How is Dragonball viewed in the public eye?

Hellspawn28 · Post by **Hellspawn28** » Sun Sep 13, 2009 9:31 pm

Their was one person I knew in my match class that enjoy the series, and he would just watch Team Four Star videos all day after he was done with his work. Never got a chance to talk with him though.

Ultimate_DB_Fan · Post by **Ultimate_DB_Fan** » Sun Sep 13, 2009 10:41 pm

I'm anti-social, so there really isn't anyone to bring it up too. However, a few years ago when I would, most people would say, "That cartoon where those guys are yelling like they're taking a shit?" Utter ignorance, mixed with stupidity...

Eddie · Post by **Eddie** » Mon Sep 14, 2009 4:31 am

I know a few people that like the series. Everyone else looks at me weird when I talk about DB. In my area, the average person doesn't understand anime (with the possible exception of stuff that airs on adult swim). Heck, there are some people here that associate anime with homosexuality or mental retardation. I'm not just talking about high school idiots, either. There are actually grown men and women who honestly believe that garbage. I actually had a high school teacher that told me to grow up, just because I enjoyed DBZ. He told me that he wouldn't even let his elementary aged son watch that "little kid's show". It does seem to be getting a bit better here, though. I know a decent amount of BLEACH fans. The important thing is to not care what others think of you. If you have to lie about the things you love, your hanging out with the wrong people.

Tweaker · Post by **Tweaker** » Mon Sep 14, 2009 7:13 am

Most people who I went to school with knew about and enjoyed the series from when it aired on Toonami back in the day. It was a pretty common and pretty popular trend, honest--just like Pokémon, merchandise was rampant and everybody would watch it daily whenever it came on. I guess I was pretty lucky in that regard; I wasn't subject to any ridicule just for liking the same thing that more or less everyone else did.

Interestingly enough, there would occasionally be people who didn't know about the series... about a day of watching it, though, and they were usually hooked! I guess quality speaks miles when it comes to selling itself.

SSJ Helldog · Post by **SSJ Helldog** » Mon Sep 14, 2009 11:42 am

"That was cool back when we were in high school. You need to let it go now."

Son Sebbe · Post by **Son Sebbe** » Mon Sep 14, 2009 12:25 pm

"Ya won't get da gurls if ya", start talking drunk 4am, about Dragonball...

CashmanX · Post by **CashmanX** » Mon Sep 14, 2009 12:29 pm

"Oh, you mean Pokemon?"

mysteriousdbzgt · Post by **mysteriousdbzgt** » Mon Sep 14, 2009 12:44 pm

Tweaker wrote:Most people who I went to school with knew about and enjoyed the series from when it aired on Toonami back in the day. It was a pretty common and pretty popular trend, honest--just like Pokémon, merchandise was rampant and everybody would watch it daily whenever it came on. I guess I was pretty lucky in that regard; I wasn't subject to any ridicule just for liking the same thing that more or less everyone else did.

That is exactly like that for me. No one ever teases me for loving the show so much, because lots of people had seen it or knew about it, which was a huge benefit.

Finally on 200 posts. Seems like it's taken ages getting to that many posts...

Big Momma · Post by **Big Momma** » Mon Sep 14, 2009 12:46 pm

A good 90% of my friends aren't into anime or anything like that, and they're all accepting of it, if maybe even a little supportive. It actually gets a few (non-insultiing) laughs sometimes.

For instance, last night I was sitting and talking with a few of them, and we were discussing something about maturity. One of my friends starting joking around saying how they were much more mature then me, and as soon I as I told her that she was wrong, I got a text message and my phone went off...

....the ringtone was Goku saying "Kamehameha!".

Metalwario64 · Post by **Metalwario64** » Mon Sep 14, 2009 12:51 pm

Big Momma wrote:....the ringtone was Goku saying "Kamehameha!".

Dub or Japanese?

Big Momma · Post by **Big Momma** » Mon Sep 14, 2009 1:57 pm

Metalwario64 wrote:
Big Momma wrote:....the ringtone was Goku saying "Kamehameha!".
Dub or Japanese?

Let's just say Nozawa never sounded better.

Velasa · Post by **Velasa** » Mon Sep 14, 2009 2:05 pm

Hmn... Growing up when the show was still airing new episodes I only talked with my best friend and brothers about the show, but I used to see people with t-shirts all the time. I actually kept track of how many I saw for like 4 years... I think it ended up being like 60 over the lifetime of the count.

I went to two different high schools thanks to moving halfway through (which sucked), so it's difficult remembering a consistent mood toward the show. In the second one however we didn't have to wear uniforms, so I could wear all of my Dragonball shirts and I don't especially remember getting shit for it. I did have a really good friend who loved the show as much as I did though, we'd pass notes back and forth to each other between classes talking about it and we'd watch it when we hung out all the time.

In college, I went to a little place in a rural area- but I was on a floor dedicated to art students so the reaction pretty much when people would walk into our room and see my side of it covered in posters and action figures would be "dude, awesome." These mostly seemed to be the kind of people who had watched the show on tv but didn't have much deeper familiarity with the series. In the anime club there no one else was really a fan, but they never ragged on me for liking it either because the rules of the club said people had a right to like what they liked. I remembered maybe three other guys when they first came in and gave the little intro speeches said they liked the show and I always cheered when they did ^^

Last particular set of memories of interaction with the fandom is cons. I've been going to one or two a year since '02, and I've been cosplaying as Piccolo since my second con. While merchandise is difficult to come by and cosplayers from the show are almost non-existent (until Katsu this February- there were 20 of them there and I was stunned beyond belief), the reaction I get in costume is universally positive- from shout-outs in the halls to hugs and high-fives ^^

People may act aloof with it to look cool, but I think a lot of them really do enjoy the show and are just to embarrassed to admit it. You should never be ashamed of your fandom- fly the banner proudly and let people know there's no reason to be ashamed by continuing to enjoy the things you enjoyed as a child.

Hellspawn28 · Post by **Hellspawn28** » Mon Sep 14, 2009 2:10 pm

Everytime I would talk about DB with someone they would make a over 9000 joke. It's rather annoying

.

MCDaveG · Post by **MCDaveG** » Mon Sep 14, 2009 2:11 pm

When I say, I like Dragon Ball, the response is: What the fuck is that??? Or: Oh, some other chinese shit like Pokémon???

Hahhahahah

SSVegetto · Post by **SSVegetto** » Mon Sep 14, 2009 2:11 pm

They hated it. They hated me for liking it. They made fun of me. That is all. I never spoke of it again, after I was done with middle school and high school.

ssjcj · Post by **ssjcj** » Mon Sep 14, 2009 2:45 pm

It was strange. Last year a guy brought his PS2 into the common room and they brought in Sparking Neo and Sparking Meteor and suddenly it seemed like everyone was into DBZ. We played it during free time between classes and Meteor was the game of choice for everyone. It was weird after not hearing anyone talk about it since 2004.

TheGreatness25 · Post by **TheGreatness25** » Mon Sep 14, 2009 8:19 pm

I'm not an anime fan, so for me when I say I'm a Dragon Ball fan, I kind of don't care too much when some people make fun of anime. All I say is "Dragon Ball was the best thing that ever came out and I don't care". But generally the reaction is either they've never watched it, or love it. Not enough to discuss it, but it's nice. I walked into a Best Buy when Season 3 came out and like 3 other (much older) guys were like running to get it, so it was a nice conversation starter. Plus one time in school, I mentioned it (when Season 2 was coming out or something) and apparently another kid was a really big fan and we started going off about it for like half an hour. Fun times.

Hellspawn28 · Post by **Hellspawn28** » Mon Sep 14, 2009 8:32 pm

Most people I known who know about the series say they have not watch it in years or their a total fanboy.

Kendamu · Post by **Kendamu** » Mon Sep 14, 2009 9:02 pm

In High School (1998-2002) anime was "Oh, you mean Pokemon?" amongst most people. Everyone who was into anime liked it, though.

Nowadays, though, I'm not like, "Oh Dragonball this," and, "Oh Dragonball that," in all of my conversations. While I say something about it now and again and my friends know that I'm really into it, it's not really that big of a deal because I'm not trying to drag things they're less interested in or not interested in into completely unrelated conversations.

So, yeah... Nobody cares!

KKZ · Post by **KKZ** » Mon Sep 14, 2009 9:55 pm

I think I'm the only white person in my school who likes it.