which is going to really be anyone, including adults.

[Li'l Lemmy]

And even now, I'd wager it's still not entirely there for Goku, but it's certainly closer than it's ever been before.

Look in on Schemmel's Goku a bit more now if that sort of thing interests you. He says words like "ain't" and even drops a few syllables in the recent episodes. It's not perfect, but now it's even closer than it was before.


~Da Lemmy