Ask John: Are Dragonball and Sailor Moon Childish?

Question:
Do you agree with people that think anime such as Sailor Moon and DragonBall Z are childish?

Answer:
In a literal, objective sense, anime series including Dragonball and Sailor Moon are childish. Technically, “childish” means, “relating to, or suitable for a child.” And both Dragonball and Sailor Moon are shows intended for preadolescent viewers. Many English speaking anime fans refer to shows like Dragonball, Sailor Moon, Pokemon, and Digimon as childish as a pejorative description, and I can’t agree with that sentiment. The fact that certain anime are primarily made for children doesn’t mean that those anime are bad, and doesn’t mean that those anime can’t be or shouldn’t be enjoyed by older viewers. I think that so called anime fans who belittle shows like Sailor Moon and Dragonball and Pokemon just because the shows are childish are people that are more preoccupied with establishing and affirming their own status than they’re concerned with appreciating or enjoying anime. There’s nothing wrong with not liking any particular anime or type of anime, but dislike should not be equivalent to critical assessment.

I suspect that many English speaking anime fans want to distance themselves from any anime associated with childish qualities because they’re anxious about being thought of as childish themselves. The theory is that it’s okay to like mature anime such as Cowboy Bebop and Hellsing because mature anime is sophisticated and intelligent and cultured. But watching childish anime is embarrassing because it’s immature and inexperienced. That attitude, though, is based on stereotypes and doesn’t actually consider the particular qualities of any given anime. In other words, it’s rather ignorant to say that Dragonball is a bad anime because it’s simplistic or entry level, or say that Sailor Moon is bad because it encourages so much fanatic devotion, without actually being receptive to the strengths of either show. Both shows are tremendously popular among fans worldwide for a reason: they’re entertaining.

Speaking as an anime fan who is far more concerned with the quality and entertainment value of particular anime series than social perception of me as an anime fan, I can admit that Dragonball is a better quality anime than certain shows targeted at older viewers. Dragonball is more exciting, has more interesting characters, better animation quality, and a more satisfying story than recent shows like Xenosaga the Animation and Jinki:Extend, which were targeted at older viewers. Dragonball and Sailor Moon may be shows intended for children, but they’re not condescending, ignorant programs. Dragonball was an interesting story about the lives of its characters and how they grew up, had families, and faced and overcame obstacles. Sailor Moon likewise dealt with relationships and personalities that viewers of all ages could relate to. It’s perfectly fine for an individual to not like Dragonball or Sailor Moon or any particular anime. But blindly refusing to acknowledge anime for children, or intentionally refusing to watch anime that happens to have been made for children, is merely limiting one’s own understanding and appreciation of anime. I believe that viewers should watch what they personally find entertaining. I believe that being a true anime fan means being interested in anime regardless of what anyone else thinks about you; making your own decisions about anime based on personal experience, not letting peer pressure or ambiguous impressions control your decisions.