Do you take Dragon Ball seriously?

[Rukura]

Before i even clicked on the thread, i was asking myself what i hoped was on the opening post...and saw asked verbatum in the very next post: "Define 'seriously'."

Because i really feel like it can be taken in various ways. A fan that replies to a negative comment regarding the franchise with something along the lines of "You've offended the japanese/american/manga version of the series, i hope you die a painful death and rot in hell" does take it seriously....not in a health way...but takes it seriously none the less. (Yes, that's the extreme lol)

As for me, i take it seriously and i don't.
It "exists" in my life in a big way. I am going on 21 years old, and in the past 16 I grew up with it, moved on to the original version that is now my favorite, moved on to reading the original manga, have wanted to and enjoyed knowing more about the series and franchise, have played games, seen crappy live action adaptations ALL because i do enjoy it so much, because i "take it seriously".

I don't take it seriously in the way of thinking it's the "end all, be all" definitive anime and manga series. I've watched series that i consider better and worse...Dragon Ball just happens to be my favorite

[Shiyonasan]

Another post lost to the posting glitch. Anyway, here is Rukura's post:

Before i even clicked on the thread, i was asking myself what i hoped was on the opening post...and saw asked verbatum in the very next post: "Define 'seriously'."

Because i really feel like it can be taken in various ways. A fan that replies to a negative comment regarding the franchise with something along the lines of "You've offended the japanese/american/manga version of the series, i hope you die a painful death and rot in hell" does take it seriously....not in a health way...but takes it seriously none the less. (Yes, that's the extreme lol)

As for me, i take it seriously and i don't.
It "exists" in my life in a big way. I am going on 21 years old, and in the past 16 I grew up with it, moved on to the original version that is now my favorite, moved on to reading the original manga, have wanted to and enjoyed knowing more about the series and franchise, have played games, seen crappy live action adaptations ALL because i do enjoy it so much, because i "take it seriously".

I don't take it seriously in the way of thinking it's the "end all, be all" definitive anime and manga series. I've watched series that i consider better and worse...Dragon Ball just happens to be my favorite

[Zestanor]

A valiant effort Shiyonasan, but your post was lost too! (Two in a row.)

Another post lost to the posting glitch. Anyway, here is Rukura's post:

Before i even clicked on the thread, i was asking myself what i hoped was on the opening post...and saw asked verbatum in the very next post: "Define 'seriously'."

Because i really feel like it can be taken in various ways. A fan that replies to a negative comment regarding the franchise with something along the lines of "You've offended the japanese/american/manga version of the series, i hope you die a painful death and rot in hell" does take it seriously....not in a health way...but takes it seriously none the less. (Yes, that's the extreme lol)

As for me, i take it seriously and i don't.
It "exists" in my life in a big way. I am going on 21 years old, and in the past 16 I grew up with it, moved on to the original version that is now my favorite, moved on to reading the original manga, have wanted to and enjoyed knowing more about the series and franchise, have played games, seen crappy live action adaptations ALL because i do enjoy it so much, because i "take it seriously".

I don't take it seriously in the way of thinking it's the "end all, be all" definitive anime and manga series. I've watched series that i consider better and worse...Dragon Ball just happens to be my favorite

Edit: Okay... It came back.

[Kendamu]

It changed my life. Literally, it has.

As you know, it's changed my life, too. However, I don't really take life too seriously so how can I take Dragonball anywhere near as seriously?

[Piccolo Daimaoh]

I'm certainly passionate about Dragon Ball, but it's nevertheless an over-the-top, oftentimes facetious children's show in which characters die reversible deaths and a pink demon whose insatiable appetite for chocolate compels him to extirpate mankind. I think that I enjoy the show much more now that I'm old enough to see this.

[Cipher]

I think that I enjoy the show much more now that I'm old enough to see this.

I can definitely agree with this. Running home to watch the Cell arc in fourth grade was definitely a kick, and it was, at the time, the most "serious" show I'd ever watched.

But I enjoy it so much more now that I watch it mostly tongue-in-cheek. It just doesn't hold up any other way.

Spoken like a true Buu arc fan.

Haha, how did you know? Yeah, I think the Boo arc is pretty much the series finding its perfect tone.

[Patient-mental]

I've gotten to the stage where I'm open to the continuation of Dragon Ball through new media is welcome but I wouldn't be affected to if it went away completely. I spend most of my time on this forum checking for advancements in the franchise side of things (games, collectibles etc) and keeping this place a safe and open discussion for Dragon Ball, while also posting my opinions on things, like VegettoEX minus the power and the podcast.

It still holds a special place in my heart from it's nostalgic FUNimation dub to the raw manga and always will. If you take it too seriously you can find it hard to detach yourself from the fantasy of the world Akira created and can cause friction between yourself and others.

[Nex Carnifex]

I take it serious in the way that if I had the chance to direct the movie I'd exaggerate all the moderately mature themes and make it serious drama. Like the part where Cell is sucking people up I'd blow up into a really intense scene where people were losing their children and hiding in the darkness only to be found by Cell and killed in the pitch black, all while strange ambient is playing. Cell's character would be developed as an unstoppable creature, however with all the selfish human emotions and an alien motive, making him a strange incomprehensible monster capable of thought and reason however incapable of being human or being set back by mental flaws. This however would change as he transforms, obtaining more power however unlocking more human flaws in his mind, like arrogance and curiosity. He can actually be a very deep character if you think about it.

[AgitoZ]

I take it serious in the way that if I had the chance to direct the movie I'd exaggerate all the moderately mature themes and make it serious drama. Like the part where Cell is sucking people up I'd blow up into a really intense scene where people were losing their children and hiding in the darkness only to be found by Cell and killed in the pitch black, all while strange ambient is playing. Cell's character would be developed as an unstoppable creature, however with all the selfish human emotions and an alien motive, making him a strange incomprehensible monster capable of thought and reason however incapable of being human or being set back by mental flaws. This however would change as he transforms, obtaining more power however unlocking more human flaws in his mind, like arrogance and curiosity. He can actually be a very deep character if you think about it.

So, basically you'd try to make Dragon Ball something that it isn't?

So is this what you meant by this thread? If you were a director/writer you'd tried to make DB more serious? Okay then...

[Nex Carnifex]

I take it serious in the way that if I had the chance to direct the movie I'd exaggerate all the moderately mature themes and make it serious drama. Like the part where Cell is sucking people up I'd blow up into a really intense scene where people were losing their children and hiding in the darkness only to be found by Cell and killed in the pitch black, all while strange ambient is playing. Cell's character would be developed as an unstoppable creature, however with all the selfish human emotions and an alien motive, making him a strange incomprehensible monster capable of thought and reason however incapable of being human or being set back by mental flaws. This however would change as he transforms, obtaining more power however unlocking more human flaws in his mind, like arrogance and curiosity. He can actually be a very deep character if you think about it.

So, basically you'd try to make Dragon Ball something that it isn't?

So is this what you meant by this thread? If you were a director/writer you'd tried to make DB more serious? Okay then...

No, taking it seriously can mean whatever it means to you, but I don't think I'd be making it something it isn't I'd be making what it is to me. And that would be one part I would expand on, I would also keep all the light hearted parts since they are special, but I think the visceral parts of Dragon Ball contrast against the light hearted parts, and that is part of its effect. Take the Dark Knight, that was darker and more thought provoking than the normal tight wearing batman, but that made it a lot better.

[Maphisto86]

Well c'mon! It is Serious Business.

The very nature of the series, while dramatic and tense at times, is mainly shonen fun. So therefore I treat the entire franchise in a similiar way. Really I don't think my own outlook is all that different from most of the others here. I am waaaaay over the original series demographic but got into it about the right time here in the west. With that I treat it less "seriously" then before but I do get passionate about it and like to debate in-universe crap like the professional, 9 - 5, dork that I am. If serious equals passionate fandom I would say "moderately" but it is not actually "serious business".

[Bussani]

Take the Dark Knight, that was darker and more thought provoking than the normal tight wearing batman, but that made it a lot better.

What's the "normal tight wearing Batman"? Adam West? Because Batman wears tights in the comics, and they've been "darker" for a long time. Frank Miller's Batman dwarfs The Dark Knight in terms of being "darker and edgier," and it was not well received because of it.

[Nex Carnifex]

Take the Dark Knight, that was darker and more thought provoking than the normal tight wearing batman, but that made it a lot better.

What's the "normal tight wearing Batman"? Adam West? Because Batman wears tights in the comics, and they've been "darker" for a long time. Frank Miller's Batman dwarfs The Dark Knight in terms of being "darker and edgier," and it was not well received because of it.

Well it has to be well made too. But if there's gonna be a full length movie about Dragon Ball, no one is going to be expecting 2 hours full of Master Roshi touching boobs, they are gonna want visceral action and chills running down your spine, wouldn't you?...maybe not...

[Bussani]

if there's gonna be a full length movie about Dragon Ball, no one is going to be expecting 2 hours full of Master Roshi touching boobs, they are gonna want visceral action and chills running down your spine, wouldn't you?...maybe not...

I don't think it's really a one or the other sort of choice. Not being "dark" doesn't mean two hours of boob touching, and visceral, spine-chilling action doesn't mean it has to be overly dark. Or even mildly dark, really.

[Nex Carnifex]

if there's gonna be a full length movie about Dragon Ball, no one is going to be expecting 2 hours full of Master Roshi touching boobs, they are gonna want visceral action and chills running down your spine, wouldn't you?...maybe not...

I don't think it's really a one or the other sort of choice. Not being "dark" doesn't mean two hours of boob touching, and visceral, spine-chilling action doesn't mean it has to be overly dark. Or even mildly dark, really.

Well just having the Cell thing in live action makes it dark automatically, I remember the dad getting sucked up while his family observes in horror and he is screaming in terror and the guy begging for his life with money and Cell just laughs and absorbs him while piccolo gasps constantly.

[MCDaveG]

No I don't.... I take my gas bill seriously, but not an animated series.

[Piccolo Daimao]

Yeah, it does depend on how you define "seriously". I'm passionate about Dragon Ball, and I tend to think about it a lot (although at times, when my mind's focused on other fandoms, I don't think about it as much), but I don't think that DB is some masterpiece of storytelling. It's just good honest fun. It has changed my life, influenced my love of Japan and martial arts, and caused me to do a lot of things that would be seen as "weird" in a public place (i.e. power-up, pretend to perform a Kamehameha, etc.). I do like to debate in discussions about DB, and it's only occasionally that I lose myself within something that has descended into a heated, juvenile argument that goes around in circles.

But I don't really think about whether or not I take DB seriously. It's the same with any other fandom I'm involved in.