Unpopular DB opinions

[8000 Saiyan]

Dragon Ball is capable of being translated to live action, most fans are to biased because they're so used to watching the anime a million times.

I don't think I'm biased. Given that Dragon Ball Evolution was fucking trash, I don't see how a second attempt would be successful. What makes you think that it could work? Not attacking you. Just wondering why you think that way.

[Noah]

I don't think I'm biased. Given that Dragon Ball Evolution was fucking trash, I don't see how a second attempt would be successful. What makes you think that it could work? Not attacking you. Just wondering why you think that way.

I don't know I think it depends which company/director is in charge of it. Rurouni Kenshin Live Action were great and faithful to the original work, I think the same could be done with Dragon Ball in the future.

[MR.Mark]

Dragon Ball is capable of being translated to live action, most fans are to biased because they're so used to watching the anime a million times.

I don't think I'm biased. Given that Dragon Ball Evolution was fucking trash, I don't see how a second attempt would be successful. What makes you think that it could work? Not attacking you. Just wondering why you think that way.

If done right, I don't see why it wouldn't be. What's really your argument? I mean, the technology is there for the fights. Look at films like Scott Pilgrim. Unless you're going to be close minded and say it won't work because of Goku's hair or some lame reason.

Just needs a decent budget, a faithful and straight forward script, and good fx. All a film company needs to do is take a chance and invest decent time and money into it, a well done Dragon Ball live action series could be as successful as the Harry Potter films.

Dragon Ball is a very simple popcorn entertainment story, if you nail the visuals and characters the rest falls into place.

[8000 Saiyan]

Dragon Ball is capable of being translated to live action, most fans are to biased because they're so used to watching the anime a million times.

I don't think I'm biased. Given that Dragon Ball Evolution was fucking trash, I don't see how a second attempt would be successful. What makes you think that it could work? Not attacking you. Just wondering why you think that way.

If done right, I don't see why it wouldn't be. What's really your argument? I mean, the technology is there for the fights. Look at films like Scott Pilgrim. Unless you're going to be close minded and say it won't work because of Goku's hair or some lame reason.

Just needs a decent budget, a faithful and straight forward script, and good fx. All a film company needs to do is take a chance and invest decent time and money into it, a well done Dragon Ball live action series could be as successful as the Harry Potter films.

I'm not saying that. It's just that 99% of the time, live-action anime adaptations don't work at all. Maybe I'm too pessimistic when it comes to live-action anime adaptations. The script could be faithful, but the acting could still be shit and the direction poor.

[MR.Mark]

You could say that about any adaption if your only argument is a what if scenario. The recent Ghost in the Shell, while on it's own merits was just a OK sci film at best, was very faithful to the source material.

Dragon Ball is harder to get right visually then it is adapting the story and characters. The only reason Evolution failed is Fox didn't care about the source material and they didn't throw decent money into the production.

Also you need competent actors and a director with a vision, but that's a no brainier if you want any film to be good.

[ABED]

Dragon Ball is a very simple popcorn entertainment story, if you nail the visuals and characters the rest falls into place.

There's also a feel that is almost impossible to replicate. Toriyama has a unique style that is VERY difficult to emulate.

[Cipher]

The issue is that Dragon Ball in many ways is its visuals and Toriyama's sensibilities as an author. The series reduced to billet points for adaptation is a lot of remixed genre tropes, but the unique execution renders it effective and iconic.

I have no particular need to ever see (another) live-action adaptation, because it's such a pointless venture from the start.

[Jackalope89]

My unpopular opinion?

Ribrianne wasn't that bad.
Kefla was fine.
Sometimes filler is okay (Goku and Piccolo learning how to drive)
I don't mind the U6 Saiyans being powerful.

[Ringworm128]

I don't think I'm biased. Given that Dragon Ball Evolution was fucking trash, I don't see how a second attempt would be successful. What makes you think that it could work? Not attacking you. Just wondering why you think that way.

If done right, I don't see why it wouldn't be. What's really your argument? I mean, the technology is there for the fights. Look at films like Scott Pilgrim. Unless you're going to be close minded and say it won't work because of Goku's hair or some lame reason.

Just needs a decent budget, a faithful and straight forward script, and good fx. All a film company needs to do is take a chance and invest decent time and money into it, a well done Dragon Ball live action series could be as successful as the Harry Potter films.

I'm not saying that. It's just that 99% of the time, live-action anime adaptations don't work at all. Maybe I'm too pessimistic when it comes to live-action anime adaptations. The script could be faithful, but the acting could still be shit and the direction poor.

Most anime adaptations are unnecessarily "Americanized" for mainstream audiences. Death Note being a good example. A more faithful adaptation in theory could work better.

[ABED]

It's not like Death Note is a good story to begin with, though cutting it down to movie length could improve it. I can't imagine the Americanization of Death Note was the issue. The premise doesn't feel inherently Japanese.

DB isn't inherently premise based. It's a very simple story. It's the feel of the world and the characters that gives it its appeal.

[MR.Mark]

Dragon Ball is a very simple popcorn entertainment story, if you nail the visuals and characters the rest falls into place.

There's also a feel that is almost impossible to replicate. Toriyama has a unique style that is VERY difficult to emulate.

The anime did it fine when it followed the manga. If you adapt it in the same way the anime did, without the filler and even condensing /improving some things, the films could be great.

Some compromise on a superficial level would have to be made on certain human/humanoid characters to make them work. However on a good enough budget you can have Toriyama's world, dinosaurs and all, no problem.

While nowhere near a great film, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets from a visual technical standpoint shows you can make Toriyama's far out world in live action.

Infact, with the right script, Luc Besson would be a pretty good choice as director, if he cared about the material that is, which I have no idea.

Most anime adaptations are unnecessarily "Americanized" for mainstream audiences. Death Note being a good example. A more faithful adaptation in theory could work better.

Indeed, and we know that had Funi dubbed DBZ in Kai quality from the get go the series would of been just as popular in America if not more so. Dragon Ball's story breaks cultural boundaries, It's part of it's appeal. The franchise is an example of a form of mainstream entertainment that has a charm to it unlike crap like Bayformers.

[ABED]

The anime did it fine when it followed the manga.

It was almost a frame for frame recreation, but not a comparison as the TV show has the time to tell the full story. The movie will have to condense and change things. Watch the DB films that retell the first couple arcs and you will see how difficult it is to recreate DB. I like the movies, but there are elements that aren't Toriyama-esque. The anime has a hard enough time adapting Toriyama.

[MR.Mark]

The anime did it fine when it followed the manga.

It was almost a frame for frame recreation, but not a comparison as the TV show has the time to tell the full story. The movie will have to condense and change things. Watch the DB films that retell the first couple arcs and you will see how difficult it is to recreate DB. I like the movies, but there are elements that aren't Toriyama-esque. The anime has a hard enough time adapting Toriyama.

True, but comes down to a few factors:

1)How many films you could break the arcs into

2)whether you think a good adaption needs to be a direct panel adaption of the manga to be "good"

I for one already expect a well done DB live action to condense/alter afew things. It's not a bad thing ether, you could create more consistency and eliminate some of the formula and redundancy in some of the villains and plot points.

I agree, the anime mostly struggled when it was doing it's own thing, Super works fine because it at least has some Toriyama guidance.

[ABED]

Adaptations don't need to be frame by frame recreations, but Dragon Ball IS Toriyama. It's not the changes, it's how they do them that I don't expect to be very good. I feel no need or desire to see DB in live action.

[MR.Mark]

Well that doesn't back your opinions up very well, but your free to have a negative outlook on things you haven't seen or haven't been done yet.

A live action franchise could actually improve a lot of things while still respecting Toriyama's style. It would just take filmmakers with a passion for the material.

Also due to culture, pervy jokes would either have to be toned down or Bulma would have to be aged up. I'd have a censored version for theatrical live action DB, then when it comes out on Blu Ray increase the blood and fan service pervyness.

Dragon Ball is indeed Toriyama, another reason Super is still worthy new material to the series.

[ABED]

Well that doesn't back your opinions up very well, but your free to have a negative outlook on things you haven't seen or haven't been done yet.

How doesn't it back it up very well? We have seen it done before and DB Evolution is god awful. I don't have a negative outlook on things but given the numerous terrible anime adaptations and just live action adaptations in general, it's perfectly reasonable to be pessimistic about anyone doing DB justice. It's basic rational expectations theory.

[Anime Kitten]

Ribrianne doesn't deserve the hate. The criticisms I come across most often, at least the way I see it, aren't really that legitimate.

She's based on the magical girl genre - so what? Dragon Ball itself started out being based on something else.

She has a lot of screentime - so what? Everyone complains about "too much Gokū", so what's wrong with someone else getting screentime? And why does the older cast need more screentime than it's already gotten? I don't even dislike those characters, but I'd much rather see all the new ones than those that have already served their purpose in the narrative.*

She's "annoying" - so what (although I disagree)? Is there a need for every character to have a personality as "likable" as the main characters? I like variety, so having less "likable" characters is something that actually appeals to me because it's different.

I'm sure there are legitimate criticisms against her as a character, but most of what I see seems to boil down to "I don't like her, get her away."

*Not saying the older cast can't be reutilized well (e.g. Freeza) - it's when they're only there for the sake of being there and don't do anything particularly interesting, which I suppose is rather subjective. I guess I'm just tired of the Earthling and Gohan comments I see so often.

[MR.Mark]

Fact is we never seen a real attempt at live action Dragon Ball with actual effort in the US, so even bringing up evolution is pointless.

Again your free to be negative, but it doesin't hold water when my argument is a good adaption COULD be done.

Bad anime adaptions comes down to filmmakers making the same mistakes over and over, and little to do with the material being un-adaptible.

In other words, saying that any attempt at a live action DB will suck because of bad film making decisions of other properties is a dumb argument, period.

Video game/anime propertys just have bad luck in what choices studios make for them.

On the subject of another most likely unpopular opinion:

Kōzō Shioya's Fat Buu is terrific, but I find all his other voices for Buu's forms just kinda there.

[ABED]

Fact is we never seen a real attempt at live action Dragon Ball with actual effort in the US, so even bringing up evolution is pointless.

Again your free to be negative, but it doesin't hold water when my argument is a good adaption COULD be done.

Bad anime adaptions comes down to filmmakers making the same mistakes over and over, and little to do with the material being un-adaptible.

In other words, saying that any attempt at a live action DB will suck because a of bad film making decisions of other properties is a dumb argument, period.

Video game/anime propertys just have bad luck in what choices studios make for them.

On the subject of another most likely unpopular opinion:

Kōzō Shioya's Fat Buu is terrific, but I find all his other voices for Buu's forms just kinda there.

To you, it's pointless, but given that they didn't do a real attempt before and we don't have any good adaptations that I can think of, I have every reason to think it won't happen.

Yes, when you use your imagination, anything could be done, but I'm playing the percentages. I don't say it can't be done, but the likelihood isn't good. Please stop creating straw man arguments.

[MR.Mark]

So this boils down to now you think it COULD be done, but you THINK it most likely won't, fair enough, that's something I guess.

Moving on since I've once again backed up my opinion that you felt again compelled to challenge.

I'd also like to add that you could most definitely argue Deathnote is a better written series than Dragon Ball, but whether that makes it better as entertainment is all subjective. (duh)