Why exactly was the anime named DBZ and not DB too?

dbboxkaifan · Post by **dbboxkaifan** » Mon Apr 16, 2012 11:13 pm

In Japan the manga Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z have the same name, "Dragon Ball" so why was in anime terms added the Z to it?

Heh, if it went this way FUNimation would've released the Dragon Box Dragon Ball (inc. Z series) than just the Dragon Box Z only.

Fox666 · Post by **Fox666** » Mon Apr 16, 2012 11:20 pm

I am not quite sure if was really necessary to separate it in two series. But a similar example is Naruto and Naruto Shippuden.

JulieYBM · Post by **JulieYBM** » Mon Apr 16, 2012 11:23 pm

dbboxkaifan wrote:In Japan the manga Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z have the same name, "Dragon Ball" so why was in anime terms added the Z to it?

Heh, if it went this way FUNimation would've released the Dragon Box Dragon Ball (inc. Z series) than just the Dragon Box Z only.

Toei Animation wanted to re-brand for the new arc.

GotenDaisuki · Post by **GotenDaisuki** » Mon Apr 16, 2012 11:52 pm

And I think it also had to do with Toriyama wanting to end the series and so he made Toei change the title to "Z", the last letter of the alphabet, to signify that the series was nearing its end. Boy, was he wrong. Though I'm not sure if this is true or not.

Zestanor · Post by **Zestanor** » Mon Apr 16, 2012 11:56 pm

Fate could not allow Dragon Ball to have 444 episodes. That is the only answer.

In all seriousness, Toei probably figured Dragon Ball was getting long, so they split it. Of course, DBZ would go almost twice as long...

Chuquita · Post by **Chuquita** » Mon Apr 16, 2012 11:58 pm

I don't know where it would be on Kanzenshuu, but I think Kanzentai had a page that mentioned alternative proposed names for Z, and one of them was DB2.

EDIT: It was in the Production Guide.

It's interesting to note that Daizenshuu 10 mentions that, prior to Toriyama coming up with the title "DBZ", the anime staff had been considering such names as "New DragonBall", "DragonBall 2", "DragonBall 90", "DragonBall: Wonder Boy", and "DragonBall: Gohan's Big Adventure".

Saiga · Post by **Saiga** » Tue Apr 17, 2012 12:15 am

Chuquita wrote:I don't know where it would be on Kanzenshuu, but I think Kanzentai had a page that mentioned alternative proposed names for Z, and one of them was DB2.

EDIT: It was in the Production Guide.

It's interesting to note that Daizenshuu 10 mentions that, prior to Toriyama coming up with the title "DBZ", the anime staff had been considering such names as "New DragonBall", "DragonBall 2", "DragonBall 90", "DragonBall: Wonder Boy", and "DragonBall: Gohan's Big Adventure".

...and people complain about the Z.

Gaffer Tape · Post by **Gaffer Tape** » Tue Apr 17, 2012 1:21 am

I know. I mean, you can't get a more timeless title than Dragon Ball 90!

Hellspawn28 · Post by **Hellspawn28** » Tue Apr 17, 2012 3:01 am

I'm happy that they just called it Dragon Ball Z. The Z in the title did help the series became popular both in the US and other parts of the world.

Michsi · Post by **Michsi** » Tue Apr 17, 2012 3:32 am

"DragonBall: Gohan's Big Adventure

Boy, wouldn't that have been awkward in the Buu Saga.

NzK · Post by **NzK** » Tue Apr 17, 2012 3:43 am

Hellspawn28 wrote:I'm happy that they just called it Dragon Ball Z. The Z in the title did help the series became popular both in the US and other parts of the world.

Yeah, when I think back to the early Ocean dub, the way the show was announced was classic. "Stand by for DRAGON BALL ZEEEEE ... coming NEXT" I can't really picture 'Gohan's Big Adventure' slotting in quite so well there, somehow.

It's strange though, because the 'Z' has little relevance to the series at all, and yet when I saw the original US broadcast I never really questioned its place in the title, nor was it explained. All I knew was that the protagonists were sometimes called the Z Senshi, and that was about it. Even so, it looked great in the show's logo and opening animations.

dbboxkaifan wrote:Heh, if it went this way FUNimation would've released the Dragon Box Dragon Ball (inc. Z series) than just the Dragon Box Z only.

Sigh...if only.

dprez · Post by **dprez** » Tue Apr 17, 2012 12:32 pm

The "Z" in Dragon Ball Z gave it that "bad ass" and "hardcore" appeal to us americans. That one letter surely helped Dragon Ball's popularity out of Japan, and especially here in the states.

Son Satan · Post by **Son Satan** » Tue Apr 17, 2012 4:16 pm

dprez wrote:The "Z" in Dragon Ball Z gave it that "bad ass" and "hardcore" appeal to us americans. That one letter surely helped Dragon Ball's popularity out of Japan, and especially here in the states.

Not to me, though it sure helped with the WWF-voice narrator Kyle Hebert did. As much as I wondered why it was there later on, I never paid it too much mind.
I remember seeing the logo on some action figures before I saw the show, and this being the 90's I assumed it was pronounced "Dragonballz", like a plural name spelled cooler.

funrush · Post by **funrush** » Tue Apr 17, 2012 4:46 pm

Saiga wrote:
Chuquita wrote:I don't know where it would be on Kanzenshuu, but I think Kanzentai had a page that mentioned alternative proposed names for Z, and one of them was DB2.

EDIT: It was in the Production Guide.

It's interesting to note that Daizenshuu 10 mentions that, prior to Toriyama coming up with the title "DBZ", the anime staff had been considering such names as "New DragonBall", "DragonBall 2", "DragonBall 90", "DragonBall: Wonder Boy", and "DragonBall: Gohan's Big Adventure".
...and people complain about the Z.

The only ones I like out of that list are Dragon Ball 2, and then I kind of like New Dragon Ball.

Castor Troy · Post by **Castor Troy** » Tue Apr 17, 2012 5:40 pm

If they went with Dragon Ball 2, would GT be DB3?

Gaffer Tape · Post by **Gaffer Tape** » Tue Apr 17, 2012 5:48 pm

I guess that would make Kai Dragon Ball 2 2?

Saiga · Post by **Saiga** » Tue Apr 17, 2012 9:52 pm

Gaffer Tape wrote:I guess that would make Kai Dragon Ball 2 2?

Or maybe they'd get clever and have Dragon Ball 2 II?

JulieYBM · Post by **JulieYBM** » Tue Apr 17, 2012 10:39 pm

Gaffer Tape wrote:I guess that would make Kai Dragon Ball 2 2?

Or Dragon Ball 2K?

MCDaveG · Post by **MCDaveG** » Wed Apr 18, 2012 4:23 am

I dunno about popularity in states, but here in Europe (Germany, France, Poland, Spain) the series started with the Dragon Ball, so the Z series was addition to total awesomeness as Dragon Ball was already quite popular even without the Z.

funrush · Post by **funrush** » Wed Apr 18, 2012 6:37 am

JulieYBM wrote:
Gaffer Tape wrote:I guess that would make Kai Dragon Ball 2 2?
Or Dragon Ball 2K?

That actually sounds cool.

Kanzenshuu

Why exactly was the anime named DBZ and not DB too?

Why exactly was the anime named DBZ and not DB too?

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