I Admit It: Dragon Ball Z Abridged Was a Blessing and Curse For the Anime
TeamFourStar, the creators of the fan-based parody Dragon Ball Z Abridged, has garnered its own audience while getting several fresh eyes interested in the official release. But at the same time, it caused irrevocable damage to the entire Dragon Ball community. The parody created a subset of fans who believe Dragon Ball Z Abridged is better than Dragon Ball Z creator Akira Toriyama’s entire work and all the work Goku and Vegeta voice actors (Sean Schemmel and Christoper Sabat) did to get the series localized in North America alongside Funimation.
It has divided the fandom between those who love the series and those who prefer TeanFourStar’s take. It has also created a schism between the fans, Funimation, and some of the voice actors. DBZ and DBZA should never be compared. Instead, Abridged should be seen as an extension of the franchise and celebrated as such. Unfortunately, the parody has just further alienated people within the fanbase and caused contention between the audience and the talents behind it.
Dragon Ball Z Abridged and Dragon Ball Z Are Two Different Entities
The Two Series Have Different Genres, Tones, and Usage of Hindsight
Although Dragon Ball began as a comedy, Dragon Ball Z evolved into an action series with comedy in it. The definition of a parody is to be “an imitation of the style of a particular writer, artist, or genre with deliberate exaggeration for comic effect,” according to Oxford Language. Dragon Ball Z takes itself rather seriously, and although there are laughs, the stakes always escalate. Despite sometimes reflecting the heart of the official release, Abridged appropriately keeps comedy at the forefront.
Dragon Ball Z could only improve based on the criticisms of Dragon Ball and inspire callbacks by executing past ideas again, like the Red Ribbon Army, but better. Meanwhile, Dragon Ball Abridged creates its callbacks within its series' continuity and addresses common complaints fans have always had about the original series, providing commentary most parodies freely express. Abridged is reliant on hindsight, and it has no choice but to be. And although you can appreciate Dragon Ball Z more if you watch Dragon Ball, you can’t even truly appreciate Abridged without watching the original.
Comparisons With the Parody Have Altered How We Perceive the Original
As Such, Funimation And The Original Voice Actors Perceive Audiences Different, Too…
I’m not attempting to finger-wag people who enjoy and connect with Dragon Ball Abridged over Dragon Ball. It’s actually okay, but it’s not a replacement for the real thing. Abridged is an extension of Dragon Ball built off the love TeamFourStar had for the franchise. It wasn’t made for fans to get into arguments with other fans over the merit of Akira Toriyama’s work in comparison to a YouTube parody series. Conflating the differences and comparisons between the two has altered how fans view Dragon Ball.
Alienation has spread from the fandom to creators at Toei Animation, Funimation, and VAs like Schemmel. Fans can be pushy with opinions, especially about something they love. Schemmel, deeply attached to Dragon Ball Z, mirrors this intensity, often sharing his harsh opinions about Abridged. This dynamic has fueled conflict across all sides. Some argue Schemmel should tolerate toxic fan behavior because he's paid to, justifying their actions. Meanwhile, Schemmel’s responses deepen the divide, and companies like Toei and Funimation appear more focused on profits than addressing fan concerns, leaving tensions unresolved.
Everyone Has A Blame, But Here’s How We Move Forward
All Parties Involved Need To Be Better
The companies have justifiable issues with TFS, especially after the last handful of episodes straddled the line of “parody” in favor of just retelling Dragon Ball Z. And that’s a slippery slope because there is a subset of fans who not only prefer Abridged but also confuse the lore between the two. People would rather rewatch Dragon Ball Z by watching Dragon Ball Z Abridged, which takes money away from the franchise. Those are genuine fears for entities that own IPs. Now, the divide between fandom, franchise, and talent couldn’t be any wider.
Fans have sometimes crossed boundaries, harassing VAs, doxing animators, and creating projects like Attack on Titan Requiem to spite creators. Schemmel could set aside his emotions, follow Sabat’s example, and accept the existence of Abridged to protect the brand he loves from backlash. Meanwhile, companies like Toei and Funimation (now Crunchyroll) must treat fans respectfully, offering better home releases instead of viewing them as mere cash cows.
If the corporations fail to handle the franchise with care and decorum, it’s unrealistic to expect fans to act any differently. Still, it must be said that no other series has spawned a parody/retell with so much follow, support, and controversy behind it. This is surely a sign of how unique Dragon Ball is in the history of anime and entertainment media, in general. However, it's also a sign of the times when Abridged first came out (in 2008). Dubs were still the main way people watched anime, while today subs are a lot more popular, which in theory proves that fans are more interested in watching a product that is as "original" as possible.
Companies are also more protective of their IPs, as proved by the recently canceled Berserk fan project (Dragon Ball Abridged has also officially been canceled after several copyright strikes). Overall, Abridged remains a point of contention in the community, with fans either loving or despising it, without an apparent middle ground. Now that the project is officially over, it's time perhaps to start looking at it like a passionate homage that made Dragon Ball even more popular, and not something that should supersede the original.
- Created by
- Akira Toriyama
- Latest Film
- Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero
- First TV Show
- Dragon Ball
- Cast
- Sean Schemmel, Laura Bailey, Brian Drummond, Christopher Sabat, Scott McNeil
- Video Game(s)
- Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2, Dragon Ball FighterZ, Dragon Ball: The Breakers, Super Dragon Ball Heroes: World Mission, Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Z, Dragon Ball Xenoverse, Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot
- First Film
- Dragon Ball: Curse of the Blood Rubies
From the creative mind of Akira Toriyama, Dragon Ball is a mega multimedia franchise that spans back to the 1980s. Dragon Ball expanded quickly, starting as a serialized manga for Weekly Shonen Jump in Japan. It made its way overseas via manga and an anime adaptation that is enjoyed worldwide. Dragon Ball was the initial starting animated series that followed the adventures of the young Son Goku as he sought after the Dragon Balls. These mystical orbs would grant the wish of any who gathered them together. Then, the series would branch off into the immensely popular Dragon Ball Z, which followed Goku as an adult and featured high-intensity battles and Goku's never-ending search to be the strongest. The series has also enjoyed several popular video game adaptations and continues to release several new animated series and theatrical films up to the recent popular Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero.
