Dragon Ball

Dragon Ball is surely a nice way to be introduced into the anime world. It's just amazing to watch.

The anime itself is not entirely based on Dragon Balls, it's far more than that. Friendship, love, adventure, hope, these are its main characteristics.

It's really funny, no stupid jokes or absurd situations, only natural, truly pure laughts. Sure it still has its share of action moments, focused on the countless fights and problems that Goku and his friends encounter through their numerous journeys, but those are just responsible for maintaining the anime's perfect "balance".

Also, it's possible to notice a huge variety of cultures as the story goes ... on and even how people from that time ('80s - '90s) imagined the world would look like after many important technological advances.

Dragon Ball is a classic and should not be underestimated by anyone. You could get really impressed with it, just like I did (again).

Speed review:

Pretty much everything is good. So enjoyment is the most important thing.

Watching this is fun. The character interactions, settings and story all make this a fun adventure. It's not the best animation, the best voice acting, or the best at anything really. It's just so much simple fun, and that makes it phenomenal. It's always a worthy watch, and I personally like this anime more than any other.

Everything beyond this is irrelevant ignore it I'm padding so my review can be submitted.

Goku is fun

... Tien is fun

Everyone is fun. This anime is just fun, you get to experience joy and happiness. Yeah I don't have a fine taste in anime, but that means I am a relatable guy to listen to.

You probably hear many, many, many... many people complaining that Dragon Ball has basically no plot, the story sucks, and Kid Goku is annoying. I'm gonna have to say, being active in the Dragon Ball community for over five years and having seen this show and Z about seven times all the way through, all of those are wrong. I mean, the show doesn't have an outstanding plot or story, but they're enjoyable and fun. If you sense any form of bias in this review, it might be because this is my all time favorite show, but right here I'm going to ... explain why it's my favorite.

The story, as I've said previously, is nothing impressive. You probably won't have to put on your thinking caps to analyze some deep, meaningful plot-line, you just get to sit back and enjoy a fun and excited action/adventure shonen show. A lot of fights have amazing choreography, the story is simple but sweet, and the slice of life aspects of this show are just as good if not better. The Red Ribbon Army arc is easily my favorite, it has so many iconic villains, the fights are very entertaining, and it's just such a good time. It's truly an endearing show that I hope you'll enjoy if you decide to check it out.

Now, this section I will probably be very biased, because honestly I'm absolutely in love with Toriyama's art style. It's simple, unique, and to me beautiful. I love seeing fanart of it, and I love seeing the alternate cover pages he puts at the end of the manga. His art style is my favorite out of any other, but of course that's just me, so give this show a try and form your own opinion on the art.

The voice acting? Nothing special and arguably poor (but not for it's time). The soundtrack? Exciting, up beat, feel-good music, makes you wanna dance, always makes me smile when the theme song's instrumental version plays in fights, and the ending song animates a lot of the cover art from the manga and... I know I've already said this about the art style, but I'm absolutely IN LOVE with the ending song/video. The song is nice and sweet, and the video is absolutely spectacular. It's always a good time with the Dragon Ball soundtrack. I have listened to the full soundtrack on loop. I love it. Even if you don't plan on watching this show, check out the soundtrack and see if you like it.

Now, for the characters. Lets start with the second character we ever see in the show, Bulma Brief. I don't wanna say too much about her to keep things a mystery if you're not familiar with Dragon Ball (Which I doubt you aren't because who hasn't heard of this show, but just in case ya know?), but I can tell you that her personality isn't very likable. She complains just about 24/7, always looks on the negative side of things, is rarely happy, really is only happy when she's screwing someone over, etc., but she does have some very good moments, and some spectacular moments. Also, her design in this series (not necessarily Z) is one of my favorite designs in anime. It's so appealing, sometimes not so much, but most of the time it's amazing. Her design was real good when she first met Master Roshi if you know what I mean ;^)... actually you probably don't know what I mean because if you're reading this review chances are you don't know who Master Roshi is because you probably haven't seen the show. Let me enlighten you. Master Roshi is the master of martial arts, as he's called by the public, he's an extremely skilled fighter, despite his appearance. He's also the master of perversion, which leads to many funny moments in the show. Roshi is most likely the inspiration for many perverted old men in anime down the line, such as Jiraiya from Naruto. He's a legendary and underrated character. His moments with Launch are always amusing. Oh yeah, Launch is the women that ends up living with Roshi (You'll have to watch the show to figure out why a girl would willingly live with this man), and in this series she's Dragon Ball's best girl, which is later changed to another character in Dragon Ball Z; I won't spoil who. I might leave that for my Z review ;^). Wanna know my least favorite character in this show? That's right, Yamcha. Yeah yeah, I know it's a huge meme to make fun of him and all that, but he's genuinely a bad character. He does almost nothing for the show and you could take him out and not much would change. He does help in a big way like... once... but that's about it. He doesn't have the best personality either. He's just kind of there to be there, really. Now, the moment you've all been waiting for... the best character in the show... Goku. Goku is a twelve year old boy who was trained by his grandfather in martial arts, but he's not too good with the common sense. He's an extremely innocent and completely pure hearted boy that really just wants to eat and fight strong people. He's a simple character, but a very lovable one. Honestly, every character in this show is lovable in their own way. Yes, even Yamcha... he has SOME good moments. But Goku, he blows all the other characters out of the water. He's hilarious, adorable, endearing, honest, and just a fun person in general. The characters in this show are truly something else.

Wow, the character portion was pretty darn long... sorry about that lol. Anyways, I definitely give this show a 10/10. You guys will most likely have varying ratings, but as I have a personal connection to this show, it has a very special place in my heart. Even without a personal connection, it's still one of the most enjoyable shows I have ever watched in my love. It's so much fun, and I really, really hope you give it a try.

Dragon Ball Z is a household name; but this is the less popular prequel to the most beloved/despised anime of all time.

Whenever I talk about Dragon Ball to my friends the usual response is 'don't you mean Dragon Ball Z?' This show is criminally underrated in my opinion.

I didn't watch this show as a kid - so this review is written without nostalgia goggles. I watched the more popular DBZ but can't remember any of it (I'm re-watching it now).

Dragon Ball starts with Goku as a kid. He wasn't a world wide hero back then - he was just a kid with a tail that ... lived in the bush. He was then discovered by Bulma and the adventure begins. Something that I feel is missing from DBZ is this adventure. Goku and Bulma travel the world and meet friends such as Oolong, Master Roshi and Yamcha (who was actually one of the strongest people on Earth at this point).

Dragon Ball has always been a fighting series but in the original - fights didn't take 20+ episodes.... the longest fight was about 4 episodes and didn't have all the powering up that Dragon Ball Z has. The plot moves quicker. But the martial arts were exciting and I was always excited to see what move the characters would use next.

The comedy is great. Very 80s but that's what makes it so fun. This was a time before comedy was censored in children's show. Goku does some of the most outrageous things and Master Roshi is a complete perv to the point where it is uncomfortable to watch. This show has drawn criticism for its treatment of women by today's feminists but I see it as a product of its time. It's not offensive to me in the slightest and I get some great laughs out of it (which rarely happens anymore).

My favourite part about Dragon Ball though is the characters. They are all a delight and Akira Toriyama put a lot of thought into their designs. The main character Goku is a funny and strange monkey boy, there's the rude and outrageous genius Bulma, the pervert shapeshifting pig Oolong, the desert bandit-turned-ally Yamcha and his shapeshifting flying cat, Puar. As we get further into the series we are introduced to more awesome characters such as the bald-headed rival-turned best friend Krillin, the amazingly powerful and deadly assassin Tien Shinhan (who becomes one of Goku's strongest allies) and his best friend/totally gay lover Chiaotzu, the deadly King Piccolo and his equally vengeful son Piccolo Jr. Even the minor characters are great: the vain General Blue, the peaceful Android 8, the Goku-obsessed future wife Chichi and more. The characters are probably mainly the reason this became one of my favourite anime of all time.

Another point on the characters is they all get a chance to shine. Unlike in DBZ where the Saiyans far outclass everyone - Goku is not the most powerful person in the world for most of the show. There are no long scenes of everyone waiting for Goku to show up - everyone can hold their own. Notably Tien Shinhan who battled with King Piccolo.

At the end of the day - Dragon Ball isn't for everyone. People will hate it for its childish jokes or poor animation. But to me - this anime is perfect. I strongly recommend it to anyone who wants a quality shonen anime to watch.

This was the first anime I had ever seen or at least considered and knew it was an anime! Not to mention I watched all of the 153 episodes on YouTube, so in some areas I may be a little bias of this anime and have my nostalgia goggles on full blast ,but I now understand the appeal of Dragon Ball and why it's so popular and good. I personally consider Dragon Ball to be better than Dragon Ball Z. You may be thinking I'm being a hipster, but it's true. The reason why I feel this way is because Dragon Ball is not just ... a fighting Shonen series, it's a mashup of comedy, action, adventure AND the fighting Shonen series. The first arc is comedy and the next is action and near the middle of the series Akira Toriyama learns to create a very nice blend. The story of Dragon Ball is strange to me because it switches genres and that's part of the appeal, each arc feels fresh and new (of course not tournament arcs). Akira Toriyama's art style is his most stylistic approach in this series right next to Dr. Slump and has some of his best art ever near the end of Dragon Ball. The music is nice and uses a lot of trumpets often like Saint Seiya or an anime from that era. I often listen to the Dragon Ball OST when I draw as well! I will admit Goku is kind of bland, but when he's a kid he's funny AND is a generic Shonen character, even though Dragon Ball basically invented Shonen, but he's not funny in a way like Natsu where you're supposed to laugh because... he eats a lot of food and likes food? Goku delivers actually funny lines and not just a quirk like he likes eating even though he really does. For example in the beggining Goku asks Bulma, "Why do you have a butt on your chest?" . This show shines in its charm. When they fight your face lights up and when they have emotions it shows. Dragon Ball is overall incredibly enjoyable, just don't get over hyped and experience it the way you want to.

Now, I can pretty much guarantee that everyone reading this already knows this information since Dragonball is one of the best known anime/manga franchises out there. Dragonball was first created by Toriyama Akira in 1984. In 1986 Toei animation picked up the license to adapt it into an anime. They have been swimming in the money bin filled with the profits from the license ever since. Let's take a look at the series and see how well it holds up. Keep in mind, I'm not going to worry bout spoilers in this one since both it and its sequels are so well known that even ... people who haven't seen it are probably familiar with how it goes. If you're one of the few people who isn't, then you may not want to continue.

Story:

The narrative begins with the wild young Son Goku, named for the Journey to the West character but lacking any of that character's signature traits, encountering a car for the first time and by encountering I mean getting hit by one. Thinking it's a monster, he tips it over. The driver, Bulma, comes out and convinces Goku that her vehicle is not a monster nor is she a witch. Sh's on a journey to collect the titular dragonballs, which can grant any wish when all seven are gathered. Goku has the four star ball, but refuses to give it up. Bulma does, however, manage to convince him to come with her on her journey. From there the story separates into arcs with the first arc being the journey to collect the dragonballs followed by the red ribbon army arc, the Piccolo Daimao arc and the young Piccolo arc. The arcs are separated by short strings of episodes that show the characters training, usually in preparation for the Budokai tournament, which we see thrice over the course of the series.

There are some aspects of the series that really don't hold up or were just weak to begin with. The biggest one being that the series is really predictable. It does try to throw twists at times, but it's really obvious where they're going with those twists and how things are going to end up. There are also some of the attempts at humour. There are a lot of jokes, for example, about Master Roshi or Oolong being perverts. There's also a reoccurring joke, at least for a while, about Goku patting peoples' crotches to figure out their sex. It never seems to occur to him to just follow Oak's example and ask. And he's definitely in for a learning experience the first time he tries that with a transgendered individual. There are also some really homophobic jokes at the expense of Blue, and they all come down to the entire joke being that he likes other men. At least with the pervert jokes you usually get the main punchline being that Roshi or Oolong is punished for their lecherousness and that can be amusing even if it does get repetitive. In contrast, the gay jokes are just mean-spirited.

Those problems aside, there are a lot of good things about the series too. The pacing is really good with events flowing naturally from one thing to the next with very little filler. Which is surprising given both the length of the series and the notoriety its more popular sequel has for just that problem. It's also got a lot of charm that stems from its simplicity and high levels of optimism. Most of the humour also does work well in spite of those moments that are head scratching.

Characters:

The cast of Dragonball isn't a particularly deep or complex one. Although it is functional for what the series is doing. Goku is your dumb but exceedingly powerful hero. Krillin is the former rival turned best friend. Tenshinhan is the bad dude who redeems himself and becomes a good guy. All in all, they are a pretty typical cast. Although I'm not sure how much of that was true in 1984 and how much of it comes from other action writers copying Dragonball. There is one point I do have to definitively give in Dragonball's favour, unlike a lot of western cartoons of the 80s and even 90s it has female characters who aren't there solely to be the token girl character. It has three major female characters, Bulma, Lunch and Chichi and none of them are stereotypically feminine. Bulma has the advantage of doing science and inventing things. Chichi is a strong fighter. Of all of them Lunch comes the closest until she sneezes and her second personality emerges to shoot things.

Art:

There are certainly aspects where the visuals have not aged well. The backgrounds can be sparse at times and the action sequences do resort to motion lines fairly often. However, Toriyama Akira's visual style also has a lot of strengths that still hold up. The distinctive character designs evidenced in this, Chrono Trigger and the Dragon Quest series is probably the foremost of them. All of the major and supporting characters have distinctive and interesting looks, even with Goku's crazy hair. The background characters also look interesting frequently. Particularly all of the random beast people you see running around. There's no explanation for why there are beast people, but I honestly like them. I find their designs quite charming in general. The futuristic technology that shows up looks really good as well. And, in spite of the over-used motion lines, the fight sequences do have a good amount of intensity and the series is really visually appealing overall.

Sound:

There are some really good actors in this series. Nozawa Masako, Furukawa Toshio, Tanaka Mayumi, Tsuru Hiromi & Suzuoki Hirotaka being the most prominent at least in this particular series. The only real issue I have with the acting is that there are times when someone will overly exaggerate. Particularly during moments that are supposed to be shocking. The music is really strong, frequently reinforcing the atmosphere in moments of triumph or moments where things look bad. I especially like the song they play during the first two Budokai tournaments.

Ho-yay Factor:

There's certainly a little. Both because of General Blue and because the cast is predominately male so there are times when they'll interact in a way that seems a bit homo-erotic. There's also a scene where Krillin talks about how another guy is cute, thinking he's a girl. But there isn't much. Blue doesn't have a boyfriend that you ever see and pretty much every major character gets a girlfriend at some point. So the ho-yay factor is going to be a 3/10.

Final Thoughts:

Dragonball isn't one of the greatest anime ever made and it certainly has its share of issues. However, it is a charming series that provides some good fun. If you aren't into long action series, you aren't going to like it. But if you like that type of thing, whether in general or on occasion, check it out. In spite of its occasional cringe worthy scenes, it is definitely a good series. My final rating is going to be a 7/10. Next week, horror anime month begins with a look at Galerians: Rion.

Dragonball is great story of a boy in search of strength, companions, and adventures. Goku, an orphan boy with a tale, is raised by a hermit by the name of Gohan. Gohan is Goku's first master who teaches him of the marshall arts. However, more importantly, sets an example of morals, such as honesty and integrity. Goku personifies these virtous throughout the series, showing some of the great aspects of the Martial Arts.

As You first begin watching dragon ball you see great animation and scenery. ... The characters are drawn rather round, creating an atmosphere of drawing that is aimed towards younger audiences. As the story progresses so does the art. They add more and more detail every episode. Unlike other animes where the animation is great only for key points in the story, Dragonball is a great example for dedication to animation following a constant improvement towards the series.

Sorry to say but the music in this anime is fairly corny. For today's time I should say, but one can't knock it for the time it was created. Even so it works. The music does not get annoying with repetition, which is a big plus.

The character development is not the strongest I've seen in an anime. I believe the development of the main characters is vital for any good story. Short or long. Physically it's great development of all the character, but the mental state of the character does not change greatly. Which I can understand with the perfect 8 year old character it's a bit difficult to improve his way of being.

Dragonball is an anime for all age groups, everyone can enjoy the humble warm hearted Goku, and his innocence to the world that he presents. The foundation for this anime is its' morals. Therefore if you can enjoy a story of the balance mind, body, and soul. If you enjoy the good guy doing the right thing. You cannot go wron with this story.

Overall this is a spectacular anime. I would recommend it to anyone, especially if they are fairly young in their anime experience.

First thing, if you're yet to watch the Dragon Ball series, start here and not with Z

Okay, so I used to watch DBZ as a kid, but I never really followed the story as I only ever watched it in patches. I was more of a pokemon fan when it came to cheeze tv.

So when I wanted to watch the series properly year later, I decided to start from the very beginning and Dragon Ball was without a doubt one of the most enjoyable animes I have watched (probably only second to one piece). The stories were simple and fun, the characters where lovable and ... the show focused more on friendship and adventure than big long power-up fights (although they weren't non existent). The music always got me giddy and the animation was brilliant for a later 80's show. Aimed primarily at kids, the showed featured many seemingly harmless, but somewhat inappropriate scenes that you don't see in today's ''nanny state' enforced kid shows.

So if you're looking for a show that will get you in a good mood and fill you with enjoyment, look no further.

Ok so I didn't grow up with this show so I never really had a childhood attachment to it. And here is my long sordid history and review of this show after watching it twice.
When I was in highschool I heard a lot of good things about it and decided to watch it. I watched all of it. Mostly because of being pressured and everyone telling me that it will get better as I got towards the ends. As soon as I started watching it the first few episodes seemed like they were animated by a very horny crew, which is not necessarily a bad ... thing but was kinda jarring for a show that was supposed to be for kids. But well each person finds their own level of what to expose their children to and well I don't really care for stuff like that anyway. The characters themselves (mostly at least) weren't horny but it sure felt like whoever made it had only one thing on their mind. So much so that they would break the pacing of the story and take me out of it. One minute I watching a kid going on adventure and the next it might turn into hentai. Oh wait no it's back to being an adventure. And I didn't find the story all that interesting in the first place so that kind of jarring disruption to what was supposed to be an adventure story really took all hypothetical enjoyment out of it. Everytime the story flow was broken I would sigh, roll my eyes and endure the rest of the episode so that next time my friends pastered me about it I could say I moved along in the storyline. I didn't really want to be left out of discussions and stuff back then so I grit my teeth and watched all of it but as I got further in the series it got more and more boring to me, and at some point I would put it on as background noise to do homework to, or watch it at 1.25 speed to help the story get along faster. I just wanted to finish it so I can say "Hey I watched it. You must be high on mushrooms or nostalgia because this sucks." And it never got better. That however was not a good way to watch an anime and decide I hated it, afterall maybe I missed some brilliant writing while paying more attention to my homework. But back then I could not get myself to get into it. My attention would drift to other things every few minutes and I often found myself falling asleep to those episodes. Which btw was great considering I had insomnia and this was one of the things helped which made me be a little less reluctant to put on more episodes. I progressed through all 153 episodes in about 8 months (unlike say something like one piece which once I started watching I finished arout 400 episodes in about a month until I caught up, lost so much sleep back then). It took me this long since in-between I would continue to watch shows I enjoyed a lot more and I couldn't really stand to do too many episodes at once anyway. I finished it and hated it, not really able to articulate why. And when my friends asked if I will see a sequel I replied with a horrified no. By then I learned to be more assured in having friendships and being more confident so I didn't do things just to please my friends.

Fast forward years later and me as an adult who is an otaku and a cosplayer. And from every direction many years later I would hear praise to the glorious Dragon Ball and being asked by people to cosplay a character from it. I wasn't particularly against it (it's miraculous ability to help my insomnia left at least some fond memories). My first watchthrough was painful and I could not remember much of what happened in the series at all so I decided to give it another go. As a much older person I might get into it I thought. It's still being talked about so there must be something there. So I sat down and began seriously watching it while also searching for a character I could cosplay. And you know what, my first impression wasn't wrong. It was not my cup of tea. On a more careful watchthrough and after seeing a lot more anime over the years I began to see how much it must have influenced so many of the anime I loved which rose my appreciation of it. But at the same time Dragon Ball itself was a horrible watch for me.

The story was horrible. Not because the concept was not interesting but the pacing really was interrupted too often. As soon as you would feel yourself being pulled into the story something would happen to pull you out of it and make you roll your eyes. The show really was pulling itself apart without deciding what it wanted to be: a fanservice softcore porn or a story of an OP character being and OP character while on adventure with sidekicks. Both are kind of things I enjoyed in a lot of different anime and I even have seen a mesh of those 2 genre before in other things that worked wonderfully together. This show must have been the first to do it as well so I can thank it for starting it all. Yet the tone each of those parts took didn't mesh well together as one cohesive story. It's like a show for 5 years olds everywhere was trying to mix itself with a show for horny single middle aged adults. And I guess not all kinks were worked out yet of that paring.

The art must have been good for it's time, but frankly it did not age well at all. It's not one of those timeless masterpieces. At least not the art.

The soundtrack was ok. It wasn't mismatched at all but there was also nothing that stands out. If you asked me again for any melodies from the show I would be hard pressed to produce any. They were easily forgettable honestly to the point where if you put them on without telling me what anime they were from I would probably not recognize it.

Characters that could have been great were ruined by jarring moments of bad writing. So much of those characters I see in shows and characters that I love, which made it devastating at points how occasionally bad writing could ruin those character for me. The worst was Goku. We all know the trappings of OP character, plot armor and power of feelings. Yet I sometimes enjoy all of those and Goku was ok-ish on that front. But as soon as the fights were over... egh. No words just egh. Does someone out there get a sick enjoyment of putting an innocent kid into these awkwardly adult situations? I would be fine if he was a perv and that was it. Or if the situation weren't as drawn out as they are. Or if he didn't repeat same pervy behaviour over and over and over and over. He gets told it's not ok but apparently at those moments his IQ drops well below retard and he forgets the meaning of all words. No really he goes full retard on us (and you never make your main character go full retard) and does the same thing over and over after being told explicitly that it's not ok to do. And he doesn't get it's pervy but those scenes also go on and on and on to the point they get painfully awkward and it's as if we are getting a wink from those making it and a "get it? get it? get it?" in the middle of the story. Like that one bad storyteller you know who pauses in a middle of the joke to explain the joke to the point you want to scream "YES I GET IT." Yes yes we know it's naughty behaviour oooh. Look at disney.They hide their adult jokes so well that for an innocent viewer it doesn't ruin the experience and for an adult viewer you smirk and move on and the story flow ain't broken. Here every pervy moments gets it's own wink and a moment to process this unbelievably hard concept ooh this should be funny because it's naughty but he is innocent and he does the same dumb invasion of privacy and straight up creep behaviour but it's not his fault he is innocent you know. Yeah we know. The creep is the one who wrote it, not Goku. We get it. You are "ooh so horny".
All the characters were token predictable characters. I could see how they influenced so many of the characters I loved in other anime throughout the years, but being one of the first or few also means getting a lot of things wrong. Other authors saw some good things, took them, improved them. Kudos on being one of the originals but there is a reason phrase new and improved exists. Worst of the character archetypes that really improved and was done better by hundreds of different authors now is the pervert character archetype. We have 3 in this show. The middle aged unattractive perv who we should be grossed out with, the younger attractive perv who we are supposed to root for since he is hot or something, and the old dude perv who is just having fun supposedly (let him have his fun before he dies). As a connoisseur of perverts everywhere those 3 dissapoint me. The ecchi should be fun & consensual. And when it's not we should see the characters get punished for their misbehaviour to uphold social norms or whatever. Anyway ecchi is always better when both sides are perving on each other OR the other side doesn't mind the perving just never reciprocates OR we see the non-consensual perv get his OR it's just in jest so no one takes it seriously. Gotta be one of the 4 and best if all 4 are included for a well rounded pervy character. We get heavily leaning on non-consensual perv who is presented as doing it just in jest and thus no one takes it seriously. There some slaps on the wrist and that's about all we get. The only one we really get to see who gets hurt for perviness is Oolong. And I gotta say the others are on his level but get away with it which makes me kinda sad for Oolong. At least stand your ground on your opinion of perverts. Don't crucify some and protect the others. He deserves equal treatment. And if you think I droned on a lot on proper use and characterization of perviness that's because it's a large part of the show, so I can't without good conscience review it without reviewing how they do on this front.

So due to this and many other issues (among which are inconsistencies in storytelling and the feeling that consequences don't matter ever) I still couldn't enjoy the show. As I said this anime is cross between a fanservice softcore porn for middle aged straight men and adventure tale for all them kiddies of ages around 5. Although honestly due to how it comes off instead of a perfect fusion we get some parts as if they were softcore porn written for 5 year olds or adventures written for those with middle aged crisis. It's a horrifying combo. I have seen it done and I have seen it done well. They must have looked at Dragon Ball, noted everything it has done wrong and fixed it, while making all new problems of their own. And that's ok. Dragon Ball should forever go down in history as work that inspired so many others and for this I appreciate it. But just as you don't go back to a horse-drawn carriage after you gain access to a car, you probably would not be able to enjoy this as I haven't. Leave that to those who have the luck of growing up with it and being given the wonderful ability to look at it through the rose-colored glasses of sentimentality and nostalgia. To a new viewer who already experienced the new and improved models of the many things introduced here it feels like a huge step back. Makes all the ugly things look uglier and all the good things become tarnished by the ugly. Still maybe you are one of those rare people who will enjoy this anyway. Just as there are people who still enjoy black and white silent films.

I didn't enjoy it. I tried, failed, tried again and now can firmly say that not only have I not found who I want to cosplay from this series I am actually not sure I even want to anymore. And I wouldn't recommend this to anyone who has watched a large number of newer anime, because you are likely to run into the same problems as me and 153 episodes is a huge commitment. Just trust me when I say that this is basically the grandpa of the anime you watched. But I am inspired now to see the sequels. I wonder how much they improved on the original and how much the curse of sequels plagues them. I wonder if I might like them better. And I do appreciate it as piece of anime history it is. I disliked it, but respect what it has done and the fact that it inspired a lot of stuff that I absolutely love to bits today. So this review is sort of a thank you letter.

Dragonball is objectively a masterpiece.

Every year or two, I'll rewatch the entire series, never once not being fully entertained.

The original Dragonball, for me, is equally as entertaining as DragonBall Z.

It's also one of the rare cases where I can actually bare a dub, the original English (US I'm assuming) dub.

The only reason anyone would possibly discredit Dragonball would be because of societal influence, to go against the mainstream or because they want to assert that "their favorite show is better than the best."

Dragonball is 100% better than Kai. Hands down. But then again, even GT is better than Kai.

I've been watching the Dragon Ball franchise since it aired in the United States growing up in the 90's and 00's era of Saturday morning cartoons and we didn't even know or use the term "anime" back then. Shows like Dragon Ball Z, Gundam, Yu-Gi-Oh!, and Pokemon are what many 90's kids consider to be what got them into anime! So, with that said, is Dragon Ball a masterpiece? Yes...yes it is. The adventure, the pacing, the characters. Everything about anime today should take lessons on Dragon Ball because it's what defined a generation and everything thats good about storytelling can be found in the ... Dragon Ball franchise. Additionally, I will take it a step further and say that I personally believe Dragon Ball is even better than Dragon Ball Z and I grew up watching Z before I ever watched Dragon Ball which was in my early 20's for the first time! I just feel like with new sequels like Dragon Ball Super that they've shifted away from the adventure that made Dragon Ball shine so much! After sitting down and really binging this show again in the span of a month, I must say that I feel the heart of the franchise will forever be with Dragon Ball as it truly is a mystical adventure!

Ah the amazing and the beginning anime Dragonball, what is there to say.
I recently got recommended to watch this anime by my uncle and immediately found interest in what I saw. I took me a mere 5 days to finish it with eagerness to go onto Dragonball Z. The character build up and friendship is amazing. The follow of the character Goku is truly inspiring with him pursuing his dream. Goku being the main character has many amazing traits like being able to turn enemies into friends, which is something I love to see in an anime. If you haven't already seen this heart ... pumping anime, I recommend you watch it.

The only Con of this anime is that the series is long with many filler episodes, but if you don't mind filler episodes then this anime is definitely for you.

The series that started it all! In my opinon i always liked dragonball more than Z itself. This series was more focused on martial arts than the other series. You also get to know how the whole gang met(goku,krillin,bulma,yamcha,tien etc.) If you have never seen this than there will be alot of surprising things. Like tien yamcha and piccolo where all evil at one time. My favorite villian throughout this series has to be Tien. Seeing him in Dragonball made him my favorite character throughout the dragonball and Z :D By far this is the best anime ever. Good to start watching if you're new ... to anime.

Every time I look back at Dragon Ball all I can think of is nostalgia. Dragon Ball is the purest form of classic anime. It is a part of my childhood and millions of others as well. It has age well and seems to be a base ground and bone structure for most shonen anime of the new generation.

The story is pretty simple but very enjoyable and has great rewatch value. Overtime it does drag a bit, but that doesn't change the fact that its just so hilarious to watch.

The art style is pretty aged now, but during the time it was ahead ... of the pack. The animation was one to grow and as said before it made way for what we call shonen anime today.

The characters were much better in Dragon Ball than its predecessor. Kid Goku was naive but very fun and entertaining to watch. The development for some characters were on point while some could've been better. Most of the show definitely centered around the adventures of Goku and Bulma.

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed Dragon Ball as it is still one of my favorite anime till this day.

This anime was a perfect introduction to the long-lasting Dragonball series that would follow its enormous success in the forms of two sequels Dragonball Z and Dragonball GT.
I first saw Dragonball Z because where I come from this series aired before Dragonball but either way I still enjoyed this original version of the trilogy I saw a few years later.
The story in Dragonball is very good and it appears to have been a huge influence to many more that would be created in the future as would some of the characters and their personalities. Goku was probably the most fun character in this show as ... he is introduced to us as an orphan and does not know anything about the world around him until he meets Bulma. Without spoiling the plot too much I think that in the first season this was the moment that would invoke everyone's interest in the show and get us to appreciate Dragonball for the unique and powerful story that it really has. If you see this anime and really get to enjoy it you will be very much pleased with the sequel Dragonball Z.
I would recommend Dragonball to anyone to anyone interested in the traditional asian style martial-arts. As well as those who enjoy a bit of comedy on the sidelines to the fighting sequences. If you are a fan of Naruto, One Piece, Yuyu Hakusho, Inuyasha, Vampire Knight and Shaman King.
I hope that I have helped anyone who hopes to watch this anime.

-The characters grew ridiculously strong and got stronger every minute.

-The battles became long and monotonous.

-Too much time was wasted in having people stare at each other explaining the plot which wasn't always that interesting.

-The villains got too far fetched (Majin Buu is a great example).

-Several characters lost its importance.

... -You don't like these kind of anime at all.

Except if it's the last one, I think you're probably going to prefer the original DB cause most of these aspects weren't nearly as exaggerated. This show is in its essence an adventure story based on an old Chinese tale called A Journey to the West. It revolves, in this case, around several martial artists so it does contain a lot of fights. What differentiates this show from its successors is that, since this is where it all began, none of the characters were too Godlike to start with. The fights were therefore not only way shorter (a few episodes at max) but also funnier and more interesting. It wasn't all about who's the strongest one? The reason why I prefer DB above DBZ is almost the same one as why I never really liked the English dubbed DBZ. It really became too over the top at one point and I felt like they tried to make the show cooler than it already was.

Dragon ball is a classic. Everyone should start the Dragon ball story with the original anime that started it all. It is about a boy who goes on adventures collecting the famous and sought of dragon balls. The animation is very beautiful and is almost always in a happy mood overall in terms of the characters and environment. The anime balances good comedy and action. The character development is interesting to see as they grow and master new techniques. There are instances of death in the show and it just makes it more interesting as to how Goku who is the little boy, will deal ... with master martial artists, soldiers, demons, and monsters. It is a must watch to see the adventures of one of the best shonen animes out there.

The whole dragon ball series, in my opinion, is so annoyingly repetitive.
Its just full of fights, and fights, and fights, and also theres a hint of FIGHTING in there. Not to mention a lot of shouting, and fights...

The only character development I noticed, were the characters getting stronger, but thats it, its all based on the fighting and shouting.
"I WILL NOT LET YOU DESTROY MY WORLD" was a sick moment when Goku tried defending the whole of earth against Beerus.

Overall i rated it a 5, but decided to keep it to myself to not lower the rating of the anime.
I find the MC (Goku) to ... be:
- Extremely Powerful - Gets Stronger.
- Average IQ.
- High Battle IQ - Has fought for ages.
- Incredibly High Endurance.
- Unlimited Power Potential.

One of the things i was very disappointed by was the repetitive transformation appearances the Saiyans had. They weren't unique at all compared to the other characters' transformations - like Frieza. The Saiyans just changed hair colour/length and got stronger. I honestly wish that they would change it up a bit.

Dragon Ball's anime is one of few anime that manage to make people outside of Japan into anime fans. Until that point the term wasn't common. It's also the series that people believe set all the standards for fighting shonen, which it didn't, but perhaps popularized it.
The Dragon Ball anime is adapting only a part of the Dragon Ball manga. The other part is adapted as Dragon Ball Z which is far more popular but less consistent.
But how do the two shows differ from each other?
Btw, I will use Japanese terms sometimes and the review is written as someone who didn't watch the American dub. ... That is because Dragon Ball outside of America was more faithful to the original even in terms of soundtrack.

Story
Many consider Dragon Ball Z to be a show where badguy appears, threatens the planet, Goku or Gohan get a new form and win. Afterwards the Dragon Balls fix everything taking away all consequences. Well, that is partially true, but Dragon Ball is a little different.
It is about the adventure of the young Son Goku who lived most of his live in the forest until he met Bulma.
Bulma and Goku would go to an adventure seeking the Dragon Balls meeting various people on their way like Yamcha, Puar and Oolong.
But they aren't the only ones after the Dragon Balls as the Pilaf and his underlings are also after them.

The first arc of Dragon Ball is probably the best in terms of storytelling and character dynamic. There are no epic fights and jokes were build up very well. The main appeal is the interaction between the main cast since nobody trusts each other or tries to manipulate them:
- Goku only goes with Bulma to see the outside world, but won't hand her the Dragon Ball
- Bulma uses Goku for protection and intends to take his Dragon Ball for herself. She manipulates Oolong through let's say blackmailing
- Oolong is a selfish pig and just tries to survive. He is pretty much held captive by the later two.
- Yamcha is a bandit who acts as a friend in need but uses Bulma and the others to collect the Dragon Balls for him.
Sadly there are no amazing fights Dragon Ball is usually known for.

The arc after establishes the basic formula of Dragon Ball:
- adventure to hunt Dragon Balls
- Tournament arc
and then these loop.

Besides fighting to become the strongest under the heaven, Goku gets trained by Master Roshi who is considered the strongest human on earth despite him being retired. He fights an army later on, the Red Ribbon Army who have enough resources to make someone like Prince Pilaf shit his pants out of fear. Goku gets trained by God of Martial Arts Korin learning to make the most out of his movement.
Goku would fight otherworldly beings like Mummies, the death and even demons including the Demon King Piccolo who surpasses Master Roshi even in his weakened state in power.
Goku would receive training from the God of Earth also known as Kami learning about moving without thinking.

There were lots of things based on mythology especially considering Dragon Ball started as some kind of parody of Journey to the West but was dropped at some point. But the anime would continue adding stuff in filler like the Gold and Silver brothers.
It certainly is a much better product in terms of quality to the manga especially how the cast gets fleshed out and many wasted characters have their best moments in the anime.

Characters
I talked about some of them somewhat but here a few that stick out.

Goku is the main character pretty much. In the first arc he is more a bystander but after that he becomes the most active. He learns the importance of training. Learns about the world and adapts. It is fun to see Goku react to woman. Or when he saw a TV the first time he thought a man was trapped inside so he broke it. But eventually he understands how the world works around him and even knows how to do basic maths by the time he became a teenager. Goku is also very oblivious to trickery which turns him into victim of pranks of Krillin. It never gets old seeing Goku react to something new or trying a new technique in battle.

Bulma is probably the least likeable character which is also her appeal. She is corrupt and manipulative. She is weak to cute boys which balance out her "intellect" which is pretty much being able to build any device to solve any situation. After the first arc she falls off to the background and becomes pretty much a filler character. She would accompany Goku in a few adventures but otherwise she is just there for comic relief.

Yamcha is another character that fell behind after the first arc. He would still train to take part in tournaments and eventually become Roshi's student. He is pretty much used as a jobber to put over a certain character in tournaments as he loses in a humiliating way. But aside of that Yamcha had some really good moments in filler where he went to an adventure to train under Korin with Krillin, Tenshinhan and Chaotzu.

Oolong is comic relief and another main character that fell off after the first arc. His attempts to escape Bulma's wrath always backfire but he did come in clutch during his arc. After that he just exist as a punching bag.

Master Roshi is the strongest human at the start of the story. He is your average pervert master who always gets punished for peeking. That is why his jokes work since he can't overpower women despite his lust. But behind these funny scenes there is a very wise master. His training is entertaining to watch as he teaches the importance of mundane work and morning workout. Learning how to use tools. Learning math. Learning the importance of rest. There is also some other generic weight lifting training and some stupid things, because it is still a comedy. Roshi has also some of the best fights in the series and whenever he enters the battle, you know shit is real.

You can't talk about Dragon Ball without talking about Kuririn or Krillin. He starts off as a jerk trying to get all the training from Roshi for himself and tricks Goku several times. Eventually he softens up and becomes Goku's best friend. He is one of few characters that get the most involved, but not as much as you would hope.

Tenshinhan or Tien starts off as an antagonist from a rival school. He wants to be like his idol Tao Pai Pai who kills people without mercy and strong. He is one of many characters that turn from bad to evil. And its a nicely done story where he learns to be more confident in his own capabilities instead of relying on others. His redemption arc even goal all through the anime adaptation.

King Piccolo is probably the best villain who actually brought real tension to the story. He killed several martial artist and even rendered the Dragon Balls useless (well... you know...).
He is your average badguy who lies and is just a personification of evil but still on a comical side because its Dragon Ball.
Piccolo Jr is the offspring and a copy of his character at this point. For the humiliation he suffered he wants to beat Goku in a "fair" fight to confirm his dominance as the demon king over the world.

Pilaf Gang are a real highlight of comic relief villain. They are basically Team Rocket from Pokemon before it gets repetitive. Pilaf has great knowledge about the world but his stupid decision making always ends up punishing him and his underlings. But he would never admit that and would ask his underlings to confirm, if they don't give him the answer he wants to hear, he would punish them feeding them to crocodiles.

Lunch is many people's favourite female Dragon Ball character. And in the anime the blond version really shines. She has a split personality which appears when she sneezes. Her blue form is nice and good at cooking, but she is kinda stupid. The blond version is a criminal using guns and other weapons. She will soften up eventually too and has some of the best character interaction.

Art and animation aren't my thing but both are good for the time. The animation is fluid and the action is great. Dragon Ball has some of the best soundtracks like the Piccolo theme.

Enjoyment
Dragon Ball is known for its comedy telling a story about an overpowered kid to beats everyone with little effort. Because action is so loved by many, the author decided to give Goku actually competent opponents. The fights are well choreographed but not as flashy as Dragon Ball Z. But there is far more strategy and martial arts techniques in this which makes it superior to all other Dragon Ball series.
Sadly some jokes didn't age too well because of modern censorship and modern standards in general.
Also characters besides Goku became less proactive or rarely affected the plot. Roshi tried something in the Piccolo arc and failed. Krillin and Yamcha never managed to be helpful to Goku. Yamcha was useful in the first arc but was pretty much irrelevant after that besides being a jobber. Most of the cast exist as comic relief. They started with a good first impression but it seems like the writers didn't know what to do with them. Still better than what the manga did obviously.

Overall
Dragon Ball may not have planet shattering fights and massive explosions all the time. Nor does it have transformation that are used to like in Z, GT or Super.
If you like world building, some good humor and enjoy a kid beat up adults, you will love Dragon Ball.

I missed the opportunity to watch Dragon Ball as a child which both fills me with sadness and happiness. I envy those people who had Dragon Ball impact their early life but I'm also pleased to have had the chance to view the entire series consecutively and without nostalgia to influence my final opinion.

We are starting to live in a politically correct world where entertainment is beginning to stagnate. You want to make some light hearted jokes? Not allowed, someone might be offended. Dragon Ball doesn't care and welcomes jokes and stereotypes without giving a damn. Dragon Ball is the most humour filled Anime that ... I've ever seen and I've laughed incredibly hard over the most simple things.

The story is rather fragmented; consisting of multiple arcs and fillers. The main story isn't really about the Dragon Balls but Goku growing up and becoming continually stronger and making a few friends along the way.

I watched the remastered version which has better colouring. The original colours are very washed out looking in comparison. The art is decent considering the time period.

The sounds are very good. Good OP and decent ED.

The characters are great. Master Roshi and Goku are my two personal favourites.

I really enjoyed this series. I originally began watching it before sleeping to relax but it didn't take long before realizing that I was watching four or five episodes per day. The series is highly addicting and while some arcs can be bad (Muscle Tower... ) it's a really funny Anime with lots of heart.

Story - 7
Art - 5
Sound - 9
Character - 9
Enjoyment - 10
Overall - 8