Is Dragon Ball REALLY a Kid's Show?

Synapse · Post by **Synapse** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 7:57 pm

I mean come on, guys...

Really?

Really, really, really?

REALLY?

...cuz I just can't bring myself to think that. It's just got too many non-kid things, unless the Japanese view of one is COMPLETELY separate from ours.

Black Mist · Post by **Black Mist** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 7:59 pm

Yes Its is the truth but I don't mind I watch many kids shows and still get a kick out of them.I mean shows like Fairly Odd parents our for kids but have a lot of jokes that Teens and adults get too.

Super Sonic · Post by **Super Sonic** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 7:59 pm

Synapse wrote:I mean come on, guys...

Really?

Really, really, really?

REALLY?

...cuz I just can't bring myself to think that. It's just got too many non-kid things, unless the Japanese view of one is COMPLETELY separate from ours.

It is.

Mayuri Furiza Kurotsuchi · Post by **Mayuri Furiza Kurotsuchi** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 8:00 pm

Synapse wrote:I mean come on, guys...

Really?

Really, really, really?

REALLY?

...cuz I just can't bring myself to think that. It's just got too many non-kid things, unless the Japanese view of one is COMPLETELY separate from ours.

Trust me, things ARE different in Japan, especially children's shows.

Maybe Julian might be able to elaborate on the Japanese and their ways.

Vegita · Post by **Vegita** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 8:00 pm

Yes it is most definitely a kids show, I think this has been discussed here many a time.

BlueSky · Post by **Kaboom** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 8:01 pm

It started out as one, at least. A comedic adventure that paralleled a well-known fairy tale, with toilet humor and gag violence abound in the style of Dr. Slump. Not exactly the deepest or most adult manga material out there.

But it ran for eleven years, and as we know, grew more action- and drama-focused during that time. So the series kind of "grew up" along with its readers.

nathantheguitarist · Post by **nathantheguitarist** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 8:08 pm

I grew up on five things.

1) Beavis and Butthead
2) Street Fighter/Mortal Kombat
3) Many other violent video games
4) Crude movies; cruder people (cruder? O_o)
5) Dragonball Z

It was a kids show for me. But then so was violence and blood and toilet humor. So I can't say for the stereotypical, perfect suburbian family, but my guess is: not really...

It's a kids show... but it's one of those kids shows that parents will tend to steer they're kid away from. It's weird... I'm lost...

So... err... yes!

Thanos · Post by **Thanos** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 8:13 pm

I started off liking the series as a kid, and never really stopped.

I guess it is a kid's show. But whose to say? It is what it is; nothing is pinned on it that says either way. Both kids and adults like it, so to me, that's what it comes down to.

Mr.Piccolo · Post by **Mr.Piccolo** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 8:14 pm

Synapse wrote:I mean come on, guys...

Really?

Really, really, really?

REALLY?

...cuz I just can't bring myself to think that. It's just got too many non-kid things, unless the Japanese view of one is COMPLETELY separate from ours.

?
Anyway, I kind of see it aimed at 9-16 year olds. I mean, you can watch the anime and it sort of feels like you're watching Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles or the Power Rangers, the music has a "saturday morning cartoon" feel to it, and I don't know it doesn't seem to be such a complex story when you look at it. Its the basic good vs. evil story with action, adventure, and things blowing up. God, I feel old..
-Rick

Pieter · Post by **Pieter** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 8:15 pm

It was for teens I think. But should that make it less tolerable to watch? Should everyone above 18 be watching movies made for adults, like James Bond and Rocky Balbao?

The culture in Japan is entirely different. The show was made by adults who are fans of manga and is loved by adults. However, I don't think someone who has never seen the show in his teens would enjoy seeing it for the first time.

Post by **desirecampbell** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 8:17 pm

Just because it's a children's show, doesn't mean it can't be good, and enjoyable for everyone. Hell, MacBeth was written so Shakey could pay the bills - it's still awesome.

Sebastian (SB) · Post by **Sebastian (SB)** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 8:28 pm

SSj Kaboom wrote:It started out as one, at least. A comedic adventure that paralleled a well-known fairy tale, with toilet humor and gag violence abound in the style of Dr. Slump. Not exactly the deepest or most adult manga material out there.

But it ran for eleven years, and as we know, grew more action- and drama-focused during that time. So the series kind of "grew up" along with its readers.

I think this is the best statement so far in this topic. But short answer, yes.

chibi_goten · Post by **chibi_goten** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 8:34 pm

Maybe Julian might be able to elaborate on the Japanese and their ways.

Or maybe, just maybe it would be better for a person who is Japanese to do that! Dragonball is for kids, but just like every other show it appeals to different people. I mean how many of you know older people who still like cartoons, take Tom & Jerry for example. Just because it is intentionally made for a younger audience, it doesn't mean older people cannot like it too.

Mystery Person X · Post by **Mystery Person X** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 8:42 pm

SSj Kaboom wrote:It started out as one, at least.

And ended as one too. Just because it became a kids' action show instead of a kids' comedy show doesn't make it any more "adult".

Synapse · Post by **Synapse** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 8:42 pm

Just so everyone knows, I know this has been discussed many times. I just had to see if everyone agreed on that conclusion.

But damn...it just seems too good to be a kids show. I mean, obviously Sesame Street, Spongebob, and FairlyOdd Parents are some of the dopest shows ever and they're made for kids.

Still, I was always under the impression that Americans made it into a kids show, especially since they had to remove nudity, blood, some of the more poignant points in the plot, and change the dialogue, making everything more one-dimensional than it really was meant to be. I just wish people would say it was made for everybody, but I guess that isn't the case.

chibi_goten · Post by **chibi_goten** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 8:52 pm

Well fine say it is for everybody. I know this one guy a few years back when I was on my work experience who must have been in his late thirties who used to watch the dub before he went to work. He was a pretty cool guy and married too. It was fun as that's all I used to talk to him about, and time went pretty quickly. Just because more kids watch it, doesn't mean that adults don't too. It normally tends to be the adults that don't watch it who call it a kids show anyways.

TheJoo87 · Post by **TheJoo87** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 9:27 pm

I see it as a show for everyone like how in America Starwars although made for kids is popular among older people too not just the fans that were once kids, but also people who were adults when it came out.

Dragonball is just one of those shows that caught on with a lot of people and became "the show" to watch in Japan when it was airing.

It is aimed towards of course young males probably 5 to 20. Honestly the show isn't that mature.

Americans are just too overacting of everything.

Nudity/Sex-This is the big one, any of this automatically scares people away, why I don't know but for some reason, some people have real mental problems dealing with it in movies or T.V. shows, which is kind of sad, because there's really nothing evil or wrong about it.

Violence-Violence isn't good so I can understand why people don't want to have their children exposed to it which may be why the show seems to have a more "mature" feeling to it in America but this isn't the case in Japan of course.

Drugs use-Some of the characters smoke or drink okay it's not the best thing for your kid to see but honestly, there are parents at home that do the same thing anyway, so although I know what they're getting at it still seems strange since most people in america know what drugs are and are taught about them in school anyway.

Swearing-Everyone swears, children swear, thats just the way it is. The show doesnt even have swears in the dub so this isn't even an issue.

Honestly there are some fans out there that can't grip the fact that the show is for kids but what they don't realise is that it dosen't matter. I like the show I don't care what anyone else thinks, and to worry about other's opinions is not what a real fan would do. (I'm not talking directly to you however!)

I'm just saying that basically the show is going to be considered differently for different audiences depending on where it's released because of the culture and society its being shown in. But this is obvious.

Do I think it's mature? Yes it has some content that may be mature in nature.
Do I think it's for kids? Yes it's the simple story of good and evil with so much more, and of course there's a little "extra" mature stuff thrown in there just to make us go nuts trying to figure out if its for kids or mature people.

Super Sonic · Post by **Super Sonic** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 9:57 pm

A good example of things with kids' shows and cultural differences is Detective Conan. Back when it was on CN, if the majority of cases were robberies, it likely would've been on Toonami. It was only on Adult Swim because of all the gruesome murders.

TriforceCaptre · Post by **TriforceCaptre** » Mon Mar 05, 2007 11:26 pm

By the American standard I'd say no (you'll never hear Spongebob call someone a bastard or shout damn). Around here it'd be more for middle-upper teens. For people who don't have a stick up their ass however it's a kids show.

Anonymous Friend · Post by **Anonymous Friend** » Tue Mar 06, 2007 12:25 am

To me it seems like the United States is the only place that regards animated series as "kid's stuff". Anyone over the age of 13 how likes these things gets looked down upon. In other countries, it seems that everyone enjoys comic books and cartoons. This is especially stange because I remember reading some where that the early Looney Toons cartoons were aimed at adults.

Kanzenshuu

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