Current Events > Why Is Dragon Ball Z so popular?

(+) Yeah! (+)

Everything is so slow, the writing is pretty bad, most of the characters aren't very interesting.

The fight scenes are decent, but nothing special.

Is it just popular because it was easily accessible to Americans before anime was popular here (and before internet made it easier to get)

Im guessing you're 23yo or younger
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I think it was the first time a lot of Americans had seen a cartoon like that. Compared to most of what was available on Nickelodeon or Cartoon Network, it was quite a difference.

Nostalgia. It was most millenials exposure to anime on toonami.
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It helped that they would show 4 'new' episodes in a Block. ALso helped when they would have it on all the time. The Internet wasn't as big back then, so we had less thing to entertain ourselves
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It's a very sexual experience
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inloveanddeath0 posted...

Im guessing you're 23yo or younger

Incorrect.

Dragonblade01 posted...

I think it was the first time a lot of Americans had seen a cartoon like that. Compared to most of what was available on Nickelodeon or Cartoon Network, it was quite a difference.

That was my only thought, I can't really think of anything even close to DBZ in the 90s. Still though I feel like DBZ is still popular when kids who weren't around for the original run that love it even though there are lots of choices out there.

First off make sure you watch Kai. The original show was pretty badly padded and poorly translated.

Second, it isn't a show you are supposed to take seriously. It's an action/adventure series generally targeting a younger demographic. Turn your brain off and it's a pretty fun ride.

Third, watch dragon ball first. All the good character development is there.

I'm a huge fan but I wouldn't call it one of the best anime ever. Generally I find most anime to come off a bit pretentious, they often try to comment on deeper themes but come off missing the point and trying to hard to be artistic. Dragon Ball is pure fun and flashy fights through and through. The vegetables are at war with the fruit and the freezer is the boss. No Balls! No Balls!
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CrocodileCannon posted...

That was my only thought, I can't really think of anything even close to DBZ in the 90s. Still though I feel like DBZ is still popular when kids who weren't around for the original run that love it even though there are lots of choices out there.

There were similar shows that also saw success (like Yuyu Hakusho and Rurouni Kenshin), but DBZ had the biggest following. Probably due to things like timeslot, how powerful the characters are, friends introducing it to each other, etc. For the new generation, they like it because parents and older siblings introduced their kids and younger siblings to it.

Anna's Food food mart Mart Food Mart.
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Name one cartoon that had fight scenes, transformation, flash and destruction all in the cartoon? Also very visceral scenes.
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donkeyjack posted...

Name one cartoon that had fight scenes, transformation, flash and destruction all in the cartoon? Also very visceral scenes.

Nothing in dbz was visceral.

The_Freecs posted...

donkeyjack posted...

Name one cartoon that had fight scenes, transformation, flash and destruction all in the cartoon? Also very visceral scenes.

Nothing in dbz was visceral.

Admittedly not much but...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5YgHX3s_ss" data-time="

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocnkCwUuS5I" data-time="

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfS-t31X9bA" data-time="
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The_Freecs posted...

donkeyjack posted...

Name one cartoon that had fight scenes, transformation, flash and destruction all in the cartoon? Also very visceral scenes.

Nothing in dbz was visceral.

I think a lot of scenes that we don't think visceral today would have been pretty surprising to kids of the time. Like when Piccolo fires his special beam cannon through Raditz and Goku.

Cuz it was cool when we were kids but in retrospect YYH is the only shonen from that time period that I'd be able to stomach an arc of non-abridged now.
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Because as a kid i didnt care about writing i just wanted to see super saiyans beat ass.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lh0CJ8YohOA" data-time="
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I4NRulez posted...

Because as a kid i didnt care about writing i just wanted to see super saiyans beat ass.

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it can't be that popular! the newly released manga sets just had a price drop after a week of release.
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Herugrim posted...

The_Freecs posted...

donkeyjack posted...

Name one cartoon that had fight scenes, transformation, flash and destruction all in the cartoon? Also very visceral scenes.

Nothing in dbz was visceral.

Admittedly not much but...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5YgHX3s_ss" data-time="

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocnkCwUuS5I" data-time="

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfS-t31X9bA" data-time="

Not only that, but the timing of when most (American) millennials first saw these scenes is important.

When Toonami first showed DBZ, the most popular cartoons running at the same time never showed up anything like that. Imagine watching Rugrats on Nickelodeon in 1998 or 99 and just randomly switching the channel to Cartoon Network and stumbling upon DBZ, especially for those of us born in the late 80s this was when we were all going through puberty so this kinda stuff was like a shot of adrenaline.
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It's hard to overstate the relative exposure it got through airtime. Right after school got out, no less.

That said, I hated DBZ until I watched DragonBall. I found it way too over-the-top and tacky as a little kid, but then I identified with the characters and humor.
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