Some call it multiple personality disorder, but I just think it means I'm "special." Anyhow, here are the ways the various side of me feel about DBZ in the USA.

The Optimist's Outlook:
As hated as American DBZ is, I believe that it ultimately accomplishes its goal. Simply put, it brings DBZ to more people much more easily than fansubs and the International Channel ever will. I know I would have never heard of Dragon Ball Z unless it had come on Cartoon Network one day after school, and I'm sure the story is the same for many others out there. I'm sure the blood and music are nice in the original, and sure, I understand the aesthetic reasoning behind the "voices controversy," but really, I believe that the most important part of DBZ, the story, has remained largely intact. As for the re-runs, they're tolerable; after all, I don't think I'll ever get bored of this show, plain and simple.

The Pessimist's Outlook:
American DBZ is kiddie trash. I cannot describe it with any other word than "crap." Well, that's not entirely true; "travesty" also comes to mind. FUNimation has taken a true pop-culture masterpeice and mutilated it into little more than a shiny new vehicle for cereal commercials. DBZ has been raped and gutted to absurd levels, and for what? So Saban won't get sued by the "Fanatic Irresponsible Christian Soccer-Moms of Oceania Parental Action Group?" So FUNimation can showcase it's awful digital painting techniques? So some two-bit Canadian voice actors who should be homeless winos right now can be allowed to screw up what the characters are really saying? Or is it just because a good dub of American DBZ could be too successful? I think all of these are true. When FUNimation bastardized our beloved DBZ into it's current form (I like to call it "Dragon Ball on Xanex,") they doomed it to being dismeissed as a goofy kid's show where all the characters have big eyes. It will NEVER be taken seriously in the American public, never. The point of all this is that the censors, whether they be from FUNimation or Saban or whatever, stepped WAY over the line. I suppose they had to cut out some langauge and violence; but what about the other edits, like the music and "the next dimension?" They wanted a succesful and popular cartoon, and to get it they turned a really good anime into another peice of American tripe with crappy dialogue. That is bullshit, my friends. Pure commie bullshit.

The Realist's Outlook:
Okay, so American DBZ is subdued and the music sucks. We're still seeing it and, that's better than nothing. But not by much. The truly sad thing is that American DBZ could have been so much better than it is, but it's just not. For a cartoon like DBZ, even if it was totally undedited, to be widely popular among audiences over twelve in America would be setting a precedent which I doubt we are ready for. It would take a whole hell of a lot more muscle than FUNimation has to propel DBZ to prime time, which is the only place where a near-uncut DBZ could be aired. It's not going to happen, plain and simple. But so what? Cartoon Network is now very commited to DBZ, and Cartoon Network is also fairly liberal. What does that mean? It means that Season Three will be better, if not because of Cartoon Network's girth, then because of FUNimation's opportunity to learn from it's mistakes on Seasons One and Two. Hey, we might even get lucky with Freeza's new voice. Anything can happen. Anything.

- Davis Scott
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