I didn't really think about that. I tried to introduce my dad to DB. I also took the route of showing him the first few episodes. He said it was a great introduction to the characters, and he did like how Goku was progressively getting new tools and allies to help him (I showed him from episodes 1-6), enjoying the feel of an actual adventure. However, he admitted the jokes were childish and that the action was lacking.Akira wrote:In all honesty, with the entire story available, I would never just start someone at the Raditz stuff at the beginning of Z. That always felt like dropping someone right into the middle of a bunch of ongoing stuff that is hard to understand or appreciate fully. It leads to misconceptions about a lot of characters that becomes harder to wrap your head around later. If you were going to start someone out around that era of the series, I would recommend starting with the episode in DB where Goku shows up at the 23rd Budokai and everyone is surprised to see him again and we see him as an adult for the first time. That way, at least, you'd see the other characters shining at different parts of the tournament, and with the flashbacks and such, get a grasp of their backstory with Goku. That fight between Goku and Piccolo at the finale is when the "Z" era of high speed action and over the top fights really started anyway. That, in my opinion, would have been a better starting point for "Z", rather than a bookend to the "Dragonball" portion of the story.
Your friend would get a good introduction to all the characters with that arc, see them pretty much as they are going to appear in the Z arcs, get a good feel for the character relationships, and better appreciate the Goku/Piccolo rivalry, which in turn, will make the Raditz reveals of Goku being an alien, and Piccolo not hesitating to kill them both hold a lot more meaning. Then, when they train for the saiyan fight, the fact that everyone gets invited to Kami's Temple won't seem so odd or anything, as that character and his ties to Piccolo would be better appreciated and understood.
I've been a fan since the very beginning, and my first exposure to Dragonball in general was with the first 13 episodes, but, I will even admit, those first 13 episodes are a chore to watch now. I sometimes watch Goku meeting Bulma, watch until they meet Roshi, skip to the episode where he comes and blows up fire mountain, then skip to the last episode where Goku becomes an Oozaru and destroys Pilaf's castle, then start watching in order with Krillin's arrival and the training with Roshi for the 21st Budokai. Those are really the only key scenes in that first arc that really matter for the long term enjoyment of the series as a whole.
Trying to get someone "hooked" with those would be a tall order indeed. 23rd Budokai has everything you need to make the "Z" portion more impactful and understand what happens better, so I would seriously consider just starting there for a new fan. Then, once you run from 23rd Budokai-Kid Buu Fight, if there is still interest, run back through from 21st Budokai-Piccolo Daimao arcs for further backstory.
I believe that would be the best course of action for your friend, if he doesn't get into the 23rd Budokai arc (Arguably one of the best choreographed fights in the entire series), then he isn't going to like anything else about it, period.
I think I'll try showing him that arc instead. The only thing that has made me reluctant to skip ahead were questions popping up, such as "How did Goku meet Yamcha," "Who is that cat and that pig," "Wait, why did Goku tap Chi-Chi in the crotch as a kid? And how does he not know what lipstick is," or even "Why did Tien train with the Crane Hermit, only to be his enemy now?"
If I were to skip ahead, I fear that I would constantly have to pause the episode and explain things.
