Dragon Ball Z in the Crosshairs: A New Texas Law Causes Confusion and Concern

Dragon Ball Z and the Law: Texas Bill Causes "Unintentional" Censorship in Comic Shops

A new law in Texas, intended to regulate AI-generated content, has led to an unexpected consequence: the temporary removal of classic manga from store shelves. The situation has unfolded at Kaboom Comics in Weslaco, where the owner, Andrew Balderas, preemptively pulled volumes of Dragon Ball Z after reviewing the state's new Senate Bill 20 (SB20).

The law, which was passed with the goal of cracking down on inappropriate material, has a broad and ambiguous definition of what can be considered illegal. Specifically, it states that "depictions... regardless of whether the depiction is an image of an actual child, a cartoon or animation, or an image created using artificial intelligence" could be considered illegal if they meet a certain standard.

Balderas decided to remove the volumes after noting that they contained some comedic scenes where the main character, Goku, is shown unclothed as a child. While these scenes were created decades ago in a humorous context, the store owner acted out of caution to avoid legal risk.

The Domino Effect of Ambiguity

The incident has sparked a wider concern across the comic and anime retail industry in Texas. The fear is that other businesses will have to follow suit and remove a wide range of content due to the law's vague language. Reviewing every single manga and comic book for potentially problematic content is an almost impossible task for store owners, and many may opt to remove titles as a precautionary measure to avoid criminal liability.

This case has highlighted the potential for unintended censorship and cultural misunderstandings when legislation is drafted without a clear understanding of the content it might impact. What began as a law targeting AI abuse is now sparking a debate about artistic freedom and the legacy of popular franchises like Dragon Ball Z.

This incident raises a significant question: Is the SB20 law a necessary step to regulate AI, or is its broad language causing an overcorrection that leads to the censorship of classic entertainment?