DBZ, Most Popular Anime in the US?

[Nikkolas]

I always wondered how Dragonball Z stacked up in fame here in the US compared to other big series like Pokemon or the current juggernaut, Naruto.
Is it/was it bigger than them?

[SSJ2bardock]

I'd like to say that it was as big in it's hay day as Naruto is now, but in comparison to pokemon it doesn't stand a chance.


Nothing will ever be as big as pokemon was when it hit the US and the rest of the world and that's the truth.

[disturbed001]

Which actually really sucks becayse the Pokemon TV series really sucks. I love love love the games, but I just could never stomach the series.

[Taku128]

What about Speed Racer, Thunder Cats, Voltron, ect?

[Raki]

When you ask the average joe on the street they think most anime is Dragonball Z,Sailor Moon, or Pokemon. I will say it's way more known than Naruto is now.

[SSJ2bardock]

I see what your all saying, but I just don't think it's the most recognizable.

If you had a picture of Goku and a picture of Pikachu and asked random people on the street who each character was odds are that more people would know Pikachu.

[Rocketman]

I see what your all saying, but I just don't think it's the most recognizable.

If you had a picture of Goku and a picture of Pikachu and asked random people on the street who each character was odds are that more people would know Pikachu.

Do answers like "That guy from Dragonball Z" count?

[SSJ2bardock]

I see what your all saying, but I just don't think it's the most recognizable.

If you had a picture of Goku and a picture of Pikachu and asked random people on the street who each character was odds are that more people would know Pikachu.

Do answers like "That guy from Dragonball Z" count?

I don't think so, because although you do have a point I still think that people would actually know who Pikachu is.

DBZ - huge in the US in the late 90's and early 00's

Pokemon - Epically huge across the world in the late 90's and early 00's

[Dayspring]

I'd like to say that it was as big in it's hay day as Naruto is now, but in comparison to pokemon it doesn't stand a chance.


Nothing will ever be as big as pokemon was when it hit the US and the rest of the world and that's the truth.

Spongebob Squarepants.

[Chuquita]

I wanna say...it was definitely way more popular than Naruto is, but not nearly as popular as Pokemon.

I mean, did we ever get a Shenlong balloon in the Macy's Day Thanksgiving Parade? *Points to the Pikachu parade balloon*.

You need to be HUGELY popular to get your own parade balloon.

[Yamcha_krillin]

Pokemon was and is the most popular anime in the whole world.

DBZ was probably the most popular anime in the 90's with Sailor Moon and Yu Yu Hakusho in the world.

[Kendamu]

What about Speed Racer, Thunder Cats, Voltron, ect?

Thundercats isn't even really anime, despite the intro. That's like calling X-Men anime because of the outro in the later part of the series.

[disturbed001]

Here we go

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/survey/153/result

[bkev]

Yay, Tenchi's high up there! I'd say that's the thing that brought me truly into the depths of more obscure anime.

[Nikkolas]

Cowboy Bebop? Higher than Pokemon?
I fail this list.

[SSJ2bardock]

Ya know now that I think of it I don't even really know why pokemon was so popular.

I didn't play many handheld games as a kid so can someone answer this for me. Were the pokemon games something really revolutionary with the leveling system and what not or was it just because all the pretty monsters were appealing to kids?

[Taku128]

What about Speed Racer, Thunder Cats, Voltron, ect?

Thundercats isn't even really anime, despite the intro. That's like calling X-Men anime because of the outro in the later part of the series.

Sorry, don't actually have any familiarity with the series. I was just naming popular shows that were animated in Japan, didn't know it was animated for the US though.

[Super Ghost Kamikaze]

Ya know now that I think of it I don't even really know why pokemon was so popular.

I didn't play many handheld games as a kid so can someone answer this for me. Were the pokemon games something really revolutionary with the leveling system and what not or was it just because all the pretty monsters were appealing to kids?

I hate Japanese RPGs, as a whole.

I hate turn-based combat, the way the Japanese do it.

And yet.

I loved the Pokemon games. I *still* love the Pokemon games.

There is something indescribably endearing about the series. The combat is easy to pick up and rather simple, but it actually has a lot of depth to it too.

It's really, I suppose, hard to explain why the series is so damn infectious. It's just a really solid, great series of games. I'm an adult that, just a year ago, was playing the newest Pokemon game. I was totally enthralled. It's crazy.

[Super Sonic]

There are also a lot of guys in their 20s who still love and can sing to this day.this song to this day.

[Freeza Heika]

There are also a lot of guys in their 20s who still love and can sing to this day.this song to this day.

Like this? I think that is originally form the most subscribed poster on Youtube. Goes to show its popularity.

I remember in like 95 or 96 when they sent out a promo VHS for the show before it aired. I think I still have it; that was pretty badass at the time since I was only 5 or 6. The show was very popular for the first few years, then quality went down hill.

Is it really that popular in U.S. anymore? I haven't heard anything about it in years. I'm in high school and I look around I still see some people still wearing Dragonabll merchandise, but never any Pokemon stuff. (Wow, even the spell check on the forum is against Dragonball. It says that Pokemon is a word and Dragonball isn't)