How old were you when you got into Dragon Ball?

LegendarySSJ7 · Post by **LegendarySSJ7** » Wed Jun 07, 2006 7:16 pm

Ahh.... I was what, 8, 9 years old the day Dragonball consumed me? Quite a day that was. All those years ago, back when the original OCEAN dub was on Cartoon Network. 1997, was it? Anyway, when I originally, much like Duo, was flipping through channels and pretty much bored out of my skull, on came an Anime that had insanely spikey haired guys and some space warrior and then some green guy shooting beams at each-other.

The abrupt yet first word to pop into my mind? Unseen. I decided to give it a chance on day, around the time of the "Raditz Saga" / Movie 1, and, as I continued to watch it, it became more and more gripping and it grew more and more on me. By the time of the Freeza Saga (yes, FUNimation's dub), I was literally obsessed and could not stop pondering about it. Freeza was quite possibly the most badass villian, and him alone was enthralling enough, but then with all the tension and suspension with Goku healing, Goku fighting Freeza, Goku using the Genki Dama, Goku going Super Saiya-jin, the last 5 minutes until Namek Explodes...... I was amazed. Something about that show has a charismatic quality to it that I just can't convey on paper. By the time the "Trunk Saga" rolled around, I started purchasing VHSs, DVDs, toys, card games, posters, you named it....... I was in love. Such a great feeling, that is. Then things like the Japanese version and Manga furtively found their way into the whole deal, not lauding the former until years after, and the latter... well... being even more awesome.

Then came the Artificial Human Saga and the Cell Saga, which blew me away on a whole new level. By that, I am undoubtedly referring to Mirai Trunks, #18 and #17, Cell and Super Saiya-jin 2 Gohan, to put it superficially. Then that Final Kamehameha Clash....... GOLD. It doesn't get much better than that. And back then, I liked the music, VAs, fight sequences, and animation even more than I do now.... I just couldn't help but idolize it in rapture. It was unconditional love at its peak.

When the Boo Saga rolled around, I slowly began to realize that it wasn't quite up to the par and standards set by the aforementioned sagas, but it was still well worthy of Dragonball. I liked Boo as a Villian, I actually came to like Kaioshin and Kibitoshin, the new Super Saiya-jin stage, the new plot, the new premise, the new characters, Majin Vegeta, Fusion, Shin Boo, Mr. Satan and Mr. Boo becoming friends, Ultimate Gohan, the final Genki Dama, you named it.... this led me to the original Dragonball, which from the Pilaf Saga Arc to the end of the 23rd Budokai was something I found equally good.

Then, back in September of last year, I'd thought I'd give it a chance again, and discovered many things............ a lot of newly learnt facts...... GT (something I never saw until last year, yes, but, a lucky situation for me, eh?). And since then, I've been into it again, as much as I was addicted to it like I was in the day. And I always will, somewhere in my heart, regardless of whether it's "over" or not. It's too awesome not to love..... in my opinion. Just that.

linkdude20002001 · Post by **linkdude20002001** » Thu Jun 08, 2006 2:32 am

When I was six in 1995, I first saw the first episode of DB. I remember it saying it was a new show and so I watched, but I didn't like it and I never saw it again. Till one day my little brother and his friend were watching DBZ, and I was the episode with Yamcha and Tenshinhan training during the Saiyan Saga. I still didn't like it though.

Soon after, I eventualy started to like it and watched exitedly awaiting another episode after school. My little brother kept buying the edited tapes, but I wanted to watch the show uncut. I read about DBGT and when it came out here I hated it. Everything I read about didn't happen, they skipped it all.

So I stopped watching the dub, and eventualy got to watch DB uncut and in Japanese. Now I'm watching DBZ in Japanese thanks to Netflix.

Sun_Wukong · Post by **Sun_Wukong** » Thu Jun 08, 2006 10:26 am

I was 12 in 1999. Right when CN aired their first new episodes.

Conan the SSJ · Post by **Conan the SSJ** » Thu Jun 08, 2006 1:54 pm

My first ever exposure to DragonBall was when I was a very young boy. I forget how old I was, but I believe it was Christmas. I got the NES game, Dragon Power. Apparently my folks got a good deal on it, I had fun with it, just didn't know what the hell it was from. I still have that game, locked away in exile in my parents' house.

Fast-forward many years later, I believe it was either 1999 or 2000, Cartoon Network were airing reruns of the Saiyan saga. I believe I was 16 at the time. It was a Saiyan saga episode. I caught it while I was channel surfing, at first I thought it was Pokemon or something by judging the orange gi wearing kid being chased by dinosaurs. Then as he was being snapped up by a giant falcon, I was actually interested in what this was. After the boy was dropped into a cliff, came a commercial break.

During the eye-catchers for Toonami, I noticed this was DragonBall Z, a show I'd seen kids at school talking about and looking up on school computers. When the show came back on, I saw what appeared to be a baseball game. I was jaw dropped in confusion as to what was going on, then the big field fight broke out with Yamcha basically owning everyone, I was as entertained as watching a real baseball brawl. Then for the rest of the episode, I witnessed Gohan's first real trials on his own, losing his first friend in that injured dinosaur (I nearly choked up). The cliffhanger left me wanting more, as did the next-episode preview's viewing treat of a sci-fi-ish battle on another planet with the aliens Yamcha and Kuririn were talking about.

From that point on, I was more or less hooked, now I'm a 22 year old (23 on the 23rd of October) that is anticipating the next two Ps2 games and the sexy looking season sets.

Magica · Post by **Magica** » Thu Jun 08, 2006 3:17 pm

It had to have been about 1998ish, about 14 maybe? I was talking to my friend on the phone and I turned the TV on and there was DBZ. The Yamcha baseball episode was the first episode I've ever seen of DBZ. While I was on the phone with my friend she watched it on her end, and I think we might've cracked jokes at it. I don't remember.

Watching it, I first thought Vegeta's named was "Vegina." Later on I was web surfing in high school for more information and my firend and I laughed on the phone when I told her that Bulma and Vegeta later has kids named Trunks and Bra.

Panda · Post by **Panda** » Thu Jun 08, 2006 6:48 pm

Hmmm... I was about 6 years old so around 1997-1998. I don't think I even watched it until 2000. I just remember having the TV in my room on and looking for a show that had bright colors so I could see (It was the Freeza stuff... so greens...)

Tanooki Kuribo · Post by **Tanooki Kuribo** » Thu Jun 08, 2006 9:27 pm

In 1994 some kid brought some Dragonball Z cards to school, they were all in Japanese but I remeber I thought the art was amazing so I stole some from him (long story) and hung them on my cork board for a few years. Later in 1996 or 97 I reconized the people on the cards from a show that was on at 5:00 AM. I watched a few episodes and LOVED IT TO DEATH! Eventually I would find little shops that sold DragonBall Z episodes and movies in Japanese, I had a joygasim. I bought movie 3 (Tree Of Might) and 3 episodes from the series of Goten and Trunks fusing together to make Gotenks. I was hooked. I copied those videos for like everyone of my friends to get them into it. The video quality was horrible but hey, we didn't know any better. From there on I watched the dub, bought some fan subs. Eventually when the DVD's came out I waited till the whole series came out and then bought them all like a mad man. During this whole time line of me discovering DBZ I would watch the Spanish dub every Saturday when it was on some Spanish channel here. I'am just making no sence now...ok Iam done... ::sits back down::

tenkaichigoten · Post by **tenkaichigoten** » Thu Jun 08, 2006 9:32 pm

i was 5 or 6 or 7 (One of those) I'm 13 now

Post by **VegettoEX** » Thu Jun 08, 2006 9:36 pm

tenkaichigoten wrote:i was 5 or 6 or 7 (One of those) I'm 13 now

Please re-read the forum rules; posts like this will not be tolerated.

Kaze no Mune · Post by **Kaze no Mune** » Fri Jun 09, 2006 7:03 am

10-ish (perhaps 11). I remember watching it (DBZ) on Toonami when it first aired; I suppose that was in August or September of '98. I really wish I had known about it sooner, but I guess Sailor Moon and whatever I watched before that was good enough.

JAKEMAN · Post by **JAKEMAN** » Fri Jun 09, 2006 6:27 pm

I was about 12 on holiday at San Franisco, because of the time differences I was waking up at five in the morning and low and behold the Sayain saga was on. I think it was a year after that it came to UK and I got hooked.

Majin Cell · Post by **Majin Cell** » Sat Jun 10, 2006 12:51 am

I first became a fan in 1995. I was 11 at the time and i remember clearly the first episode i saw. It was the first episode of the Z series where Raditz landed on earth. I instantly became hooked because i had never seen a show like it before.

Son_GokouSSJ4 · Post by **Son_GokouSSJ4** » Sat Jun 10, 2006 10:37 am

Oh boy...that was a LONG TIME ago!
I started to watch the french dub, thanks to a cousin of mine that lives in France.
That was back in 1991...I was nine years old.
Then it snowballed to what it is today, my greatest addiction

unstable_person99 · Post by **unstable_person99** » Sat Jun 10, 2006 11:53 am

I started watching DBZ back in 1996 when I was 5. I woke up one morning and started flipping through channels, I guess I was looking for Looney Tunes or something. But it was too early for that, so I ended up stumbling upon one of the episodes from the Saiyan Saga. I've been hooked ever since.

jim · Post by **jim** » Sat Jun 10, 2006 12:13 pm

I'll probably sound wierd, but I remember seeing an epsiode of Dragon Ball on the Spanish channel back in the early 90's. (I think.) I don't know when but I was probably between 5 and 8. I had forgotten my Spanish tongue by this time since my grandfather's passing (he was the only one who couldn't speak English) when I was about 3. Naturally, I couldn't understand what I was watching and thought it was pretty cool, but I just could not get into it. Heh.... sorry.

Oh, but after I moved to Cali., I remember buying a starter set for the card game. (Saiyan Saga, of course.) But sadly, noone to play with. Then I met Son Goku GT. After watching him draw Goku (I think that's who he was drawing), we not only became friends, but I also really got into DB and so forth. (Thanks to him.)
Basically, I've known about it for some time, and became an instant fan of everything Dragon Ball. That was at least, what, 5 years or so ago. (Is it me, or does that last sentence just sound incorrect?)

goku 333 · Post by **goku 333** » Sun Jun 11, 2006 8:05 am

I was 9 and I didn’t know a word of English.
The first episode I have seen was on the UK toonami and it was in the middle of the Buu Saga. So when they showed one of the first episodes the next day I was a bit confused why they didn’t just go super sayan!!!!

QuantumDestiny · Post by **QuantumDestiny** » Sun Jun 11, 2006 1:12 pm

I managed to catch the first couple of the original DragonBall episodes that had been dubbed on YTV waaaay back in the early 90s! I still remember the 'Boss Rabbit' stuff and how the show suddenly dissapeared Argh...

Then the next time I saw it, DragonBall Z was being aired in 1998 (?), I was 13, and my sister called me in to watch a 'weird show'. We recognized it as DragonBall and Goku!! From the time my sister said "What the, he's got a wife and a kid now!?" I was hooked and watched religiously hahaaha. Eventually finding the original Japanese version in that terrible time of the Namek saga reruns >_<

Steven Perry · Post by **Steven Perry** » Sun Jun 11, 2006 2:54 pm

Wow.

Some of you have had the real Dragonball experience (you had to wait during the transition from DB to DBZ). You actually got the feeling of time passing, as if they're all grown up!

Anyway... How old was I when I got into DBZ? No idea.

Under 11, I s'pose. I purchased some Pokemon stuff from QVC (a signed edition of some comic), and noticed a Dragonball advertisement on the back, along with Ranma. I drew it (yes, I actually am a fair artist), and loved the style.

Funny enough, Dragonball Z aired for the first time on Cartoon Network the following day! I WAS INSTANTLY HOOKED! I made a vow to myself that I'd always love it for the rest of my life. And I kept it (look where I am now!).

It was big in school also, but those "fans" simply moved on to Yuyi Go (or something like that).

goku 333 · Post by **goku 333** » Mon Jun 12, 2006 2:52 pm

9 and i didn't know a word of Endlish

Steven Perry · Post by **Steven Perry** » Mon Jun 12, 2006 3:34 pm

Yeah, and you still don't.