'Dragon Ball Super' draws 15,000 to public viewing at 'The X' monument in Juárez

A public showing of the popular anime TV series "Dragon Ball Super" attracted 15,000 fans to "The X" monument in Juárez during the weekend, officials said.

The event was in jeopardy of being canceled until the day before, when Juárez Mayor Armando Cabada announced permission had been obtained from the cartoon distributor.

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Juárez was among several cities in Latin America that had public showings Saturday of the second-to-last episode of the popular Japanese cartoon dubbed in Spanish.

The episode, number 130, featured a highly-anticipated showdown between the hero Goku and his powerful rival, Jiren.

The idea for a public showing at the Juárez monument began as a chat among college students that grew into a mass event at the Plaza de la Mexicanidad (the Plaza of Mexican Identity) along the border.

The Dragon Ball began rolling when students at the Autonomous University of Ciudad Juárez sent a Facebook message to Juárez Mayor Armando Cabada, who agreed to support the public viewing, the mayor said at a news conference last week.

Things got complicated faster than you could say "Kamehameha" — the phrase Goku shouts when firing an energy attack.

On March 12, the Japanese cartoon-maker Toei Animation issued a statement that it had not granted permission for public showings in Latin America because the screenings could incite piracy.

The Japanese Embassy in Mexico sent a letter to at least one Mexican governor's office saying that the cartoon should not be shown without permission from the animation company.

On Thursday morning, two days before the event, Cabada had a news conference, saying that negotiations continued for authorization to show "Dragon Ball."

The nonprofit, nonpolitical viewing was free to attend and was intended as an event for young people in a city that struggles to overcome drug-related bloodshed.

During the drug cartel war in 2010, things were so bad that the city's annual Mexican Independence Day celebration was canceled because of security concerns over the large crowds expected.

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Public events, such as the "Dragon Ball" showing, are a form of social cohesion that helps boost the city, the mayor said.

"It's simply a way for the municipality to support youth. Let's say it: There are not a lot of programs to help our boys," Cabada said at the news conference.

At 9:30 p.m. Friday, Cabada announced on his Facebook page that permission had been granted by Toei Animation and Crunchyroll, the cartoon distributor in Latin America.

"By the power of the dragon spheres, we accomplished this wish for the youth of Juárez. The negotiations between Crunchyroll and Toei Animation were fruitful. We have permission to see Dragon Ball at the X!" Cabada posted.

The event showed episodes 126 to 130 of "Dragon Ball Super" to a large crowd, including children dressed in the orange-and-blue outfit of Goku with his trademark dark hair standing up.

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Cabada shared on social media an aerial video of the crowd next to the 210-foot-tall lighted red X, a monument representing change, crossroads and the mixture of native and Spanish cultures, among other meanings.

Juárez officials said that police reported no problems at the event.

Daniel Borunda may be reached at 546-6102; dborunda@elpasotimes.com; @BorundaDaniel on Twitter.