Does anyone feel like they've outgrown the anime?

[SparkyPantsMcGee]

Honestly, Dragonball is one of the only animes I can really watch these days. I'd say I've outgrown anime before I'd say I've outgrown Dragonball. Maybe it has to do with the nostalgia, being on here for so long, or just the series itself but whatever the reason I can still enjoy it. Not sure how long my feelings will last; who knows, but it's been fun so far. If you are outgrowing it, that's life. It happens. The shows been around 20 years, 10 for me in the US and I don't expect to be watching it at 60 and feeling the same way I do now. Hell I don't even think I feel the same way as I did when I was younger. That's growing up though.

[DBZ Mick]

Outgrown anime? Possibly, there are only few series I can watch now...

But Dragonball? No, especially watching it in Japanese all the time now.

[Kiddo626]

I thought I had outgrown Dragon Ball years ago, but Kai's apparently shown me that I haven't, and as long as the franchise is still around, I don't think I ever will.

[Michsi]

A few years ago I thought I did. At some point I had come to think of Dragon Ball as too childish and that I had moved on to bigger and better things, stories with deep and meaningful plot, character development, a more serious style etc.
And then one day, by accident, I happened to see one of the earlier episodes of Dragon Ball. I just sat down to watch it for old times sake, but was only mildly interesed. At first. I thought I'd stick around to watch one more. Then one more and one more. And then I started to think about the tournament and Piccolo arcs comming up. I was hooked again and I think this time for good. So you could say I outgrew my I have outgrown this series phase

I don't blame anybody for outgrowing DB, I can see the reasons why one would, but in my case, it wasn't really what happened.
To be honest, a lot of the faults that I see now I saw as a kid too, so it's not like I became too mature to appreciate it. In fact, I know appreciate other things that as kid I didn't.
Nostalgia may play a big part in having reigneted my interest, but I don't see that as a bad thing.

[Corporate_Nothing]

Nope. I thought I had outgrown the anime back in 2003-2004, when I was in the 8th grade, slowly growing jaded with Funimation's dub, no longer buying their uncut VHS releases of GT after having collected every volume from the start of the Great Saiyaman episodes up until the end of the Boo arc. Not to mention I was just in that transitional period of my adolescence where I was rejecting all my old hobbies and interests and "growing up" into bigger and better things...or so I thought. And then the Ultimate Uncut Edition came around, which temporarily revitalized my interest in the franchise, and helped me enjoy DBZ in a new way, because of the original Japanese audio. Though, if I'm not mistaken, I had some previous experience with the Japanese dub by way of a few of Funimation's uncut movie singles. Skip ahead a few years to the Orange Bricks - I picked up a few of the season sets, realized how crappy they were, and lost interest in the franchise again.

Skip ahead again to Funimation's Z Dragon Boxes, and the remastered season sets for DB and GT. I'm 21 years old, in my third year of college, and I am as interested in all things Dragon Ball as I was back in the glory days of the early 2000s, thanks in large part to Daizenshuu EX and Kanzentai. I'm almost done watching Dragon Ball Z from start to finish, currently starting the second disc of Z DBox Volume 7. I also plan on ordering every VIZBIG volume some time this month, because I've never read the entire manga before. So no, I have not outgrown Dragon Ball, and I can't say I've outgrown anime, as I was never really passionate about it as a kid aside from watching all the typical shonen anime on Toonami and Adult Swim back in the day.

To be honest, a lot of the faults that I see now I saw as a kid too, so it's not like I became too mature to appreciate it. In fact, I know appreciate other things that as kid I didn't.
Nostalgia may play a big part in having reigneted my interest, but I don't see that as a bad thing.

Basically this. It helps to simply realize that, despite the darker and more profane moments of the series, you're still watching a children's show filled with plot holes, slapstick humor, and goofy puns.

...Oh, and poop jokes.

[Super Ghost Kamikaze]

This topic reminds me of a great quote:

Critics who treat 'adult' as a term of approval, instead of as a merely descriptive term, cannot be adult themselves. To be concerned about being grown up, to admire the grown up because it is grown up, to blush at the suspicion of being childish; these things are the marks of childhood and adolescence. And in childhood and adolescence they are, in moderation, healthy symptoms. Young things ought to want to grow. But to carry on into middle life or even into early manhood this concern about being adult is a mark of really arrested development. When I was ten, I read fairy tales in secret and would have been ashamed if I had been found doing so. Now that I am fifty I read them openly. When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up.

I see this quote used a lot, and I think it's somewhat overly used to justify a "manchild" sort of behavior and taste. To a certain extent, yes, enjoying something as an adult even though that thing was made for children isn't a problem. I enjoy Dragon Ball, after all, and it's not some "super hardcore awesome xtreme for grown-ups etc etc" thing.

But there is also a point where a person continues shielding themselves from adult things, and I'm seeing that a lot in culture these days. All the big movies are based on old children's properties, every piece of anime/manga imported that has any sort of popularity is Shonen or Shojo, most films are PG-13 and rarely stray into "R" territory, those that do tend to not use the rating to deal in truly adult themes and so are childish in their own right(though things like Drive and A Dangerous Method show how adult cinema should be done), etc etc.

(note: I'm not saying that an "R" rating makes something "adult", I'm saying that straying from the "R" rating even when it makes sense, even when it works for a particular film, and even when the film HAS to deal explicitly with subjects that, if shown properly, SHOULD get it an R rating, is regressive)

But back to anime.

You don't outgrow "anime". You may very well outgrow more shallow examples of shonen, and with Funimation being the big guy in town pushing pretty much exclusively Shonen properties with the odd Shojo title in the mix really hurts the image of "anime" as a whole, or at least confines it to a niche with which it shouldn't have to be exclusively associated. People brought up older Seinen earlier, but there IS newer Seinen as well. Kemonozume, Redline, and Tatami Galaxy are some more recent examples. Anime that has been made for adults is harder to find in the US than anime that was made for children, but it does exist and sometimes even gets licensed.

By all means, don't be afraid to still enjoy things that were made for children. Don't, however, take on that attitude that watching children's media at the expense of a broader horizon of adult media somehow makes a person more mature, that seeking out more complex and darker themes is a childish pursuit, that true maturity can only come in the form of watching Saturday Morning Cartoons while eating Froot Loops in your underpants. Adult minds are nurtured by adult media. I can assure you, C.S. Lewis did not deal exclusively in fairy tales for entertainment when he reached his adult years, and neither should anyone.

[Daimakku]

I haven't really watched any anime from start to finish in a few years.. last show I did that with was Death Note back in 2007. I have really outgrown anime; for some reason I don't find it interesting anymore. The only anime I would watch now would be movies. Short and sweet. But TV series, especially those long ones like Naruto and Bleach, no way I can watch anymore.

But surprisingly enough, I'm still a huge Dragonball fan.. I've been watching it since I was around 7 years old, 23 years old now (going on 24 in a few months) and still a big a fan as ever. There was a time in my teens when I got over the franchise and thought it was for kids, but I was in those "cool and edgy" teen years. I came back to my senses when I was around 19 years old.

It really sucks you don't like the anime anymore though. I make it a point to not burn out on Dragonball, ever, so I dont get totally bored with it. I go years without watching some sagas so I can come back a few years later and re-watch them without the show feeling too stale.
It's actually been years since I've watched the Majin Buu saga. As for Dragonball.. holy crap. That one has been years. I'm waiting for the Dragonball Dragonboxes to inevitably release to have some sweet, sweet Dragonball marathon.

[AgitoZ]

SNIP

When did ANYONE in this thread try to justify only watching childish things? I really hope your post was just being preemptive.

[Aoi]

I can't watch some animes anymore because I feel that a lot of the shows are targeted to a pre-teen market. I just can't relate to their "The world doesn't understand me!" problems. The ONLY show that I felt was actually meant for adults and a fantastic experience was "Fighting Spirit" in English/ Hajime no Ippo in Japanese. It's the boxing anime. Maybe the best show I have ever seen. All 70+ episodes.

DB and "Z" to me are timeless. I like it more the older I get, surprisingly enough. Toriyama really gives this manga in particular an "X" factor that's hard to explain with other shows. I can't watch Pokemon, Digimon or Sailor Moon anymore. I gave up on them by the time I was 13-14. However, Dragon Ball is just so ...inspiring. Even to adults. He really knows how to make his characters relatable to more than just one market. My grand father has seen the show in its entirety when he was in the 50s. The ONLY anime he's ever done that for. He can't stand Bleach, One Piece, none of that.

I would love for someone to actually analyze why DB has the appeal it's had and still has worldwide, across multiple cultures.

[DBfan4life]

Only once have I ever felt that I outgrew Dragonball and anime, I think I was 17 or 18, however I'm 22 right now and still love it. Yes, there aren't as many anime series that I like coming out, but Dragonball is just something I don't think I will ever outgrow (again lol). I have burned out on watching too much Dragonball before, but I got right back to it after a while. Yeah, I don't think I will outgrow this.

As for the whole maturity discussion, I think it is really childish to think just because somebody likes anime cartoons or video games (such as Mario) aren't adult.

[PiccoloFan7289]

I've outgrown the dub that's for damn sure. Can't even get through an entire episode these days of it. I'm 22 now, and I don't see myself not watching Dragon Ball on a weekly basis until I'm at least 30. The japanese version of the show is just too damn good.

[Daimakku]

I can't watch some animes anymore because I feel that a lot of the shows are targeted to a pre-teen market. I just can't relate to their "The world doesn't understand me!" problems.

That and also those anime shows that take place in high school.. those can never be good. There's a reason the Gohan high school filler episodes were horrible..

If I had a nickle for every anime out there that takes place in a high school setting, I'd be rich.

[Daimakku]

I've outgrown the dub that's for damn sure. Can't even get through an entire episode these days of it. I'm 22 now, and I don't see myself not watching Dragon Ball on a weekly basis until I'm at least 30. The japanese version of the show is just too damn good.

Same here. I tried watching the dub recently and as soon as the narrator said "Find out TODAY, on Dragonball ZEEEEEE!!" I turned it off. It's horrible.

I gotta say the Kai re-dub is well done though. Too bad it isn't for the whole series..

[Solid Snake Way]

I'm not that into TV in general. I watched tons of cartoons but not that much anime. Although my favorite cartoons ever have been animes. The animes I watched were Saint Seiya, DB, DBZ some GT and Captain Tsubasa. All in Spanish.

I loved all three but the only one I was able to watch in its entirety was DB and DBZ. And it's my favorite. I don't see me ever getting bored of DB, DBZ. It's part of me. A huge, huge part of my childhood and childhood is the best part of life. I just remember going to school and talking about DB/DBZ with my friends with such passion. Everyone loved DB/DBZ. If you had cable, you watched DB/DBZ, period.

[Daimakku]

I'm not that into TV in general. I watched tons of cartoons but not that much anime. Although my favorite cartoons ever have been animes. The animes I watched were Saint Seiya, DB, DBZ some GT and Captain Tsubasa. All in Spanish.

I loved all three but the only one I was able to watch in its entirety was DB and DBZ. And it's my favorite. I don't see me ever getting bored of DB, DBZ. It's part of me. A huge, huge part of my childhood and childhood is the best part of life. I just remember going to school and talking about DB/DBZ with my friends with such passion. Everyone loved DB/DBZ. If you had cable, you watched DB/DBZ, period.

I loved Caballeros del Zodiaco (Saint Seiya). Not as much as DB/DBZ but it was up there.. Seiya was definitely my favorite out of all the bronze knights. And Saori was hot, lol.

Never got into Super Campeones (Captain Tsubasa). Then again, I'm not much into sports in the first place.

[Adamant]

The ONLY show that I felt was actually meant for adults and a fantastic experience was "Fighting Spirit" in English/ Hajime no Ippo in Japanese. It's the boxing anime. Maybe the best show I have ever seen. All 70+ episodes.

For the record, Hajime no ippo was made for children as well.

[MCDaveG]

Nope! Never! Only thing I grown from is being obssesed by it. I watch anime only as any other series, so I'm pissed off from many otaku trends, mostly the language and using Japanese words in it.

PS: Well, only anime which is for teenagers and not kids I know is Gintama and the erotic stuff is mainly for adults (but hentai in books is more spread). I never understood people who are blatantly protecting their anime stuff, with WTF, I'm not outsider or uncool, it's adult you know. Only because there wasn't blood in Thunder Cats and animated Robocop is itching bad folks with laser in US cartoon. So what? My GF studying university is watching Sponge Bob, so what!
When I was ill, I was watching Thomas The Tank Engine one time and I don't give a f**k what other people are thinking.
If I was watching Kubrick, Lynch and nothing else outside of the ''adult stuff'' only, my head will probably explode.
Same as I read for example Master and Margaret from Bulgakov and next day reading Batman comic.
Also, I don't categorize works by age, they are categorized only by some people on higher place and retarded parents, who mark it, like: This thing is suited for kiddos, this one is 18+ because of this guy touching this lady's ass, so no kiddos should be watching it.

[sanorin]

Never! Well, never say never, but I am 28 and I've been a fan for almost 20 years. It's been a long time since I watched the series on a regular basis, but still sometimes I feel like "Um, I want to watch the 21st tournament again", or "The beginning of the Cell saga was my favorite, with all the mystery and all, I wanna watch it again" (which I'm doing right now).

But while watching now, sometimes I can't stand certain episodes with the extremely slow pace, a whole episode for something that is 2 pages in the manga, or the really cheap and ugly looking episodes. Or even worse, an ugly episode with slow pace, that just makes me wanna skip that episode.

Anyway, I don't watch from first to last episode, just separate sagas, but I believe some day I will do it again, because no matter the uglyness and slowness, Dragon Ball is still and always be my favorite anime and will always have a place in my heart.

I loved Caballeros del Zodiaco (Saint Seiya). Not as much as DB/DBZ but it was up there.. Seiya was definitely my favorite out of all the bronze knights. And Saori was hot, lol.

I used to think the same, until I learned that Seiya, Saori and the other are like 13-14 years old. I can't think Saori is hot anymore xD

[MCDaveG]

I loved Caballeros del Zodiaco (Saint Seiya). Not as much as DB/DBZ but it was up there.. Seiya was definitely my favorite out of all the bronze knights. And Saori was hot, lol.

I used to think the same, until I learned that Seiya, Saori and the other are like 13-14 years old. I can't think Saori is hot anymore xD

Muhaha, wait for Saint Seiya Omega in April on TV Asahi

[sanorin]

I loved Caballeros del Zodiaco (Saint Seiya). Not as much as DB/DBZ but it was up there.. Seiya was definitely my favorite out of all the bronze knights. And Saori was hot, lol.

I used to think the same, until I learned that Seiya, Saori and the other are like 13-14 years old. I can't think Saori is hot anymore xD

Muhaha, wait for Saint Seiya Omega in April on TV Asahi

Wow thanks! I didn't know about this new series. Adult Saori!

(Sorry for the off-topic )