Introducing Somebody New To Dragon Ball

[KBABZ]

Man if only the entirety of the Full Colour edition of the manga were translated, that'd be an incredibly experience for a first-timer.

I think they're going to release 3 volumes each year so we'll eventually get it.

They should do what Sueisha did and just cut to the chase on this one. This feels like when webcomics decide to do long story arcs but stick to the page-a-week schedule!

[Ripper 30]

Ask him to either start with Dragon Ball Manga chapter 1 or if he wants an anime experience then ask him to Watch it from original Dragon Ball, then Dragon Ball Z. Then it's up to him if he wants to Watch GT or Super. I would recommend Japanese version to him.

[Desassina]

If you're going to introduce him to DB Super, then watch DB Kai and the Final Chapters before getting into the former, and read the original manga to get a feel for Akira Toriyama's own style, because Toyotaro is attempting it with an adaptation of DB Super, as the manga and the anime are just as important to the story. Otherwise, and in case you want to get the 80/90s feel of a Dragon Ball/DBZ broadcast, watch everything related to it in Japanese by order of release.

[DragonBallKing]

You could try to get them to watch OG DB in japanese but if the person doesn't watch much subtitled movies or anime chances are they won't care enough about watching a cartoon in Japanese. If I was to introduce someone I could probably tolerate watching it's dub as long we watch kai after Dragon Ball.

[Super_Divine_Genki]

Looking at the original air dates(JPN), the Bardock TV Special aired the week before DBZ #64 (the Vegeta VS ReaCoome ep.) after there had been a two week break. The Trunks TV Special aired the week after DBZ #175 (everyone first gathering at the Cell Games) before the main story resumed the following week. Just a FYI, not saying that's the totally correct way to view them.

With Kai, it removed most of what made the build-up in the Saiyajin arc so good, but mostly fixed what made the pacing starting with everyone VS Freeza onward so bad. With the in-house English dub in the mix.... I have no idea.

For the anime: Dragon Ball English dub in-full, or the 'Recut' that was mentioned. Saban/Ocean dub for Z (Eps. 1-53), and then Kai from there to the conclusion of the Freeza arc. It will all flow seamlessly.


... read that last part as a joke.

[shadowmaria]

Hi everybody!

Thanks for all your input.

My friend has started watching Dragon Ball, and gotten through all 153 episodes of Dragon Ball so far.

He's watching the blue, FUNimation blocks in English (he hates subtitles and does not wish to read the manga or watch it in Japanese).

Next he'll be onto the four Dragon Ball movies, which I've already told him are non-canon

Then we'll move to Dead Zone, followed by the FUNimation orange blocks with the movies sprinkled in roughly where they would take place. Bardock would be after Frieza's true obliteration of Vegeta is revealed, and Trunks after the #17 and #18 reveal.

Then we'll move into BOG/ResF, then GT, including A Hero's Legacy, and then go back and watch all of Super

Super is happening last to allow as much of the dub to be released as absolutely possible.

[DragonBallKing]

Hi everybody!

Thanks for all your input.

My friend has started watching Dragon Ball, and gotten through all 153 episodes of Dragon Ball so far.

He's watching the blue, FUNimation blocks in English (he hates subtitles and does not wish to read the manga or watch it in Japanese).

Next he'll be onto the four Dragon Ball movies, which I've already told him are non-canon

Then we'll move to Dead Zone, followed by the FUNimation orange blocks with the movies sprinkled in roughly where they would take place. Bardock would be after Frieza's true obliteration of Vegeta is revealed, and Trunks after the #17 and #18 reveal.

Then we'll move into BOG/ResF, then GT, including A Hero's Legacy, and then go back and watch all of Super

Super is happening last to allow as much of the dub to be released as absolutely possible.

If your watching in English why wouldn't you show him Kai? Just skip the opening with Bardock to avoid spoilers.

[shadowmaria]

Hi everybody!

Thanks for all your input.

My friend has started watching Dragon Ball, and gotten through all 153 episodes of Dragon Ball so far.

He's watching the blue, FUNimation blocks in English (he hates subtitles and does not wish to read the manga or watch it in Japanese).

Next he'll be onto the four Dragon Ball movies, which I've already told him are non-canon

Then we'll move to Dead Zone, followed by the FUNimation orange blocks with the movies sprinkled in roughly where they would take place. Bardock would be after Frieza's true obliteration of Vegeta is revealed, and Trunks after the #17 and #18 reveal.

Then we'll move into BOG/ResF, then GT, including A Hero's Legacy, and then go back and watch all of Super

Super is happening last to allow as much of the dub to be released as absolutely possible.

If your watching in English why wouldn't you show him Kai? Just skip the opening with Bardock to avoid spoilers.

A couple of reasons;

1. I don't own Kai
2. He wants to watch the anime as originally produced in the 80's and 90's

[DragonBallKing]

Hi everybody!

Thanks for all your input.

My friend has started watching Dragon Ball, and gotten through all 153 episodes of Dragon Ball so far.

He's watching the blue, FUNimation blocks in English (he hates subtitles and does not wish to read the manga or watch it in Japanese).

Next he'll be onto the four Dragon Ball movies, which I've already told him are non-canon

Then we'll move to Dead Zone, followed by the FUNimation orange blocks with the movies sprinkled in roughly where they would take place. Bardock would be after Frieza's true obliteration of Vegeta is revealed, and Trunks after the #17 and #18 reveal.

Then we'll move into BOG/ResF, then GT, including A Hero's Legacy, and then go back and watch all of Super

Super is happening last to allow as much of the dub to be released as absolutely possible.

If your watching in English why wouldn't you show him Kai? Just skip the opening with Bardock to avoid spoilers.

A couple of reasons;

1. I don't own Kai
2. He wants to watch the anime as originally produced in the 80's and 90's

Fair enough I guess, will you watch with Kikuchi.

I don't really get the mindset behind your second point If he's not watching the Japanese version.

[Super_Divine_Genki]

My friend has started watching Dragon Ball, and gotten through all 153 episodes of Dragon Ball so far.

After having watched the entire Dragon Ball anime, what are your friends' general impressions? Were there notable standout moments/arcs? A favorite character that is not named Son Goku? What does he think of the original Kikuchi score?

If he is continuing with the story, I'd assume that he enjoyed Goku's childhood adventures.

(he hates subtitles and does not wish to read the manga or watch it in Japanese).

You need to let him know that what he's watching (FUNi's version) is vastly different than the original intended version. Some/most characterizations have been completely altered, and the Z script is a complete re-write in a lot of places,etc.

2. He wants to watch the anime as originally produced in the 80's and 90's

With the 'Orange Brick' sets, he will be watching the series with a highly tampered with video quality. It's understandable, since those are, by far, the cheapest way of owning the entire series. He probably wouldn't know the differences unless he had something to compare it to.

So, with Z, he will be getting a bad picture plus a lot of re-written script. Ouch! It should mostly suffice for a new-comers first run-through. The gist of it is there... kinda (very inexperienced voice acting incoming!).

... I think.


BTW: Will you be keeping the original Kikuchi score for Z?

[Kaboom]

Then we'll move to Dead Zone, followed by the FUNimation orange blocks with the movies sprinkled in roughly where they would take place. Bardock would be after Frieza's true obliteration of Vegeta is revealed, and Trunks after the #17 and #18 reveal.

Please, please, please do not use the horridly-inaccurate English dub of Z to introduce a new fan. No matter how "anti-subs" he is for whatever misguided reason, that's not the way to go. Watching Z in English via the Orange Bricks is literally the worst and most misleading possible way to experience the series (outside of even wonkier foreign dubs), both in visual and narrative terms.

Use literally any other English-language representation of that part of the series. Kai in English, subtitled Japanese Z, Viz's release of the manga. Anything. We have so many options now that we didn't have back in the 90's when this shit-show of an excuse for an English dub was the only readily available choice. If nothing else, then have the subtitles on while watching in English so he can at least maybe gleam what the characters are really saying once in a while.

If it's the English Z dub or nothing, then your friend is better off with nothing.

[KBABZ]

Personally I find it a bit strange that Kai is completely inaccessible. Is it not even available on any streaming services?

[DragonBallKing]

Personally I find it a bit strange that Kai is completely inaccessible. Is it not even available on any streaming services?

It just goes to show how little the casual audience cares for accuracy and voice acting.

[Kaboom]

Personally I find it a bit strange that Kai is completely inaccessible. Is it not even available on any streaming services?

Funimation would almost certainly have it for streaming, but most likely requiring a subscription.

[KBABZ]

Personally I find it a bit strange that Kai is completely inaccessible. Is it not even available on any streaming services?

It just goes to show how little the casual audience cares for accuracy and voice acting.

I'm gonna give the OP the benefit of the doubt as going for the late 90s FUNi dub seems to be rather intentional and calculative. I get the desire to watch the show in one's native language being a dub-over-sub kinda guy myself (unless it's truly horrific, like Run Lola Run), and his friend does sound like he wants to see the show as it was "back in the day" as opposed to the slightly more modernized take that Kai has.

Personally though I still think it should be Recut > Kai > Final Chapters for a first-timer.

Personally I find it a bit strange that Kai is completely inaccessible. Is it not even available on any streaming services?

Funimation would almost certainly have it for streaming, but most likely requiring a subscription.

Ahh, but is he American? I live in NZ so I can't view any of Funimation's anime streams.

[DragonBallKing]

Personally I find it a bit strange that Kai is completely inaccessible. Is it not even available on any streaming services?

It just goes to show how little the casual audience cares for accuracy and voice acting.

I'm gonna give the OP the benefit of the doubt as going for the late 90s FUNi dub seems to be rather intentional and calculative. I get the desire to watch the show in one's native language being a dub-over-sub kinda guy myself (unless it's truly horrific, like Run Lola Run), and his friend does sound like he wants to see the show as it was "back in the day" as opposed to the slightly more modernized take that Kai has.

Personally though I still think it should be Recut > Kai > Final Chapters for a first-timer.

So even season 3 or 4 doesn't qualify as a horrific dub in your eyes?

[KBABZ]

It just goes to show how little the casual audience cares for accuracy and voice acting.

I'm gonna give the OP the benefit of the doubt as going for the late 90s FUNi dub seems to be rather intentional and calculative. I get the desire to watch the show in one's native language being a dub-over-sub kinda guy myself (unless it's truly horrific, like Run Lola Run), and his friend does sound like he wants to see the show as it was "back in the day" as opposed to the slightly more modernized take that Kai has.

Personally though I still think it should be Recut > Kai > Final Chapters for a first-timer.

So even season 3 or 4 doesn't qualify as a horrific dub in your eyes?

I'm guessing you took my post extremely literally and that Seasons 3 and 4 came out after 1999? Oops, should have worded that better.

[shadowmaria]

Personally I find it a bit strange that Kai is completely inaccessible. Is it not even available on any streaming services?

Not in Australia

I have attempted to purchase Kai recently as I hold an interest in watching it, however it's not available at a supplier level.

[Super Saiyan Swagger]

Personally I find it a bit strange that Kai is completely inaccessible. Is it not even available on any streaming services?

Not in Australia

I have attempted to purchase Kai recently as I hold an interest in watching it, however it's not available at a supplier level.

The DVD collections of Kai are available to purchase on Madman's website, but you're purchasing it all separately rather than in one neat box set. There used to be a nifty Blu-ray and DVD collection set of Kai up to Episode 98 available, but it's no longer in stock. You might be able to find it on eBay. I was super lucky to find the Blu-ray collection at my local JB-Hi-Fi a few years back and bought that sucker the moment I laid eyes on it.

I really do wish that they would just stream the damn show on AnimeLab or something.

[KBABZ]

The DVD collections of Kai are available to purchase on Madman's website, but you're purchasing it all separately rather than in one neat box set. There used to be a nifty Blu-ray and DVD collection set of Kai up to Episode 98 available, but it's no longer in stock. You might be able to find it on eBay. I was super lucky to find the Blu-ray collection at my local JB-Hi-Fi a few years back and bought that sucker the moment I laid eyes on it.

Man that looks awesome! I wish I had that!