Anyone else bothered by this? (TFS related)

[NitroEX]

While I enjoy watching the abridged series I've noticed a growing number of people in the YouTube comments saying that DBZ abridged was their introduction to Dragonball Z. While on one hand it's great that a newer generation are being introduced to the series I can't help but feel a little bothered by the fact that their introduction is a comedy version of the show. I'm not saying what TFS do is bad or anything as I do enjoy their stuff but I wonder how that affects someone's lasting perception of the franchise. Hopefully kids are smart enough to understand what they're watching and eventually seek out the real thing. I shudder to think of a world where I refer to Dragonball and the first thing people think of is the abridged series.

Maybe that's just me though..

[Gaffer Tape]

Well, my first exposure to the show was through the edited dub, and that's like a comedy version...

Bazinga!

Seriously, though, while it is nice to have a perfect introduction to a franchise, that usually doesn't happen, so whatever hooks you, hooks you. Most fans are smart enough to extrapolate what they've seen out of sequence into its real context when it gets a chance. Except for people who ONLY watch the Abridged version, I don't think there's any worry about people confusing the two.

[Smochi]

Probably not just you at ALL, but I don't mind at all. In fact, it's really nice. I remember when I was third grade, I got made fun of so badly for liking DBZ. I'm one of those weird people who just doesn't grow up, so in college now, I still love it! But TFS has mainstreamed DBZ to point where people may not have even seen the show itself, but like it! I don't care how they're introduced to DBZ; if people know what it is, the less weird looks I get for loving it. I am so grateful to TFS for that.


The absolute ONLY thing I get a little irked about is that people start transferring the attributes of TFS DBZ characters to the original ones. No, Popo isnot actually terrifying, Krillin is not worthless, and Yamcha is not disappointment incarnate. So when I have people arguing with me during DBZ panels and using TFS facts as evidence, I'm at a loss. I don't really want to say "It isn't real," because well...none of this is. XD But that's a simple failure to separate the two caused by how great abridged is!

[Duo]

My only problem is that the jokes lack context without the series proper, therefore anybody who got into it that way must be easily amused by stuff they don't understand?

[CaBrPi]

A few friends and I introduced another friend to the abridged series first, and that actually made him want to watch the original.

I have no problem with that.

[oXdanXo]

Well, my first exposure to the show was through the edited dub, and that's like a comedy version...

Bazinga!

Seriously, though, while it is nice to have a perfect introduction to a franchise, that usually doesn't happen, so whatever hooks you, hooks you. Most fans are smart enough to extrapolate what they've seen out of sequence into its real context when it gets a chance. Except for people who ONLY watch the Abridged version, I don't think there's any worry about people confusing the two.

That was my first exposure too, although I don't see it as a comedy, I still see it as the best, but then again I'm a dubbie not a subbie, so I know nothing

[linkdude20002001]

Most "fans" I talk to are people who watched DBZ as a kid many years ago, but now they're actually just fans of the abridged series only. But I guess it's not at all bad for people who've yet to watch the original; It makes them want to watch this "new and exciting" show, whereas the old fans feel it's old and boring. Though, my boyfriend is really the only person I know whom got into DB because of TFS. But...I'm sure there are plenty of young people in that situation too. He must've had a severely deprived childhood. Hahaha. A childhood without DB is just wrong! O_o

[Ringworm128]

Any introduction to DB is a good introduction.

[Aoi]

To be honest, I think that Funimation should be thanking these guys for creating so many new fans. My friends got their kids and little sibblings hooked on the franchise because of TFS. It's really remarkable. I'd say even unprecedented.

[dbboxkaifan]

Nope. Still, it's much much better than FUNimation's old DBZ dub and FUNi's Kai dub could've taken some ideas from this fandub.

Am I bothered and somewhat disappointed that people started watching Dragon Ball by Kai? Yes, somewhat.

[Duo]

Am I bothered and somewhat disappointed that people started watching Dragon Ball by Kai? Yes, somewhat.

Why so? I got my girlfriend started that way a few months ago, and now she has read the entire Manga and has watched all the movies in Japanese. It's hard for me to expect people to start off with something as weird as the first two volumes (aka the Pilaf arc?) of Dragon Ball.

[TheMightyOzaru]

Well TFS actually presents the series better than the original Funimation dub, which is what I started with. I honestly don't see a problem here.

[matt0044]

Am I bothered and somewhat disappointed that people started watching Dragon Ball by Kai? Yes, somewhat.

Why?

[BlazingFiddlesticks]

But that has very quickly become one of the points of an Abridged Series; to create new fans by exposing people to that series in a less-demanding, more approachable way. LittleKuriboh has made a number of Yu-gi-oh! fans the same way- at the very least enough of them for someone to post a fandom-confession about it.

[Aoi]

Absolutely. To me, it's easier to get into Abridged than Kai even. It's great for non-fans and fans alike. I just love how they poke fun at the original Ocean Dub too. For example, in the scene where Nappa blows up the news helicopters, Tien screams something like: "Oh no. They blew up those robot helicopters! And there were people in them!" Just great.

[AgitoZ]

I'm not bothered at all since I don't watch Abridged anymore and I don't interact with those people. I'm honestly surprised with the number of people getting into it through Abridged apparently (going by what's been said in this thread). Earlier in the series, it had a larger portion of the jokes being for fans of the series and they've slowly transitioned into making those the minority of humor now (incidentally the reason I stopped watching). So I'm assuming that's where the more people are getting in.

With that said I don't think it's really an issue, at least to any of us personally. I'd assume people who got hooked through Abridged will stay Abridged fans instead of fans of the series proper. I guess that's more of a problem for license holders losing a couple of bucks on t-shirts to a non-profit parody on the interwebs.

[ABED]

Two things that bother me about it:
1) I occasionally see people talk about VAs for Goku and rank MasakoX. He's part of a fandub, so he doens't count. I don't know why it bothers me but it does.
2) It's valid to critique even things you enjoy but the whole purpose of the show is humor and humor as a rule tends to undercut stuff, so I question the purpose of it. Are they poking fun at a show they enjoy?

[Super Gazellian]

Well TFS actually presents the series better than the original Funimation dub, which is what I started with. I honestly don't see a problem here.

Sorry, but what do you mean by this? It's a parody, it generally follows the series but I'd hardly say anyone could get an accurate portrayal of what dragon ball is from it

[Duo]

Sorry, but what do you mean by this? It's a parody, it generally follows the series but I'd hardly say anyone could get an accurate portrayal of what dragon ball is from it

I agree. I'm don't watch the dub but I know it's a more coherent telling of the original story then a parody. That's just excessive slamming of the dub.

[Attitudefan]

I agree with what has been said about is how can people enjoy it without knowing Dragonball? But like what AgitoZ said, it has strayed off Dragonball humour to random humour, and references to mainstream shit I don't know or care about.

ABED mentioned people talking about MasakoX compared to other VA, yes that bothers me too. To me, he doesn't even sound like Goku. It's a fnadub parody voice, hardly something people can even COMPARE!! Fuck.

TFS used to be L.O.L. Today, it is meh.