Any other non-anime fans who are into Dragon Ball?

[Thanos]

So, here's the thing--maybe I'm a freak of nature, but I really don't care at all about anime other than Dragon Ball. In fact, I hate to say it, but I tend to be one of those people who turns his nose up at it when someone mentions it or I see it on TV and the like. Not that I judge anyone for being into it or anything, but I personally just can't stand it. I mean, I was into it a long time ago when I was younger, but I sort of grew out of it... except, for whatever reason, I still love Dragon Ball... obviously. In fact, a lot of times I'll be talking Dragon Ball with someone, and then they'll bring Naruto or One Piece or whatever into the conversation, and I'll start zoning out and smiling and nodding (just to be nice) to act like I care.

Now, to be fair, there are plenty of surface-level fans who wear the "Over 9,000!" shirts and watch Abridged that go on nostalgia and the dub that probably aren't into anime, but I think a fan of my level who's into the original Japanese version is probably something of a borderline novelty.

Can anyone else relate?

[Polyphase Avatron]

Well I can't relate personally but I have met some people with similar views on other forums. I've also met people who liked only one anime (common titles were Cowboy Bebop, Lupin the 3rd, and Fist of the North Star).

[Rocketman]

Well, do you mean all of anime/manga, or just the mass-produced shonen/moe/etc crap?

[rereboy]

Seems to me that you are just grouping all anime in the same "bag". There is anime out there that is just as good and mature and any live action movie.

[Hellspawn28]

I remember a few people I know only like DBZ as their favorite anime and didn't care for other anime out there. Not even action anime like YYH, Fist of the North Star and The Guyver.

[Eire]

My first contact with fandom were people who watched and read every anime/manga they could get and understand so I guess that OP is just kind of "equal exchange" for their enthusiasm
Even thought I follow many artists and regularly screen fansites for good period pieces I don't consider myself a manga/anime fan, mainly because I'm as picky with that niche as with every one else. Anime and manga can be as mature as everything else but unfortunately it falls under the same category as every other form of entertainment. I like period drama and there are toons of thoughtful and well-researched mangas in that genere, but they are pain to find- unless they were produced by living legend like Tezuka or Ikeda nobody bothers with official release (and even if so, they are expensive as hell) and the stylised vocabulary and grammar is too much for fan translations. For example I adore Jin, but since it tells the story of surgeon travelling back in time to Edo it means that translator would have to deal with medical slang and stylisation. No wonder that you haven't heard of that.

[SSJ Human]

You're preaching to the choir with me. I'm only into Dragon Ball out of all animes. The only one I ever really liked was Pokemon and that's the games, not the show. Naruto I really wanted to get into, but it got boring to me after the original series ended.

[KentalSSJ6]

I like all sorts of anime. Even hentai.

[Tzigi]

Oh, I came here to see whether there were other non-anime fans like me. But by non-anime I mean "those who don't like animation and prefer to read manga". I get bored watching anything incredibly quickly - and that includes Dragon Ball as well as many other things (Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones and many other popular, action-packed things). I love manga, I love novels but I can't stand things where I can't move the page to make the story go faster. And that's why I just love it that Super will also have a manga version - being a DB fan I will in all likelihood watch the anime but the medium I'll actually enjoy will be the manga. And that's also why I am nowadays interacting much more with the fan works part of the DB scene then with the official one - the new official mangas aren't that numerous while the fandom is swarming with them

So to the OP, no I'm not like you but I also tend to describe myself as non-anime fan though on different grounds.

[Lord Beerus]

I like all sorts of anime. Even hentai.

That's exactly the kind of mindset I have. I keep myself open to all types of anime.

[Hellspawn28]

I will watch anything as long if it's good. While I'm a more of a fan of older anime, but I do like new anime. I was a fan of anime before DBZ, but DBZ did help me branch out to watch more stuff at the age of 10 or 11.

[Kid Buu]

I watched a lot of anime as a kid, but nowadays I rarely ever check out new anime. Usually just a 13 episode series on Netflix every now and then.

[ParkerAL]

I don't like to call myself an anime fan, per se. I just really like animation period, whether it comes from Japan, America or Ireland. Anime isn't a genre, after all. It covers virtually ever topic imaginable. As such, the only honest response I can muster to your original post, Thanos, is confusion. To me, the "I don't like anime" opinion is akin to someone not liking American live-action movies -- every single one made from the Silent Film era onwards -- because they come from the U.S. I just find it rather odd.

I mean, it's not like the anime medium caters to only a select taste. There's something for everyone. Literally. Fables like Adventures of Hols, Prince of the Sun. Space Operas like Cowboy Bebop. Artistic films like Tokyo Godfathers and Night on the Galactic Railroad. Mindless, hyper-violent 80s schlock like Angel Cop and Mad Bull 34 (trust me, there's a reason I haven't linked clips to those ).Even the much-maligned Shonen demographic covers everything from Hunter x Hunter to Case Closed.

I mean, I'm trying to see it from your perspective, Thanos, but I can't quite get there. For context, could you list some examples of Japanese animation you've seen? Maybe you've only stumbled upon crap? Do any of the above clips catch your interest?

I can understand where Tyigi is coming from better. Our minds simply operate differently when it comes to how we take in and perceive film and TV. But since you like Dragon Ball in animated form, I have a tougher time seeing the situation from your eyes. Dragon Ball isn't exactly an island separated off from its fellow anime. It shares traits with plenty of shows. Luffy from One Piece falls squarely in the same character archetype category as Goku (clueless, adventurous, kind of selfish), and Yu Yu Hakusho had it's fair share of over-the-top transformation scenes.

[Cipher]

Me.

I used to search out other anime (I mean at least a decade back, as a kid). These days I find proclaiming oneself a fan of anime in general kind of problematic, as it means you're embracing and searching out media specifically for a set of visual or content-level tropes (because that's how we differentiate anime from other animation, aside from its geographic origins; it adheres to recognizable tropes other countries' animations, at least historically, do not). That's a poor reason to seek out fiction or media in general, and in some ways a restrictive and reductive one.

It should also be said, I suppose, that I've come to dislike a fair number of those tropes on their own -- certain visual shortcuts, pacing choices, the melodrama -- many of the things that draw anime fans to the material in the first place. I also take certain umbridge with some of the headier genre animes, or at least fans' reactions to them, because they're juuuust nuanced enough to feel satisfying if you haven't really sought out literary fiction before, but are still quite heavy-handed and melodramatic and it's really just a shame to sort of settle on them. On the other hand, if people make the jump from that to something a little more emotionally complex and that is actually a gateway into stronger appreciation for what fiction can do, good on them. I waffle on that.

That all said, there are definitely anime series I enjoy, Dragon Ball included! I just like them regardless of, and sometimes in spite of, those tropes.

Again, I just think being a fan of "anime" specifically, rather than the mediums of film or animation and the unique things they can do, or even a content-level genre -- shonen, Westerns, superhero, mystery, sci-fi, etc. -- is a bit problematic. And every time I encounter the trailers on a Funimation Dragon Ball release, specifically as they cater more and more to the expectations of their audience, I'm reminded just how much of it isn't for me.

[Super Saiyan Swagger]

I can't really say that I'm a fan of anime if I've only seen 3 anime in total (The Dragon Ball series, Cowboy Bebop and Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood) so I guess I fall under that category of "not being a fan of anime but a huge fan of Dragon Ball". I've tried getting into other series (Naruto and Bleach) but I just couldn't, I don't know if it's because those series are exhaustingly long or I just couldn't fine myself getting any enjoyment out of them (although I will say that the Soul Society arc of Bleach was kick ass).

As for Dragon Ball, I don't know why I find it so appealing, it could be nostalgia but I don't think so. I probably love this series because of it's great mix of action, humour and character development. What I think that makes Dragon Ball appealing to non-anime fans is its simplicity, it's very easy to get into.

[theoriginalbilis]

Can't say that's me.

I was already head over heels into the world of cartoons and anime (also cartoons!) well before I got into Dragon Ball. However, there were lots of fellow kids who were watching DBZ back in high school and college, even if they weren't watching any other anime.

[ParkerAL]

These days I find proclaiming oneself a fan of anime in general kind of problematic, as it means you're embracing and searching out media specifically for a set of visual or content-level tropes (because that's how we differentiate anime from other animation, aside from its geographic origins; it adheres to recognizable tropes other countries' animations, at least historically, do not). That's a poor reason to seek out fiction or media in general, and in some ways a restrictive and reductive one.

It's far from fair to say Japanese animation is prone to tropes more than animation from other countries. American animation has its own distinct visual look and approach to storytelling. A lot of it goes for a more, for lack of a better word, "cartoony" look that is rounder and more stylized, while much of the rest is heavily influence by Disney and comic book aesthetics. Many exceptions like Legend of Korra and the 2003 Teen Titans show are generally themselves inspired by Japanese art styles. American animators also put more emphasis on maintain fluid character movement, rather than using it to highlight prominent scenes, and their works are generally faster-paced (at least from my experience). These tendencies can be just as effective or problematic as Japanese tropes.

That said, I wholeheartedly agree that calling oneself an anime fan is rather unmindful. As a banner or label, the word is next to useless. It thoughtlessly lumps together meaningful works with brainless boob toons, to the point that it lacks any real meaning. The likes of Fist of the North Star and Love Hina don't exactly fit neatly within the same category.

I'm not sure how I should feel when people cite Dragon Ball Z as their favorite anime, what with it being so clearly flawed by the constraints of its budget and broadcast production schedule. I mean, the way it handles some of its non-action scenes almost reaches Hanna-Barbera levels of cheapness, and I'd hardly rank their shows among the best the United States has ever produced.

Of course, I still enjoy and respect the Dragon Ball anime for what it is, though not nearly as much as its glorious manga counterpart.

I can't really say that I'm a fan of anime if I've only seen 3 anime in total (The Dragon Ball series, Cowboy Bebop and Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood) so I guess I fall under that category of "not being a fan of anime but a huge fan of Dragon Ball". I've tried getting into other series (Naruto and Bleach) but I just couldn't, I don't know if it's because those series are exhaustingly long or I just couldn't fine myself getting any enjoyment out of them (although I will say that the Soul Society arc of Bleach was kick ass).

Eh, Naruto and Bleach aren't the best works to expand one's taste in anime with. Obviously, they've served as gateway shows to many people getting into "anime" for the first time, much like Dragon Ball Z did back in the day. But once you've walked through that gate once already, going through it again might not provide as enjoyable an experience.

Based on the shows you listed, Hunter x Hunter (2011 series) might be right up your alley. Cowboy Bebop and Fullmetal Alchemsit: Brotherhood are too of my favorite shows as well, and I rank Hunter x Hunter right up alongside them. Like them, it has a good mix of fun antics and deeper moments. It also has a fair share of Dragon Ball homages/deconstructions, most notably in the later episodes. You can find it streaming on Crunchyroll, if you have time to check it out. At 148 episodes (two of them recaps that can be easily skipped), it's length isn't too inhibitive.

[Cipher]

It's far from fair to say Japanese animation is prone to tropes more than animation from other countries. American animation has its own distinct visual look and approach to storytelling. A lot of it goes for a more, for lack of a better word, "cartoony" look that is rounder and more stylized, while much of the rest is heavily influence by Disney and comic book aesthetics. Many exceptions like Legend of Korra and the 2003 Teen Titans show are generally themselves inspired by Japanese art styles. American animators also put more emphasis on maintain fluid character movement, rather than using it to highlight prominent scenes, and their works are generally faster-paced (at least from my experience). These tendencies can be just as effective or problematic as Japanese tropes.

I think we're mostly on the same page here, but just to clarify what may have been some poor wording in my first post, I didn't mean to imply that Japanese animation employs more tropes than that of other countries, but that the label of "anime fan" implies a certain -- "unmindful" is a really good word for it -- level of interest in that particular set of tropes.

That's also why I included the "historically" bit. We're starting to see some of the visual tropes of Japanese animation (and I'm aware that industry has many artifacts of early Western animation in it as well) enter the works of other countries.

[Thanos]

Well, do you mean all of anime/manga, or just the mass-produced shonen/moe/etc crap?

I really do mean pretty much everything.

It should also be said, I suppose, that I've come to dislike a fair number of those tropes on their own -- certain visual shortcuts, pacing choices, the melodrama -- many of the things that draw anime fans to the material in the first place. I also take certain umbridge with some of the headier genre animes, or at least fans' reactions to them, because they're juuuust nuanced enough to feel satisfying if you haven't really sought out literary fiction before, but are still quite heavy-handed and melodramatic and it's really just a shame to sort of settle on them. On the other hand, if people make the jump from that to something a little more emotionally complex and that is actually a gateway into stronger appreciation for what fiction can do, good on them. I waffle on that.

I think this is kind of my thing. Everyone here seems to be saying they don't understand my generalization, and I have to tell you--I completely agree that it's a generalization. I don't know why, but everything anime-related I come into contact now simply annoys me (with that obvious exception). I really think it is all those tropes as Cipher mentioned that coalesce into something that I find rather unappealing nowadays. And, in general, I find a lot of anime fans to be some of the most obnoxious people I know; on a level rivaled only by Doctor Who fans.

I mean, I'm trying to see it from your perspective, Thanos, but I can't quite get there. For context, could you list some examples of Japanese animation you've seen? Maybe you've only stumbled upon crap? Do any of the above clips catch your interest?

Oh goodness. That would be an extensive list. I was heavily into it some years ago as a kid/teenager. My brother and I would go to anime clubs and rent any video/DVD we could get our hands on. So, I've definited watched a lot of the "classics". I've seen most the Miyazaki films, all of Ranma 1/2, most of Yu Yu Hakusho, Cowboy Bebop, Trigun, Detective Conan (Case Closed), Rurouni Kenshin, Love Hina, Tenchi, Lupin III, a big chunk of early Bleach, Digimon, Evangelion... mostly shit from the 80's/90's/early 00's. There are dozens more for sure, it's just been so long I can't really remember.

While I did enjoy many of them at the time, I don't know if I would now--and that's the thing, I don't really have any interest in finding out. But I think I just don't have a lot of interest in animation as a whole these days.

[MajinMan]

I'm kind of like that. I remember as a kid I used to watch more anime like YYH, Naruto, and Pokemon. There was also this show call MAR or something that I also watched. As I grew older I just lost interest in these shows and never really got into other anime. Sure I still caught an episode or two from all kinds of shows but never really followed them (also sitting through however many episodes to catch up to a show is not my thing. I'm looking at you, One Piece). However I will admit that I love the Miyazaki films.

And now about Dragon Ball. It's funny because even though I mentioned that I don't follow any other anime, this is my favorite work of fiction. It's like a guy that doesn't like reading comics except for one certain comic which he loves a lot. I guess you can call me an anime fan and you wouldn't be wrong, if only because of Dragon Ball.