Has TFS damaged the reputation of the franchise in the U.S.?

[Akumaito Beam]

It is incredibly annoying trying to discuss Yugioh nowadays since HURRR CHILDREN'S CARD GAMES MEGA ULTRA CHICKEN MELVIN PBBBBT

I can easily see TFS going like that. Hell, I did see that when people wouldn't shut the fuck up about HERP MRPOPO PECKING ORDER TOAST LOOOOOOOL

I think that's what it boils down to. It's just another redundant Youtube series with a billion wacky catchphrases that weirdo awkward anime-con dorks screech at the top of their lungs while wearing their official 20 dollar wacky catchphrase T-shirts. It's annoying but it happens, Pewdiepie, Smosh, Yu-Gi-Oh Abridged, Tobuscus, TGWTG etc. etc. etc. It's unavoidable.

[coola]

I wouldn`t call it damage, but, for me at least, it forever changed the way i look at some characters, every time i see Nappa and Guru, i have smile on my face, also, i might be wrong, but, i read somewhere, that Nappa "I hate media" line from Z Kai was inspired by TFS.

[DBZAOTA482]

No, but it did damage the fanbase.

[Nikkolas]

One thing that is awesome about the abridged series and their popularity is that it makes people realize that the voice-actors are just people too. They're people with a job. DBZ and YGO fans are some of the most intolerant and rude people on the internet and there was a time all of this hostility was directed at Funi or 4Kids' VAs, like they wrote the scripts or were sullying these.... *snicker* masterpieces *snicker* on purpose.

Well, as seen with Wayne Grayson having a great time with "BROOKLYN RAGE!" and the various DBZ voice-actors also having a good time at cons, they're all awesome dudes. It's easy to whine and complain about someone you don't really know but seeing stuff like that on YT has made people take notice that there are faces to the names they so blithely used to insult.

[Gyt Kaliba]

I didn't realize bringing up the TFS question at that one con would turn into such a big deal when I brought it up heh. ^_^; For what it's worth, the only reason I know about it happening at all was thanks to the podcast on that con - I wasn't there in person at all, but even just hearing about it secondhand from Mike and Meri, it just sounded so...incredibly...awkward (that moment I mean, not the entire con).

I mean, don't get me wrong. Some good points are being brought up about how if that's what the guy was interested in hearing about, he has every right to ask. You're right though. I don't think this person was a terrible person or a terrible fan really. I think they just completely missed the memo on what a big occasion that con was, or just experienced a brain fart and didn't realize that there were a million better times and places to ask such a question. And as Ajay has said, it's not really about being a fan of just the English version over the Japanese version. Hell, it's pretty well known that Mike could care less about Schemmel in the long run, but again thinking back to that podcast - it was apparently a sight to behold, even for fans of only the original Japanese version, just to see Schemmel so jazzed about who he was standing next to. That's the magic that this poor person who asked for his thoughts on TFS seemed to have somehow missed.

Again, don't think the guy deserves to be hated on or anything, it's just...geez, did he seem to miss out on the beauty of what was before him.

[SingleFringe&Sparks]

TeamFourStar's work is great, I enjoy their work, and you can tell they love the original source.

It bothers me when people only ever mention TFS jokes whenever I hear DBZ discussed in every day life, but I suppose it's nice that it's gotten people into the actual series.

Except these people aren't into the series for what it means to the japanese, they only have the memes shared in common. These people rarely actually discuss the source material let alone acknowledge it. They only shallowly percieve the characters as they're presented in TFS and use it as reasons to mock the series often referring to how much of the joke it is to them.

[KaiserNeko]

TeamFourStar's work is great, I enjoy their work, and you can tell they love the original source.

It bothers me when people only ever mention TFS jokes whenever I hear DBZ discussed in every day life, but I suppose it's nice that it's gotten people into the actual series.

Except these people aren't into the series for what it means to the japanese, they only have the memes shared in common. These people rarely actually discuss the source material let alone acknowledge it. They only shallowly percieve the characters as they're presented in TFS and use it as reasons to mock the series often referring to how much of the joke it is to them.

I don't necessarily believe NONE of our vocal fans watch the Japanese version. At least, I would sincerely hope they give it a chance.

Then again, if someone wasn't watching DragonBall in Japanese before us, I doubt he could have changed their minds either way.

[Kaboom]

To reword what I said earlier, TFS couldn't possibly do more damage to the western perception of the series than the crappy old DBZ dub already did. On the contrary, I see them making the best out of those bad or misplaced aspects and turning them into something enjoyable.

If fans take their work and drive it into the ground with repetition and stupidity, then that's their fault, not Team Four Star's.

[Tanooki Kuribo]

No, but it did damage the fanbase.

How did it damage the fan base? I don't see how it did.

[TheBlackPaladin]

I mean, I guess what "annoys" people will vary from person to person, but I personally don't get why people repeating quotes is annoying. Unless one lives with the quote-repeating individuals, it's not like one has to listen to them. And at this point, TFS is so associated with the general anime scene that one should expect some sort of TFS presence at anime cons now, even if it's only in the form of fans repeating stuff.

[Beji]

I feel it definitely doesn't damage the reputation. When it comes to the show it actually is another gateway for people to start watching the show and maybe have old fans who haven't seen it in a while have a re-kindled interest in the series. If anything as a parody it makes the reputation better/stronger. I do however have to agree it did damage part of the fanbase. With some new fans having their only viewing material be TFS and with long time fans adopting it as their "reference material" hearing TFS quotes in repetition is not my cup of tea while watching the actual show. It's the fans that essentially beat a dead horse that damage the fanbase and it is common in all fanbases. Like everyone said it isn't TFS's fault that it happened, they just supplied the parody what the fans do with it is up to them.

I also was at Animazement and yeah that was bad If anything though I was somewhat surprised that no one from TeamFourStar was there I'd think the chance to see Nozawa would be extremely tempting for a group that spends so much time with the show.

[FortuneSSJ]

I think it's the other way around.
Not talking about only US here but seems like to me, that some people started to watch the series thanks to TFS. And that's a good thing.
The more fans the franchise has, the better.

[GarrettCRW]

All fanbases have their idiot fans, and TFS is no exception. Case in point:

John Stephenson was a guest at BotCon 2001 (that's the big, Hasbro-sponsored Transformers convention, if you weren't aware). Now, here's the thing: Stephenson, despite being one of the oldest-living Hanna-Barbera voice actors (there are many shows where he is literally the only cast member surviving at this point), has never given a single interview, and this was his only convention appearance. And he was largely ignored by fans at this con because he was connected to Transformers "merely" through the original cartoon (and, gasp, an American cartoon, at that), and then because of a minor, one episode character he voiced (as opposed to major characters like Kup or Thundercracker).

There's nothing gained in blaming TFS for the actions of others. Truth be told, these people would be derping all over some fandom even without DBZ Abridged.

[flashback0180]

I personally love the abridged series . It's one of the main reason why there are still so many DBZ fans out there well on youtube at least..

Some of their episodes are the funniest things i have seen , There are some episodes where i prefer the PARODY more than the anime , As it comically points to the loop holes filled in the anime like piccolo's slow death Or Garlic Jr's plan to kill Piccalo before making the wish with the dragon balls...


But that wont change my mind about the original..

[Paradox295]

Nope.

I think, if anything, it's made people stop viewing the franchise with the same rose tinted glasses we see people view other media from that decade, such as Cartoon Network & Nickelodeon's animation output and the World Wrestling Federation's "Attitude Era".

No disrespect to Dragon Ball Z, but it doesn't deserve to be on lists of "greatest action animation of all time" next to Cowboy Bebop and Batman: The Animated Series. It's nothing more than a dumb Japanese kids cartoon...

...but, along with One Piece, it does being a "dumb Japanese kids cartoon" really well.

I don't think Kaiser and crew would put nearly five years of effort with no profit, on a project that mocks a show that they didn't like.

[Gyt Kaliba]

Eh, I dunno...I get your point totally Paradox, and I agree that a lot of people do tend to put DBZ on a pedastal it doesn't deserve...but some of it does come down to a person's preferences too.

Like, for example, I admit and agree that Cowboy Bebop is a lot better written than Dragon Ball in general...but Dragon Ball is just so much more my kinda show. I love my serious stuff like Bebop, Baccano, or for some non-anime examples, Law & Order: SVU and Castle (well...that one is KINDA serious...), but I'm always more into stuff like DBZ, One Piece, or TMNT.

It's all about what exactly your cup of tea is.

[WittyUsername]

What about Breaking Bad?

[Gyt Kaliba]

What about Breaking Bad?

Haven't seen that yet, but I'm really wanting to. No idea if I'll actually like it, but I'm wanting to give it a try, since I already like Bryan Cranston from 'Malcolm in the Middle'.

...Oh, right. TFS and DBZ. ^_^; Anyway, I think Kaboom probably summed up my exact thoughts on this earlier, in a much better and more concise post than I've said on it.

To reword what I said earlier, TFS couldn't possibly do more damage to the western perception of the series than the crappy old DBZ dub already did. On the contrary, I see them making the best out of those bad or misplaced aspects and turning them into something enjoyable.

If fans take their work and drive it into the ground with repetition and stupidity, then that's their fault, not Team Four Star's.

[Ajay]

What about Breaking Bad?

Haven't seen that yet, but I'm really wanting to. No idea if I'll actually like it, but I'm wanting to give it a try, since I already like Bryan Cranston from 'Malcolm in the Middle'.

Breaking Bad is possibly the greatest show to grace television since The Wire. I refuse to believe anyone could dislike it. Get on it ASAP!

[superfunk]

Nope.


No disrespect to Dragon Ball Z, but it doesn't deserve to be on lists of "greatest action animation of all time" next to Cowboy Bebop and Batman: The Animated Series. It's nothing more than a dumb Japanese kids cartoon...

Batman the animated series, and any other attempt they have made in creating a batman cartoon makes dbz seem like an absolute masterpiece, seriously it doesn't even follow a continuation of a story one episode to the next which is the epitome of a "dumb american kids cartoon" it has a different writer for every episode. Dragon ball may have shallow writing at times but it is a full tail and keeps a story line while batman the animated series pretty much doesn't even have one.