Post
by Akira » Tue May 19, 2015 4:19 am
I get that some of you don't like or don't want any new material. So, for you, the solution is simple, just don't watch any of it. Me personally? I felt that there should never have been a live action DB movie. I didn't go see it, didn't buy any of the merchandise, didn't watch it on DVD, or any other way. I have never seen anything further than that it was announced, and that people talk about it from time to time. I have no intention of ever seeing it, in other words, I completely ignore its existence. Yet, this is the first time I have ever mentioned this opinion of mine. Why is that? Because me trolling topics about DB Evolution, or making snide comments every time a topic comes up about it does absolutely nothing constructive whatsoever. If some fans watched it, or even actually liked it, then good for them. I have no need to rain on their parade, nor do I feel obligated to voice my disdain for the movie because someone else liked it.
As I've stated elsewhere, I've been watching DB since the mid 1990's when crappy, poorly translated fansubbed VHS tapes were the only way to view it. When it finally got dubbed, released domestically and the popularity boomed in America, I was happy. Did I suddenly become upset because my niche interest in some at the time, little known foreign cartoon became a mainstream, loved by millions property? Not at all, I was thrilled that now everyone could enjoy it too, and have a much easier time accessing it with legitimate releases.
I thought Yo, Son Goku and Friends Return and Battle of Gods were the best thing since sliced bread. More Dragonball from the creator himself, and not half baked rehashes or poorly executed concepts akin to the majority of the Toei Movies and the Dragonball GT series (although I thoroughly enjoyed those properties as well). They represented the best aspects of Dragonball, the very essence of what made it great. I hope this trend continues with the new movie and series. Toriyama is truly a creative mastermind, and I absolutely love how the new stuff goes against the trends and does the unexpected. I am fulfilled as a fan, getting exactly what I wanted, yet unfolding in ways I never expected.
Bottom line is, if you don't feel the same way, that's cool. Everyone is certainly entitled to their own opinion. I'll always love Sleeping Princess in Devil's Castle, Dead Zone and Cooler's Revenge the most of the Toei movies, like DB more than DBZ, and both of those more than GT, but that is just my personal tastes. However, when you constantly dog and comment on the new stuff, it reminds me of Star Wars fans who "Had their childhood ruined" by the prequel movies (and will no doubt hate Episode VII because of some fanficky book they read that supposedly takes place after Return of the Jedi that it contradicts). If you don't like the new stuff, I have no issue with that. Just ignore it and don't support it, much like me with DB Evolution. You just have to accept that the new stuff is here, DB is back, and there will be new fans. It is no longer a dead franchise to debate, and if the new stuff completely turns the tables on whatever your "head canon" previously reconciled, then so be it.
Some of my previous conclusions have been flipped upside down too, and that's cool. Dragonball has always been about humor, fast paced action, and being shocked that there are new levels of power not seen before. Yo, Son Goku and Friends Return was a nice humor episode, and Battle of Gods set a new bar for power beyond anything seen before. True to form, and just what one would expect from Akira Toriyama. Dragonball Mania is hitting Japan, and will be hitting us in the west before we know it. If you're excited about it, awesome, if not, that's okay too, just try not to ruin it for newcomers that will undoubtedly flock here when it happens. They will be excited about DB, and have lots of questions. Let's be a welcoming committee to a fun and enjoyable fiction, tour guides if you will, and not be negative or elitist about any of it. You guys wouldn't have appreciated it if I had acted that way when you joined the fandom. I had my moments of frustration, sure, maybe even got hot headed about things that made sense to me, but didn't to others, but I got past that.
You guys got kinda gipped in that you got Z before DB, so seeing it after the fact didn't have as much impact. It was like a prequel to Z rather than experiencing it as one full complete series in order. The new fans will maybe have some experience with Kai, and that's it. So you'll have your work cut out for you more than I did way back when. Mike and his staff will likely be working overtime (in their free time) to keep things under control around here when the new series launches. I'd like to think the long time fans here will help with that the best way they can by answering questions, and not adding to headaches with snarky comments that could incite others to anger.
If you read through my whole post here, and didn't have an "ADD TL,DR" moment, then props to you, hopefully something constructive was gained from it. I'm ready for Dragonball mania, are you?
"Of" =/= "Have"
Contractions:
-Should have = Should've
-Could have = Could've
-Would have = Would've
The heck does "should of" even mean anyway? Think about what those two words mean individually, and then try to read them back to back in a sentence and make sense of it. Are you forming a prepositional phrase, is "should" a part of a larger grouping, or are you just typing random words based on how you think you hear them used verbally? Perhaps take a moment to contemplate this, and see if it becomes as mind jarring for you to look at as it does for me..
