It’s ironic that Son-Gohan’s first fight shows how brutal Dragon Ball was even back then. The anime was never intended for children.
What kind of scene is this? Son-Gohan has his first real fight against a dinosaur in Dragon Ball Z, where he receives no further help and emerges victorious. He is chased by a dinosaur but then turns the tables.
The young half-Saiyan pushes off from a rock, draws his sword, and cuts off the dinosaur’s tail. Afterwards, he creates a campfire with a Ki attack and cooks the meat on it. You can watch the chase on DBZSM’s YouTube channel.
What’s so special about this: His mother Chi-Chi was introduced in Dragon Ball with a similar scene. In the direct comparison, it becomes clear how brutal the origins of Dragon Ball were.
Dragon Ball is not a children’s series
What was different back then? In a video by YouTube user The 90’s, it shows how Chi-Chi first appeared in the anime. She was also chased by a dinosaur but brutally slaughtered it.
With her razor-sharp boomerang on her helmet, she decapitated the dino. The torso, from which a fountain of blood flowed, was then vaporized by an energy beam. The scene appears much more violent than that of her son. However, it establishes a nice connection to Son-Gohan’s first fight.
Was Dragon Ball always so brutal? Although Dragon Ball Z appears significantly more brutal with scenes like Krillin’s death and Nappa’s massacre than Dragon Ball, the beginnings of the anime were also not intended for children. This is evident in several scenes:
- Tao Baibai kills General Blue by drilling a hole in the opponent’s head with his tongue
- In the fight between Demon King Piccolo and Son-Goku, there were several pierced bodies
- In the fight between Son-Goku and Piccolo Jr., both combatants break bones, pierce each other and crush entire body parts
Is Dragon Ball suitable for children? Although the series contained such violent scenes, many users on Reddit believe that the series is still okay for children. They think this because the violence seems too cartoonish and does not come across as serious for children.
In contrast, the FSK believes that the anime should only be released for ages 12 and older, as seen on the DVD box. There are other series that look like they were made for children, but are actually extremely brutal. One example is this series: A brutal highlight among the animes looks like it’s meant for toddlers
