Is Naruto at DBZ's level of popularity in the past?

Sun_Wukong · Post by **Sun_Wukong** » Tue Jan 09, 2007 12:15 pm

Big Momma wrote:I personally like Naruto because it has a deeper plot than the Dragonball series, and just as good(not better!) action. Thats my opinion(again!)

Oh god, not this again. Shonen manga in general arent supposed to have complex plots. they're targeted at 12 and under.

EvilGamerX · Post by **EvilGamerX** » Tue Jan 09, 2007 12:23 pm

Rioan wrote:I havnt posted in a while, but i think you huys are getting a little off topic here. By the way, Death Note is a one-shot manga. I mean, how many volumes could they actually do?

There were 12 volumes. That doesn't seem like a one-shot. 13 if you include the data book which was labeled volume 13. There were also 108 chapters... does this not click with you... at all? The number 108.

Sun_Wukong · Post by **Sun_Wukong** » Tue Jan 09, 2007 12:27 pm

One-Shot is something that's one volume and never expanded. Death Note is far from that.

Last Son of Krypton · Post by **Last Son of Krypton** » Tue Jan 09, 2007 12:30 pm

I'd say that Naruto is more popular than Dragon Ball at it's peak. In my area, anyway. Back when Dragon Ball was at it's peak there were very few fans around here that even knew what it was. Ever since Naruto has come around I have seen and heard more people talking about Jutsus, wearing ninja headbands, shouting Believe it!, and doing other Naruto themed things. I never ONCE saw someone shouting and trying to turn into a Super Saiyan.

Gokuden553 · Post by **Gokuden553** » Tue Jan 09, 2007 12:36 pm

In my oppinion Naruto can't even hold a candle up to the greatness of DBZ, mostly because they made the series last longer because of all the filler episodes it contained... not to mention most of the filler episodes seemed to be drawn by 5 year old kids.

Sure Naruto surpassed DB's 153 episodes with a whopping 215 episodes so far, but after episode 135 they were completely full of fillers.

Even worse the Japanese Naruto anime series seems to be like an Ocean version of the DBZ dub, with millions of Hanna Barbera sound effects thrown into the mix... which contains lame spring noises and even that irritating comedy tune straight from the cartoons.

So the bottom line is that Naruto would never become as great as DBZ was, but it may still become popular... that is if they can get their many fans back after what they did wrong.

chibi_goten · Post by **chibi_goten** » Tue Jan 09, 2007 12:36 pm

That's just where you live, when I was back in middle school you could sometimes hear the odd Kamehameha, normally followed by some idiot saying Hadouken. Only heard it a few times though and I think it was the same group of idiots.

EvilGamerX · Post by **EvilGamerX** » Tue Jan 09, 2007 12:40 pm

I always hated the idiots with the headbands. This is kinda a reply to Last Son of Krypton.

Anyways, to prove you wrong about merchandise meaning shit. I am a HUGE fan of One Piece. Do I wear a straw-hat? No. Do I wear anything from the show? No. Why? Because I can acknowledge... key word.... the fact that I would look like a total dumbass... which is what I would look like. I can only gather that the Naruto series sends a signal too their brainwaves and makes a fan boy go "OOH! ANIME!" and pisses themself, thus ending up conforming to dressing up as a wannabe fake ninja. They all look gaytarded. If looking gaytarded means popular... then I will give Naruto applause in that area.

The point is that a series can be acknowledged as good by many... but there is no law telling them that they have to act like a character. Also, again... the whole time period thing. How popular was the manga/anime fad when DBZ was on air? Not much.

SS2 Vegeto · Post by **SS2 Vegeto** » Tue Jan 09, 2007 1:00 pm

They're probably about the same level of popularity right now (comparing it to Dragonball at it's hight of popularity), as is Bleach and One Piece...now, Bleach was a great series and simply gained popularity extremely fast...I don't understand One Piece as much, but it would certainly appeal to many of the individuals who were fans of Dragonball back in the day.

Really, however, I have never seen Dragonball's extreme level of popularity at the time...as anything that made sense in the first place. To me, it has merely come accross as grossly overhyped and overrated in the past, and still by some fans in the present...all in all, never got the "genius" behind it.

Duo · Post by **Duo** » Tue Jan 09, 2007 1:20 pm

EvilGamerX wrote:If looking gaytarded means popular... then I will give Naruto applause in that area.

Quoted for great justice !!

The last time I went to Jafax (one out of, like, 2 large scale anime conventions in Michigan) which was in June, I saw unbelievable amounts of people with those headbands and what not...I was dumbfounded and a bit disgusted. I missed all the Vash the Stampede's and Spike Speigals and various other awesome Anime icons. Badly.

Castor Troy · Post by **Castor Troy** » Tue Jan 09, 2007 1:24 pm

Comparing the popularity of Naruto and DBZ is like comparing the popularity between the NES and PS2, or the value of the dollar back in 1999 compared to now.

You can say that there are TONS more anime fans now which would make Naruto bigger, but DBZ in it's prime was big in it's own right at the time. I would say Naruto's the biggest anime in the US today (then again, I don't watch much anime anymore to compare it to anything), but still nowhere near the phenomenon that DBZ had here back in the day.

BlueSky · Post by **Kaboom** » Tue Jan 09, 2007 1:31 pm

I like Naruto in and of itself as a manga and anime (Though I'll be skipping the anime's filler when I get to it, thankyouverymuch). Not as good as One Piece or DragonBall, but still good enough to keep me looking forward to new chapters.

Save for some of my already close friends, I try to avoid it's fanbase, though.

Mr.Piccolo · Post by **Mr.Piccolo** » Tue Jan 09, 2007 1:41 pm

EvilGamerX wrote:(His previous posts)

I get what you mean with Naruto. Believe it or not, when someone would as if you were to like anime/manga it would go like: So, uh, you like DragonBall Z. But now it became: Yo, you watch Naruto.My reaction is a quick "Whoa, don't relate me with that crowd" kind of thing.

It's pretty scary out of all of the characters I've seen in Naruto, I only like one: Kakashi. Why? Because he doesn't talk! Everyone one else goes on and on and on. In the end, the main character of the series is Gotenks..

I guess, if anything, Naruto is getting to be as popular as DBZ was here. Unfortunately, the fanbase that is driving the series (in America anyway) is what turns people away from the series itself.
-Rick

Duo · Post by **Duo** » Tue Jan 09, 2007 1:43 pm

SSj Kaboom wrote:Save for some of my already close friends, I try to avoid it's fanbase, though.

I'm in the same boat. I have a friend who thinks that Naruto is the definitive best Anime of all time. And another who's more casual, but thinks that One Piece is the worst thing ever created (he's never read it and only saw 2 minutes of the dubbed Anime, and won't listen to me). Both of them spend their fandom Youtubing the Anime and DL'ing Fanslations of the Manga. I just try to avoid that subject if at all possible, since I'm incredibly against that.

Now I sound like I'm complaining about my friends. Heh. They're actually really cool outside of anything relating to Naruto.

EvilGamerX · Post by **EvilGamerX** » Tue Jan 09, 2007 1:47 pm

C'mon. It DOES make sense actually. America has a lot of idiots. Thus people throwing their Wiimotes, thus Naruto being so popular. It all fits together. That is why I never care what the little people (children) at conventions say. I guess we have to learn if it just has action. Doesn't matter if there is plot or anything. More action = More popular in this country in which I live.

Bottom line. Would I consider this as popular as DBZ? Well, by law... if someone is retarded and commits a crime, they can get away because they didn't know any better. So lets apply the same logic and say that the popularity doesn't count, because the fans don't know any better.

Menardi · Post by **Menardi** » Tue Jan 09, 2007 1:52 pm

Am I like the only person who actually doesn't like Naruto or One Piece or whatever, but it seems that lots of people like it now, even here where I live Naruto is getting quite popular.

chibi_goten · Post by **chibi_goten** » Tue Jan 09, 2007 2:03 pm

All in all, I don't think Naruto hasn't been around long enough to reach the popularity of Dragonball. It seems to be at its peak at the moment now though and yeah it probably is as popular as what Dragonball was. The question is though, will it still be as popular as Dragonball in years to come after it's peak and still have new games, box sets, CD's, and I guess all in all merchandise in general being released that the fans will still buy.

shannarafan · Post by **shannarafan** » Tue Jan 09, 2007 2:44 pm

SS2 Vegeto wrote:Really, however, I have never seen Dragonball's extreme level of popularity at the time...as anything that made sense in the first place. To me, it has merely come accross as grossly overhyped and overrated in the past, and still by some fans in the present...all in all, never got the "genius" behind it.

I knew you were gonna say that. "Grossly overhyped and overrated", though?

Eh... I always thought it was more overexposed than anything. I've never seen it given much actual praise.

Also, don't you think it's a bit ironic calling DB overrated when you're a Bleach fan?

EvilGamerX wrote:the only way I use the manga pages now is to wipe my ass.

You don't know how hard that made me laugh!

Anywho... if Naruto's popularity ever tops DBZ's, I'll eat my boot.

Tenken · Post by **Tenken** » Tue Jan 09, 2007 3:52 pm

I think the biggest reason DB is so popular is that it crosses so many generations.

Will your kids be talking about Naruto? Probabaly not.

EvilGamerX · Post by **EvilGamerX** » Tue Jan 09, 2007 3:55 pm

If any of my kids talk about Naruto, and it is positive talk, I'll disown em. Then again this hypothetically talking (like I'll have kids, hahaha).

Super Sonic · Post by **Super Sonic** » Tue Jan 09, 2007 4:00 pm

Also know a lot of Naruto fans were Digifans and they like the show because the voice actors from their youth. Don't know if anyone made connections with the Ocean cast when season 1 and 2 were airing aside from a few people.