What is it that allows DBZ to appeal to older audiences?

[ABED]

Much like the fans considered Sabat and co. the voices of their childhood, so was the soundtrack, regardless of quality.

Fighting is a universal language so it appeals to people of all ages and nationalities.

[TheBlackPaladin]

when Faulconer's score was first heard, from looking at the internet you would think it was universally hated. However, that wasn't truly the case. It turns out, Faulconer's score was developing a following, but a following among younger fans who weren't really of "internet participation" age yet. So, after a few years, all of a sudden you have an internet that is filled with fans of Faulconer's score.

The Faulconer score was already popular in it's own right when the dub was first airing.

Certainly, I was simply saying that nobody would have known that from looking at the internet at the time of its debut...and for a couple years after. At the time, all there was to be found were comments talking about how horrible and out of place fans felt the music sounded. It wasn't clear that it had a following until a few years passed and the people who actually liked the music were of the age and mindset to be able to participate in internet discussions.

[DBZAOTA482]

The distinctive art style, fight scenes, characterization, and soundtrack... at least for me.

[ABED]

when Faulconer's score was first heard, from looking at the internet you would think it was universally hated. However, that wasn't truly the case. It turns out, Faulconer's score was developing a following, but a following among younger fans who weren't really of "internet participation" age yet. So, after a few years, all of a sudden you have an internet that is filled with fans of Faulconer's score.

The Faulconer score was already popular in it's own right when the dub was first airing.

Certainly, I was simply saying that nobody would have known that from looking at the internet at the time of its debut...and for a couple years after. At the time, all there was to be found were comments talking about how horrible and out of place fans felt the music sounded. It wasn't clear that it had a following until a few years passed and the people who actually liked the music were of the age and mindset to be able to participate in internet discussions.

I don't remember much if anyone back then in support of it, so imagine my surprise that a few years later, it's a friggin tidal wave of people in support of that soundtrack.

For an older audience, the dirty jokes appeal as does the animation, and the characters.

[Jodaku]

I think the aging of the characters is a big thing. They almost feel like legitimate old friends that you've grown up with that you don't necessarily need to be in constant contact with, but you can dip back in with and guarantee to have a good time.

Plus I don't think you ever really outgrow watching bad ass action and DB had quite a wide variety of it during its original run and in modern times Goku vs Beerus in BOG was as spectacular as anything I've seen.

[sangofe]

I dunno. I just stayed a fan throughout my life since i was five years old. I'm almost 33 now. If I were an adult... I think the balance between humor, exciting story happenings and fights is what'd make me interested. With Super I'm very excited because we see more character development, episodes that are well paced (yes, they are, compared to dbz), good humor, and now seemingly good fights, too. In my eyes, Super's turning out better than DBZ ever was. Although DBZ felt more exiting, in a way.

[Thanos]

For me, the cool shit is still cool, and the humor has this impeccable universality to it, much in the same way as Mario. It's cute, mischievous and goofy to a large extent, but it isn't childish or pandering to kids... and the comedic moments that are childish, I often interpret as being at its own expense, as if to say, isn't this childish/stupid? (e.g. slapstick stuff or fart jokes)

[Kid Buu]

To be honest, I don't know any older person who likes the series that wasn't already inherently a fan in their youth.

[TheBlackPaladin]

To be honest, I don't know any older person who likes the series that wasn't already inherently a fan in their youth.

Which was essentially my belief: the "older audiences" of today are the "younger audiences" of several years ago, and they just stuck with it. For those of you who agree with this, though, I have a follow-up question of my own: why do you think they stuck with it? After all, I'm sure we can all name shows we watched in our childhood that we gradually grew out of. Why did we hang on to DBZ?

[fadeddreams5]

To be honest, I don't know any older person who likes the series that wasn't already inherently a fan in their youth.

Which was essentially my belief: the "older audiences" of today are the "younger audiences" of several years ago, and they just stuck with it. For those of you who agree with this, though, I have a follow-up question of my own: why do you think they stuck with it? After all, I'm sure we can all name shows we watched in our childhood that we gradually grew out of. Why did we hang on to DBZ?

That question is sort of what I had in mind with this topic. It's why I mentioned Pokemon and Power Rangers in the OP. Those shows are examples of ones many adults grow out of. But DBZ? Not only does it maintain a certain level of respect, from my experience, but you have people claiming it was orientated for teenagers-young adults to begin with!

[dougo13]

Martial arts, particularly from China and Japan have a big appeal. Been watching shows and movies with them since the 1960s, starting with Bruce Lee in The Green Hornet around 1966. Started watching DB when it was first on in Japan but didn't like it at all and stopped getting the tapes for awhile. Picked it up again with DBZ and never looked back. But it's only one series I liked from Japan. There have been a lot over the years. Always good to try new stuff which surprises me sometimes when I find people will watch stuff like Dragonball but nothing from Martial Arts films, Japanese and Chinese mythology, history, etc. this is the stuff that influences and Toriyama makes reference to. Everyone who watches the show in the Asian countries would be able to immediately recignize the source material. Not much interest over here though it seems...

[Hellspawn28]

I see a lot of adults who still like Power Rangers and Pokemon. I'm pretty sure there are people who grew out of DBZ a long time ago, but we hang on to it since we became so attach to the shows. I would have grew out of it if it wasn't for the Internet forums and other web sites that kept my interest for over the years.

[foxfang4]

I always found it interesting how, in Dragon Ball, the adult characters act like logical, intelligent adults. More importantly, these adults treat kids like kids. When I started to watch more anime (years ago), I realized how different this is from some shonen anime. In so many shows, the entire universe revolves around the pre-teen/child characters. Or, at least they're given way more importance than they should have. And the adults aren't even real characters. They're just there to react to the main plot (of the kids), or tend to their every whim.

While in Dragon Ball, for example, Gohan is talked down to constantly until he becomes an adult. On namek, Krillin's really nice to Gohan, but he still calls the shots (despite being technically weaker). Pay attention from the beginning of Dragon Ball, all the way until the end of "Z", and you'll see how adults treat kids in Toriyama's world. And the way they react to Goku is hilarious. Most adults are baffled by him, or terrified of him. lol. But, they still always react to him like he's a child.

[Cipher]

I always found it interesting how, in Dragon Ball, the adult characters act like logical, intelligent adults. More importantly, these adults treat kids like kids. When I started to watch more anime (years ago), I realized how different this is from some shonen anime. In so many shows, the entire universe revolves around the pre-teen/child characters. Or, at least they're given way more importance than they should have. And the adults aren't even real characters. They're just there to react to the main plot (of the kids), or tend to their every whim.

While in Dragon Ball, for example, Gohan is talked down to constantly until he becomes an adult. On namek, Krillin's really nice to Gohan, but he still calls the shots (despite being technically weaker). Pay attention from the beginning of Dragon Ball, all the way until the end of "Z", and you'll see how adults treat kids in Toriyama's world. And the way they react to Goku is hilarious. Most adults are baffled by him, or terrified of him. lol. But, they still always react to him like he's a child.

That's true, huh?

It's also pretty remarkable for its genre that a series that started out with a main cast of entirely children characters (up to late teens) allowed them all to transition into adults while still following them. Most series lock into one. And, with my extremely limited knowledge of the shonen genre, I can't think of another that does that.

[SpiritBombTriumphant]

At the time, all there was to be found were comments talking about how horrible and out of place fans felt the music sounded. It wasn't clear that it had a following until a few years passed and the people who actually liked the music were of the age and mindset to be able to participate in internet discussions.

This. I think it was VegettoEX who said almost the same thing, and how it was thought everyone hated it until my people (I'm 23 now) got online and talked about how awesome it was. It could be that it's nostalgia, or it could be that my generation simply has better taste =P But regardless, it's this.

I always found it interesting how, in Dragon Ball, the adult characters act like logical, intelligent adults. More importantly, these adults treat kids like kids. When I started to watch more anime (years ago), I realized how different this is from some shonen anime. In so many shows, the entire universe revolves around the pre-teen/child characters. Or, at least they're given way more importance than they should have. And the adults aren't even real characters. They're just there to react to the main plot (of the kids), or tend to their every whim.

While in Dragon Ball, for example, Gohan is talked down to constantly until he becomes an adult. On namek, Krillin's really nice to Gohan, but he still calls the shots (despite being technically weaker). Pay attention from the beginning of Dragon Ball, all the way until the end of "Z", and you'll see how adults treat kids in Toriyama's world. And the way they react to Goku is hilarious. Most adults are baffled by him, or terrified of him. lol. But, they still always react to him like he's a child.

This is true of almost any anime, period. I once saw a Google Search result while looking for hentai (I was a kid back then) and the snippet I saw from a web forum asked "What is anime?" and a response was "Putting kids in adult situations." And even Z started this when it had Gohan go to another planet (Namek), then save the world (from Cell), and afterwards Trunks and Goten got involved. But other shows like Pokemon have kids (Ash is still 10 after 15 years) walking around the planet, going in to space (I think I saw it on Sonic X one time), or just some other strange shit. Toriyama should be commended for having at least something in the series realistic, which is Goku (as a kid) being treated like one.