Anime. That word you've probably heard of, but have no clue what it means. Cartoons? Animations? Anime is a style of Japanese cartoons that is very very popular all around the world. There are so many different types and genres that can appeal to such a large audience of many ages. Anime Conventions are held where life long fans 'cosplay' (fancy word for dress up) as their favourite characters. After months of badgering and nagging from my friends to watch an anime, I started 'Dragon Ball'. Set in a fantasy land, (as most animes are!) our main protagonist and hero, Goku, sets out on an adventure with teenager girl and explorer, Bulma, to find 7 Dragon Balls. Once combined, a dragon is summoned that grants any wish you want. Simple and boring? Not at all. From watching 8 episodes, I've already quite a lot to say about DB; (will abbreviate anime name from here on!) good and bad. DB, if nothing else, is very entertaining. The somewhat awkward and conflicting interactions between characters provide lots of amusement and keep viewers satisfied. Each character has a unique personality, setting them apart from standard, lame characters which really helps the audience to enjoy the drama. Every episode, something different happens, always ending in chaos and some sort of progress to finding the Dragon Balls. The classic comic strip style of characters getting hurt feature a lot, which makes me laugh so much. (Sidenote: If you haven't seen 'You've Been Framed', you haven't lived!) DB manages to appeal to lots due to its humor, characterization and interactions. On the other hand, DB does appear to be a tad hentai. These scenes are rather unnecessary, and, in my opinion, don't add anything to the story. There are many other forms of humor that would be far more enjoyable for all. Goku is unable to tell whether someone is a male or female, and therefore has to resort to other means. Hmmmm.... DB appears limited with ideas, as if the only thing that will happen is collecting the Dragon Balls with silly adventures along the way. I struggle to see where the story can go from there, even though there are 150+ episodes of the show. The writers have, in the first 8 episodes, have not really focused on anything else but the quest for the Dragon Balls. It would be interesting to learn more about Goku's background, Bulma's background, and them both growing up. Who knows, this may still be to come, but so far seems unlikely. At the end of every DB episode, there always seems to be an air of suspense. As if something exciting will happen in the next episode. As if our heroes will find the dragon balls, but not easily. As if something will happen that may have been hinted, but very implicitly, and so isn't obvious. For a series of any kind to be successful, there needs to be that air of suspense. This is certainly apparent. Whether the episode has been interesting or not, the writers always make me want to return, to see what could happen. That, in itself, must mean DB has something to play for. Whatever my praises or criticisms, remember: I'm only 8 episodes in. This is simply a first impression, the opening remarks of my views. Don't let that put you off watching anime - as I previously said, there are so many genres that all appeal to different people. Clearly, there are a lot more adventures in DB to come. Whether I enjoy watching them and my views on DB change remains to be seen. But as someone told me - 'You don't get a second chance at a first impression'.
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Author:Noah enjoys writing a blog and drinking tea Archives
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