Torishima is against the Dragon Ball Theme park in Saudi Arabia

[Von]

As usual Kazuhiko Torishima has no retraint and I love him for it lol

Here is the original article in Japanese (don't forget to hit "next page"!). Browser translation is decent: https://diamond.jp/articles/-/369518

“We shouldn’t be building a Dragon Ball theme park!” — stated Kazuhiko Torishima, the editor-in-chief of the Legendary of Weekly Shonen Jump.


Diamond.jp published an interview with Torishima which mentions the theme park that's being planned by saudi arabia.

— The government of Saudi Arabia, together with Toei Animation, is planning to open a Dragon Ball theme park. Are you involved in this project, M. Torishima?

No, I have absolutely nothing to do with it. If I were still at Shueisha, I would never have approved that plan. My main reason is simple: Japanese children wouldn’t be able to go there.



I wrote a rough translation of the entire article as well as extra details that came from the Japan Expo Paris press conference from early July on my blog if you'd like.

[sangofe]

Yeah, it shouldn't be in Saudi Arabia.

[Jord]

I wonder what his opinion is on the small Jump theme park in Ikebukuro, since it has a DB section as well.

[Dragon Ball Ireland]

Yeah, it shouldn't be in Saudi Arabia.

Exactly, this is pure animewashing. Women, gays as well as various religious and ethnic minorities have suffered horrific discrimination and executions at the hands of Saudis over the years.

As much as I'd love to go to a Dragon Ball theme park it should be at Universal Studios Osaka in Japan or Orlando, Florida, not a country that is using the brand as a desperate measure to get in people's good books.

[WittyUsername]

I assumed from the title that he would be against it because of the Saudi Arabian government.

[Von]

He does say it's an unstable country that kids can't go to, so there is a criticism about what saudi arabia is as a country, but yeah.

I'd put the themepark anywhere in western continental europe (Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Germany, Belgium...) as this is where DB started to become popular after Japan and we have the infrastructure and stability to host it and welcome all sorts of tourists and allow families to do a bunch of other things. But Luxury Resort n°142 of Qiddqh? naaah.

[Trouser]

Should be only in Japan, because knowing how this country works (anime, manga and other shit), it would be mind blowing from the get go.

But the world is generally a bad place full of hypocrites and egoists and only $$$ matter.

It is what it is.

[Dragon Ball Ireland]

He does say it's an unstable country that kids can't go to, so there is a criticism about what saudi arabia is as a country, but yeah.

I'd put the themepark anywhere in western continental europe (Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Germany, Belgium...) as this is where DB started to become popular after Japan and we have the infrastructure and stability to host it and welcome all sorts of tourists and allow families to do a bunch of other things. But Luxury Resort n°142 of Qiddqh? naaah.

France would be perfect, they were the second international territory to receive the Dragon Ball anime after Hong Kong, and Dragon Ball is well liked there. In fact at least three notable French footballers Wissam Ben Yedder, André-Pierre Gignac and Harvey Elliott have even used the Kamehameha pose as an expression of pride. Considering the fact football (at least British football) is the most popular, mainstream sport worldwide (excluding America) that's saying something.

[Hellspawn28]

I would prefer it in Japan as well. Not a country that will put you in jail for being LGBTQ+ or an atheist.

[Von]

France would be perfect, they were the second international territory to receive the Dragon Ball anime after Hong Kong, and Dragon Ball is well liked there. In fact at least three notable French footballers Wissam Ben Yedder, André-Pierre Gignac and Harvey Elliott have even used the Kamehameha pose as an expression of pride. Considering the fact football (at least British football) is the most popular, mainstream sport worldwide (excluding America) that's saying something.

As a French person who lives in France and grew up on DB (which came out in 1988 here), I'm going to go full nationalist and agree 10000% :p

Hell even Macron (our president) is a huge genuine DB fan, he was the first international head of state to put out a statement after Toriyama's death was made public...
(and he came to meet Torishima, Nakatsuru and Toyotaro at Japan Expo, it was pretty funny; Toyotaro and Macron are the same age)

[Kid Buu]

Well they've bought up a lot of the sportworld so not surprising they're trying to appeal with nerd fandoms.

I've even heard they want to host the Rugby World Cup which baffles me because Rugby Union isn't even a major sport in that region of the world.

Sidenote, is this the first anime/manga IP to have its own theme park?

He does say it's an unstable country that kids can't go to, so there is a criticism about what saudi arabia is as a country, but yeah.

I'd put the themepark anywhere in western continental europe (Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Germany, Belgium...) as this is where DB started to become popular after Japan and we have the infrastructure and stability to host it and welcome all sorts of tourists and allow families to do a bunch of other things. But Luxury Resort n°142 of Qiddqh? naaah.

France would be perfect, they were the second international territory to receive the Dragon Ball anime after Hong Kong, and Dragon Ball is well liked there. In fact at least three notable French footballers Wissam Ben Yedder, André-Pierre Gignac and Harvey Elliott have even used the Kamehameha pose as an expression of pride. Considering the fact football (at least British football) is the most popular, mainstream sport worldwide (excluding America) that's saying something.

Also:

[Hellspawn28]

It's also hard not to talk about the politics of the country without breaking the no politics rule of the forums.

[Vhanos]

As much as I'd love to go to a Dragon Ball theme park it should be at Universal Studios Osaka in Japan or Orlando, Florida, not a country that is using the brand as a desperate measure to get in people's good books.

I agree about this.

[Kid Buu]

It's also hard not to talk about the politics of the country without breaking the no politics rule of the forums.

...that's a rule on here?

[JulieYBM]

The United States suffers from a similar issue where the wealthy and the powerful are able to use their money to buy good will from the people with cheap stunts like pandering to nostalgia and pop culture. I would offer that doing so should be illegal and should be condemned by the public.

[Hellspawn28]

It's also hard not to talk about the politics of the country without breaking the no politics rule of the forums.

...that's a rule on here?

Usually, topics on politics and religion are normally not allowed here to avoid shit storms.

[WittyUsername]

This is the first I’ve heard about this forum having a rule against discussing politics.

[JulieYBM]

We discuss politics all the time here. Art—and the bullshit that surrounds it—is inherently political and will inevitably spill over.

[Von]

Well they've bought up a lot of the sportworld so not surprising they're trying to appeal with nerd fandoms.

I've even heard they want to host the Rugby World Cup which baffles me because Rugby Union isn't even a major sport in that region of the world.

Sidenote, is this the first anime/manga IP to have its own theme park?

I mean, Ghibli Museum exists....
BUT
France has a collab themepark with Naruto
https://www.parc-spirou.com/naruto/


As for buying the sports, we saw what happened: a popular sport like football (and not hand egg) has now become an elite inaccessible sport; tickets are through the roof, jerseys are super expensive, and nothing is accessible for regular kids anymore to meet the likes of Messi and Ronaldo and co. I see it with the French teams being completely.... ugh
(and I say that while giving 0 care about sports at all lol)


Art is political and DB does carry poliitical messages (anti militarism and anti totalitarianism, I mean Freeza is a landlord tycoon after all XD), but we don't need to go into great details outside of "human rights for construction workers" and "country has laws that outlaws most DB fans for existing as non cis het dudes" haha.

But yeah, it goes without saying, but "no islamophobic comments here pls" ^-^

[Kid Buu]

Well they've bought up a lot of the sportworld so not surprising they're trying to appeal with nerd fandoms.

I've even heard they want to host the Rugby World Cup which baffles me because Rugby Union isn't even a major sport in that region of the world.

Sidenote, is this the first anime/manga IP to have its own theme park?

I mean, Ghibli Museum exists....
BUT
France has a collab themepark with Naruto
https://www.parc-spirou.com/naruto/


As for buying the sports, we saw what happened: a popular sport like football (and not hand egg) has now become an elite inaccessible sport; tickets are through the roof, jerseys are super expensive, and nothing is accessible for regular kids anymore to meet the likes of Messi and Ronaldo and co. I see it with the French teams being completely.... ugh
(and I say that while giving 0 care about sports at all lol)


Art is political and DB does carry poliitical messages (anti militarism and anti totalitarianism, I mean Freeza is a landlord tycoon after all XD), but we don't need to go into great details outside of "human rights for construction workers" and "country has laws that outlaws most DB fans for existing as non cis het dudes" haha.

But yeah, it goes without saying, but "no islamophobic comments here pls" ^-^

Yeah here in England the Premier League is the most watched league in the world. Nice that it has such a big global TV audience, but it has come at the price where working class families are being priced out of their local clubs. It's causing a lot of fans here to turn into lower leagues such as the Championship as they are less commercialised. TBF Saudi Arabia isn't the only party involved in corrupting football.