What if Dragonball had been made as an American cartoon?

[Rocketman]

I would never want Dragon Ball an American-made show, I could imagine it being something like this.

Goku : Hey Freeza!
Freeza : What!
Goku : *fart*
EVERYBODY + AUDIENCE : HEEEUUAAHHHHHHUUAHHHHLOLASDFGHJKL

So it'd be the same.

[Hellspawn28]

I think a American DB show would be less violent then it's anime counter part. If it was the 80's then they would remove all references of death and reduced most of the fighting.

[dario03]

Who knows, it could vary a lot depending on budget and target audience. But I wouldn't mind a high budget animated movie that was pg-13ish from a American company. Would definitely be better than the live action one.

[Hellspawn28]

Sure now that death won't be a issue, but if it was 1986 then it would have been a issue. Shows like Voltron and MMPR removes nearly everything to make a safe show for kids compare to their darker Japanese counter parts
.

[Super Sonic]

A lot of guys are thinking of the 80s for some reason. And Hellspawn, don't know if you knew this, but there were quite a few characters who bit it in Power Rangers, who didn't die in Sentai. Same with some mecha that was or wasn't sentient.

Also, didn't some guys in Robotech buy it who survived Macross?

[Fionordequester]

How would it have been as an American cartoon? I have no idea what'd be different in terms of story, but as far as artwork goes, I think this'd happen...

[Brodes]

How would it have been as an American cartoon? I have no idea what'd be different in terms of story, but as far as artwork goes, I think this'd happen...

Yep, old video game box art perfectly proves how horrible Americans are at cartoons!

[Super Sonic]

I've never played the original Dragon Warrior, but from what I'm aware of, the in-game sprites were the same.

On another thought, what do you guys think the theme song might've been like? Instrumental mainly, a la "Rock the Dragon" or something with lyrics that's really catchy? With guy mentioning 80s cartoons, that might've been happening as many cartoons of the 80s and early-mid 90s had really catchy themes. Heck, without linking to youtube, I have a feeling all the Americans on here born between 1980 and 1986 can still sing the original TMNT and Ducktales themes.

[Fionordequester]

How would it have been as an American cartoon? I have no idea what'd be different in terms of story, but as far as artwork goes, I think this'd happen...

Yep, old video game box art perfectly proves how horrible Americans are at cartoons!

...Huh? You thought I was trying to say that American cartoons sucked? That wasn't what I was going for at all! I thought it would be both an amusing call-back AND a fairly close representation of what Dragon Ball Z would've looked like in terms of art (as I recall, Dragon Warrior and Dragon Ball Z weren't that far apart).

Heck, if we're talking art quality, I thought that particular cover actually looked BETTER than the Japanese version (the Dragon looks much more threatening, the hero's body looks muscular and dynamic, and the fire makes the whole thing look much more visually intense).

[samuraix123]

How would it have been as an American cartoon? I have no idea what'd be different in terms of story, but as far as artwork goes, I think this'd happen...
[img]edit[/img]

Yep, old video game box art perfectly proves how horrible Americans are at cartoons!

I'm not sure if you're being sarcastic or serious?

[Brodes]

How would it have been as an American cartoon? I have no idea what'd be different in terms of story, but as far as artwork goes, I think this'd happen...

Yep, old video game box art perfectly proves how horrible Americans are at cartoons!

...Huh? You thought I was trying to say that American cartoons sucked? That wasn't what I was going for at all! I thought it would be both an amusing call-back AND a fairly close representation of what Dragon Ball Z would've looked like in terms of art (as I recall, Dragon Warrior and Dragon Ball Z weren't that far apart).

Heck, if we're talking art quality, I thought that particular cover actually looked BETTER than the Japanese version (the Dragon looks much more threatening, the hero's body looks muscular and dynamic, and the fire makes the whole thing look much more visually intense).

Sorry misread the post. The cynic in me from being part of the comics and the PR fandom took control for a moment.

[Fionordequester]

That's alright, I can see how folks might be slightly edgy when their stuff is under attack. But yeah, I actually liked this cover.

At any rate though, it actually makes me wonder just how much different Frieza would've looked had he not been drawn by Toriyama.

[Brodes]

Assuming the show would keep at least similar designs, I see Furiza form 2 or 3 having a lot more presence and importance, possibly being his only two forms.

[Super Sonic]

I don't really remember this show since I was so young when it came on though my dad mentioned watching it with me, and saw Mr. Simmons have an avatar from it, but was thinking if it were animated like this show it would be nice.

[sangofe]

I find FUNimation DBZ dub dreadful, and Dragonball Evolution worse, so I can't imagine how bad an american cartoon of Dragonball would be like.

[aarondirebear]

Hoo boy where to begin...
For starters, Freeza and Vegeta would have been reduced to villains of the week that are never truly defeated. The Ginyus, Dodoria and Zarbon would be incompetent mook squads easily defeated in comical fashion by the weakest of the good guys. The search for the dragonballs would be a never-ending search that is doomed to never be completed because "status quo is god". Cell would be threatening for the first few episodes in which he appears, but then become an innefectual overlord. Gohan, Goten and Trunks would be the "nephews" of the main characters instead of the sons because American cartoon protagonists are always uncles but never fathers. Nobody, not even a villain, would die (unless action figure sales were beneath quota). The question "are they still on namek?" would always be answered in the affirmative, because nobody is allowed to reach a goal in an American cartoon. Obviously the art style would be different as well and, depending on the studio, might either be humanlike or they all might resemble the bastard children of a keebler elf and Eric Cartman. The music and dialog might resemble something Funi would put together, with a great deal more references to hip hop and outdated teenage slang. Alternatively, all of the characters would be anthropomorphic animals and every opponent they are allowed to defeat must be a robot of some kind.

There.

I mean, unless it was done by the people that did Gargoyles...

[ABED]

Hoo boy where to begin...
For starters, Freeza and Vegeta would have been reduced to villains of the week that are never truly defeated. The Ginyus, Dodoria and Zarbon would be incompetent mook squads easily defeated in comical fashion by the weakest of the good guys. The search for the dragonballs would be a never-ending search that is doomed to never be completed because "status quo is god". Cell would be threatening for the first few episodes in which he appears, but then become an innefectual overlord. Gohan, Goten and Trunks would be the "nephews" of the main characters instead of the sons because American cartoon protagonists are always uncles but never fathers. Nobody, not even a villain, would die (unless action figure sales were beneath quota). The question "are they still on namek?" would always be answered in the affirmative, because nobody is allowed to reach a goal in an American cartoon. Obviously the art style would be different as well and, depending on the studio, might either be humanlike or they all might resemble the bastard children of a keebler elf and Eric Cartman. The music and dialog might resemble something Funi would put together, with a great deal more references to hip hop and outdated teenage slang. Alternatively, all of the characters would be anthropomorphic animals and every opponent they are allowed to defeat must be a robot of some kind.

There.

I mean, unless it was done by the people that did Gargoyles...

Not every cartoon was the Ninja Turtles!

[Brodes]

Hoo boy where to begin...
For starters, Freeza and Vegeta would have been reduced to villains of the week that are never truly defeated. The Ginyus, Dodoria and Zarbon would be incompetent mook squads easily defeated in comical fashion by the weakest of the good guys. The search for the dragonballs would be a never-ending search that is doomed to never be completed because "status quo is god". Cell would be threatening for the first few episodes in which he appears, but then become an innefectual overlord. Gohan, Goten and Trunks would be the "nephews" of the main characters instead of the sons because American cartoon protagonists are always uncles but never fathers. Nobody, not even a villain, would die (unless action figure sales were beneath quota). The question "are they still on namek?" would always be answered in the affirmative, because nobody is allowed to reach a goal in an American cartoon. Obviously the art style would be different as well and, depending on the studio, might either be humanlike or they all might resemble the bastard children of a keebler elf and Eric Cartman. The music and dialog might resemble something Funi would put together, with a great deal more references to hip hop and outdated teenage slang. Alternatively, all of the characters would be anthropomorphic animals and every opponent they are allowed to defeat must be a robot of some kind.

There.

I mean, unless it was done by the people that did Gargoyles...

Good to know you've seen so many types of cartoons and have clearly thought about this. No, wait, I mean the opposite. Not every cartoon is bloody He-Man.

[Fennekin]

It would depend. Are we talking about a 1990-2000 American Cartoon or the current kind of American Cartoon seen on TV today?

[Ringworm128]

If it was the 80's then they would remove all references of death .

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umwZ8qVorwo