Dragon Ball and Libraries (And Librarians)

[Cure Dragon 255]

This is prime time for a topic that hasnt really been explored before at least to my knowledge. This topic was inspired by this article from the New York times that SEEMS unrelated but puts in perspective how many libraries ban or dont allow kids to read certain books they feel they arent grown up to understand yet. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/06/book ... -hall.html

And also by one of the very first sympathetic voices to the cause of Uncut Dragon Ball working for Funimation. A Librarian named Monika Antonelli.

In Response to Your Editorial

I read your editorial "International Incident? More Like an International Disgrace" and I wanted to let the DBZ fans hear my side. I am the librarian and DBZ voice actor mentioned in the article and in your editorial.

I want to start off by saying if you don't like my work on DBZ, that's okay. You have a right to your opinion. But when you criticize my work because I am a librarian, you are writing from ignorance. The fact is most actors today are unable to support themselves as actors. According to government statistics the average actor earns roughly $3000 a year. $3000 a year!!! People make three times that working at McDonald's. And that figure includes actors like Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger who make millions a year. What this also means is that most actors have to work another job to support themselves. (There is a joke about actors that goes something like this: How do you get an actors attention? Shout, "Hey Waiter".)

My other job happens to be working as a librarian. But even though I support myself as a librarian, I am also a professionally trained working actor. I have both a Bachelor's and a Master's in Theatre and Drama. I am a graduate from Indian University's theatre program which is one of the top ten theatre programs in the United States.

Being a professional voice actor means my voice is my instrument. It also means that as a professional actor I have to do what the director tells me to do. There is no place for creative interpretation in this environment. When I am recording I read my lines as instructed. I must match exactly the emotion, pitch, rate, and volume the director wants me to deliver. Time is also money. So I must also record my lines as efficiently as possible. That is the role of being a professional actor.

The other item I wanted to address in your editorial is your lack of respect for the library profession. This country would be in sorry shape if there were no librarians or libraries. First, the library profession is fighting for your right to have access to information on the Internet for free. That's right, librarians are fighting for your right to have access to VegettoEX's web site. The American Library Association is an organization who frequently goes before Congress to fight for affordable access to information on the Internet. Because librarians know that you cannot have a democracy without access to information.

Probably most of the people reading this have access to a computer and the Internet at home. But for those who do not, public libraries are a places where people can go and log on to the Internet for FREE. And librarians offer this service because we think it is important that EVERYONE be able to use the Internet. That includes people, like some young people, who do not have the money to afford a computer and Internet access from home.

And librarians fight censorship. You don't like censorship on DBZ, well librarians don't like censorship, PERIOD. Librarians believe what you read, surf, look at, is your business and nobody else. Librarians believe nobody has the right to tell you what you can and cannot have access to in print or electronic format. But once again there are people in this country who are FORCING librarians to censor books and websites. So librarians are having to file LAWSUITS to keep censorship off of the backs of libraries and the American public.

So instead of putting down librarians, why don't you make friends with them? Libraries have a responsibility to the community to purchase materials that the community wants to use. From what I have read on the Internet I understand that many of the fans don't like the sanitized versions of DBZ. Well, why don't you go to your public library and ask them to purchase the uncut version of the show? (Be sure to give them the URL where the tapes can be purchased.) Or if you don't like the dubbed version ask them to buy the subtitled version for you. It is your right as member of your community to ask the library to buy the materials you want to use.

And those of you who are college students, start a DBZ or Anime student group on your campus. Then go ask the librarians on campus to purchase materials to support your organization. Many of you are paying library fees at the university or college you are attending, take advantage of this fact. You have a right to have materials you need to support your organization.

Respectfully,
Monika Antonelli

And also I met a fan who read the entire Dragon Ball manga by renting it from the library. And I have also heard many libraries wanted to ban the manga as "Porn."

I have never been to a major library other than the library that was on my school not because I dont like to read but because my parents always had lots of books and bought me any I wanted. But what is your experience with Libraries?

[Dragon Ball Ireland]

I am a qualified librarian, I don't work as one, but I think they are a great resource, particularly for making books and other forms of print, disc and electronic media available for the public regardless of their economic status. From what I can tell Dragon Ball isn't that popular in my part of Ireland but they have some manga volumes in my nearest library last time I checked, so that's always a pleasant surprise.

And I have also heard many libraries wanted to ban the manga as "Porn."

This actually happened in Finland. The first four manga volumes were published by Kustannus oy Kolibri in April 2003, only to be taken off shelves a month and a half later. The story goes that all the major newspapers and magazines criticized the manga's representation of child nudity and the Mannerheim League for Child Welfare said Dragon Ball was unacceptable because it “Normalized pedophilia", Päivi Räsänen, who was the Christian Democrat MP at the time called for the end of its distribution, arguing it was damaging for children and incentivized the paedophilic inclinations of adults. Räsänen even tried to amend Article 18 of Chapter 17 of the Finnish Penal Code to make distribution of Dragon Ball equivalent, in the eyes of the law to that of real child porn, which anyone violating would be made to pay fines or serve two years in prison. It was republished by Sangatsu Manga the following January, this edition was censored, although it became a huge success and led to more manga being published in Finland, and was republished uncensored in 2014.

Just goes to show what these naysayers knew. Dragon Ball was a huge success in Finland (they even aired all of Dragon Ball Z on SubTV) and the kids who grew up with it turned out fine.

[eledoremassis02]

I finished the manga by renting the whole series from the Library as well! I was glad to do so because I didnt have the money to buy the manga.

It is interesting Monika Antonelli states that they're against censorship, while the Manga itself (depending on the version *also unsure of the date of this editorial response*) is censored. I don't hold her or really any librarian against that as I feel most people don't realize the manga has never been fully published uncensored here (and probly wont be).

Thats why I prefer the way Kodansha has been releasing some older manga

However, I can see this being an issue as older cartoons (or rather select episodes) are fully being taken out of synication and publication due to backlash.

However, if it's true Toriyama apporved of the VIZ censorship then I don't have a problem with that either.

But given the current political veiws on books *in the U.S* (epeshally in an educational setting) and the popularity of Manga, I'm suprised the Dragon Ball manga hasnt been under the radar once again.

[Cure Dragon 255]

I think Monika didnt know the manga was censored since she was responding to criticisms of the anime.

[sangofe]

I have read the whole Norwegian outland edition from the library.

[VegettoEX]

Worth noting/remembering that Dragon Ball was pulled from a Maryland elementary/middle school library back in 2009:

https://www.kanzenshuu.com/2009/10/07/p ... nd-school/

[MasenkoHA]

.

It is interesting Monika Antonelli states that they're against censorship, while the Manga itself (depending on the version *also unsure of the date of this editorial response*) is censored. I don't hold her or really any librarian against that as I feel most people don't realize the manga has never been fully published uncensored here (and probly wont be).

Banning books because of content is quite a different beast than a publisher making the decision to edit the material.

I don't think too many people were against later editions of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory removing references to the Oompa Loomps being African pygmies for example.

[eledoremassis02]

.

It is interesting Monika Antonelli states that they're against censorship, while the Manga itself (depending on the version *also unsure of the date of this editorial response*) is censored. I don't hold her or really any librarian against that as I feel most people don't realize the manga has never been fully published uncensored here (and probly wont be).

Banning books because of content is quite a different beast than a publisher making the decision to edit the material.

I don't think too many people were against later editions of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory removing references to the Oompa Loomps being African pygmies for example.

Neither was Roald Dahl [1]. Neither was Toriyama when he agreed to remove racist depictions of africans in one of his gag mangas [2] (so him agreeing to censor Dragon Ball wouldnt seem that off). In context of the OP, the first article is about an author who was not willing to censor.

That said, Dragon Ball as a manga has dealt with both Censorship and bannings*.

1 - Storyteller The Authorized Biography of Roald Dahl by Donald Sturrock:

Spoiler:

"Dahl replied that he was 'flabber gasted to learn how much unwitting offense I had given to some people,' and assured them that the situation was being put right as soon as possible. It was. Fu- ture editions of the book contained no references to African Pygmies, only to dwarves with “golden-brown hair” and “rosy white” skin."

2 - Dreamland Japan by Frederik L. Schodt:

Spoiler:

Several targeted artists in Japan redrew the offending images in their work. In the 1980s there was a brief boom in "cute," African cartoon characters-drawn in the spirit of the inflatable black Winkie dolls once popular in America. Akira Toriyama, who had drawn four little "cute" African natives in this style, obligingly went back and transformed them into "cute" cats."

*When I mean banned, I mean on small scale (selective library, schools, stores etc.), not at all what we're seeing in states like Florida.

I think Monika didnt know the manga was censored since she was responding to criticisms of the anime.

Fair point!

[Cure Dragon 255]

Well I am so glad so many could read Dragon Ball thanks to libraries. And I thank everyone kindly for engaging with my premise.

[Hellspawn28]

Worth noting/remembering that Dragon Ball was pulled from a Maryland elementary/middle school library back in 2009:

https://www.kanzenshuu.com/2009/10/07/p ... nd-school/

I was working at a middle school for work study back in my senior year of High School and I remember when we were told to pull off Dragon Balll from our library.

[Cure Dragon 255]

OMG that's surreal. But its real.

[ZeroIsOurHero]

Banning books because of content is quite a different beast than a publisher making the decision to edit the material.

I don't think too many people were against later editions of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory removing references to the Oompa Loomps being African pygmies for example.

But a lot of people were against the most recent edition of the book (and of Roald Dahl's other works) micromanaging all of Dahl's word choices to remove any possibility of anyone being offended. It's a slippery slope: limited editing is mostly okay (though unfortunate), but do it too much and it ends up compromising the story's artistic value. That's what Ray Bradbury was concerned about in Fahrenheit 451: if society normalizes the idea of censoring any media that might be considered offensive, eventually almost all media will be considered offensive.

[Cure Dragon 255]

Thank god I didnt post last time because now I dont need to make another thread for THIS.

https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2 ... al/.202993

[sangofe]

Thank god I didnt post last time because now I dont need to make another thread for THIS.

https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2 ... al/.202993

I tried skimming but what's the relevance with Dragon Ball on that link?

[Cure Dragon 255]

This is a law that wanted to ban the sort of sexual humor scenes that were common in early Dragon Ball. If this law passed Librarians or anyone who gave kids the manga could have gone to jail.

[Cure Dragon 255]

I have to apologize for double posting but I forgot another extremely important Librarian who is an eminence in the Western Anime Industry: Fred Patten!

viewtopic.php?t=43114

Here is Kunzait's best post ever on the man.

[Dragon Ball Ireland]

I actually thought of creating a thread sometime about the issue of preservation. I know it's been done in the past here, but I don't think there would be harm in creating a fresh one.

This thread will do because its related and its something I feel very strongly about, as I think librarian and archival work is vitally important from a historical perspective.

I believe the staff here have mentioned on the podcast they had the help of librarians (and of course translators) to compile this sites massive wealth of press releases. I've also been glad to see a lot more fans these days working to preserve more international dubs that are no longer legally available, not just the Canadian dubs and creating new masters by syncing them.

I of course won't provide links here because it's against the rules, but all I can say is that what I've seen gives me hope that in the future less dubs of Dragon Ball will become lost to time, there may be some we'll never find but with the amount of fans working on it now I'm more optimistic than I have been before.

[VegettoEX]

I believe the staff here have mentioned on the podcast they had the help of librarians (and of course translators) to compile this sites massive wealth of press releases. I've also been glad to see a lot more fans these days working to preserve more international dubs that are no longer legally available, not just the Canadian dubs and creating new masters by syncing them.

The press archive was all me with my own research (and my own physical copies, most of which I've had along the way anyway 'cuz I've been in this game for so long!).

In terms of library assistance, it was really all Julian and the Japanese library system. He can chime in more if he's reading this, but it was at least one big prefectural library he went to on repeated trips that he reserved giant batches of old magazines and had them carted out for long research sessions. That's where he compiled and fact-checked every single Dr. Slump -> Dragon Ball author comment, actual magazine release date (not just the cover date), etc. etc. etc.

[Yuji]

Interestingly I had access to Dragon Ball volumes and VHS tapes in my middle school, high school and even university.

[Dragon ball master]

Interestingly I had access to Dragon Ball volumes and VHS tapes in my middle school, high school and even university.

My middle school did have some dbz manga but I didn't know a school could.have anime vhs