Old Dragonball Z Newspaper/etc Articles.

[Big Momma]

I was looking through the "DBZUncensored" archive, and stumbled across these. I thought they were pretty interesting.


Wall Street Journal - Kids Are Glued to a Violent Japanese Cartoon Show
Part 1 | Part 2

This article talks about violence in the series and how it affects kids, etc. I like how the liscensing executives practically insulted young American boys when they told Funimation that they "wouldn't have the attention span" to sit through a series like this. An interesting read from long ago.

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The Dallas Observer - International Incident (January 20, 2000)
Link


I have yet to read all of it, but from the looks of it it deals with FUNimation and it's relationship with DBZ. Apparently, VegettoEX has written his thoughts on it a long time ago. Unfortunately, the link was dead. Perhaps he still has what he wrote stored away somewhere?

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TV Guide - Year of the Dragon
Part 1 | Part 2

This TV Guide article talks of the popularity of DBZ in the states.

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Overall, these were very interesting articles to read from way back when DBZ was semi-new here in the states. A lot has changed since these articles were written and it makes me feel nostalgic. Here is the link that I got all of these from. The ones I didn't use were because the links were broken or just old.

Thoughts? Comments?

[Gogeta 00]

Wow, it's been a nostalgic day, I think I had that TV guide at some point, but it's long gone now . If Mike every brings back the "From The Past Friday" segment, these would be pretty cool additions.

[Super 17]

From The Past Friday

Wow I totally forgot about that. I guess he never did a second one or was it a third one?

[TheGreatness25]

Ohhh man! Back in the day, a long, long time ago, back when I subscribed to TV Guide, I kept that issue for like 2 years! lol That picture of Goku and Frieza "locking up" is awesome.


The first newspaper clipping gives the show a bad name though

[Gogeta 00]

From The Past Friday

Wow I totally forgot about that. I guess he never did a second one or was it a third one?

I think he did 2 of them, the audio clips for the dub voice of pilaf and someone else that I cant remember, Shuu maybe?

[Chuquita]

These articles are so hilarious (and show just how big Dragon Ball was back in the day compared to today's heavy hitters in the U.S.).

I mean, you don't find loads of newspaper articles about Viz's current big three.

Knowing we had all these articles makes me proud.


Also, their brief descriptions of Gundam and Tenchi are hysterical. X3

So much comparison to Pokémon. Almost all these articles mention it (a testament to how huge that series was as well).


It makes me wish for the old school weekday Toonami of days past SO badly. Oh Midnight Run, how I wish you were on right now.

[TheGreatness25]

When they started Midnight Run, it was like the coolest feeling ever. Being like what was I, 11 or something? And staying up until 12, getting that Toonami intro. Man, good times. The Midnight Run is how I recorded a lot of my Dragon Ball Z on tape (before getting all of it on DVD). The very first recording I did of DBZ, I remember it was the first time it was on at midnight and I don't think it was part of the Toonami Midnight Run because my "DBZ#1" video starts off with one of those little pre-show things they used to do. Like it starts off with a Cartoon Network sign and Flinstones style music. Barney Rubble walks over to the sign and he's missing an eye or something. So he takes out the little circle from the O in "Cartoon" and walks away. Then right into the "Rock the Dragon" theme song. Say what you will, say it sucked, whatever, but THAT'S how I got into Dragon Ball Z. And I know that it was censored to hell, but I actually bought the old terribly censored Pioneer DVDs because to me, that right there is nostalgia.

[SSJ2bardock]

It made me wish for the old school weekday Toonami of days past SO badly. Oh Midnight Run, how I wish you were on right now.

That's what I got out of it too, I miss Toonami.

[SSj_Rambo]

The first newspaper clipping gives the show a bad name though

Hmm, "impalement" and "strangulation" would have caught my interest and probably convinced me to give the show a chance. But since parents were probably the ones reading that articles, it probably did give the show a bad name, to most parents.
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It's funny how they use a picture where Freeza comes up to the waist of an obviously more buff Goku to describe Freeza as "menacing" in that first article.

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Side note: I'm pretty happy right now because the team that beat us in the playoffs just won the state championship in football. If you're going to lose, it's good to lose to the best. Congratulations Skyline!!

[Big Momma]

The first newspaper clipping gives the show a bad name though

Hmm, "impalement" and "strangulation" would have caught my interest and probably convinced me to give the show a chance. But since parents were probably the ones reading that articles, it probably did give the show a bad name, to most parents.

My parents(Well, my dad) didn't mind the violence at all. In fact, my dad was a fan along with me and my brother. We'd all watch it every day. This was way back when I was in 4th Grade, too.

I guess some parents are just strung too tight.

[jda95]

Is strangulation even a word?

[xzero]

Besides the Goku vs. Piccolo fight from Dragonball, were there any scenes more violent than the two that they showcased (Krillin's death and Vegeta's death by Freeza)? Besides Babidi's head being punched off by Buu, which I think was really edited, those two moments were the most brutal that I can recall. Ahh media sensationalism. You gotta love it.

Nonetheless, interesting articles. I wonder what their reaction would have been to Yu Yu Hakusho had it come first (frequent and particularly violent deaths, hearing bones crack and snap fairly often, scenes of torture, etc.).

Is strangulation even a word?

Yes, usually preceded by "death by," "torture by," etc.

[jjgp1112]

Besides the Goku vs. Piccolo fight from Dragonball, were there any scenes more violent than the two that they showcased (Krillin's death and Vegeta's death by Freeza)? Besides Babidi's head being punched off by Buu, which I think was really edited, those two moments were the most brutal that I can recall. Ahh media sensationalism. You gotta love it.

The two I can think of right now are Goku getting nearly squeezed to death and getting his legs crushed by Great Ape Vegeta, and Goku and Raditz getting killed by the Special Beam Cannon.

[Innagadadavida]

The TV Guide article describes the plot of the show as "Goku and his son Gohan, and Vegeto save the earth from alien evildoers called Saiyans."

I was assistant editor for my high school newspaper, I know what it's like to write about things you don't care about but c'mon. Is it really that hard to do a quick internet search or read a plot synopsis?

[The Tori-bot]

I love how they refer to Tenchi as a "ladies man".

And how is Freeza supposed to look "menacing" when they make him look two feet tall?

In Japan, where "Dragon Ball Z" aired in prime time before going off the air, the show became a cultural phenomenon - thoug by Japanese standards its level of violence was considered mainstream.

Yes, because the Japanese aren't a bunch of pussy-pansies who think that smashing a Tamagotchi is detrimental to our children.

It's Japanimazing!

*proceeds to spew*

Well, guess that's all for me, folks, I gotta clean this mess up...

[xzero]

Besides the Goku vs. Piccolo fight from Dragonball, were there any scenes more violent than the two that they showcased (Krillin's death and Vegeta's death by Freeza)? Besides Babidi's head being punched off by Buu, which I think was really edited, those two moments were the most brutal that I can recall. Ahh media sensationalism. You gotta love it.

The two I can think of right now are Goku getting nearly squeezed to death and getting his legs crushed by Great Ape Vegeta, and Goku and Raditz getting killed by the Special Beam Cannon.

While I concede both of those, they were both heavily edited when they originally aired on TV. Does anyone remember, however, if there was any negative reaction when the Ultimate Uncut versions aired on Cartoon Network? I stopped watching DBZ on TV after the middle of the Buu Saga, so I don't know how "uncut" the UUE versions were when they aired.

[LSSJ4]

Besides the Goku vs. Piccolo fight from Dragonball, were there any scenes more violent than the two that they showcased (Krillin's death and Vegeta's death by Freeza)? Besides Babidi's head being punched off by Buu, which I think was really edited, those two moments were the most brutal that I can recall. Ahh media sensationalism. You gotta love it.

The two I can think of right now are Goku getting nearly squeezed to death and getting his legs crushed by Great Ape Vegeta, and Goku and Raditz getting killed by the Special Beam Cannon.

While I concede both of those, they were both heavily edited when they originally aired on TV. Does anyone remember, however, if there was any negative reaction when the Ultimate Uncut versions aired on Cartoon Network? I stopped watching DBZ on TV after the middle of the Buu Saga, so I don't know how "uncut" the UUE versions were when they aired.

They were completely uncut, no digital underwear, no airbrushing, etc.

[Yi Xing Long]

While I concede both of those, they were both heavily edited when they originally aired on TV. Does anyone remember, however, if there was any negative reaction when the Ultimate Uncut versions aired on Cartoon Network? I stopped watching DBZ on TV after the middle of the Buu Saga, so I don't know how "uncut" the UUE versions were when they aired.

They were completely uncensored and even had mild swearing (ie. damn, bastard(?)) if I remember correctly. All of the blood, middle fingers, penises, and such were left intact.

[xzero]

Were there any parent groups protesting it at the time, or had they moved on to something else?

[Zenkai Power]

Were there any parent groups protesting it at the time, or had they moved on to something else?

They weren't as popular as Dragon Ball so they didn't get as much attention therefore they could get away with it much easier... eventually DBZ got away with more as time went on eh?