Appropriate Age For Uncut Version?

[TheBlackPaladin]

I was having a look again recently at some of the edits done to Kai (which is what inspired this, but this topic can be applied to any of the anime series). Sure, you have some ridiculously unnecessary edits like Blue Popo and Genderless Freeza, but there are also edits that enter more of a "grey area" like the mention of death. Sure, the animes were meant for kids in Japan, but even Toei seems to regret some of the content as shown by their censoring of Raditz's death in episode 3 of Kai.

It doesn't matter to me--or most of us here--that much because we have an uncut version readily available, in both dubbed and subbed format for that matter. It's easy for us to roll our eyes or laugh at the edits because most of us are thinking about the edits from the perspective of fans rather than parents. So let me ask this...how old would a kid have to be for you to feel completely comfortable letting them watch the uncut version from start to finish?

For me, that would be about 6 years old. I can't remember feeling that uncomfortable about anything, really, other than perhaps Freeza impaling Krillin.

[Haji]

I think back around the 70's-90's Japan was more open to what kids could watch. But i think it was done like that for morning time, but later around evening time stuff like Queen's Blade can air.

[samuraix123]

Eh if I ever have any kids of my own then I'll probably let them watch it when they're around 6 or 7? something like that but whenever master roshi might wanna grab 18's tit's or bulma's ass I might be like come here for a second haha

[Hellspawn28]

I say over 10 is good. If they can sit through most PG-13 movies just fine then they won't have a issue with uncut DBZ. DBZ is not as violent uncut as most people make it out to be since you have movies in theaters can be just a violent.

[AgitoZ]

I believe 6 is good age too. I would also suggest not showing episodes so often, that way they don't hit stuff like Krillin's death so early...

[Hellspawn28]

I remember 10+ years ago that they will sell cut and uncut VHS tapes of DBZ at my local video store and they will have 13+ on the front for the uncut VHS copies. I also think it depends on the kid since he can watch just fine if he is six years old and used to seeing PG-13 level of violence.

[goku the krump dancer]

Well yeah between 5 and 7 is just fine for me I mean its DBZ not Family Guy. My mom wasn't really the type to guard me from watching or playing anything. I was in Kindergarden playing freaking Mortal Kombat and by the time I was 10 or 11 I was well aware of "where babies came from". and I turned out just fine..... I think

The only scenes in DB that made me cringe some what was when Cell absorbed the rich guy, when Super Boo plunged inside the guys mouth and oddly when Fat Boo ate Dabra.

[Hellspawn28]

Yeah I watched Carnosaur when I was four years old and I remember that movie had a Raptor crewing off some guy's dick off . It's not like you are showing the kid something like Cannibal Holocaust. If the kid does something stupid from watching the show then that's his fault.

[mysticboy]

At least 7 for edited.
At least 10 for uncut.

[Corpsecreate]

I'd say 10-12 is a good age. 6 is way too early imo not only because of violence but because they wouldn't be old enough to understand everything. How would a six year old understand all the time traveling cell arc stuff?

One scene everyone seems to have forgotten is when two guys with guns murder those two old people in the buu arc. Thats downright evil!

[Attitudefan]

I was 4 years old when I watched WWF. Some raunchy stuff came from there. I wasn't bothered by the sex but gore and killings frightened me as a child. DBZ never scared me or never would. It would get me antsy and pumped up. Maybe some scenes bothered me like when Nappa slaughtered everybody so quickly and violently. But I wanted to watch it nonetheless.

So, I wouldn't mind my child to watch something around 5 years old. Trust me, kids understand death by then. At school we played guns n' robbers and games like that. I hate when adults think kids are dumb and oblivious because they're not. (I even tried quake and Diablo when they first came out, and I was a youngin'. I blame my older sister for all of that haha)

[Hellspawn28]

I read Spawn and played Mortal Kombat growing up in the 90's, I never did anything wrong. I think a 7 year old would know that DBZ is a cartoon and it's not real.

[Attitudefan]

I read Spawn and played Mortal Kombat growing up in the 90's, I never did anything wrong. I think a 7 year old would know that DBZ is a cartoon and it's not real.

Exactly my point. Even younger children understands what is going on.

[orangebrick94]

I would say 7.That was the age I started buying the uncut DBZ Vhs tapes at.

[TheBlackPaladin]

I'd say 10-12 is a good age. 6 is way too early imo not only because of violence but because they wouldn't be old enough to understand everything. How would a six year old understand all the time traveling cell arc stuff?

I think you raise a good point that there's a difference between being "old enough to handle" and "old enough to understand." I was thinking more along the lines of handling than understanding. I would probably watch the episodes with my kids and answer any questions that came up along the way. I wouldn't mind...I first watched "Star Wars" when I was 6, and was asking my dad a ton of questions while it was happening, and he was happy to explain.

So...as far as being "old enough to handle," I would say 6. "Old enough to understand"...I'd say 9.

[Corpsecreate]

Its not just a matter of understanding storyline points/elements, its also understanding character development. I dont think a 6 year old would be able to properly appreciate the rivalry between Goku and Vegeta, the turn in Freeza's personality as he is ironically defeated by a saiyan. Theres other things like how particular camera angles are used and some of the messages sent through body language (like when Yamcha says that android 16 will definitely beat cell and a few seconds later, piccolo kind of moves his head as if to say "I'm not sure about that..."). It's things like this that would likely be missed and it would dampen the initial experience in my opinion.

Oh and would you give them the DUB to watch?

[DBZAOTA482]

9+ or 10+

[Piccolo Daimao]

About 7, I guess. I’m drawing more from my own personal experiences, including my friends (on a slightly unrelated note, I remember one time when I was 9 or something with my friend at his house, watching these porn videos that I still don't know to this day whether or not it was actual rape or just staged. And another time, when we were playing Super Smash Bros. Melee, trying to pause the camera just right so we'd get a upskirt shot of Princess Peach, and feeling so happy when we finally did it). The only time I was ever really shocked at anything in Dragon Ball was, as you said, the scene where Freeza impales Kuririn, but even then, I was just more like, “Woah, I didn’t know this happened!” and moved on.

[BlazingFiddlesticks]

I'd honestly go closer to 10; for the most part I'd have no issue going lower, but you have Radditz's death, Krillin's impalement, Cell's intro, Piccolo's you-missed-my-vital organs-all-of-them shot, etc. that make it harder to place. Ignoring legitimate personal details about the people in question since it's hypothetical, I find it a bit irresponsible to use an imaginary gauge of violence I presume the kid's seen.

[theoriginalbilis]

10-ish is about right for watching the uncut stuff... Heck, I watched stuff like The Simpsons and The Guyver OVAs at that age and turned out OK. There's plenty of material on the evening news that's more explicit than DB/DBZ.