Should I get the tankoubon version or wait?

[Pokewhiz7]

I don't think they're bad, just that the VizBigs are better.

[ManyFaces]

Oh, c'mon! The Viz tankoubon isn't that bad! It does have room to improve, but you can get the whole thing for $170 and they come in neat box sets!

Really, though, go to a book store and sit down and read a couple volumes and see if you like it. There really isn't that much to censor, so the biggest examples (like bare breasts) only show up two or three times in the entire 42 volumes.

Last time I read the manga was around 2003, and I distinctively remember it being uncensored, so I would definitely get those if I could easily find them, but alas, that's not the case.

When I started this thread, I was content with just getting the tankoubon version, but wanted to ask if I should wait 'til Viz releases a better version. Y'all said to get them and not wait, so I went over to Amazon and started checking the box sets out, then Herms shows up and tells me they don't use the original names. Not only do they not use the original names, but they have their own naming scheme. That's a deal breaker to me. Up until now, I swore I not only heard Viz used the original names, but saw them too, but I guess I must be mistaken. So, I've decided to continue neglecting the manga releases, at least until Viz releases something better.

I'ma edit my opening post to let every one know I've already decided what to buy: neither.

[Ashura]

I went out on a limb and ordered the 'Dragonball' box set and was pleasantly surprised.

It seems to be my guess that the box-sets are the point where they reprinted the Shonen Jump version of the series in a less censored format. The release date of the boxset seems to coincide with the reprinting date in the books; I believe the box set came out in 2008, and the issues in the box set are the 10th printing also done in 2008.

If someone has an earlier printing that's the same as these less censored versions, though, make note.

I took a look at a later printing up at Barnes and Nobles the other day. They were either 2010/11 and maybe the 11th printing(?). They, too, had Bulma's boobies bared in the first issue.

I've been meaning to start a thread that explains the different ways you can tell which issues are which (not just shows the different censorship), and then outreach to the community for more information. From what I can tell, each version (the first set and the Shonen Jump versions, excluding VizBigs) has had a later edition that is less censored. The original Viz Whites, for instance... only the first three tanks had multiple editions, and the least censored version of those first 3 have the notice 'For Ages 13 and Up' on the cover. I believe anything that's volume 4 and up have the same notice on it, and they never changed those issues before they went out of print.

I got a copy of the '13 & UP' first volume off of Amazon, and it could not have been any simpler. All I did was ask multiple sellers if the notice was on the cover or not, and bought one which did.

[ManyFaces]

Out of curiosity, I went over to Ebay to see if I would find the older volumes, and I found tons of various releases.

Here's a few questions I have:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Dragon-Ball-Z-anime ... 879wt_1344

Those four red books are uncensored, right? Are they the ones that editing varies from edition to edition?

The problem I have with the '13 and up' releases is they came out in 2001, but I'm finding news post from ANN in 2003 that says Viz is making an uncensored version. I figure this uncensored version is those red books since they're publication date is 2003.

If someone could breakdown all the earlier releases for an ignoramus like myself, I'd appreciate it.

Edit:

Thanks to Daizex's manga reference sheet, I think I understand now.

Volume 1-3: First printing is censored, and the second is uncensored.
Volume 4-16: '13 and up' edition is uncensored.

Volume 1-16: Shonen Jump (red) edition is uncensored, and is the same throughout all printings.

Can someone clarify that?

[rereboy]

When I started this thread, I was content with just getting the tankoubon version, but wanted to ask if I should wait 'til Viz releases a better version. Y'all said to get them and not wait, so I went over to Amazon and started checking the box sets out, then Herms shows up and tells me they don't use the original names. Not only do they not use the original names, but they have their own naming scheme. That's a deal breaker to me. Up until now, I swore I not only heard Viz used the original names, but saw them too, but I guess I must be mistaken. So, I've decided to continue neglecting the manga releases, at least until Viz releases something better.

They only change a few names. They use Hercule instead of Mr. Satan and Vegerot instead of Vegetto. Besides those two, almost every other name is the original name correctly romanized... I don't even remember any more besides those two. And there are lots of names in Dragon Ball.

And even Vegerot has a logic to it... They used it because they use Kakarrot and not Kakarroto... So, given the way the name of the fusion is created, it wouldn't make sense to use Vegetto, and it wouldn't make much sense to use Kakarroto instead of Kakarrot, since Kakarrot is a perfectly correct romanization of his name into english, which also conveys the pun of the name (carrot) better into english.

Out of curiosity, I went over to Ebay to see if I would find the older volumes, and I found tons of various releases.

Here's a few questions I have:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Dragon-Ball-Z-anime ... 879wt_1344

Those four red books are uncensored, right? Are they the ones that editing varies from edition to edition?

The problem I have with the '13 and up' releases is they came out in 2001, but I'm finding news post from ANN in 2003 that says Viz is making an uncensored version. I figure this uncensored version is those red books since they're publication date is 2003.

If someone could breakdown all the earlier releases for an ignoramus like myself, I'd appreciate it.

Edit:

Thanks to Daizex's manga reference sheet, I think I understand now.

Volume 1-3: First printing is censored, and the second is uncensored.
Volume 4-16: '13 and up' edition is uncensored.

Volume 1-16: Shonen Jump (red) edition is uncensored, and is the same throughout all printings.

Can someone clarify that?

Viz's censorship of the older releases is bloody inconsistent. It varies greatly, even within the same release, depending on the print.

Without looking at them, there is just no way of being 100% sure of what censorship there is within.

There is only one thing you need to know: Dragon Ball was never released fully uncensored in any Viz release in its entirely. You may find volumes slightly less censored than the current ones, but at the end of the day its kind of a futile effort because having all the volumes of Dragon Ball from Viz will always imply some censorship.

Not that it should matter, since the little censorship there is in the current releases is almost irrelevant. I'm just saying that, since the current level of censorship in the current volumes is pretty much irrelevant, and since it will be impossible to have the collection totally uncensored using all the Viz's releases till this day, its kind of futile to be hunting down old volumes that might be slightly less censored.

[enapace]

So you should get the red editions of Dragonball If you want uncensored. And you can't get uncensored for dragonball z correct.

[rereboy]

So you should get the red editions of Dragonball If you want uncensored. And you can't get uncensored for dragonball z correct.

There is no complete uncensored release of the first portion of the manga (Dragon Ball).

Mr. Popo's lips are always censored, besides other details.

[enapace]

Why would his lips be censored? How does that offend people? I think I will get the red (version).

[rereboy]

Because his design is based on the old racist designs of black faces:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/c ... face_2.jpg

[enapace]

Fair enough. Some people are just touchy.

[Bardock the Mexican]

Fair enough. Some people are just touchy.

Does your keyboard lack keys or do you lack the right fingers to type them?

It's not that people are too touchy and offended - it's that there's a lot of money to be made off of frivolous lawsuits and court clogging litigation. There's more white guilt about black slavery than the form of slavery that was practiced before it, the indigenous kind. Other than that, there is no real reason why people are so overly careful not to offend anyone.

[TheGreatness25]

The censorship in the VizBigs is heavily exaggerated. Speaking as someone that has the uncensored Japanese manga and the VizBigs, it's really not that big of a deal. In the VizBigs, a lot of Japanese letters (signs, etc.) are turned into English ones. I suppose that counts as censorship. Other than that, only middle fingers and breasts are censored. Little Goku's weiner is still left there... though I'd rather they censor that somehow too lol Whatever, not the point. The point is this: how many middle fingers are there? Okay yeah, there are few instances here and there. How many times are boobs shown? A hell of a lot less times than you might imagine. And they did some damn good editing (they actually put like a bra on one girl for a panel, etc.). So unless you're really, really, really just dying to get middle fingers and one Bulma boob shot (which can be found using trusty Google Images), then yeah, the VizBigs own this. But if you're worried about censorship, I don't think Viz will tone it down. Weren't the VizBigs supposedly not for children but for teens? I think that's as far as they'd go. And I think you won't get the satisfaction of seeing boobs anyway if you get the single volumes, to be honest.

Oh yeah, there's Popo's lips... But come on... that's not so terrible. At least he's not blue. But if that deters you, then that's your thing.

[Ashura]

So you should get the red editions of Dragonball If you want uncensored. And you can't get uncensored for dragonball z correct.

From what I've read on this forum, even the red editions' earliest printings have some pretty heavy censorship.

And yeah, there's no /completely/ uncensored version. I just wanted to note that the boxset printing seems to coincide with the least censored printing of the Shonen Jump Tanks/red version.

I also believe that the least censored version of the red tanks all have the new Viz logo on the spine, but that doesn't mean that there aren't some extra-censored versions which also have the new logo.. just that the versions with the old logo are all extra-censored. Does that make sense, and is this accurate?

http://daizex.fanboyreview.net/viewtopi ... =7&t=11271
http://daizex.fanboyreview.net/viewtopi ... =7&t=15105

Has a bunch of information on the 3 levels of censorship.

[AgitoZ]

Weren't the VizBigs supposedly not for children but for teens?

I don't know about that.

I thought these were the ones for kids.

[Kendamu]

Weren't the VizBigs supposedly not for children but for teens?

I don't know about that.

I thought these were the ones for kids.

It's all for kids! Some parents have just made VIZ think that a boob here and a finger there will completely warp a child's mind!

[AgitoZ]

It's all for kids!

Touche...

Some parents have just made VIZ think that a boob here and a finger there will completely warp a child's mind!

Yeah, Viz definitely seems to be afraid of their own shadow. Maybe if they shrink wrapped the volumes or something. OR EVEN if they actually read the damn ratings on back...

[Pokewhiz7]

Out of curiousity, how censored are the old Viz Comics? (Which as far as I know pulled an UUE.)

[Kendamu]

Out of curiousity, how censored are the old Viz Comics? (Which as far as I know pulled an UUE.)

The only old comics I saw were Saiyan arc comics. There really isn't any difference between them with what I read.

[enapace]

Fair enough. Some people are just touchy.

Does your keyboard lack keys or do you lack the right fingers to type them?

It's not that people are too touchy and offended - it's that there's a lot of money to be made off of frivolous lawsuits and court clogging litigation. There's more white guilt about black slavery than the form of slavery that was practiced before it, the indigenous kind. Other than that, there is no real reason why people are so overly careful not to offend anyone.

It doesn't lack keys it sometimes does not pick up I have used them. From now on I will check to make I am getting it right so I don't annoy you guys sorry about this.

[laserkid]

Out of curiousity, how censored are the old Viz Comics? (Which as far as I know pulled an UUE.)

The only old comics I saw were Saiyan arc comics. There really isn't any difference between them with what I read.

I can attest that the "comics" editions did not censor popo's lips like the graphic novel versions do. Beyond that, I don't think there is any difference.