20 years ago today, the final "Dragon Ball Z" aired

[DB1984]

20 years ago today, on Wednesday January 31, the 291st and final episode of the show aired at 7:00 p.m. in Japan on Fuji TV. It was titled Even Stronger!! Goku’s Dream is Super-Huge, and it was adapted from the second half of the 519th and final chapter of the original Manga, Bye Bye, Dragon World. It was eventually dubbed in English and released in the United States 7 years later as Goku's Next Journey.

After that final shot of Goku and Uub flying away, it was then followed by this preview (link below) for next week's premiere of the non-Manga based Dragon Ball GT, and then followed by, for the 291st and final time, the DBZ end credits.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ubx6sbSKKBg

[FortuneSSJ]

Dan Dan Kokoro Hikareteku will always be the best main theme that Dragon Ball ever had. My favourite Opening of all time.
The Portuguese version is treated like a anthem over here.

[Vijay]

It was a glorious episode. Beautifully animated & Goku vs Uub was choreographed very well, highlightin Uub's potential to be Goku's successor

I know TOEI can be cheap, but boy they spent lavishly for this final episode. Every character stayed on-model (on par to Tadayoshi Yammamuro) which still leaves me scratchin my head just who were the key animators/directors was. Saying DBZ Ep 291 had a movie-quality budget wouldnt be an understatement

In short, I respect how TOEI treated this final episode (compared to some long-running shows as Inuyasha/FMA/HXH/Rurourin Kenshin that ended without a conclusive ending/anime branched off frm manga & formed its own arcs).

Goku's legacy lives on!

[Lord Beerus]

I always loved how the ending carries such a "And The Adventure Continues" kind of feel. I always prefer an open ending to any story generally because if the time ever came that you felt inspired, you could always revisit the story again and have even grander adventures and tales. The final episode really makes you feel as though Dragon Ball could go on forever.

[UltimateHammerBro]

20 years? Oh my. Me being born in the GT era and not in the Z era was just a matter of weeks

[Soppa Saia People]

Cool my sister was born on the final episode of Z.

[sintzu]

Whenever an anime or manga reaches it's conclusion it usually means it's over but with DB it kept going and now the doors are wide open for years worth of stories.

LONG LIVE DRAGON BALL.

[DBZAOTA482]

It was a really well animated episode and nicely-choreographed fight not surprisingly for the last episode of DBZ... too bad the ending itself wasn't so great.

Oh and I was born around the 6th episode of GT. Fuck.

[Pokewhiz7]

20 years? Oh my. Me being born in the GT era and not in the Z era was just a matter of weeks

Baby the GT character transformed into a Great Ape the same day baby me was born: January 29, 1997. True story.

[Kuririn Fan]

I was born 2 days after Z #282.
Hopefully these GT dates won't be a jinx for Super.

[Hellspawn28]

I guess fans didn't know the disappointment that they would be in for GT like a week before started .

[Vijay]

I guess fans didn't know the disappointment that they would be in for GT like a week before started .

And the rating shows

GT's peak (in terms if rating, which basically reflects viewership) was its Ep 1 & 2.

Coming off hot-wheels of Z, I think its fair enough of Japanese fans to have some expectations for GT. By Ep 10, the ratings sunk lol

[ShadowBardock89]

Ironically enough, September 13 of this year will mark the 20th anniversary of the original English dub's air date. Which makes me wonder why FUNimation did not release the Rock the Dragon set this year?

Since everyone is giving away their age, I was born when DBZ episode 5 aired in Japan.

[Hellspawn28]

I was 4 and half years old in January 1996.

[precita]

Wow, you guys saying you were kids or just born when this ep airs makes me feel old.

I was already 10 years old, playing the Super Nintendo, seeing Toy Story 1 in theaters, and being a massive TMNT fan. Man you guys missed out on the 90's.

[Darkton]

3 years old. In just a couple more years, I would be watching the original Z dub on Toonami.

[Hellspawn28]

Ironically enough, September 13 of this year will mark the 20th anniversary of the original English dub's air date. Which makes me wonder why FUNimation did not release the Rock the Dragon set this year?

I hope they will reissue it for maybe this year. While DBZ came out in 1996, I didn't know what Dragon Ball was until 1997 when I saw the first four episodes of the Ocean voice cast for the Pilaf saga.

Wow, you guys saying you were kids or just born when this ep airs makes me feel old.

I was already 10 years old, playing the Super Nintendo, seeing Toy Story 1 in theaters, and being a massive TMNT fan. Man you guys missed out on the 90's.

I feel the same way since the people born in 1996 are now 20. They where in the 5th grade while I was still in High School. I was born in 1991, so I have found memories of the mid and late 90's. I can remember things better than most people in my age group does. I still remember seeing Toy Story, Lion King, Batman Forever, Space Jam and Casper in theaters. I remember playing on the Sega Genesis and I do remember the old days of anime on TV and VHS like on the Sci-Fi channel.

[Sun Wukong]

Whenever an anime or manga reaches it's conclusion it usually means it's over but with DB it kept going and now the doors are wide open for years worth of stories.

LONG LIVE DRAGON BALL.

AMEN! To that!

[Puaru]

I was born on the exact date that the very first Dragon Ball movie, Curse of the Blood Rubies, came out in Japan on December 20 1986.

On an another note, no offense to those of you born a few years into the 90's, but personally I cannot really consider anyone a TRUE 90's kid if you aren't old enough to remember the Ninja Turtles craze of the early part of the decade. I don't think any other kid phenomenon at any other point during the decade was as big as TMNT was between maybe 1990-1993 (except MAYBE Pokemon during the late 90's, but that's a big maybe).

[Mnich]

I was born two months before "Broly - Second Coming". So you know ... KAKAROTTOOOOOOO!!!

If we're talking about Z episodes, then I was born 5 days after episode 218 . I hope Dragon Ball will be on top for another 20 years.