How did you learn about Dragon Ball and become a fan?

[DragonBallFan8001]

How did you learn about the Dragon Ball series and how did you become a fan of the series?

I didn't watch the series while it was on TV, here in the Netherlands (it was only on TV for a short while), so I didn't learn about the series until a video game magazine had a review of Dragon Ball Z Budokai Tenkaichi 2 (Dragon Ball Z Sparking Neo) in 2007, and offered a subscription with the game for about the same price the game would cost separately. The magazine gave the game an 8.5, so I decided to get the subscription bundled with the game. I really liked the game, and although the story was a bit confusing (after all, I didn't know anything about Dragon Ball's story and while the game generally explains the story quite well, some aspects of the story aren't explained), I thought the story was quite interesting. A few years later, I decided to watch the series. I bought the Orange Bricks, Blue Bricks, Green Bricks, and some Dutch volumes of the manga, and I really liked the series, and since then, I've been a big fan.

[samuraix123]

I started off with Z when it aired on Toonami back in the day and had the Ocean dub. I didn't get introduced into the Japanese version until I met a guy at a mom and pop video store who had made me a copy of Fusion Reborn in Japanese. I actually just recently got the original series and watched and loved it! but I've been a fan since it came to the states. I'm getting old lol

[DragonBallFan8001]

I started off with Z when it aired on Toonami back in the day and had the Ocean dub.

From what I've heard, the Ocean dub is also the dub that aired in the Netherlands, even during the Cell arc. On the Orange Bricks, I first watched the Funimation dub with Japanese Music, but after a few seasons, I decided to switch to the Japanese version. I've now watched the entire Dragon Ball/Z/GT series in Japanese, with English subtitles (except for some movies), and the Japanese version is definitely my favourite version of the anime.

[Vijay]

Just randomly searched for Anime DVD's in a Shopping Mall. Saw Goku's pic on the cover. Thought it'll be good. Except it sucked. I bought GT actually.

Googled & learnt lotta stuff before finally buying DB & DBZ.

Became a Fan cuz its appeal was action. Truly classic anime that set Shounen bar high inspite of made late 80's~early 90's.

[kazamino]

toonami...

[Baggie_Saiyan]

The english broadcast got me into DBZ back all those years ago.
And I just used to watch fights and what not on YouTube. Then BoG came around & got me really pumped so I decided it's time to own the series, Amazon had a good deal on the OB's, I had all 9 in my basket was ready to order then came on here & found out that new BD's would be coming out, so decided to hold off purchasing the OB's.

Between waiting for the BD's, me & my mate purchased a few seasons of Kai. But I really didn't like the music amongst other things & I sold them.

I'm also up too mid-way point of the orignal DB series for the first time. Need to finish that.

GT didn't like it when it aired & probably won't bother with the series unless a really good deal pops up or FUNi announce a BD.

[theoriginalbilis]

Nothing spectacular. I saw ads for on Cartoon Network and caught the premiere on Toonami in 1998, and needless to say I was hooked. It was when I discovered the uncut Pioneer releases of the movies, and VHS fansubs of then-unreleased episodes in Japanese that I completely fell in love with the franchise.

[thomas1up]

My friend begged me to watch it last year, I was going to find the english dub since I was told that was the better version with EPIKZ music, the anime site I used only had the japanese version..... and I loved it

This year is my 2nd time watching the series, I'm on the Boo arc now! More specifically the Vegetto bit!

I own Dragon Box Volume 5, as well as Orange Brick Season 3, I plan to buy the MangaUK's release of Dragon Ball for christmas

[Gyt Kaliba]

I feel like I've told this story a million times...probably because I have...but what's one more? Plug your ears if you've heard it before, people.

All right, this was back when I was in fifth grade or so, so I would have been about 12 I think. I was really heavily into Pokemon at the time (who wasn't), but I had this one friend who was really into DBZ at the time. We used to get into joking arguments over which was better, so one day we made a little bet that we would each have to watch an episode of the others' preferred show. So that night after school, I settled in to this 'Toonami' thing to check out some DBZ while he checked out some Pokemon on Kids WB (I assume anyway). That was when I saw my very first episode of Dragon Ball Z...

...And I *BLEEP*-ing hated it. I had the bad luck that the very first episode I saw was the infamous 'Bulma and the Crabs' filler on Namek, via the old Ocean dub. Needles to say, I was far from impressed, as this hardly seemed like the action show I had been lead to believe it was. So I told him I won, but he said he'd won because even that episode was better than Pokemon, and we just kept on our usual relationship. I didn't see DBZ again until the summer vacation between fifth and sixth grade. Now, despite my love for Pokemon, it was mostly via the cards and the game (Blue was what I had, I believe), I didn't get to see much of the show honestly (I did have a few tapes though) despite my protests to him, because I didn't have Kids WB (heck, we had just gotten satellite the year before I think). So I did end up watching a lot of Nickelodeon, and Cartoon Network. I ended up seeing more Toonami stuff, and that was when I ended up being sold on the show, all thanks to a little blonde hair.

The next time I tuned in, it was the first episode after Goku had transformed into a Super Saiyan, and started to give Freeza a beat down. I had no idea who these characters were, why it was so intense, but I was just blown away by the fighting. Watching how long that fight takes now is a bit of a chore, and I can't help but laugh at the five minutes thing now, but back then? I was LOSING MY MIND. 'Holy crap look at how hard he hit!' 'DID HE JUST BLOW UP THE PLANET' 'ALL OF THIS IS HAPPENING IN UNDER FIVE MINUTES?!' 'WHOA!' I was completely, and utterly, sold...at least for a while.

After that came the Garlic Jr. stuff, which just didn't interest me nearly as much (and oddly enough, while it's still not that great overall, I like it a LOT more now than I did at the time), so I figured it was a fluke and I didn't like the show anymore. Then, I saw a teaser for new episodes coming soon...with Freeza coming back for revenge. I quite literally needed new pants, I think. I tuned in when that was happening, expecting to see another 20-ish episode fight between Goku and Freeza, but then this purple haired, purple jacketed, punk shows up, and I'm thinking what the hell...and HE goes Super Saiyan. And BEATS Freeza. With EASE. And beats Freeza's FATHER. And then says that that was NOTHING. Because there are two things coming that even HE can't beat. And I should really STOP typing in occasional ALL CAPS but that's EXACTLY how MIND BLOWN I was at the time! I had to see how that was gonna work out, so I tuned in every day it came on then...and I've been a huge DB nut ever since.

[DragonBallFan8001]

I tuned in when that was happening, expecting to see another 20-ish episode fight between Goku and Freeza, but then this purple haired, purple jacketed, punk shows up, and I'm thinking what the hell...and HE goes Super Saiyan. And BEATS Freeza. With EASE. And beats Freeza's FATHER. And then says that that was NOTHING. Because there are two things coming that even HE can't beat.

It's a bit of a shame that Dragon Ball Z Budokai Tenkaichi 2 (Dragon Ball Z Sparking Neo) spoiled most of the story for me before I got to watch the anime, because I knew who would win the fights. Of course, I didn't know how the fights would play out (what kind of fighting techniques would be shown, for example), but the big surprise factor (characters being able to transform into Super Saiyans, for example) was absent, sadly.

[thomas1up]

I tuned in when that was happening, expecting to see another 20-ish episode fight between Goku and Freeza, but then this purple haired, purple jacketed, punk shows up, and I'm thinking what the hell...and HE goes Super Saiyan. And BEATS Freeza. With EASE. And beats Freeza's FATHER. And then says that that was NOTHING. Because there are two things coming that even HE can't beat.

It's a bit of a shame that Dragon Ball Z Budokai Tenkaichi 2 (Dragon Ball Z Sparking Neo) spoiled most of the story for me before I got to watch the anime, because I knew who would win the fights. Of course, I didn't know how the fights would play out (what kind of fighting techniques would be shown, for example), but the big surprise factor (characters being able to transform into Super Saiyans, for example) was absent, sadly.

The super saiyan thing was sadly ruined for me too Since I only got into the show last year.

[Gyt Kaliba]

Honestly, it's kind of odd to me how amazed I was by Super Saiyan, even then. It wasn't spoiled for me, but at the same time, I had no idea what it was even. For me at the time it was just 'Oh, the black haired dude just turned blonde, and HOLY CRAP DID HE JUST PUNCH THE PLANET'. I didn't have any of the necessary build up to the form's reveal...so I guess I was just easily impressed? Guess that'll happen when you grow up on OT TMNT.

I also remember that I got so into it, that at some point (must've been prior to seeing Trunks, but I don't know if it would have been before I knew it was coming back at all, or whatever), I had already made up the idea of a form beyond Super Saiyan - with absolutely no idea that there was actually going to be later forms. Granted, my idea was 'Mega Saiyan'...

[TheRed259]

Back then I was collecting some DBZ stickers from Koukouroukou (a greek chocolate wafer) and then I decided to check out the so called DragonBall Z on Tv.

[sintzu]

I got the first sparking game cause of how epic the cover was and loved the story and gameplay so i bought the series and loved it even more

[Luso Saiyan]

I learned about it when the original series started airing on SIC back in 1995/1996 and continued to watch it until Z ended. Never cared for GT (or most of the movies).

[dodge2461]

I was first introduced to the series by my friend showing me OneyNG's "Dragonzball p" videos. My brother then bought Dragon Ball Z: Budokai on the GameCube for the hell of it, and one day, when I was bored waiting for something(I think it was a japanese PS Vita conference), I looked up the first episode of DBZ on YouTube, and it really interested me. I then found Hulu, and watched the Saiyan Arc in it's entirety, and by the time Goku died, I was totally hooked on the series. The day I finished the Saiyan Arc, me and my brothers bought the first 3 season sets and watched them all multiple times.

[dbboxkaifan]

Back in the 90's they were broadcasting Dragon Ball regularly on TV then I became addicted to it so whenever it'd go live I'd watch it, even on Satellite let's say, German (Cartoon Network), I'd still give it a go regardless of not knowing the language it was fun to watch because it was Dragon Ball.

Then years later I finally watched all three in its entirety (Japanese audio w/Eng subs) from start to finish without stopping halfway.

[Gyt Kaliba]

Then years later I finally watched all three in its entirety (Japanese audio w/Eng subs) from start to finish without stopping halfway.

You have more stamina than I do, my friend. When I first watched all three series, plus the movies/etc., in Japanese with subs, I had to take a break every thirty to fifty episodes.

[Codarik]

Friends talked about it everyday at school, decided to watch Toonami one night to see what the big deal was, and the rest is history.

[InfernalVegito]

In 1999 when Dragon Ball started airing for the first time on German TV next to Pokemon, a year after Sailor Moon ended.