Dragon Ball Super: TV Ratings Discussion Thread

[ChibiGoku]

HxH made it to 140 episodes.

The 2011 version of Hunter x Hunter is a special, weird little case. It was entirely funded by NTV and when it began growing too violent for Sunday mornings it was moved to a late-night slot. It definitely feels like one of the producers at NTV was hell-bent on this being their baby. I've never seen a Japanese cartoon get that much love from its television network. Then again, NTV outright owns Madhouse and is even trying to buy a second animation studio, so they seem very set on being a big name in animation.

Now that you mention it, I remember it getting very gory late in the series. There was quite a contrast with the show initially.

Honestly, a lot of the worst content was during the first 100 or so episodes, when it was airing on Sunday mornings at 10:55AM. The biggest thing that shocked me was them showing a cannibalistic scene in the 50s, where one of the characters heads get bitten off, and the guy swallows it. This is all shown on screen, too. I think the reason for the sudden pulling of the time slot had more to do with Shueisha pulling out of production, as it seemed to have happened around that time. It could've been that Shueisha was paying for the early time slot, but once they left, NTV probably wanted to continue it, but may have felt obligated to have other programming there, now there don't have additional funding in the project.

Either way, show moved, but still did well in its late night slot, from my understanding. Just I imagine it would've caught the younger audience off guard.

[Araki]

Honestly, a lot of the worst content was during the first 100 or so episodes, when it was airing on Sunday mornings at 10:55AM. The biggest thing that shocked me was them showing a cannibalistic scene in the 50s, where one of the characters heads get bitten off, and the guy swallows it. This is all shown on screen, too. I think the reason for the sudden pulling of the time slot had more to do with Shueisha pulling out of production, as it seemed to have happened around that time. It could've been that Shueisha was paying for the early time slot, but once they left, NTV probably wanted to continue it, but may have felt obligated to have other programming there, now there don't have additional funding in the project.

Either way, show moved, but still did well in its late night slot, from my understanding. Just I imagine it would've caught the younger audience off guard.

Agreed, i noticed that too. The worst content aired when the show was still in the morning. That biting head scene impressed me because even late night shows tend to censor scenes of this caliber. And the timeslot didn't change until months later.
In any case, the reason for the change was never made public, but Shueisha pulling out of the committee makes sense.

[TheDBZmaster100]

It would honestly amuse me if Super only lasts around 64 episodes like GT did. I don't know, I have trouble seeing a 100+ episode series in this day and age.

Uchuu Kyoudai had 99 episodes (2012 - 2014).
Daiya no Ace had 75 episodes in it's first season ( 2013- 2015), currently there's 20 eps in the 2nd season.

[Hellspawn28]

As long if Super keeps on telling a good story then I want it to last while it can. Don't go on forever, but at end it when you feel like when the story is done.

[precita]

People forget the only reason DBZ went on for hundreds of episodes was due to the filler padding so it didn't catch up with the manga. They don't have to do that this time. Sure they're splitting Battle of Gods into about 10-13 episodes or whatever it is, but I think after the movies are covered most "sagas" will be done rather quickly.

Super was probably expected to be a huge hit due to the success of the movies but the ratings are barely any higher than Kai's, and Super is more expensive to make since they do all new animation whereas Kai was already finished episode spliced together.

Either way I wouldn't mind a 65 episode series. Give us a good short and concise series rather than dragging things out.

[JulieYBM]

If Dragon Ball Super was going to be short and concise it wouldn't be five cours, it would only be one or two cours. Dragon Ball Super is going to go on for as long as it is attributed to the growth of merchandise sales, if that means becoming the next Doraemon, all the better.

[Hellspawn28]

Doraemon has been going on for 45 years. I don't want DB to lose it's novelty since I won't mind it if the series takes a break again over time like what happen after 1997.

[JulieYBM]

The same thing that happened with Dragon Ball GT is already happening with Dragon Ball Super: Toei Animation is running into production with no time for their production crew to figure out what to do and how to do it.

[Bullza]

I wouldn't mind if Super were to be about 100 years and last about two years before it ends. Then after a year or two break they can make a new show and continue on from it.

[bleed0range]

I expect that after the movies are covered, the main storyline of the series and the reason it is called "Super," the universe 6 arc... Will go on for a very long time. I would guess like as long as 30-40 episodes. Then if it's still successful they'll ask Toriyama to come up with more stories if they haven't already.

[Araki]

The same thing that happened with Dragon Ball GT is already happening with Dragon Ball Super: Toei Animation is running into production with no time for their production crew to figure out what to do and how to do it.

I'm not sure that's the case. I think the retellings are giving them time to work on the fully new arcs.

If we assume the retellings will take two cours, and considering Toriyama was talking about the Universe 6 arc and doing characters designs a couple months ago, they know what they'll do next year. One of the producers even said Toriyama came up with a "thick" plot, i don't think GT had that luxury ( although i personally think the Baby arc seemed planned enough, at least).

[Chuquita]

I've been so swept up in the current goings-on that I forgot all about that future arc's thick plot.
Uni 6 arc's gonna be fun (I hope); can't wait. X3

I'm fine with following Super for as long as it continues. I've been following Precure since halfway through Fresh (granted they do a complete reboot each year), atm I'm having a lot of fun following Super.

[DragonHermit]

I've been so swept up in the current goings-on that I forgot all about that future arc's thick plot.
Uni 6 arc's gonna be fun (I hope); can't wait. X3

I'm fine with following Super for as long as it continues. I've been following Precure since halfway through Fresh (granted they do a complete reboot each year), atm I'm having a lot of fun following Super.

Well One Piece has been going on for god knows how long, and it's still amazing and exciting. No reason DBS can't be the same.

[Hellspawn28]

The One Piece manga has been going on since 1997 and still yet to be finished. Same with Case Close (Detective Conan) which should have ended like a decade ago or more since the manga and TV show has been going on for 20 years. You don't want Dragon Ball to go on that long since it will go downhill fast. The DB manga ran for 10 and half years, some people feel like the writing got worst over time. Stuff like this makes me worry about Disney having the rights to Star Wars since they are doing the new movies so fast so soon and a new movie won't feel special anymore. If we get DB shows once every year and milk it to the ground then I feel like the novelty will die out. The 2008 Jump Special got a lot of hype in 2008 because we haven't seen the Z fighters in something new and animated since GT ended in 1997.

[Doctor.]

It doesn't go downhill if you have competent writers who care for their creation, and are not just continuing the series out of some sense of obligation towards the fans or are milking it. One Piece keeps getting better and better, arguably of course, mainly because Oda has had most of his story planned out from the start.

[Chuquita]

I've been so swept up in the current goings-on that I forgot all about that future arc's thick plot.
Uni 6 arc's gonna be fun (I hope); can't wait. X3

I'm fine with following Super for as long as it continues. I've been following Precure since halfway through Fresh (granted they do a complete reboot each year), atm I'm having a lot of fun following Super.

Well One Piece has been going on for god knows how long, and it's still amazing and exciting. No reason DBS can't be the same.

I agree with this; I follow One Piece through the manga and the movies (I'm definitely gonna watch that Sabo special now that I know Funi got the rights to simulcast it--go Funi!) and I've been following that since 2009. Oda's got amazing foreshadowing and world-building skills. Also I'm so so happy that we're finally leaving Dressrosa; nothing against the place but it's been incredibly long of an arc compared to all those that came before it.


Re: Case Closed

Is good if you wait for volumes to pile up; I do that on the Viz app; a new one comes out once every four months; I enjoy it way more that way than I would if I were to follow weekly.


Re: Super

I've got trust in Super; plot-wise the only one that fell flat for me so far was the Pilaf episode, and that was only because I liked the BOG version of their entry into the storyline better than Super's version of it (and they still made up for it by being experimental with the linework). I wish Toei had more time and skilled staff to put the episodes together, but I've been having a lot of fun so far so I really don't have any major complaints atm. Two of my favorite Dragon Ball things--Vegeta in awkward situations and Gokû being cute--are being satisfied right now so I'm good.

[Araki]

I think manga adaptations have it easier to run longer, when there's an original work to use, things run fairly smoother. Not to mention, boosting manga sales is a big factor when keeping a series on air. Take Fairy Tail, for instance. The ratings are very low and dvd/blu-ray barely sells, but it's nearing 300 episodes.
Anime series like Super that are not adaptations rely entirely on ratings/merchandise.

[DragonHermit]

Oda's got amazing foreshadowing and world-building skills.

I've got trust in Super; plot-wise the only one that fell flat for me so far was the Pilaf episode, and that was only because I liked the BOG version of their entry into the storyline better than Super's version of it (and they still made up for it by being experimental with the linework). I wish Toei had more time and skilled staff to put the episodes together, but I've been having a lot of fun so far so I really don't have any major complaints atm. Two of my favorite Dragon Ball things--Vegeta in awkward situations and Gokû being cute--are being satisfied right now so I'm good.

please be careful about spoilers for the one piece anime-only watchers like myself

I think Toriyama might be taking a page out of Oda's book. There is a reason he mentioned the 12 universes in BoG. He must have something detailed planned and crafted and isn't just improvising like he did with DBZ.

Granted I think DBZ's plot was pretty good for improvisation, but I would like to see something more sophisticated in terms of structure. It would be nice knowing the author knows exactly where the show is going and how it is going to end.

[Doctor.]

The DVR ratings for Super's first episode are present here, right? Just wondering, since Araki didn't start posting them until episode 2, and I can't read japanese.

[irreality]

Sazae-san --- 15/08/16(日) --- 18:30 - 30 --- 13.1
Chibi Maruko-chan --- 15/08/16(日) --- 18:00 - 30 --- 8.4
Detective Conan --- 15/08/15(土) --- 18:00 - 30 --- 7.2
One Piece --- '15/08/16(日) --- 9:30 - 30 --- 6.9
"Tomoo" Anime Special --- 15/08/14(金) --- 8:15 - 45 --- 5.8
Dragon Ball Super --- '15/08/16(日) --- 9:00 - 30 --- 5.2
Yokai Watch --- '15/08/14(金) --- 18:30 - 28 --- 4.4
Go! Princess Precure --- 15/08/16(日) --- 8:30 - 30 --- 4.1

http://www.videor.co.jp/data/ratedata/top10.htm