Does anyone feel like they've outgrown the anime?

[ShinRogafuken]

I've been watching Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z for twelve years (yes, I know plenty of you have me beat ), and last year I completed my Dragon Box collection. However, while watching through the Dragon Boxes, I felt a feeling that I'd never thought I would ever feel: I felt like I had outgrown the anime.

The filler, the cheap art and animation, etc. all stood out to me like they never had before. I had the same feeling with Kai (minus the filler, for the most part)--I can't exactly place my finger on what it is exactly, but my "enjoyment level" of the show is now on par with the power level of the Farmer with Shotgun. I always thought that Dragon Ball was one cartoon I would never outgrow, which is why I was surprised about how I felt. It has something to do with it being a cartoon I guess, now that I have a career and therefore immersed in the real world much more. What's ironic is that I'm probably younger than most of the other forum members here.

Please note that I'm only referring to the anime adaptation, not the manga (which I still adore).

Anyways, I'm just wondering if anybody else feels like they've outgrown the anime, or if I'm a peculiar case amongst us "hardcore" fans.

[orangebrick94]

No dude, you're not alone. I've been watching anime for over 10 years and I have outgrown a lot of series. I still love Dragon Ball but I cant stand to watch Pokemon or Yu-Gi-Oh anymore. I just find them boring and repetitive.

[Piccolo Daimao]

Yeah, perhaps you could compare it to the Pokemon anime. I'll probably always have nostalgic memories of when I watched it as a kid, but now the stilted voice acting, Pikachu's annoyingly constant squeaking of "Pika!" (it's not cute anymore; it just makes me want to shoot him) and overall cheesiness of the show just makes it too cringe-worthy to watch.

[theoriginalbilis]

That's where "seinen" material comes in: Monster, Black Jack, Berserk, Battle Angel Alita, Legend of the Galactic Heroes, Garden of Sinners, etc... stuff that skews towards an older audience as well covers a more diverse series of genres keeps me from getting too bored with the world of anime/manga. I'll admit: even though I love DB/DBZ, it and the overwhelming amount of it's shonen brethren can get a bit stale and repetitive at times.

[samuraix123]

I've been feeling the exact same way. There used to be moments in Dragonball were I was like ''Whoa that's freaking awesome'' now it's just like ''yeah that's pretty cool'' But I've been watching anime before I knew what the word Anime was But I think whats really downed me in Dragonball is just watching it so much! These are the only Anime's that I watch
Vampire Hunter D 1985-bloodlust
Rurouni Kenshin
Street Fighter ll
Samurai Champloo
Death Note
Black Lagoon
Dragonball(Z)(GT)
The best way I've found to re-live those moments of awesomeness is just don't burn yourself out on them. I'll always watch Animation stuff and I'm 22 I recently just got back into watching all the old universal monster movies and Godzilla stuff because I haven't seen them in forever

[Travis Touchdown]

I outgrew anime years ago. I was a huge anime fan in high school and was willing to give anything a fair shot. I loved pretty much anything.

Now in my adult years, however, I find that I can't stand it anymore. My friends will still have their anime nights where they watch a little bit of anything, but I get so bored and am generally uninterested in whatever they choose.

Pretty much all I can stand is the stuff I grew up on. Dragon Ball, Outlaw Star, Tenchi Muyo, & Trigun. Dragon Ball is the one anime that I haven't gotten bored of & need a break from.

[AgitoZ]

Outgrow? I can see what you're saying, but I don't think "outgrow" is a good description.

You just don't like the TV series due to all the blatant flaws you may have not noticed before. You don't seem to not like it because you see it as immature.

So, do I see the show as immature? Sure, it's a cartoon for kids, but I still enjoy it. Do I see a lot more flaws than I used to and it hinders my enjoyment of the animated adaptation? Yes, certainly.

This topic reminds me of a great quote:

Critics who treat 'adult' as a term of approval, instead of as a merely descriptive term, cannot be adult themselves. To be concerned about being grown up, to admire the grown up because it is grown up, to blush at the suspicion of being childish; these things are the marks of childhood and adolescence. And in childhood and adolescence they are, in moderation, healthy symptoms. Young things ought to want to grow. But to carry on into middle life or even into early manhood this concern about being adult is a mark of really arrested development. When I was ten, I read fairy tales in secret and would have been ashamed if I had been found doing so. Now that I am fifty I read them openly. When I became a man I put away childish things, including the fear of childishness and the desire to be very grown up.

[DarkPrince_92]

Yup. I turned 20 last month and I feel like I need to ....you know.... grow up. I do still read manga, but only a few, like Naruto, Hajime No Ippo, Gantz.... and DB Multiverse. Also I don't have the attention span to start a new series. I just get bored because I feel like I've seen the best ones already. Video Games is probably gonna take much longer to break from.

[FindKenshi]

Absolutely not. The day I "outgrow" Dragon Ball will be the day they put me into the Earth. No fandom of mine has ever endured this long. As a little kid I loved Ninja Turtles and Star Wars. Theses days I don't give a crap about either of those, anymore, but Dragon Ball is so much more meaningful. How do I ever see myself no longer caring about Dragon Ball... either the Anime or the Manga. I absolutly never will. I know this.

[Attitudefan]

Absolutely not. The day I "outgrow" Dragon Ball will be the day they put me into the Earth. No fandom of mine has ever endured this long. As a little kid I loved Ninja Turtles and Star Wars. Theses days I don't give a crap about either of those, anymore, but Dragon Ball is so much more meaningful. How do I ever see myself no longer caring about Dragon Ball... either the Anime or the Manga. I absolutly never will. I know this.

I feel the same way.

[Piccolo Daimao]

I agree with that quote from C.S. Lewis. To be honest, I don't care what people think of me if they know that I like certain children's series. Yeah, I watch Dragon Ball. Yeah, I play Super Mario Bros. Just because of their (subjectively, for the latter) kiddie image doesn't mean that I can't enjoy it. Why should I have to please small-minded people (who are immature themselves) who don't accept me for who I am based on such a petty reason?

Admittedly, I'm 16 and yet I take in pride in "acting like an adult" when people commend my "adult" views and stuff (amidst a world where there are a lot of teenagers and even adults that still have very "childish" views), and I'm occasionally eager for people to see me as such, especially my mother, in certain situations where I'm not allowed to do something or have control of certain parts of life (like a hairstyle that I want to assert some kind of identity for myself, but my mother says that it'll take too much maintenance, etc.). A lot of that stuff is subjective to many people, from something like how long I want to stay out at night to my decisions, whether it be educational, philosophical or something else, for the future.

I don't know whether or not I'm wrong or childish to take pride in "acting like an adult" or thinking that a different hairstyle would lend some support towards making an identity myself. Or perhaps I'm just insecure or having an identity crisis. Maybe that's simply being human, perhaps especially for someone my age, who you could argue is just finding their way in life, in terms of responsibilities and stuff.

Well, at least I can admit my faults, while having at least one or two things I like about myself.

[BlazingFiddlesticks]

I outgrew anime years ago. I was a huge anime fan in high school and was willing to give anything a fair shot. I loved pretty much anything.

Now in my adult years, however, I find that I can't stand it anymore. My friends will still have their anime nights where they watch a little bit of anything, but I get so bored and am generally uninterested in whatever they choose.

Preach. I'm part of a college anime club that I rarely attend because I can't stand most of it (Which makes me sad). Most of the genre, or at least the genre as it stands today, really is either straight garbage, been done before, or doesn't really appeal to folks outside Japan. I don't like blanket statements, but anime fans usually learn this from experience.

And just in case, Gozar will be pleased to know that Lupin III was one of our picks last year. And wow is that dub cast amazing.

Pretty much all I can stand is the stuff I grew up on.

This as well. Heck, tying into Daimao's comments on the original Pokemon, I ripped all my old VHS tapes about a year ago and watched through them; what was good at 12 years old was still good, what was bad at 12 is even worse.

But then Diamond and Pearl has to go and have the first two great movies since the first three and an actual rivalry...

Getting back to Dragon Ball, watching it again, particularly in Japanese (No herp herp), and with a skew towards the series silliness gained from this site, I'm realizing more and more the brilliance of Dragon Ball as one of the series that started the shonen revolution. It's not pretentious, it doesn't pretend to be dark (Even ignoring when it should be), and it doesn't preach the Shonen values through the squabble of heroes and villains but through its actual plot and progression of time. Of course, that's counting the manga and anime together since they tell that same story.

So long story short, I get that Dragon Ball isn't written for me more than ever, but I never really cared.

Now the filler? We all agree most it can go die. Makes me glad Kai exists even if I'm not buying it for the foreseeable future.

I agree with that quote from C.S. Lewis. To be honest, I don't care what people think of me if they know that I like certain children's series. Yeah, I watch Dragon Ball. Yeah, I play Super Mario Bros. Just because of their (subjectively, for the latter) kiddie image doesn't mean that I can't enjoy it. Why should I have to please small-minded people (who are immature themselves) who don't accept me for who I am based on such a petty reason?

Okay, which Daimao is Steve Simmons again? Sorry.

I figured that Lewis quote would come up eventually.

The only advice I could give would be

1) To recognize why and where you get commended for being adult, for fear of applying the moniker to your personal weakness as well as your strengths. But it seems like you're already watching out for that.

2) To understand the boundaries between ignoring other people's opinions to defend your own identity and ignoring them because you do something that generally puts people off, but you refuse to acknowledge it. Got an anime fan roommate recently who I can see grappling with this right now. Be defensive when you actually have to be (Which if you deal with it well won't be often) without victimizing yourself.

[Piccolo Daimao]

I agree with that quote from C.S. Lewis. To be honest, I don't care what people think of me if they know that I like certain children's series. Yeah, I watch Dragon Ball. Yeah, I play Super Mario Bros. Just because of their (subjectively, for the latter) kiddie image doesn't mean that I can't enjoy it. Why should I have to please small-minded people (who are immature themselves) who don't accept me for who I am based on such a petty reason?

Okay, which Daimao is Steve Simmons again? Sorry.

I figured that Lewis quote would come up eventually.

The only advice I could give would be

1) To recognize why and where you get commended for being adult, for fear of applying the moniker to your personal weakness as well as your strengths. But it seems like you're already watching out for that.

2) To understand the boundaries between ignoring other people's opinions to defend your own identity and ignoring them because you do something that generally puts people off, but you refuse to acknowledge it. Got an anime fan roommate recently who I can see grappling with this right now. Be defensive when you actually have to be (Which if you deal with it well won't be often) without victimizing yourself.

I think Steve Simmons is simply Daimao. Not me or Piccolo Daimaoh.

And I'd say I get commended mainly by his family and counsellor for being adult in terms of my English skills and during debates about certain thing, like politics and stuff. And I try to say to myself that I don't care about what other people think of me, but to be honest, I do. Not for superficial reasons or peer pressure (I couldn't care less if I don't end up taking drugs in the future, even if others do), but sometimes it's hard not to feel left-out or jealous when I see people who I see have much better and more well-rounded personalities than me with a good group of friends, in contrast to my two or three real ones.

But then, I think everyone cares about what others think, because many humans feel a need to be accepted, and if no-one accepts you, then you'll feel like an outsider and may not have many friends. Not to mention that I have low self-esteem, berate myself for a lot of things, generally dislike myself and wish I was someone else on numerous occasions. But I'm getting counselling and therapy for that.

Also, in general (not only referring to anime), I and probably others don't have as many hobbies or enjoy stuff as much as they used to anymore. I guess it's part of young children tending to be more easily entertained than teenagers and adults.

Thanks for the advice.

[AgitoZ]

Most of the genre,or at least the genre as it stands today, really is either straight garbage, been done before,

It's a genre now?

or doesn't really appeal to folks outside Japan.

Gee, I wonder why that happens.

Okay, which Daimao is Steve Simmons again? Sorry.

Him.

[BlazingFiddlesticks]

Most of the genre,or at least the genre as it stands today, really is either straight garbage, been done before,

It's a genre now?

Insofar as it has its own specific audiences and sets of (Not necessarily unique) tropes. Unless we're getting technical, in which case I would be interested in a better word.

or doesn't really appeal to folks outside Japan.
Gee, I wonder why that happens.

Topic's asking whether or not we've outgrown a certain Japanese cartoon, and since the discussion was redirected towards anime in general by certain posters, I would think we're beyond pointing this out.

Okay, which Daimao is Steve Simmons again? Sorry.
Him.

Thank you! Wow.

[Krakabeast]

The only thing I have outgrown is the dub. *ba dum tsssss*

No joking though, my son/s(because my manufacturing sticker says I don't produce daughters) will watch me watch Dragon Ball. When they hit public schooling age, they will be forced to read, watch and enjoy Dragon Ball. They'll wish that they were 80's/90's kids by the time I'm done with them.

[Shiyonasan]

Outgrow? I can see what you're saying, but I don't think "outgrow" is a good description.

You just don't like the TV series due to all the blatant flaws you may have not noticed before. You don't seem to not like it because you see it as immature.

So, do I see the show as immature? Sure, it's a cartoon for kids, but I still enjoy it. Do I see a lot more flaws than I used to and it hinders my enjoyment of the animated adaptation? Yes, certainly.

This topic reminds me of a great quote:
*C.S. Lewis quote*

I pretty much agree with this post. Sure, the anime has it's flaws but that doesn't hinder it from still being enjoyable to me. I've yet to read the whole manga (which I'm sure is, for the most part better than the anime), but the anime is something I'm sure I won't "outgrow", at least for a long time.

Also, that C.S. Lewis quote is great. I've seen it before, but it always stuck out to me. Great guy.

[Perfect]

No, I'll never outgrow it. A lot of the reasons you listed for "outgrowing" it are subjective and don't fit what you're talking about. I don't view it as material for children, I view it as family material for all ages. By that standard, at least that I hold, you can't "outgrow" it. I don't really know how you can compare Dragon Ball to Pokemon either in that sense.

Pokemon has more "elementary" themes, or rather kodomo themes as opposed to shonen. I guess even if you classified it as shonen, it'd still appeal to be more kodomo than anything. Just like how the Sailor Moon anime is initially shojo, but it appeals towards shonen audiences (for some reason). I can see the nostalgia factor perfectly fine for Pokemon, but when it comes to Dragon Ball, I feel there's a lot more to love than just nostalgia, which I find hard to think of with Pokemon.

[Chibi Gohan]

This thread reminds me of a set of recent South Park episodes...

"The filler, the cheap art and animation, etc. all stood out to me like they never had before"

I'm not really sure these reasons match someone that has outgrown the series. Then again, I guess it's how you interpret the word outgrown.

[Perfect]

This thread reminds me of a set of recent South Park episodes...

"The filler, the cheap art and animation, etc. all stood out to me like they never had before"

I'm not really sure these reasons match someone that has outgrown the series. Then again, I guess it's how you interpret the word outgrown.

It's also how you interpret the show, because there's some beautiful episodes in there.