What if Dragon Ball was made in today's society?

[Fizzer]

We all know that a lot has changed since 1984, and some things in Dragon Ball (and a hell of a lot of things in other works of their time) would now be considered politically incorrect or unsuitable for the target demographic, but were completely acceptable back then.

If Dragon Ball were a modern series would the "Master Roshi perv moments" be more timid? Would there be black Saiyans? Prominent female Z-fighters who never get married or have kids?

Even further, what if it were subject to current American standards rather than Japanese ones? Would there be a single case of Master Roshi doing something pervy before he spent the rest of the series in prison, and all the other characters commented on how much of a horrible person he is? Okay, that isn't actually a serious suggestion, but you get the idea

Edit: Oh, I also forgot to mention, how do you think certain character designs might have changed? Perhaps Popo would have had the lizard-like appearance from his earlier design stages, or something like that

[Vijay]

You see, creativity has no boundaries. I'm not sure about the American standard & Japanese standard thing.

Dragonball has unique mix of fantasy & sci-fic. Added with action, laced with humor. It's a HIT material regardless of any era.

I'd also add Dragonball or Toriyama for the most part (at least for me) indulges in free-wheeling spirit of some great cast of characters.

I understand ur point, but I've also stated mine.

[Storm]

I don't really see a whole lot changing, to be honest. Dragon Ball has a pretty timeless appeal. It'd probably be more similar in storytelling to One Piece, but that's about it.

Subject to American standards, though? Well... it'd probably be so different it might as well not be Dragon Ball.

[Fizzer]

You see, creativity has no boundaries. I'm not sure about the American standard & Japanese standard thing.

Dragonball has unique mix of fantasy & sci-fic. Added with action, laced with humor. It's a HIT material regardless of any era.

I'd also add Dragonball or Toriyama for the most part (at least for me) indulges in free-wheeling spirit of some great cast of characters.

I understand ur point, but I've also stated mine.

Oh yeah, I'm sure it would still be a hit exactly as it was, but it might come under a lot more criticism.

To be honest, I hadn't even considered that things might be changed to make the story more appealing to the modern audience and better go up against modern competition. That's also something that's interesting to think about.

[Hellspawn28]

I rarely see Japanese Africans in TV shows and movies in Japan. We already have a few in the series and I don't think much would change. It's hard to tell what DB would be like if it was made today since the series did made a impact on future Shonen series like One Piece. If DB came out in 2014 instead of 1984, we won't have One Piece or Naruto and the market for anime in the US would be different too. I do believe DBZ, Sailor Moon, Pokemon and Gundam Wing help the market for anime to grow in the US during the late 90's.

[Gokuden]

I'm pretty sure it would be steampunk, because that's the trend right? Steampunk? One thing is for sure, it would be censored as broadcasting standards in Japan have changed as of late.

[dbboxkaifan]

Japan's culture is different from the western and if you want to see what Dragon Ball would be like with the modern western mentality then watch the uncut Dragon Ball Kai. Even uncut Kai is censored.

Dragon Ball is about aliens, super powers and adventure having "black Namekians" wouldn't be any different from humans.

[Rocketman]

Without a Dragonball in the 1980s to stand as a shining example of muscly mens punching each other, a modern Dragonball would follow the other major animation trend of Japan - moe.

[Chuquita]

If it were moé in art-style, like this, I could deal with that: http://www.pixiv.net/member_illust.php? ... d=34861650 but not in writing style. I like cute art-styles, but I want battles in my battle-manga at the end of the day.


OP: If it were made today, I'm not even 100% sure Toei would've been the one to get the rights to make the anime; could've gone somewhere else.
There'd probably be drama cd's/more character songs/more tie-in merch in general.
The series would be about the same length, but not last as many years due to the number of pages in jump per chapter having increased since DB's era.
The tech would be slightly different (Hi Bulma faxing a photo of the other time machine) the scouters might've looked more streamlined.

[Akumaito Beam]

http://www.pixiv.net/member_illust.php? ... d=34861650

Yup it would be that. Little uguu~~ gross gooey nonsense

[doomydoomydoom]

Welp, considering the stuff To-Love-Ru apparently got away with (to the point that, even though it would surely be a big hit as a high profile current-ish Jump title, hasn't been licensed and probably never will be), I'm not sure how much would change concerning the sex jokes. *Maybe* the jokes concerning gays, specifically General Blue, would be softened a bit.

But yeah, it's a given that a Dragon Ball anime produced today would contain not as much bloodletting as there actually was in DBZ (still, anybody who exaggerates how much blood was in DBZ hasn't seen Fist of the North Star, which I heard had trouble getting episodes to air because of the intense bloody fights).

Yeah, I wonder what a DBZ anime produced today would be like, maybe if they remade it---oh.

:P

Now if you want to talk about a manga that would NOT be drawn today under any circumstances, feel free to consider Devilman...which ran in a shonen magazine even though it had scenes with kids getting decapitated and eviscerated by demons, rampant nudity, oceans of blood, etc.

At least I THINK it would never get drawn today...not in a mainstream mag.

[sintzu]

The manga would be the same

The anime however would be very diffrent in both quality and censorship

[Storm]

Now if you want to talk about a manga that would NOT be drawn today under any circumstances, feel free to consider Devilman...which ran in a shonen magazine even though it had scenes with kids getting decapitated and eviscerated by demons, rampant nudity, oceans of blood, etc.

At least I THINK it would never get drawn today...not in a mainstream mag.

Well, yeah, but Devilman WAS hugely controversial and shocking when it came out. It wasn't like readers just shrugged and went "hohum" at it.

Still, it'd definitely be in a seinen magazine if it came out today.

[doomydoomydoom]

Well, I never said Devilman (that was actually an extreme example I guess...) wasn't controversial, parents and PTA groups everywhere wanted Go Nagai executed right out of the gate with Harenchi Gakuen. However, the fact that it got published in the first place, in a shonen magazine (with a high adult readership, I'm aware), and that he continued this practice with Cutie Honey, Kekko Kamen, Violence Jack, etc. and set the stage for artists to create similar (though NOT going to that many extremes usually) work geared towards children (look at any popular Jump manga) afterwards speaks volumes about how it was back then. Doesn't matter who was shocked or how many people complained, Go Nagai kept doing what he was doing. Thank the Lord. People still complain about different violent manga and anime geared towards kids today (Detective Conan, I heard), but they're not going anywhere. The most that's happened is the 2010 Tokyo "Anti-Manga\Anime" Bill that I'll let those reading do the research on. But it doesn't seem to have affected a whole lot.

But because of this tightening (usually goes the other way around in most countries eh?) of standards, it's harder to get transgressive stuff published period, or at least it goes where it belongs, in a seinen magazine. (For the record, I have no objections to older-ish kids reading somewhat violent\sexual manga. I'd foist Hokuto no Ken and Dragon Ball and Jojo upon my 8 or 10 year old son in a New York minute.)

How something quite like this unfolded in America is another interesting yet totally different story involving Tales from the Crypt and the Senate.

Anyhow, not looking to get into a long, off-topic debate, so yeah, wrapping it up now. <_<

[Ringworm128]

This thread should be "what if DB was a western cartoon made in this decade?" Japan isn't going to throw a token tough chick or black guy into every single anime, It's really only the U.S that's over sensitive to the point of being ridiculous about that stuff. Anyway, there would be no Makafushigi Adventure, Cha La or even WGP. The openings would be licensed J-Rock songs that change every ten episodes. The show would either be a shonen like usual or "Dragonball Love M". The story of Goku, an ordinary Japanese high school girl who loves to hang out with her friends, it will contain episodes like Vegeta a member of the Saiyan high school trying to beat Goku in a school contest or Dr Gero having a daughter named Cell who copies all the other girls.

[thatdbzguy]

People wouldn't be as accepting of its many issues as some are today.

[Kid Buu]

"new DBZ chapter is out"

"Man this Freeza battle is dragging"

"Yo remember when Tenshinhan and Yamcha used to fight?"

"Skip the anime too much filler"

"Dragon Ball been going downhill since ____"

[Gokuden]

It's okay they'll just use the Balls... Goku?! Goku?! Final Farewell!! :'(

Then I got DBGT: Final Bout and thought that Buu was part of the new series.

[Super Sonic]

This thread should be "what if DB was a western cartoon made in this decade?" Japan isn't going to throw a token tough chick or black guy into every single anime, It's really only the U.S that's over sensitive to the point of being ridiculous about that stuff. Anyway, there would be no Makafushigi Adventure, Cha La or even WGP. The openings would be licensed J-Rock songs that change every ten episodes. The show would either be a shonen like usual or "Dragonball Love M". The story of Goku, an ordinary Japanese high school girl who loves to hang out with her friends, it will contain episodes like Vegeta a member of the Saiyan high school trying to beat Goku in a school contest or Dr Gero having a daughter named Cell who copies all the other girls.

If it were made a Western cartoon back then, Staff Officer Black's ethnicity would've been changed.

[Blade]

I find it so difficult to imagine what Dragonball would be like if it was made today, as the landscape for Anime and Manga only is what it is because of Dragonball. I can't imagine how 20th Century Shonen would have turned out if not for the highly influential combination of Dragonball and Yu Yu Hakusho.