The original needs more love.
Summary:
- Many fans start Dragon Ball with Z, which is the most popular installment.
- Technically, it’s standalone, but you miss out on the original this way.
- In the West, many fans were not even aware that Z was a sequel when they watched it.
The Dragon Ball franchise has arguably been the most influential anime of all time. It shaped the childhoods of millions of people around the world. Being one of the most important battle shounen works out there, it still attracts new fans despite the original releasing back in the 1980s.
For many, however, the defining series was Dragon Ball Z — which is still the most popular part of the franchise up to date. It has been commonly assumed that it’s the best way to get into the franchise.
After all, the tone of DBZ and many of its characters are iconic to the series. Only that this makes you skip the original Dragon Ball, and you really shouldn’t be doing that.
The Original Might Be Weird
Yes, technically, Dragon Ball Z doesn’t require the original. It introduces the characters fairly well, and its story doesn’t rely much on things from the original that don’t get mentioned for the new viewers.
And, after all, many kids in the world started with Z, and that was perfectly fine — the anime still got as popular worldwide as if it were the first part.
The original Dragon Ball series can often be seen as odd. Its humor didn’t exactly age well, and while it isn’t just a comedy, it definitely had more goofy moments than later installments. In general, it isn’t as high-stakes as Z or Super, but that’s a part of its charm.
It’s Still Worth Watching
Think about it for a second: for any other anime, people will tell you to watch it in its proper order. For Dragon Ball, many decide to start with Z — it just doesn’t make much sense. Yes, Z explains most of the plot points sufficiently — but the original is needed for a full experience.
One of the most common criticisms for the franchise is how Goku is too overpowered, and his wins sometimes feel undeserved. Well, the original series is about him growing stronger — he very much deserves his wins if you see the training he went through initially.
Besides, the original Dragon Ball is iconic in its own way. If you start with it, you get to see how the franchise evolved over the years, changing genres slowly.
Some fans blame the Western licensors for showing Z on TV — and later, Kai and Super — without indicating that they are sequels. Some streaming services even have them without the prequels, which is probably where the notion of every installment being standalone comes from.
Overall, there has been so much content over the years that it’s hard to figure out where to start from, but starting from the beginning is never a bad idea.