Introducing Somebody New To Dragon Ball

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ABED
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Re: Introducing Somebody New To Dragon Ball

Post by ABED » Mon Sep 11, 2017 6:34 am

I'd place the Bardock special around the beginning of the Freeza fight - either before episode 75 or around the episode where Freeza tells Vegeta about his father's failed mutiny.
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Re: Introducing Somebody New To Dragon Ball

Post by MajinMan » Mon Sep 11, 2017 7:34 am

My personal watch order:

-DB 1-153

-DBZ 1-86

-Bardock special

-DBZ 87-133

-Trunks special

-DBZ 134-291

After that, you can ask him if he wants to see the movies and GT. Then you can watch Super, Battle of Gods/Resurrection F, or both. I personally wouldn't force him to watch any of the Z movies that aren't BoG or RF.
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Re: Introducing Somebody New To Dragon Ball

Post by Hellspawn28 » Mon Sep 11, 2017 11:56 pm

I would show the series in Japanese first since it's the original language unless he/she/it does not like subs. I still think doing Dragon Ball first and not Z is the best choice since that's how the story starts.
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Re: Introducing Somebody New To Dragon Ball

Post by shadowmaria » Tue Sep 12, 2017 12:18 am

Everyone's input is super influential, thank you so much. I've been getting lots of ideas!

However, won't be showing Kai for two reasons - 1. I don't own it, and 2. there's a very specific reason to show him the whole original run
Hellspawn28 wrote:I would show the series in Japanese first since it's the original language unless he/she/it does not like subs. I still think doing Dragon Ball first and not Z is the best choice since that's how the story starts.
Definitely starting with Dragon Ball, however I'll be showing him the FUNimation dub. He doesn't like the idea of reading subtitles, finds it hard to follow along and concentrate

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Re: Introducing Somebody New To Dragon Ball

Post by KBABZ » Tue Sep 12, 2017 3:18 am

shadowmaria wrote:However, won't be showing Kai for two reasons - 1. I don't own it, and 2. there's a very specific reason to show him the whole original run
shadowmaria wrote:Definitely starting with Dragon Ball, however I'll be showing him the FUNimation dub. He doesn't like the idea of reading subtitles, finds it hard to follow along and concentrate
You/he must have a very good reason! Normally if someone says "I wanna watch the Dragon Ball animes for the first time dubbed, how would I do it?" then "watch Dragon Ball and then Kai" is a common response because of how Kai vastly improves the pacing and because the dub is far better than the original one.

Unless you're doing a MST3K thing, in which case you should stick to Z!

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Re: Introducing Somebody New To Dragon Ball

Post by sintzu » Tue Sep 12, 2017 5:39 am

If you have the Blu-rays you should show him those instead of the DVDs due to how bad the picture qaulity can get, especially during Namek.
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Re: Introducing Somebody New To Dragon Ball

Post by Zephyr » Tue Sep 12, 2017 6:12 am

Honestly, if someone who wants to get into the series in some vague sense doesn't want to read subtitles, I'd just suggest reading the manga.

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Re: Introducing Somebody New To Dragon Ball

Post by Fizzer » Tue Sep 12, 2017 6:54 am

If someone I knew was watching the Funimation DB and DBZ dubs as their introduction to the series, I'd feel the need to constantly remind them "that super embarrassing thing isn't in the original Japanese, please don't think that's representative of the series I love - I think it's cringy too!". I think the same goes for certain portions of filler too though.

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Re: Introducing Somebody New To Dragon Ball

Post by Cipher » Tue Sep 12, 2017 10:17 am

The best way to start an adult friend on Dragon Ball is and always has been episode or chapter 1.

From there, I mean -- Kai is great and all, but if they have the patience, the original Z is a far better presentation. (Except the second half of the Namek arc because fucking hell.) Introduce the TV specials at the appropriate points based on their original airing; the movies are whatever.

Also, respect your loved ones enough to give them the Japanese version or the manga. I literally can't comprehend anyone over the age of ... anything ... objecting vehemently to subtitles unless they have a genuine reading disability (I don't mean that pejoratively; there are absolutely reasons someone wouldn't be able to read subtitles). Outside of those cases, I do mean that pejoratively.

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Re: Introducing Somebody New To Dragon Ball

Post by Lord Beerus » Tue Sep 12, 2017 1:56 pm

Just start with the manga. Give that person the story of Dragon Ball in it's purest form. Then after that give them the Dragon Ball anime (DB and Z). I'd also recommend and the original Japanese version.

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Re: Introducing Somebody New To Dragon Ball

Post by KBABZ » Tue Sep 12, 2017 4:34 pm

Cipher wrote:From there, I mean -- Kai is great and all, but if they have the patience, the original Z is a far better presentation.
I'm interested to hear you elaborate on this one.

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Re: Introducing Somebody New To Dragon Ball

Post by Cipher » Tue Sep 12, 2017 6:03 pm

KBABZ wrote:I'm interested to hear you elaborate on this one.
The use of the soundtrack is far better in the original--with motifs used properly in a way that's completely lost in Kai--and the overall direction and feel of the show are superior simply for not having to rejig previously existing footage. Outside the second half of the Namek arc, where it collapses under its slow pacing, I think it's a much more coherent experience.

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Re: Introducing Somebody New To Dragon Ball

Post by ABED » Tue Sep 12, 2017 6:55 pm

There are tradeoffs with both versions, but I think losing 40-45% of extraneous material is plenty to compensate for its shortcomings.
The biggest truths aren't original. The truth is ketchup. It's Jim Belushi. Its job isn't to blow our minds. It's to be within reach.
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Re: Introducing Somebody New To Dragon Ball

Post by OmegaRockman » Fri Sep 15, 2017 12:44 pm

I know you want to show your friend the original TV run, but I really can't encourage you enough to consider using Kai for the Z portion. Not only is the dub generally better acted and much more faithful to the original version, it's also much more compatible with the Super dub. The first reason is due to the usage of the current iteration of the cast with Rial's Bulma, Morgan's Narrator, Clinkenbeard's Kid Goku (only for flashbacks, though) and Ayres' Freeza. The only reprisals from the old cast were McCoy for 18 starting with the new movies/Super and Jackson for Oolong starting with Kai TFC. Super also has a more faithful script like Kai does, and even uses Kai audio for the flashback scenes. I just feel like the more faithful presentation and the higher compatibility with Super make it the better option if you're showing the dub. Plus, the better pacing makes the show easier to digest for a new fan. You can always have him go back and rewatch the original Z once he's a bigger fan. For a newbie, though, I'd recommend Kai, especially since you're using the dub. Even if you don't have it yet, I wholeheartedly believe it's worth your money. I just wish Funi would put it on their streaming service already so I could just say do the subscription for a few months until he finished it.
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Re: Introducing Somebody New To Dragon Ball

Post by TheGreatness25 » Fri Sep 15, 2017 12:56 pm

I agree. To a person who is on the outside, I don't think that I'd show them Z as opposed to Kai. And after trying to expose someone to Dragon Ball -- only to have them tap out in the second "season" -- I think I'd actually start with Kai. In a weird way, I think that Kai would probably grab them a lot quicker. Then once the interest is there, they might actually want to watch Dragon Ball and might actually want to watch the original Z.

And I'm not someone who strokes TFS, but I think that it might actually be easiest to introduce someone who has zero interest at all, to DBZA. If there's interest, the person can then go onto the original series. If there isn't, at least they'd know the gist of the story.

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Re: Introducing Somebody New To Dragon Ball

Post by ABED » Fri Sep 15, 2017 12:58 pm

No, start from the beginning.
And I'm not someone who strokes TFS, but I think that it might actually be easiest to introduce someone who has zero interest at all, to DBZA. If there's interest, the person can then go onto the original series. If there isn't, at least they'd know the gist of the story.
That's like introducing someone to Star Wars by showing them Space Balls or the Family Guy Star Wars episodes. TFS is a parody, it's not DB or a version of it.
The biggest truths aren't original. The truth is ketchup. It's Jim Belushi. Its job isn't to blow our minds. It's to be within reach.
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Re: Introducing Somebody New To Dragon Ball

Post by Kaboom » Fri Sep 15, 2017 1:17 pm

I'm going to parrot what other people have said and plead with you, BEG you, to NOT use the original English dub of Z to introduce a new fan. Compared to the halfway-faithful DB dub, and especially the brilliantly-executed Kai dub, Funimation's old Z dub is a complete mess of a horror show and the absolute last thing you want a new fan to ingrain themselves with. It does not, by any means, "do a well enough job."

Find some way to show them English Kai instead, and if not, then you're better off forgoing the anime entirely and just having them read the manga instead. That would probably be a better experience overall anyway — reading the original manga, then checking out anime-only stuff like the movies and specials along the way. Though on that note, you should probably avoid the English-dubbed TV specials (Trunks and Bardock) at all costs, too. MAKE them watch that in Japanese or not at all.

This isn't just mindless "dub-bashing" or anything (otherwise you wouldn't see me pushing for the Kai dub). This is simply trying to make sure that a new fan is familiarized with Dragon Ball's REAL story, not some chopped-up poor imitation of it.
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Re: Introducing Somebody New To Dragon Ball

Post by sintzu » Fri Sep 15, 2017 1:27 pm

OmegaRockman wrote:I really can't encourage you enough to consider using Kai for the Z portion. Not only is the dub generally better acted and much more faithful to the original version, it's also much more compatible with the Super dub. Plus, the better pacing makes the show easier to digest for a new fan.
The dub is more compatible with Super's and the pacing is more compatible with DB's. For any new viewer, Kai will always be the better option, regardless of the issues it has.
TheGreatness25 wrote:I'm not someone who strokes TFS, but I think that it might actually be easiest to introduce someone who has zero interest at all, to DBZA.
Why would you show them the parody before the original ? They won't understand anything and their whole view of DB will be wrong. Starting someone with Z is questionable (I personally don't mind if someone won't watch the original) but Abridged is just going too far with it.

If someone can't get into neither DB or Z(Or Kai) then they should just move on to something else.
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Re: Introducing Somebody New To Dragon Ball

Post by KBABZ » Fri Sep 15, 2017 1:28 pm

Man if only the entirety of the Full Colour edition of the manga were translated, that'd be an incredibly experience for a first-timer.

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Re: Introducing Somebody New To Dragon Ball

Post by sintzu » Fri Sep 15, 2017 2:14 pm

KBABZ wrote:Man if only the entirety of the Full Colour edition of the manga were translated, that'd be an incredibly experience for a first-timer.
I think they're going to release 3 volumes each year so we'll eventually get it. :yawn:
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