How would you introduce Dragon Ball to Gen Alpha?

[Majin Buu]

To those concerned about starting with Pre-Z because of the pacing: Assuming you're using the anime for this, why not curate your own personal selection of episodes that gets across the essential stuff while skipping all the non-essential stuff that bogs down the pacing? It wouldn't be easy, but it seems like a better alternative than outright skipping the entire first half of the story and I'd imagine the work would be worth it if you're invested in the idea of your kids getting into Dragon Ball (assuming there's a possibility of them liking it to begin with).

Dragon Ball Ireland said he wished they had made a Kai version for Pre-Z Dragon Ball. Well, this would effectively be DIYing it.

Of course, when the series brushes on certain topics that I don't athletics of, I would likely just tell them how terrible that character was for doing what they did, but that's about it. I think that as long as the parent teaches their kids general right from wrong, they'll be fine. I have an older brother and definitely have been watching things that were highly inappropriate for my age. Rated R movies at 6, playing GTA 1 at 9, etc. And yet, I never once thought to go out shooting people or harassing women (even if 90's culture was radically different in its views on women). I mean, just look at how women were portrayed in late 90s wrestling, etc. So, my hope is that as long as I generally teach my kids right from wrong, they won't be picking up life lessons from an old cartoon. I also feel like it might be good to get ahead of that train in a controlled environment than to shelter them from all controversial media and having them stumble onto it themselves as teens or young adults. Because, let's face it, they will come across crazy things in their lives and I would rather have built a foundation for them on how to view and handle those things properly.

This. This is how you counteract the problematic aspects of Dragon Ball for younger viewers/readers getting into it (and how you address problematic aspects in media with kids in general).

It'd be better if that stuff wasn't there to begin with, but it is there, and this is the best way to address it.

[MasenkoHA]

I'm kind of at a loss why og Dragon Ball is too long at 153 episodes (and you really don't need to watch those final 5 episodes the actual ending is episode 148) but Dragon Ball Kai at 167 episodes is just right. Not saying someone should watch all 153 episodes, just that I don't see how that's somehow more tedious than Kai.

I'm inclined to agree with 90sDBZ that the first thirteen episodes aren't the best representation of the original series and I would probably recommend just skipping ahead to episode 14 (The Legend of Shen Long is a decent enough truncated replacement for the first arc if deemed necessary, albeit not perfect since it lacks Chi Chi, the Pilaf Gang, and Goku turning into Oozaru) the Dr.Slump 3 part crossover can also probably be skipped since it's basically just "Hey remember Toriyama's earlier series?" The one you probably never saw if you didn't live in a country that aired it? You can probably also skip the Popo training arc since it's so dull.


Alternatively, if you think the Red Ribbon arc is too long and poorly paced you can probably have someone watch Path to Power to replace the first arc and Red Ribbon arc, then watch the 21st Tenkaichi Budokai arc then skip to the Tenshinhan arc and go from there.

[Zephyr]

Personally, I think advising anyone to skip Tao Pai Pai is a crime.

[Majin Buu]

Personally, I think advising anyone to skip Tao Pai Pai is a crime.

Agreed. Not only is he a great villain, he has connections to the Crane School so knowing that he's a morally bankrupt assassin provides context for why Tenshinhan is going down the wrong path when he's introduced.

[Zephyr]

Agreed. Not only is he a great villain, he has connections to the Crane School so knowing that he's a morally bankrupt assassin provides context for why Tenshinhan is going down the wrong path when he's introduced.

Yeah, it's also treated as a big reveal when Chaozu uses the Dodonpa and everyone, including Jackie Chun, are amazed that Goku took down the world's greatest assassin. After the Crane Hermit learns his brother's dead, he tells Chaozu to kill Kuririn, suggesting that he wants revenge on the Turtle School.

[super michael]

Another way to introduce Dragon Ball is by reading the manga. Normally read is good, so why not get into Dragon Ball by reading the manga.

There is Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Super manga. There is Dragon Ball Minus: Departure of the Fated Child.
I almost forgot Dragon Ball Z Yo Son Goku Ova, there is a manga version also.

[Hellspawn28]

Viz's manga translations are not very good. You can tell they were done in the 90s with Goku being like "What's up bro" in the first chapter.

[Soppa Saia People]

Viz has issues but I don't think Wazzup Bro is that indicative of their issues, unless I'm just totally missing something, and I know people like Herms have always said it's a perfectly fine, and frequently good translation.

[GhostEmperorX]

Personally speaking, just watching it for the first time (on episode 102), there's absolutely nothing wrong with OG DB's pacing, and it moves quite quickly. Red Ribbon was no problem at all, and nothing feels too long or dragged out. For the icing on the cake, the score feels perfectly in place every step of the way, not once has it been a downer.

Also, I could get past the crossover episode without much issue. Strategy is just to watch it as a Toei production that had a lot of the same staff working on it. Perhaps it's because I've seen a lot of anime from around that time period by now.

Overall it's nowhere near the slog like Z could be at times (helps that it didn't go overboard with movies). Literally no reason to skip it, production order all the way.

[MasenkoHA]

Viz has issues but I don't think Wazzup Bro is that indicative of their issues, unless I'm just totally missing something, and I know people like Herms have always said it's a perfectly fine, and frequently good translation.

Wazzup bro comes off less country bumpkin and more "laid back stoner kid". Yeah it's fitting for Goku being informal and not much for grammar but it doesn't really read as something Goku would say