How old were you when you got into Dragon Ball?

[sangofe]

Lemme think...In about... 87? or so? I was about 5 years old, right before we moved back from France to Norway.

[MajinVegeta25]

Well I was a late bloomer I started watching in 2001. The first episode I saw was the one where Vegeta is taunting Second-Form Cell. I was a dubbie for 4 years, but then I was turned to the light of the Japanese version by DaizenshuuEX! So I was 11 when I started watching, now I'm 15. It's great to be a DB Fan.

[Mr. Announcer]

9 years old I believe. Been watching since the series began in the US and around the time when it started on the I channel. Wasn't a huge addict until about 2000 though.

[Akira]

Oh man, I'm sooooo gonna "date" myself answering this.XD First exposure to anything Dragonball was in 1995 with YTV's brief showing of the first 13 episodes. I just remember thinking what a crazy and amusing little Japanese cartoon it was. Then I forgot about it since nothing else was shown until 1998 and I recognized DBZ right away as being from the same series. I mean, Goku's hair is a dead giveaway after all.XD I recognized Buruma and Yamucha too.That's when my fandom really kicked in. I was 20 back in '95' so you do the math people.

I had a nearly identical experience. Except where I live, it was coming on at 2pm on Fox back then. I was home sick from school one day watching TV in my room. I was 14 at the time. I thought it was a humerous, even a little bit wierd program. But it had enough elements to keep me watching. After two days of being sick, I set the VCR to tape it every day. I watched it through twice, and kept tuning in. Roshi had promised to train Goku, and he said he was leaving the rest to go do that. I wanted to see what happened next, but nothing ever came, and the show dropped off the air not long after that.

Eventually, when I was 17 or so I came in from school one day and dropped on the couch and was watching TV with my sister. She was flipping through the channels and I saw Goku. She flipped right past it. I yelled, "Hey wait, go back, quick!" she got mad and ignored me so I took the remote by force and went back to see what it was. There was Goku fighting another guy with a tail like the one he used to have and this green alien guy was helping him. I had no idea what was going on, but I started to figure it out when they cut to Bulma and the others. I recognized them as the characters from that show I'd watched a few years before and really liked. I didn't know what the show was called at first. I thought it was just more Dragonball. When they went to comercial, they said "We'll be right back in a moment".

They showed a CN made flashcard that said "Dragonball Z" but the font was wierd and had rounded edges. So I thought, for the duration of that first episode I saw that I was watching something called "Dragonball 2".

It wasn't until the end of the episode and the narrator said "Next time, on Dragonball ZEE" that I realized I'd mistaken a "Z" for a "2". I laugh about that now, but I can see how I made that mistake.

I watched every day after that, and tracked down a bunch of fansubs of DB so I could see what all I'd missed out on. Good times.

[Sebastian (SB)]

I was born in 1985 in Spain. I first learned of Dragonball at the age of 4 in 1989. It's been a long-running fandom since then! Dragonball is something I hold really dear, like all those people that still feel great love for TMNT or Transformers.

YES!!!.....*ahem* My first exposure to "Dragon Ball" was through "Dragon Ball Z" when it was airing in 96' on Cartoon Network. I was at my grandmother's house flipping through channels on a saturday 11-12 midnight when I saw a very obscure show with a spiky black haired kid (Son Gohan) getting tortured and beaten the s**t out of by some dude with spiky hair & weird armor (Vegeta). I was suprised, shocked, & enchanted by its level of violence (though later on in my fandom I've learned to like it for more meaningful & significant reasons). The artwork also attracted me to the show. So everytime I would to my grandmother's house I would watch DBZ for this period of time, until they stopped showing it I believe or I just lost interest (for some reason).

On top of it all, I didn't have Cartoon Network where I lived (or at least I thought I didn't). Then in about early 2001 (which when about Toonami started airing the 72 episode Cell arc season) my friend from my private school mentioned this Japanese animation he was watching (I was more or less aware of Japanese cartoons at the time through Sailor Moon & Pokemon) called "DBZ". He highly recommended that I watch it because it was after period of time after Son Goku achieved the Super Saiya-jin form & I was fully aware of DBZ through previous viewings. I found CN on my basic cable (as so it seems), so from there on out I watched every episode. I found a new & deep interest in the series.

I became addicted & wanted to get every piece of information of the series, every video game, & every VHS I could get hands on. It was about 2002 that I first saw the Japanese version through Movies (Fansubs) 7, 8, 9, 11, 12, & 13. I found a more deeper interest. Now my goal was to get whatever fansubs I could get my hands on. My first exposure to the manga was when I bought a "Viz Graphic Novel" for $12.95. I liked the artwork but I was still more of a fan of the series at the time. I further read into the manga when Shonen Jump premiered in the states & found more interest in the manga.

I went to my second anime convention at AnimeNEXT 04' when I saw a DB 20th Anniversary Panel runned here by the people of Daizex. I remember Mike (or someone) passing out some slips in order to go on with his presentation. He was showing his "Daizenshuus", "Animation Guide Books", "Kanzenbans", & "CDs". I was amazed by these things as I've never seen them in my life. So onward I went to visit their site. I browsed through sources & sources of information . I became more of a fan then ever before. Shortly after some time, I joined the forums, started purchasing Tankobons, & now I'm here as I type to you my long story in how it took for me to get into DB time & time again.

EDIT: Oh! (wow maybe next time I should look at the topic title) I was about 9 when I first saw "DragonBall Z". I really became involved as a fan when I was 14.

[Hao_Kaiser]

Eh, I must've been 9 or 10. I watched my first episode (some random Nappa episode) at my Grandmothers on Toonami. 6 years later and a bunch of money thrown at FUNi, and here we are.

[Brad Redfield]

Hmmm...I was about ten or eleven (I'm twenty right now.) when I first saw DBZ around 1997 or so. The local Fox station played the Namek saga at noon with two episodes per week. The first glimpse I had of DBZ was the Namek filler where Gohan and Kuririn fought those squid things. The art style interested me so I watched the next weekend and became hooked. I imported some of the Super Battle Collection figures and constantly rewatched the recorded episodes. Everything was great...until they began the reruns. Then it dissapeared.

So a few years later when FUNi began to dub and release DBZ on its own, I was relieved to know there would be more episodes. Then I saw the original japanese version on an old fansub tape and I've never went back since.

[DaemonCorps]

Cool, a topic in which all of its comments are actually interesting (for once)!

Well, I was first introduced to DBZ in either 4th or 5th grade, so that would be 2000/2001-ish, since my birthday's in late Novembaer. Anywho, I wasn't really into the series at first, with all of the violence and whatnot, but my friend at the time was incredibly into it. Since he carpooled with me in the morning and came a little early, he would bring what he taped of (what I rememner to be) some of the Android Saga through the Cell Games (:shock:) that he taped off of the International Channel. Keeping in mind that the I Channel only airs DBZ once a week, that's a helluva long time to be devoted to something. But the thing was I still flinched at the smallest of punches, but like you all, I hardened my heart and became used to the violence .

Anyways, the only things I knew from the series was from the stuff that those punks over at Pojo had (which was the best thing at the time)... but then I discovered DaizEX (that would be the next year so... 2002 I guess). It was through these two sources that I learned of GT as well as DB and that a manga that came out before their anime series. I also saw some early Namek episodes on CN, and I was kinda intrigued at how the episodes wouldn't really end, but continue on like a soap opera. But I still wasn't that interested...

As my fandom began to increase, my friend (the same guy) let me borrow some of his cousin's raw tapes of movies 7 through 11, I think. The only thing I had to be able to understand the story at all were those two Pojo guides I bought to help me learn a little bit more from the series (though I still didn't understand why Videl had to wear a dress in movie 10 .

So, when the DBZ craze was at its peak, by 2003, I was a full-fledged fan and borrowed the Pioneer releases and FUNi releases of movies 1 through 6 from my two other DBZ fans (the other one was no longer into the series ) and discovered the JP subbed version from there. From then on, I've been buying the FUNi DVDs just to compare dubs with subs and would even watch the same episode up to three times (subbed, dubbbed. and dubbed but with the JP subs) just for comparison's sake. And while all of this was happening, I was also buying some of Viz's original manga releases that were like Kanzenban-sized as well as subscribing to Beckett DBZ Collector (a magazine for those not in the know) and watching the newly discovered DB (and Z, of course) on good ol' Toonami.

Now at my crazed fan stage, I bought all of the GT series (except for the Lost Episodes) at retail price, as well as the edited Majin Buu tapes (probably because they were cheaper ) and eventually the a couple of the Kid Buu DVDs and the entire King Piccolo release (4 DVDs!) just so I would be ahead of what Cartoon Network was releasing at the time. But regardless, I took time out of my not-so-busy day to rewatch those eps when they aired not only on CN, but on the I-Channel as well; I was hooked.

Well, that pretty much brings me here. I decided to join the forums in February, have bought all of Viz's DB/Z releases and am still watching Toonami, regardless that it doesn't have as much DB/Z/GT as it did (anyone remember when Toonami was just DB followed by DBZ?) ...and if you're curious, I'm now 16, so I guess I'm a late bloomer too!

So, yeah, that's my fandom history as of now... sorry if it was too long .

[Son Goku]

Well, many years ago, I don't remember if I was avoiding it or my parents weren't letting me see it, but I didn't get to see DBZ until, for some reason, I changed the channel to CN while home alone. On it was a movie with some tall guy with funny black hair (Goku) hopping on a wierd building. It was really cool, but I changed the channel when my mom got home. (I'm thinking the movie I saw was Dead Zone).

A few years later, I was bored on a Saturday afternoon, so I changed the channel to CN, and saw some old guy with blue hair (Jackie Chun) fighting a giant ape (Goku Oozaru). I thought it was really awesome, but I never saw the show after that (at least, not until the Piccolo episodes).

Skip a little ways, I was loving Toonami because of Hamtaro and I think Gundam. But suddenly, Gundam had it's timeslot taken over. Instead of a giant robot, I was greeted by... a fat pink guy with an antennae on his head helping a blind kid. I thought "He looks cool". And he was... I watched DBZ almost every airing after until it was taken off Toonami.

Yes, what made me stick with DBZ was... Buu.

[tarsonis]

February '99. So around the same time as a lot of other people, except I was 19 and a sophomore in college.

[_Jrinu_]

Well, when I was about 9 years old(16 now) I first saw DBZ.

Pokemon was the big thing, and I would watch it every morning at 7 on WB.

DBZ was on before it at 6:30. And every morning I would catch the last 15 minutes of it. (this was during the Raditz arc)

As the episodes got more interesting, I started waking up earlier so I could catch the entire thing.

Then my interest in Pokemon faded, so by default, so did my interest in DBZ.

Fast foward 1 year...

Goku is already a super saiya-jin, Namek is on the verge of exploding, and Frieza has just been cut in half.

While flipping through channels I recognized the character of Gohan, and I remember thinking that the "guy with blonde hair looks sort of familiar." I watched the final few episodes of the Frieza/Namek arc, as well as the entire Garlic Jr. arc. I asked friends of mine who were fans of the show to fill me in on what has happened so far. Then the episodes with Trunks aired, and after hearing about how long they fought Frieza for, I was amazed.

The rest is history...

[Namek'jin Ryu]

If I can recall correctly, when I was in 4th grade (11 years old), I went to my babysitters in the year 1998/1999, and my little brother, who had been in Kindergarten, was watching Cartoon Network. When I walked in I wanted to know, and my exact words, "What is this crappy shit you are watching?" (Yes, I know strong words for a 4th grader.) He told me it was really cool and that I should sit down and watch it. Seeing as I viewed it as gay/dumb, I went into my babysitter’s family room, turned on the television, and watched Full House or ZOOM.

A few days later on the Midnight Run I happened to catch a pretty awesome show. I told my little brother about it and what it was all about when he goes, "Oh, you mean that crappy gay show you said I was watching?" It took me awhile to get what he meant, however once I figured it out I was like, "I said that about that show?" When he answered with a strong yes, I couldn't believe I had actually called it gay, dumb, crappy shit. That was the day my life would turn ... in a direction I wouldn't have imaged. Thus I was introduced to DragonBall Z, and the world known as Anime.

From that point on I watched as much of it as I could, I'd watch the 4 p.m. showing, and then that same episode on the Midnight Run at 11 p.m. What people find hard to believe is it was because of Pioneer/Ocean Dub that I actually got into it. Once FUNimation took over, it took me awhile to get used to the new voices, music, ect. It helped when I learned one of my friends, at the time, was also into DragonBall Z. He’s the reason I collect the figures, but that is another story all in a topic itself. Although if one would see my room today, they would think I've been into DragonBall / Z / GT since birth. Seeing as that is all that is in my room, with the exception of my YMCA soccer day photos and medals. I give him credit for keeping me interested in the series, for if I chose to give up on it, I wouldn’t be here today.

I continued to watch all of DragonBall Z until the final episode on Cartoon Network in 2003. During that time I had been introduced into DragonBall, which I caught the first few Sagas’, before it was taken off Cartoon Network which is the reason I bought all the DragonBall Sagas’, can’t say the same for Z since I’m buying those to just watch and re-live my childhood. I was introduced to DragonBall GT in 2004, but never watched it on Cartoon Network, seeing as I bought each DVD as it came out.

It wasn’t until late 2004 that I got into the Manga, for I had no idea it existed until Duo, one of my greatest Internet friends, told me about it. Hence the reason I have all of DragonBall and am in the process of getting DragonBall Z.

I could go on and on with when I got into what dealing with DragonBall / Z / GT, but I don't really think anyone will be interested, and if they are kudos.

[capsuleman]

Damn I feel old when I think about this. I started watching when I was a wee child. I must have been seven or eight..ughh...I'm 26 now. I used to borrow DBZ tapes from my neighbor, no subtitles, nothing but pure DBZ goodness.
Here a short story I wrote in college about it.

I sit mesmerized watching the television set. I can’t believe what I am watching. I have never been so engrossed in a show before and to make it better I can’t even understand it. The television is showing a green humanoid figure standing hunched over, glowing, and holding his left arm as it has clearly encountered some great physical harm. The blood is slowly dripping down his disfigured arm into a small puddle on the ground. I still can’t get over the fact that this is a cartoon. There are no birds singing to a princess. No laugh track every five seconds to give the illusion that the show is actually funny. The figure on the television grabs a hold of his disfigured arms and starts to yell at the top of his lungs.
“AAAHHHHHHHHHHHH.”
I sit puzzled as to what his motives are. There’s a long pause, I slowly inch toward the edge of my seat. With a swift motion the green figure pulls at his arm, ripping it clear off and tossing it to the ground.
Wait, lets back it up a bit, this isn’t where the seed was planted.
It was the first day of second grade. My dad is driving us down to the bus stop. A new year I think to myself. As we get there I gaze about the mob of kids lined up waiting for the bus. Constant chatter among them ensues. They exchange questions amongst themselves about meaningless places they had gone to over the summer.
I get out of our old station wagon, walk toward the mindless mob, and get ready to wait. Suddenly my father calls me back.
“Shane, can you make sure that little boy over their makes it to class. It’s his first day at school.” He then jesters to a small boy standing all alone, his eyes staring intently at the ground.
I look up at my father and agree to bring this kid to class. So I walk over to where he is standing and wait. All the while neither of us says a word. We both know why we are by each other. After what seems like an eternity, the bus finally arrives at our checkpoint. We all start to gather inside. The little kid and I sit next to each other. The constant chatter among all the kids ensues. As the driver starts the bus toward the next stop, I glance over to see what the kid next to me is doing. His is just sitting there doing nothing, but in his hands he has some kind of packet. What it was is not important it’s what’s on it that was. There was a picture of a cartoon character.
I had never seen a cartoon drawn that way before. The figure was tall, in an orange karate type outfit, and the most interesting of all was his yellow hair. That is the “coolest,” looking character I have ever seen.
I ask the young kid “Who is that?” He turns to look at me.
“This?” as he hold up the packet. “That’s just Goku. He’s on a Japanese cartoon called Dragonball Z.”
My minds start thinking, Dragonball Z? Japanese cartoon show?
I’m in my room laid out across the floor frantically flipping through the pages of a manga, my first Dragonball comic. With every page a new beautiful scene awaits me. There’s no color but that just ads to the visual appeal. All the writing is written in what seems like hieroglyphics to me. The characters are shooting what seems like fire from their hands and flying about at a frantic pace. Fighting in a way that I have never seen before in a comic. The designs are nothing like what I had seen previously in an American comic: blocky faces, alien looking characters, and energy glowing all around them, encompassing everything in its path. But what strikes me most of all is the hair, big blocky chunks of hair. No one in America draws like that. I just can’t get enough of this, the more I read on the more enthralled I become.

Anyone else felt the same way?

[Namek'jin Ryu]

The one thing I find quite funny is how most of the Member's here got into DragonBall / Z from YTV when they watched it early in the morning. Not once did I ever see DragonBall / Z in the morning hours, it was always the p.m. ones. More then likely because I started watching in 1998, Member's who watched before that date saw it in the morning.

[Kaboom]

Hmmm... I thought DbZ was stupid for a long time after I first was exposed to it. But I believe it was during CN's first run of the World Tournament Saga ('99? 2000? Around there?) that I actually watched an episode or two and thought, "Hey, this is pretty cool." I also discovered that DbZ was fun to draw, which pretty much secured my interest. Ever since then, my Db-fandom has steadily grown.

[The Tori-bot]

Wow, I'm probably the youngest person on this board!

Do I get a prize...?

Anyway, I started watching DBZ when it first started airing on TV in the UK. I don't remember the year, but I was around 3 or 4. The earliest I can remember was the filler scene where Gohan punches a rock to see if he has gotten any stronger. It doesn't crack, so he sighs, and walks off. Then a huge crack appears. I just found that really funny for some reason.

I just kept watching, bought the first Budokai game in 2002, and was introduced to the Japanese version. I thought Goku sounded like a girl. I thought Vegeta's voice was too soft. But there was just a charm about it that I didn't understand.

From there, it's pretty standard: bought fansubs, bought the other Budokai games, imported FUNi DVDs.

I was introduced to the manga by a guy in my class. He said, "I've got the original comics; do you wanna take a look at them?" I thought he was lying, but the next day, he brought in volumes 1 & 2 of the original Viz printings.

Soon after, I had borrowed DB 1-8 and DBZ 1-4.

A while later, I came across the smaller SJ reprints in a very large Glasgow shop that had everything a person like me needed: Lots of manga, latest film merchandise crap, and manga.

So, I bought DBZ 5-7.

Then, when I went to Orlando, I bought DB 9-12.

I ordered 13-15 from an online comic retailer.

Then I had to give my friends his original Viz printings back.

Much later, I got DB 1-8, and 16; and DBZ 1-4, 8-21.

Then, when they came out, 22-25.

I imported CDs, DVDs, etc.

And now I'm waiting for #42.

[Bura]

I believe I was 12/13 years old when I first saw it. I already saw it from the first episode, by coincidence. After a few episodes I was hooked. I'm 19 now and still loving it!

[Chuquita]

Well...I think I'm going on 6 years this summer, so...late summer 2000...I would've been 15.

Super congradulations to Cartoon Network for putting it at such a convenient time back then; 5:30pm; there was nothing on Nick back then at that time slot so I changed the channel and that is how I discovered the show.

[Sebastian (SB)]

I thought Vegeta's voice was too soft.

NO!!! BLASPHEMY!!!! ..... (Unless you are comparing it to the dub I hope)

On a off topic note Ryo Horikawa (Vegeta's seiyuu) does have the ability to alter his voice. Such can be seen as his performance as Andromeda Shun in "Saint Seiya" where his voice does indeed sound soft.

[desirecampbell]

I watched every episode of the original run of DragonBall on YTV, must've been years ago. No idea how long though.

Anyone remember?