Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball series is one of the most popular series in the Shonen genre and has been considered the inspiration for numerous next-gen manga artists. The title features Son-Goku as its protagonist, who is once again the most recognized fictional face in the world, as viewers and non-viewers of the art form are inspired by his actions.
Although Toriyama-Sensei’s work is known for featuring epic battles with high stakes, when the Z-fighters are not busy saving the planet from a threat, it is quite lighthearted. The show would feature humor to make the audience laugh, making them forget about their problems in the real world.
However, the show has a ton of controversial moments, especially when it comes to infusing a cheerful vibe. The original series was first aired back in 1986, featuring a plethora of inappropriate jokes that could have landed the show in serious trouble had it been aired in modern times.
Dragon Ball’s Inappropriate Jokes Stirs Concern in The Otaku Community
Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball series is believed to be the greatest Shonen series ever. The anime has been the direct inspiration for some of the most infectiously popular titles. From Naruto to My Hero Academia, every Shonen series unapologetically tries to copy the protagonist created by the Godfather of Anime.
Even though the show features a ton of tropes that have been the direct inspiration for the anime creators, they only take the healthy references and will not land them in any trouble. As OG fans of Dragon Ball would remember, the show featured inappropriate jokes following Goku’s innocence in the real world.
The protagonist had grown up in isolation and was unaware of the slang and the sly nature of the urban people who were after the Dragon Balls; the magical orbs would fulfill their wishes once the seven of them were collected. Since a young Kakarot had collected a couple of them in his journey, some people were bent on stealing them from him.
One such moment was in the original series, in an episode titled Danger in the Air, where Hasky disguises herself as a fortuneteller and asks the protagonist to showcase the “two balls inside your clothes.”
Though she referred to the orbs, our hero did not realize and showcased his jewels, leading to a hilarious yet extremely inappropriate and unhinged moment in the history of the franchise. Hasky had planned to replace the orbs with two fake ones, but the innocence of the protagonist was something she did not foresee.
However, this is not the only time where the series has featured other jokes, including that one bizarre interaction between Bulma and our protagonist. This sparked concern among modern fans as they took to social media, where a fan page shared the reel showcasing the interaction between the two.
Anime Fans Were Taken Aback by Goku’s Unhinged Moment
The original series by Akira Toriyama featured a ton of sexist jokes that would be considered way too inappropriate and become the center of cheap laughter. However, back in the day, the series followed the comedic standards that made the show so infectiously popular.
Had the show been aired today, featuring the very same scene, it would have landed itself in major trouble. Hence, the page (@dbzgym) that shared the reel stated, “OG Dragonball was so unhinged. Goku never held back even for a second.”
The fans shared their views in the comment section of the post, bringing in some laughs. They commented,
@mpk_is_in_the_house_ commented, “Blud said drag on deez baaalllssss”
@thatdaneshguy commented, “Smart. Goku put her on a s*x offender list so he can track her”
@mo_dw401 commented, “Bro if you haven’t , go watch Dragonball , Goku was an absolute Menace, Not that he had any idea what he was doing coz he’s an alien from another planet and doesn’t understand normal human behaviour fully just yet, but he was absolutely wilding”
thepitsaz commented, “Kid goku was so innocent it was hilarious”
@_____asraf.__ commented, “How the f**k it is legal in television”
@ivanprstojevic commented, “Still the best one, along the one when he slaps Bulma’s a** because its to firm and cant sleep on it”
Even though some fans of the series might find it extremely inappropriate, these moments have played a major role in making the show so popular and memorable to the fans.
Moreover, had these scenes never featured in the first place, the fame of the show would have taken a detrimental hit, and it didn’t enjoy the same status as it does now.
Dragon Ball can be streamed on Crunchyroll.
