It's actually amazing that DBZ was successful on Japanese TV

[TVfan721]

It's actually amazing that DBZ was successful on Japanese TV.

When you look at just how much filler there was, how much things dragged on, and most importantly, the fact that they only got 1 new episode a week, it's amazing that it was as big of a hit as it was. Here in North America, we were definitely lucky, we regularly got 5 new episodes a week from Monday to Friday, so the filler wasn't as noticeable and it didn't feel that things were dragging on as much. If I had to watch the whole series like Japan did and just watch one new episode a week, every week, I honestly don't know if I would have still been as much of a fan since the filler would have been much more noticeable and I would've gotten bored quick.

It also shows just how much more patient Japanese are compared to us here in North America. That whole one episode a week style for a series like DBZ would not have worked out well for a North American audience. I understand the filler was because it was running simultaneously with the manga but honestly, I would've just read the manga and probably not pay the anime much attention. Things like the fake Namek saga, the Garlic Jr saga, and so much other nonsense filler, airing once a week would've driven me off after awhile.

[MasenkoHA]

We had endless reruns in the west. Not sure how that was any better.

Hell yeah Goku is on Namek and ready to kick butt what happens next? Oh its Raditz again...

Vegeta just sacrificed himself to stop Majin Buu, I’m excited for all the upcoming fusion stuff and Mystic Gohan ohhh we’re back to the other world tournament for the third time.

[TVfan721]

Digesting an entire saga of Dragon Ball Z, 5 days a week for a few months, then taking a break, then repeating the process is still better than the Japanese way of doing it. At least, in my opinion it is. Much better really.

[ABED]

I don't know. I think back before streaming, I would've preferred a steady once or twice a week the whole year release schedule.

[TheGreatness25]

Is that somehow different than how Dragon Ball Super or any other anime airs in Japan?

I do find that once a week is too little, especially since the episodes last just shy over 20 minutes in total and every episode was just passing time until the next episode. The totality of the Dragon Ball series was great, but I can't point to a particular episode and say, "Man, that episode was great." They're all just vehicles to get to the next episode -- it's very rare that there's any finality in them. Yes, they make you want to see the next episode, but it also makes individual episodes feel insignificant for the most part. At least that's how I feel.

I think that five episodes a week is a much better way to experience a series that seems to be never-ending. Toonami gave us two episodes per day at some point, which was pretty awesome.

But to be surprised that it was successful in Japan, I'd have to question if this viewing experience is not just normal course of business over there.

[jjgp1112]

But to be surprised that it was successful in Japan, I'd have to question if this viewing experience is not just normal course of business over there.

That's pretty much the case. That's been the model for children's anime pretty since the beginning of animated TV in Japan. And DB and it's ilk are always looked at as manga first, anime second. Hence why most shonen anime OPs are pretty ridden with spoilers.

[Vijay]

Dude, the scenario is like this. When you have an entire nation embracing ur protagonist & his show (Goku & DBZ in this case), it's only natural for them to wait weeks, if not months for their fav show to air & grace their TV's

Anime fillers aside, you know DragonBall manga was huge hit in Japan. Add it's merchandise sales, games, movies, specials, OVA's.

I've waited almost a year for Goku vs Frieza. Same with Goku vs Cell. And tbh, the wait was well-worth it. And watchin it now downloaded in my desktop, I just wish I had few more siblings who shared similar interests as I did & grew-up having watched an epic phenomenon before our eyes

[funrush]

It was my understanding that most fans at the time were reading the manga and the anime was more supplementary, and that's why they were so ballsy with spoiling things in NEPs/episode titles.

Although I definitely wasn't there so someone correct me if I'm wrong

[Cure Dragon 255]

Actually Toonami tried the "One episode each weekday" for Super...and it got killed in the ratings. The one episode a week ran with much much much better ratings. Its not just a Japan thing. Heck, even the Toonzai weekly broadcasts did great.

Also the way Japanese TV Networks isnt the same as USA or any other TV Network for that matter. HECK, you are using either hindsight which is unfairly 20 20 or you seem to assume tv back then is the same as it is now.

All these messages are for the topic creator of course.

[Dbzfan94]

Actually Toonami tried the "One episode each weekday" for Super...

I don't remember this at all. When did this happen?

[Cure Dragon 255]

It happened on the months Super had the 8PM slot. It did happen.

[KBABZ]

Yeah I've often wondered this as well, haha. I think with Super it's a bit different, because without prior source material it's much less obvious when something is filler or not. With DB and Z, if you're reading the manga (and have a good memory since the Tankobon wouldn't be published until MUCH later) you're more aware of when it's diverting from the source or just stalling for time.

While The Mandalorian is a VERY different format (30-40 minutes, no ad breaks, limited episode run), I feel it details an important facet it would have had in common with DB and Z, which is the watercooler effect. When you can only consume one episode a week, you get excited for the next part of the story and discuss your thoughts with others over the coming week until the next episode. Kids have rampant imaginations and are very impatient, which plays to the advantage because they'll make SURE they catch the next episode of something they're invested in (which was even more important in the days before DVRs or streaming on demand).

---

Here's something I've always wondered. What's the venn diagram for Japanese people who read the manga and those who watched the anime? Would fans jump to the anime to see what happened next, or was the majority just people who stuck with the anime?

As another aside, I've always felt that the lack of home media releases is why the anime got away with incredibly blatant plot holes, because between the difficulty of seeing them again and the huge time between episodes (even in the US airings) nobody would really notice!

[ABED]

As another aside, I've always felt that the lack of home media releases is why the anime got away with incredibly blatant plot holes, because between the difficulty of seeing them again and the huge time between episodes (even in the US airings) nobody would really notice!

That's an interesting thought. Probably true, but I don't think plot holes matter to people nearly as much as some would have us believe.

[TVfan721]

Actually Toonami tried the "One episode each weekday" for Super...and it got killed in the ratings. The one episode a week ran with much much much better ratings. Its not just a Japan thing. Heck, even the Toonzai weekly broadcasts did great.

You completely ignored the main point of my argument where I talk about the filler. Of course the Toonzai, weekly Dragon Ball Kai broadcast did great. It removed all the filler. Dragon Ball Kai in weekly format is much easier to digest than the original DBZ anime. Same with Super really too. I understand Super has some filler compared to the manga, I think. Even still though, it's NOTHING compared to the original DBZ and it's another show that can be digested in weekly format with no real issue.

If Dragon Ball Kai had aired in North America in the 90's and early 2000's, it would worked in weekly format because it was tight and never dragged on. If the original DBZ anime aired in weekly format, no, I don't think it would have worked out.

[jjgp1112]

Actually Toonami tried the "One episode each weekday" for Super...and it got killed in the ratings. The one episode a week ran with much much much better ratings. Its not just a Japan thing. Heck, even the Toonzai weekly broadcasts did great.

You completely ignored the main point of my argument where I talk about the filler. Of course the Toonzai, weekly Dragon Ball Kai broadcast did great. It removed all the filler. Dragon Ball Kai in weekly format is much easier to digest than the original DBZ anime. Same with Super really too. I understand Super has some filler compared to the manga, I think. Even still though, it's NOTHING compared to the original DBZ and it's another show that can be digested in weekly format with no real issue.

If Dragon Ball Kai had aired in North America in the 90's and early 2000's, it would worked in weekly format because it was tight and never dragged on. If the original DBZ anime aired in weekly format, no, I don't think it would have worked out.

Naruto got huge only airing in a weekly format in 05-07 and that was a show with similarly slow pacing.

Wasn't really until they hit the same dead zone that killed the shows ratings in Japan too that it struggled.

[MasenkoHA]

If the original DBZ anime aired in weekly format, no, I don't think it would have worked out.

The episodes that were first-run syndication did run weekly and it did well in the ratings by the metrics of syndication. Even being the number one syndicated shoe at least at one point http://dbzu.3gkai.com/opinions/bwatson.html


And yeah that was only the first 53 episodes but the season 2 stuff was hardly exciting: Fake Namek, Bulma vs giant crab.

[MasenkoHA]

Hence why most shonen anime OPs are pretty ridden with spoilers.

And then you have Rock the Dragon which not only spoils Goku becoming a Super Saiyan but also Vegeta becoming a Super Saiyan and Trunks...existing as a third super saiyan.


All in the first season when they weren’t sure if they would get a season 2.

[omegacwa]

I feel the reason once a week works is because it gives the viewer something to look forward to all week. I know I look forward to the manga and that only comes out once a month.

I feel nowadays we are spoiled by "binge watching". It makes shows feel more disposable and I think is the main reason Netflix started canceling even some of its most successful shows, because people would sign up, binge watch some shows, then cancel. There's no "new money" for netflix with that model.

If they released shows weekly it could generate some buzz and get more people interested over time, it also keeps people from canceling their memberships right after watching whatever they wanted to watch in one weekend.

[TVfan721]

If the original DBZ anime aired in weekly format, no, I don't think it would have worked out.

The episodes that were first-run syndication did run weekly and it did well in the ratings by the metrics of syndication. Even being the number one syndicated shoe at least at one point http://dbzu.3gkai.com/opinions/bwatson.html


And yeah that was only the first 53 episodes but the season 2 stuff was hardly exciting: Fake Namek, Bulma vs giant crab.

That syndicated version still cut out about 13 episodes worth of stuff and removed a ton of filler. By weekly standards, that's 3 months worth of television. Not really a fair comparison.

[ABED]

Some of those edits, especially in the Namek arc, are so small as to be imperceptible.