How To Get Into The 'Dragon Ball' Series

TV & Film

Sep 20

The Dragon Ball franchise is not only one of the most well-known anime franchises of all time but also one of the most influential. Akira Toriyama created a masterpiece that has not only stood the test of time but has also inspired most of our current anime series. The only real problem with the franchise is that if you didn’t get started when you were younger, it can be really difficult to understand where you should start. With more than 800 episodes, 19 movies, and four different series, with a fifth one arriving next month, it can feel overwhelming trying to choose which series you should start with as a new fan. Let’s take a look at a few ways that you can get started that will hopefully allow you to fall in love with the franchise like the rest of us!

Understand Canon & Know Your Preferences

One of the most important things to understand about the Dragon Ball franchise is that not everything is canon. Dragon Ball GT was created without Toriyama, so the story in that series is irrelevant to the rest of the franchise. You can watch this show if you want, but it isn’t necessary. The movies all play into the canon, but most of them are explained in the show itself, so you don’t have to actually watch the films. The only movie that is really important to watch is Dragon Ball Z: The History of Trunks. This film helps you to understand a major plot point in the middle of the Dragon Ball Z series.

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The newest film, Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, is a great movie, but we aren’t sure yet how important the events in the film will be, so you can choose to watch this one or wait. When it comes to the series, the most important decision you should make is: do you prefer low stakes, funny adventures, or do you want all action with pretty high stakes? If you prefer funnier adventures, then starting with the OG Dragon Ball series is going to be the best. This series is fun, and you don’t get to the higher stakes until later in the show. If you prefer action, then you might get bored with the original series, so you should start with Dragon Ball Z. The best thing about the franchise is that they give exposition throughout, so you will never be lost if you choose to skip the OG series.

Time Commitment

There is no denying that getting into the Dragon Ball fandom is going to take a time commitment, no matter where you start in the franchise. If you want to try out the show without committing too much, then you should start with the newest series and watch Dragon Ball Super first. This series has a different animation style and fewer episodes but has the heart of the OG series and the action of Dragon Ball Z. They will give exposition during this series, too, so you won’t be lost if you choose to start here.

If you want to commit a little bit more but don’t want to go all in, it would probably be best to watch a few of the films and then go straight into Super. This is another way to get to know the characters and the story without having to commit too much. Dragon Ball has 153 episodes, Dragon Ball Z has 277 episodes, and Dragon Ball Super has 131 episodes.

Final Thoughts

I personally started my Dragon Ball fandom with the original series, and to this day, it is still my favorite. I think that each of the series, aside from Dragon Ball GT, offers something fun and unique for viewers. I wish that I could say that everyone should start with the OG series, but if you are not a big fan of super funny and silly anime, then it might sour you on the franchise as a whole. The Dragon Ball franchise has something for everyone, but it is really important that you start your journey in a way that works best for you and that you don’t worry about how anyone else started their journey.

You can stream Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball GT, Dragon Ball Super, and most of the movies on Crunchyroll.

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