ABSTRACT
DRAGONBALL'S DEMOGRAPHIC DILEMA
By Robert Steele
In 1985, Akira Toryama's Dragonball series made the jump from manga pages to the small screen. The series was popular enough in Japan to have it translated and sent to other countries.
Originally the series was aimed at late teens and / or early adults. When it was translated to English for American viewing, the program was altered to accommodate a younger viewing audience, presumably to sell merchandise.
American audiences have a history of being wary of animated series containing violent scenes. Some of the stories in the Dragonball series are not only on a similar violence level as some comparative sci-fi series; it also has a complicated plot. This series optimally primed for making money but it is missing its audience.
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