Would the Dragon Ball series be more respected if Z didn't exist?

[DBZAOTA482]

Z is the main reason that the series became so popular and beloved on a worldwide scale in the first place. Just let those hating-ass snobs talk.

SJW would have ate early Dragon Ball alive nowadays (admittedly the overt sexualization of Bulma was
a bit much)

If the original series was released today they'd have it outlawed and have Toriyama sent to the gullotine.

[sintzu]

Z is the main reason that the series became so popular and beloved on a worldwide scale in the first place.

DB wouldn't even be a franchise if the Saiyan-Buu arcs weren't separated from the rest of the story.

[Kojiro Sasaki]

Z is the main reason that the series became so popular and beloved on a worldwide scale in the first place. Just let those hating-ass snobs talk.

The show was already a big hit in my country at the end of the Dragon Ball series. Kids loved it to death. Nobody knew what Z was at the time.

If the original series was released today they'd have it outlawed and have Toriyama sent to the gullotine.

Today's left = the Soviets. They would send him to gulag in Siberia.

[MasenkoHA]

Here's another question. Would Dragon Ball have been more respected or gotten more love in the U.S if it aired in its entirety and with decent time slots before DBZ? Instead of showing just the first 13 episodes that most people never saw and skipping straight to Z. And then only running all of Dragon Ball cocurrently with Z's last third and having Toonami's promotions treat it like a Muppet Babies esque spin off rather than the series that came first?

[LuckyCat]

Would Dragon Ball have been more respected or gotten more love in the U.S if it aired in its entirety and with decent time slots before DBZ?

I'm absolutely sure it would have. Even the biggest fans of Saturday morning television are not going to get up at 6 am to watch a show (I didn't either, we programmed the VCR). But I remember shows like Sailor Moon being well-received before DBZ came into its own because people could actually watch Sailor Moon in the afternoon.

[successoroffate]

We wouldn't be talking here

[ABED]

I don't know if it would be more respected, but I do wonder how the DB portion would be received in the US had DBZ never been titled DBZ. What if instead of DBZ episode 1, it had been DB episode 154.

[Cure Dragon 255]

We wouldn't be talking here

Traidor! Pense que eras latino! Nosotros empezamos con Dragon Ball SIN Z!

[spoiler]LOL. Broma.[/spoiler]

And I think that since this is a site for the Japanese version its only natural it would still exist since the people who started with the Japanese version dont have the Z hardon foreigners have.

[successoroffate]

We wouldn't be talking here

Traidor! Pense que eras latino! Nosotros empezamos con Dragon Ball SIN Z!

[spoiler]LOL. Broma.[/spoiler]

And I think that since this is a site for the Japanese version its only natural it would still exist since the people who started with the Japanese version dont have the Z hardon foreigners have.

What!!? Don't call me traitor!
This is what I meant, I am attached to DB, as I am to Z, GT and Super so far. I see Goku as the same dumb, naive but noble child from DB, To Bulma's Boobs, all the way to the end of GT 100 years later. That's the reason why GT's episode 64 ending video hits me right in the heart, because of Nostalgia. But I'm saying if there was no Z, that means no Saiyans, which is the key aspect that made DBZ an international hit. No Saiyans means no Successful Kanzenshuu Forum and no DB Super Clickbait Videos in 2017.

[Cure Dragon 255]

We wouldn't be talking here

Traidor! Pense que eras latino! Nosotros empezamos con Dragon Ball SIN Z!

[spoiler]LOL. Broma.[/spoiler]

And I think that since this is a site for the Japanese version its only natural it would still exist since the people who started with the Japanese version dont have the Z hardon foreigners have.

What!!? Don't call me traitor!
This is what I meant, I am attached to DB, as I am to Z, GT and Super so far. I see Goku as the same dumb, naive but noble child from DB, To Bulma's Boobs, all the way to the end of GT 100 years later. That's the reason why GT's episode 64 ending video hits me right in the heart, because of Nostalgia. But I'm saying if there was no Z, that means no Saiyans, which is the key aspect that made DBZ an international hit. No Saiyans means no Successful Kanzenshuu Forum and no DB Super Clickbait Videos in 2017.

No clickbait videos you say...

[successoroffate]

No clickbait videos you say...

Es Sarcasmo!

[Cure Dragon 255]

PERO SI ES CIERTO! MUERTE A LOS CLICKBAIT VIDEOS!

[Cipher]

Today's left = the Soviets. They would send him to gulag in Siberia.

If today's left read Dragon Ball, we'd prevent entire demographics we thought were dangerous from entering the country!

Or, wait.

[ABED]

We wouldn't be talking here

Traidor! Pense que eras latino! Nosotros empezamos con Dragon Ball SIN Z!

[spoiler]LOL. Broma.[/spoiler]

And I think that since this is a site for the Japanese version its only natural it would still exist since the people who started with the Japanese version dont have the Z hardon foreigners have.

What!!? Don't call me traitor!
This is what I meant, I am attached to DB, as I am to Z, GT and Super so far. I see Goku as the same dumb, naive but noble child from DB, To Bulma's Boobs, all the way to the end of GT 100 years later. That's the reason why GT's episode 64 ending video hits me right in the heart, because of Nostalgia. But I'm saying if there was no Z, that means no Saiyans, which is the key aspect that made DBZ an international hit. No Saiyans means no Successful Kanzenshuu Forum and no DB Super Clickbait Videos in 2017.

That's such reductive thinking to reduce something's popularity to one thing. It's as ridiculous as claiming Batman's popularity is because he's human.

[sintzu]

Would Dragon Ball have been more respected or gotten more love in the U.S if it aired in its entirety and with decent time slots before DBZ ?

I wonder how the DB portion would be received in the US had DBZ never been titled DBZ. What if instead of DBZ episode 1, it had been DB episode 154.

I don't think it would've done much better simply because of its nature. The 1st arc is a comedy adventure, the 2nd is action/comedy while the 3rd arc goes back to the comedy adventure format. I remember having trouble breathing because of how hard I was laughing during certain parts so I would've loved it but it seems like if something isn't 100% action then it's not successful in the U.S. Even the Buu arc gets some hate for trying to go back to the comedy during certain parts.

[ABED]

And here we are again reducing DB to its earlier arcs. It's a bit of a pet peeve of mine that people reduce DB to its more comedic arcs and disregard the ever shifting tone and that most of the elements DBZ is known for were introduced in DB.

[sintzu]

And here we are again reducing DB to its earlier arcs.

It's easy for us to talk because we know what's coming but if someone's seeing it for the very 1st time they'll think it'll be like the Pilaf arc till the end because that's how most series are.

If you look at other popular anime like Naruto, One Piece, Bleach, etc. they're the same from start to finish. DB on the other hand changes as it goes along. The Pilaf arc is completely different from what we're seeing now. there's no way someone seeing it is going to say "This is going to be the best action show I've seen".

[ABED]

And here we are again reducing DB to its earlier arcs.

It's easy for us to talk because we know what's coming but if someone's seeing it for the very 1st time they'll think it'll be like the Pilaf arc till the end because that's how most series are.

If you look at other popular anime like Naruto, One Piece, Bleach, etc. they're the same from start to finish. DB on the other hand changes as it goes along. The Pilaf arc is completely different from what we're seeing now. there's no way someone seeing it is going to say "This is going to be the best action show I've seen".

I get that, and sadly you are correct that many would check out of the series based on the early episodes, but it sucks so much that not only do people who like DBZ not go back (and seem to take perverse pride in that fact) and watch the series from the beginning, but it bugs me when people disregard that it tonally shifts over time and the elements they love began in DB. Even if they don't start at the VERY beginning, why do they still refuse to watch any DB? I'll never understand it, especially since so many of the DB fights are way better than most of DBZ's, at least in my opinion.

[sintzu]

Even if they don't start at the VERY beginning, why do they still refuse to watch any DB? I'll never understand it.

They think it's a prequel and prequels don't have the best reputation here probably thanks to star wars.

I think The Piccolo JR fight is one of the best in the franchise and the comedy in the 1st arcs is at least worth watching once (Remember Ninja Morusaki ?)

[ABED]

Even if they don't start at the VERY beginning, why do they still refuse to watch any DB? I'll never understand it.

They think it's a prequel and prequels don't have the best reputation here probably thanks to star wars.

I think The Piccolo JR fight is one of the best in the franchise and the comedy in the 1st arcs is at least worth watching once (Remember Ninja Morusaki ?)

F'n George Lucas