What is the minimum age you would recommend Dragon Ball for?

[DBZAOTA482]

Dragon Ball is filled with violence, nudity, suggestive themes, and mild language but it turns out that stuff is not as big of a deal in Japan as in the west and honestly, it's quite tame compared to a lot of anime/manga out there. At the same time, I can't see myself letting a 5 year old watch/read the series especially uncut.

I say the age to start watching/reading Dragon Ball is 9. Kids at that point are easily capable of differentiating fantasy from reality and won't try to replicate what they see the characters do.

[Hellspawn28]

Maybe 7. The series is TV PG which is the same rating as Teen Titans Go.

[Lord Beerus]

I'd say 10.

Dragon Ball may have its decent share of sexual humour and violence -- with the former being much more prevalent in the early portion of the manga -- but it's so over the top and juvenile in its execution that I can't imagine it leaving that much of a negative impression on children from that age and onwards.

[Hellspawn28]

I feel like most young kids don't get shock by nudity. When they normally see it, they laugh at it. I remember people in my elementary school would make jokes about someone having a dick or boobies when we look up in our text book. However, the 90s was a different day compare to now.

[MasenkoHA]

About 6 or 7

[Zephyr]

Probably depends on the kid.

[Koitsukai]

I picked it up at the age of 10, I think that's a proper age, you are a few years away from puberty, which is when cartoons tend to be less interesting.
By then, usually, you're pretty much set up psychologically, you know Roshi's antics are out of place and animated violence shouldn't be giving you nightmares or funny ideas.

[The Accountant]

Like some, I'd also say 10. I doubt I would've been invested in a series like Dragon Ball before that age.

[Aim]

Dragon Ball is filled with violence, nudity, suggestive themes, and mild language but it turns out that stuff is not as big of a deal in Japan as in the west and honestly, it's quite tame compared to a lot of anime/manga out there. At the same time, I can't see myself letting a 5 year old watch/read the series especially uncut.

I say the age to start watching/reading Dragon Ball is 9. Kids at that point are easily capable of differentiating fantasy from reality and won't try to replicate what they see the characters do.

The real answer is that it depends. Culture and upbringing are very important factors. In general, uncut Dragon Ball is by far not a series for the average 9 year old. I think my limit would be 13. Though I’d explain to the child before hand that what they are watching is fantasy and not representative of reality.

[MasenkoHA]

Dragon Ball is filled with violence, nudity, suggestive themes, and mild language but it turns out that stuff is not as big of a deal in Japan as in the west and honestly, it's quite tame compared to a lot of anime/manga out there. At the same time, I can't see myself letting a 5 year old watch/read the series especially uncut.

I say the age to start watching/reading Dragon Ball is 9. Kids at that point are easily capable of differentiating fantasy from reality and won't try to replicate what they see the characters do.

The real answer is that it depends. Culture and upbringing are very important factors. In general, uncut Dragon Ball is by far not a series for the average 9 year old. I think my limit would be 13. Though I’d explain to the child before hand that what they are watching is fantasy and not representative of reality.

I guarantee you the average 13 year old could figure that one out on their own.

[Adamant]

I believe Weekly Shonen Jump is primarily aimed at the male 9-12 demographic, so that's your target audience. The anime aims slightly younger, but "early elementary school" sounds about right.

Didn't Funimation specifically mention 9 year olds as their primary target? "There's a 9 year old born every minute" or someting?

[MasenkoHA]

Didn't Funimation specifically mention 9 year olds as their primary target? "There's a 9 year old born every minute" or someting?

I think 6-11 is the standard target demo for cartoons with fantasy violence but yeah that quote sounds familar.

[jjgp1112]

Dragon Ball is filled with violence, nudity, suggestive themes, and mild language but it turns out that stuff is not as big of a deal in Japan as in the west and honestly, it's quite tame compared to a lot of anime/manga out there. At the same time, I can't see myself letting a 5 year old watch/read the series especially uncut.

I say the age to start watching/reading Dragon Ball is 9. Kids at that point are easily capable of differentiating fantasy from reality and won't try to replicate what they see the characters do.

The real answer is that it depends. Culture and upbringing are very important factors. In general, uncut Dragon Ball is by far not a series for the average 9 year old. I think my limit would be 13. Though I’d explain to the child before hand that what they are watching is fantasy and not representative of reality.

The average 13 year old is well at the age of watching whatever they want, when they want short of an R-Rated movie in theaters and certainly understands fiction

[goku the krump dancer]

Exactly, I mean at 13 I definitely knew there was a fundamental difference between Family Guy and friggin Johnny Quest.

That being said I'm with the 7/8/9 camp for sure.

[Neo-Makaiōshin]

About the age they start first year of elementary school with mild adult supervision.

[Kamiccolo9]

I was watching it at, like, 5? 6?

[MasenkoHA]

I was watching it at, like, 5? 6?

As were probably most people here who discovered the show through syndication or on Toonami (or if they're really young Kai on Nicktoons or KidsCWBVortexxToonzai

Which makes all these they need to be 10 or 13 comments weird

[Jaetinh]

I was watching it at, like, 5? 6?

Same. On RTL ll, yes?

[Extreme_kai]

It really depends on the values you want to imbue in your child. I wasn't allowed to watch the Simpsons until I was in high school. My father didn't want me watching a show where children disrespected their parents, so it all depends on your parenting style. My dad didn't like DBZ/anime, so I really don't think he cared to see what it was about. It first aired on Toonami around 1998, so I was 8 years old when I started watching. All the crass sexual humor went over my head, I just wanted to see buff dudes punch each other.

[Zephyr]

Which makes all these they need to be 10 or 13 comments weird

What makes them extra weird for me is that by the time I was 12/13 and in middle school, things like DBZ and Yu-Gi-Oh (which had been all the rage like a year or two prior) were seen as decidedly lame by most of my peers. Which makes sense, that's just when puberty's in full swing and everyone's incredibly insecure about kid stuff, wanting to seem as mature as can be.

The average 13 year old is well at the age of watching whatever they want, when they want short of an R-Rated movie in theaters and certainly understands fiction

Honestly, even including an R-Rated movie in theaters. It's easy enough to buy a ticket to a movie you're allowed to see, and then just walk into the auditorium for the R-Rated film you want to see. I did that as a kid on at least a few occasions, and when I worked at a theater for 5 years kids were doing that shit all the time.