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Dragon Ball is a Japanese anime that was brought over to the USA by Funimation. The version that was shown on Cartoon Network was censored. As a result, violence, blood, sexual situations, mentions of death and nudity were removed in the United States version.

Censorship[]

German censorship[]

Episode 12

  1. The scene where Oolong says that he wishes for some hot chick's panties. In the German version he says a hat with two holes for the ears ("Eine Mütze mit zwei Löchern für die Ohren").

Spanish censorship[]

In Spain, the series was known as Bola de Dragón and was bought by Dovi S.L. de Esplugues de Llobregat with the first 26 episodes bought from AB Groupe in late 1988. The first batch of episodes were in Japanese version, with the same censorship cuts of the French version already applied to the footage and were translated into Spanish using the English scripts from Toei. In February 1989, broadcast began on Canal Sur, the theme song and ending were even dubbed from Japanese too. The series was popular, so Canal Sur wanted to continue the series. Videotake SUR from 1991 began buying the episodes from 27 to 153 and started translating into Spanish using bilingual Galician-French episodes, using the former source more than the latter.

The Galician version, like all the other different language versions from Spain, had already started dubbing from the French version from episode 27 until the end of the series, which meant that the translation was less accurate than in the first 26 episodes. However, unlike the other Spain versions which tended to be more literal to the French script, the Galician version attempted to figure bits from the Japanese audio track of the bilingual French-Japanese episodes sent by AB Groupe, resulting in several naming corrections of the French version (the most notorious being the name of both King Piccolo and Piccolo) which were inherited by the Spanish version, which couldn't access to the Japanese audio track because it had been overwritten by the Galician dub. Also, the voice cast of the Spanish version completely changed after the first 26 episodes as well, which still to this day remains to be the current cast. Despite the changes into the dub source, the previous Spanish translation of Japanese intro was still used and never was any French intro used, except for a music cassette release translated into Spanish.

Telemadrid also aired all episodes around 1991/1992. In 1997, Antena 3 began re-emitting Dragon Ball and in 2004, Toonami Spain began re-emitting the anime series. Currently, it's being broadcasted by Comedy Central.

Canal Sur/Telemadrid[]

Valencian Community censorship[]

Canal 9[]
À Punt[]
  • The series was banned for it being "sexist"[1].

Italian censorship[]

Italia 1[]

  • The balls in Dragon Ball is changed to "Sfere del Drago" (Dragon Spheres) instead of "Palle del Drago" since it means testicles in Italian. This translation is also used in the manga as well.
  • Goku's Saiyan name Kakaroth is changed to "Kaaroth".
  • Piccolo was initially renamed "Majunior" (when he is inscribed at the 23th Tenkaichi Budokai Martial Arts Tournament), being simplified as "Junior". The latter name would be used for the sequel Dragon Ball Z onward.

French Censorship[]

  • Mr. Satan is renamed Hercule. Different from the American dub (which was done to avoid religious references), the change was to avoid confusion with the dub names of Piccolo (who was named "Satan Petit-Coeur", "Satan's Little Heart") and Gyumaoh/Ox King ("Satanirus").
  • The balls in Dragon Ball were named as "Boules de Crystal" ("crystal balls").

Latin American Censorship[]

  • The balls in Dragon Ball are called "Esferas del Dragón."
  • Chi-Chi is renamed to Milk.

USA censorship[]

Season 1[]

  • Episode 1
    1. The scene that shows Goku naked while he is skinny dipping was modified for the US release. In the US version Goku wearing underwear.
    2. The scene that shows Goku peeing in the water was cut.
    3. The scene that shows Goku lifting Bulma's skirt up, due to him wanting to see her panties was cut.
    4. The scene that shows Bulma pulling out a gun and trying to shoot Goku was cut.
    5. The scene that shows Bulma lifting up her skirt and offering to let Goku touch her butt if he gives her the Dragon Ball was cut.
  • Episode 2
    1. The bath scene that shows Goku naked was modified for the US broadcast. In the US version a stool was digitally added to cover up Goku's privates.
    2. Any scene that showed Goku in the bath was modified for the US broadcast. In the US version the lower part of the screen was cropped, as a result Goku's crotch is no longer in the shot.
    3. The dialogue in Bulma's bubble bath scene was completely changed in all of the English dubs. In the Japanese version, Goku is talking to her about her breasts, but in the English versions, he is saying that he wants to scrub her back.
    4. The scene that shows Pilaf passing out was cut.
    5. The scene that shows Goku taking off Bulma's panties and discovering that girls don't have male private parts was cut.
  • Episode 3
    1. The scene that shows Goku and the Bear Thief fighting was modified for the US broadcast. In the US version the blood was digitally removed.
    2. The scene that shows Bulma lifting her dress up for Master Roshi was modified for the US broadcast. In the US version it shows a new scene that shows Instead Roshi giving her the ball.
    3. The scene that shows Roshi asking to see Bulma's underwear, was changed to him asking to see her  Belly button.
    4. The scene that shows Bulma showing Roshi her underwear was cut.
    5. The scene that shows Bulma loading her machine gun and trying to shoot Goku for taking off her underwear in the previous episode was cut.
  • Episode 4
    1. The scene that shows Goku touching Pochawopa's crotch was cut.
    2. The scene that shows Goku touching Gradma Paozu was modified for the US broadcast. In the US version the dialogue was changed to make it seem like Goku is dusting off the old lady's apron.
  • Episode 5
    1. The scene that shows Goku touching Olong's crotch was cut.
    2. The scene that shows Bulma luring Oolong (when he is a fish) with underwear was modified for the US broadcast. In the US version the underwear was changed to dollar bills.
    3. The scene that shows Oolong having diarrhea in the bush and coming out with toilet paper was cut.
    4. The scene that shows Oolong turing into panties in front of an angry Bulma was cut.
  • Episode 6
    1. The scene that shows Bulma in the shower was shortened.
    2. The scene that shows Yamacha seeing Bulma walking around naked was modified for the US broadcast. In the US version Bulma is wearing clothing.
    3. The scene that shows Bulma nude while she is looking out of the camper window was modified for the US broadcast. In the US version the glare covering her breasts is thickened.
    4. The scene that shows Bulma nude was modified for the US broadcast. In the US version the bed sheets cover up Bulma.
  • Episode 7
    1. The scene that shows Chi-Chi decapitating the dinosaur was modified for the US broadcast. In the US version it focuses on the shadow.
    2. The scene that shows Yamcha hitting Chi-Chi was modified for the US broadcast. In the US version it shows Puar's face (Though it still has the punching sound effect.)
    3. The scene that shows Chi-Chi pushing Goku off the Nimbus, due to Goku touching her crotch. In the US version it Chi-Chi pushes Goku off the Nimbus due to Goku criticizing her outfit.
  • Episode 8
    1. The scene that shows Roshi wanting to see Bulma's breasts was modified for the US broadcast. In the US version Rishi wants Bulma to walk on the beach with him.
    2. The scene that shows Oolong disguised as Bulma exposing his breasts to Master Roshi was cut.
    3. The scene that shows Master Roshi getting a nosebleed was cut.
  • Episode 11
    1. The scene that shows Bulma flipping off Emperor Pilaf was cut.
    2. The scene that shows Yamcha freaking out due to Bulma exposing her cleavage was cut.
    3. The scene that shows Oolong's private while he is in bat form was modified for the US version. In the broadcast Oolong's private was removed.
  • Episode 12
    1. The scene that shows Oolong's private while he is in bat form was modified for the US version digitally removed Oolong's private
    2. The scene where Oolong says that he wishes for some hot chick's panties. In the US version he says the world's most comfortable underwear.
    3. The scene that shows Oolong wishing on panties that have Shenron on them was cut.
  • Episode 13
    1. The scene that shows Goku turning back into his normal form from a Great Ape was modified for the US broadcast. In the US version a flower was digitally added to cover his privates.

Season 2[]

  • Episode 1
    1. The scene that shows the dirty magazines was modified for the US broadcast. In the US version the women are wearing clothes, and word "dating" is added to the cover of the most prominent one.
  • Episode 4
    1. The scene that shows Master Roshi and Goku accidentally waking up Launch was shortened.
    2. The scene that shows Roshi attempting to touch Launch's breasts after she gets knocked out was cut.
  • Episode 5
    1. The scene that shows Goku and Krillin's privates when they are swimming was modified for the US version. In the US version their privates were digitally removed.
  • Episode 6
    1. The scene that shows Roshi touching the flight attendant's rear was cut.
  • Episode 7
    1. Any scene that shows Bulma's panties was removed.
  • Episode 8
    1. The speech that shows the announcer talking about hitting the private parts along with the part of Ranfan replying with "What about my parts" was cut.
    2. The scene that shows Krillin farting in Bacterian's face was modified for the US broadcast. In the US version it was changed to him simply mooning Bacterian.
  • Episode 9
    1. Ranfan's stripping during the fight was removed. Instead, the scene of one of Nam's failed attacks is shown followed by her twitching foot to show she was knocked out.
  • Episode 11
    1. The scene of Goku dropping his pants in front of the crowd and shows his bare bottom to the stage to prove his tail is real was slighly changed, the US version did not show his penis.
    2. The scene of Krillin trying to distract Roshi by throwing a pair of panties was removed.
  • Episode 13
    1. Roshi's Drunken Fist attack was changed to Mad Cow Attack in the Toonami broadcast. The uncut DVDs changes the name to "Drunken Boxing."
  • Episode 15
    1. Any shots that show Goku's penis when he was naked was removed, as well as a any shot that shows his balls from the rear.

Season 3[]

  • Episode 1
    1. The scene that shows Master Roshi in the Underwear store was cut.
  • Episode 17
    1. The scene that shows Goku showing Hasky his testicles after misinterpreting her request to see his Dragon Balls was modified for the US broadcast. In the US version it was changed to him showing her his boxers with Dragon Balls on them that Bulma made him.

Season 4[]

  • Episode 7
    1. Bulma and Krillin's accusations of General Blue being homosexual were altered.
  • Episode 11
    1. The scene with General Blue and Obotchaman's encounter is changed, to him having mistaken Obotochaman for his long-lost brother Samuel. Due to the original scene he acts like a pedophile.

Season 5[]

This section needs to be expanded.

Season 6[]

  • Episode 3
    1. Originally to help Yamcha defeat the Invisible Man Krillin brings over Master Roshi and Bulma from a picnic, he then yanks down Bulma's top exposing her breasts and causes Master Roshi to have a massive nosebleed that covers the Invisible Man in his blood. This was edited so that Master Roshi hands Krillin a can of tomato soup, and splashes the soup on the Invisible Man.

Season 7[]

This section needs to be expanded.

Season 8[]

  • Episode 2
    1. In the uncut version, Tambourine tells King Chappa that he has come to kill him, while in the TV airing it is changed to "end". The same occurs with nearly all subsequent uses of the word "kill" throughout the entire saga.
  • Episode 3
    1. The scene where Bulma beats Master Roshi for looking at her underwear was cut.
    2. The scene with Man-Wolf's dead body floating along a river stream with a trail of blood behind it was cut.
  • Episode 4
    1. The pages of the family album that Emperor Pilaf tries to show to King Piccolo are blanked out in the TV airing.
  • Episode 8
    1. In the Japanese version, King Piccolo insulted Goku by saying latter "amounts to nothing more than ant shit", while in the English versions (cut and uncut), it was changed to "tiny and pathetic".
    2. Goku's "slug shit" retort was changed.
    3. The blood shown when Goku bites Piccolo's hand is edited out.
  • Episode 10
    1. The blood that Master Roshi wiped off his face after getting struck by Piccolo was removed.
  • Episode 15
    1. The scene where Piccolo chokes King Furry for speaking against him was removed from the TV airing.
  • Episode 21
    1. The part where the King Piccolo began squeezing the Tiens head to keep Goku in place was cut.
    2. When Goku used the Penetrate! ability on Piccolo, nothing was shown other than a flash of white light. The scene showed a large hole in Piccolo's stomach witch caused it to be removed entirely.
    3. The blood on Piccolo's hands was removed.

Season 9[]

  • Episode 11
    1. The conversation that Master Roshi and Oolong have in the Japanese version regarding the Oolong's collection of women's underwear is changed to them talking about Oolong's ear length.
    2. Although the scene of Bulma elbowing Master Roshi is left intact, the TV airing never shows why it was done. In the uncut version, Bulma elbows Master Roshi for touching her butt, while in the TV version.
  • Episode 12
    1. The scene that shows Master Roshi getting slapped by a random woman in the crowd, due to him "accidentally" burying his face into her breasts was cut.
  • Episode 25
    1. The scene that shows blood coming out of Goku's chest was modified for the US broadcast. In the US version the blood was digitally removed.
    2. The scene that shows blood dripping onto the ground was cut.

Where to find it uncensored[]

The subtitled Japanese version is completely uncensored. Funimation has also released DVDs of the series' dub which are mostly uncensored, as some of the dialogue (such as Goku wanting to help Bulma scrub her back instead of asking about her breasts) is still altered.

References[]

  1. https://boundingintocomics.com/2021/03/28/television-channel-in-spains-valencia-region-refuses-to-air-dragon-ball-due-to-law-prohibiting-content-that-encourages-gender-discrimination-through-stereotypes-and-sexist-roles/amp/ rejected from broadcast
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