Single Episode to Show to Non-Fan?

[Duo]

Dragonball: The Path to Ultimate Power.

Then again, that would set the standard too high...I also feel it's the best production Toei ever did...

Alas, I like El_Diablo's suggestion.

[Conan the SSJ]

Dragonball: The Path to Ultimate Power.

Then again, that would set the standard too high...I also feel it's the best production Toei ever did...

Alas, I like El_Diablo's suggestion.

There is no "Ultimate" in the title, just "Path to Power", no need to make it seem all extravegant . Though, I will say it is (IMO) the second best DragonBall/Z movie period, coming second place to movie 12.

[Duo]

http://www.daizex.com/guides/movie_guide/

""Saikyô e no Michi"
("The Path to Ultimate Strength")

Dub Title: "The Path to Power"

Premiere Date: 4 March 1996
(Toei Anime Fair)"

Actually, my typo was that I put "Power" instead of "Strength".

I haven't watched it in Dub Audio, so I have no right to use the Dub title.

[Akira]

There are a lot of good things you could show someone. I'll tell you a similar experience I had. Back when I was 18 and first met my best friend, we worked together at the same job. I was always watching Dragonball on television and he teased me about watching "cartoons" all the time. I told him to come over and watch a single DVD with me and then see what he though. He said he was too old for cartoons (he was 23 at the time). I told him if he didn't like it, I'd let him tease me about it forever after as long as he liked.

At that time there were only 4 DVDs out so far, the two Ginyu ones and the two Trunks ones. I showed him the episode where Trunks powers up to fight Freeza and takes him and Kold out in an episode and a half. He saw the carnage, the blood, the action, and obvious animation superiority over the domestic crap on television at the time and he said only one thing to me.

"Dude, you were right, this shit IS cool. Got any other DVDs of it?"
I told him it be best to understand everything and watch it from the beginning so we watched it on TV after work a lot and sometimes watched the new DVDs as I purchased them. I remember a couple years later when I got the last two Kid Buu battle DVDs we watched them one afternoon, and he loved it. He said he was sorry he ever teased me about it.

Now results will vary person to person, obviously, and not everyone likes Dragonball, but if you show them something to grab thier attention and make them want to see more, then that's a good start.

I'd show a guy something different than what I'd show a girl. I doubt a girl would respond to the Trunks episode right off. If perhaps instead introduced her to it with Gohan's child antics with Chi-chi in Saiyan saga, or some stuff ith Bulma and then she was involved with the plot and character progression, then later the Trunks episode would maybe interest her more because of the startling discovery that the boy from the future was the son of Bulma and Vegeta. Girls eat the drama and plot development up more than anything else from what I've seen.

So play to your audience. Give them a taste, then start them frome the beginning.
Sometimes I start with the Bardock Special and let them get the backstory ahead of time. Sure it spoils Goku's origins, but it is like viewer info that the characters don't know until later and you are left wondering when that stuff will come into play again. Something to look forward to.

Just go with what you think will work, and most importantly, have fun watching with your friends. That's the best part.

[gokutae]

Manga is what won me over. I remember way back when I read some Freeza saga ones years ago and I've been a fan ever since.

Now if you were to show him an anime episode, I would show him a fight between SSJ3 Goku and Kid Buu and Vegeta admitted Goku was better than him. It had a lot of the Saiyan and Ginyu episodes in the "Z" style, and I loved it.

[Ultimate Tofu Guy Drift]

Manga is what won me over. I remember way back when I read some Freeza saga ones years ago and I've been a fan ever since.

Now if you were to show him an anime episode, I would show him a fight between SSJ3 Goku and Kid Buu and Vegeta admitted Goku was better than him. It had a lot of the Saiyan and Ginyu episodes in the "Z" style, and I loved it.

I think that episode would be wasted if shown to a newcomer. They wouldn't understand how much it meant to have Vegita admit that Goku is better than him. I'd save that until they knew enough about Goku and Vegita's rivalry.

I ogt hooked on Saiyaman episodes go figure. But for a newcomer i'd probably show them movie 6, history of trunks or DB 87 Yamucha vs Tenshinhan, all 3 have standout fight scenes which grabs attention.

[Gohan-kun]

Show him the Videl VS Spopavitch episode.

I have to co-sign this post because he speaks the truth. It seems like an odd place to start but one day a friend of mine who enjoys DBZ and I were watching this episode and several other people happened to come by who hated the show (2 were females ) and after witnessing the Spopovitch vs Videl fight and how Gohan wud tense up, they all told me to "make sure and call me when you guys continue the rest." I think the whole drama/suspense aspect is wut caught the gurls attention. It was brutal but interesting.

[Smooth Criminal]

Just one episode?

I choose Mr. Robot.

EDIT:

Just wanted to add that the Videl/Spopovitch episode(s?) was horrible. Videl knocks the crap out of Spopovitch, Spopovitch recovers, everyone is amazed that he's unscathed, repeat for rest of the episode until he finally decides to own her ass. Yeah, horrible. Show this to a non-fan and they'll laugh in your face.

[MultilangDBZ]

I would vote for episode 200 of the original - the first episode showing Gohan going to school for the first time.

It would be a great episode to show non-fans as:

i) There is a lot of humor - the befuddled reactions of amazement at Gohan's uncanny abilities: by jumping stories high when pitching in baseball, being able to catch bullets, and using his ki to flip the truck at the robbery scene.

ii) There is dramatic irony - the viewers know who the 'golden warrior' is, but everyone else at school does not.

iii) There is suspense - Gohan's identity in general questioned due to his Super Saiyajin transformation (and what a 'Saiyajin' is), superhuman qualities and his 'commute' to school on the Kinto Un being unknown. And suspense as to why he needs to conceal his identity. Of course, there's also suspense as to whether and how Videl would discover who he is.

iv) There is some action at least - Gohan turning Super Saiyajin and dealing with the robbers.

v) There is a great deal the viewers can identify with - high school life, teachers, classes, lockers, classmates and the city panorama.

I don't think you could ask for more qualities really, in an exemplary preview episode for non-fans. Viewers wouldn't feel excluded either, because they're being introduced to a 'beginning' episode (of a new saga) which is quite apparent from the narration at the start of the episode.

It's a neat luring episode into DBZ or Dragon Ball in general.

[Panda]

If you show him Dragonball Z first it will be harder to accept Dragonball. Thus, show him the series from the beginning.

If I had to choose the episode that peronally got me hooked (and may work for your friend) than it was the Bardock special.

[MultilangDBZ]

If you show him Dragonball Z first it will be harder to accept Dragonball.

Not really, it depends entirely on your preference.

I was first exposed to DBZ before the other two series and I accepted Dragon Ball just fine (probably even more so, since I liked the humor in DB - uncut of course - a lot which I found more entertaining). Plus, many perceive DBZ and DB as separate and it is in many ways: character-wise, theme-wise and overall tone in the anime.

[Xyex]

Just one episode?

I choose Mr. Robot.

EDIT:

Just wanted to add that the Videl/Spopovitch episode(s?) was horrible. Videl knocks the crap out of Spopovitch, Spopovitch recovers, everyone is amazed that he's unscathed, repeat for rest of the episode until he finally decides to own her ass. Yeah, horrible. Show this to a non-fan and they'll laugh in your face.

The Videl Vs. Spopovitch fight is one of my all time favorite parts of the series. Even now, when I know Videl wont win, I can't help but root for her. Love that fight.

[Panda]

Just one episode?

I choose Mr. Robot.

EDIT:

Just wanted to add that the Videl/Spopovitch episode(s?) was horrible. Videl knocks the crap out of Spopovitch, Spopovitch recovers, everyone is amazed that he's unscathed, repeat for rest of the episode until he finally decides to own her ass. Yeah, horrible. Show this to a non-fan and they'll laugh in your face.

The Videl Vs. Spopovitch fight is one of my all time favorite parts of the series. Even now, when I know Videl wont win, I can't help but root for her. Love that fight.

Agreed. I think it would be a good episode to show to a non-fan just because it has a woman fighting (regardless of how it turns out) for the Z Team and it goes against the whole "steroid-pumped DBZ guys" stereotype.

I think it would make a good impression (that it... until he gets to GT...)

[Mr. Announcer]

I don't wanna sound like I put too much thought into it but I would start them off with Gokuh and Kuririn's training with Master Roushi up to the 21st tournament. That way you start when Dragonball really starts to get into gear without needing too much prior knowledge. It's probably one of the funniest parts of the series and humor is always a good way to win people over. And it breaks some of the common stereotypes about Dragonball since they aren't steroid pumped macho men, they're little boys, and they're not just beating eachother to a pulp, they're delivering milk and doing construction work. It also really pulls people in because of the ridiculously harsh training that makes you wonder "can it get any worse?" and Dragonball just keeps supplying the pain. It's important to show people that the characters of DBZ didn't just pop out of nowhere with power levels of a billion, they had to work their bums off to get there.

I would also　agree that the first episode of Z would be a good place to start but it's difficult to understand relationships between characters that way and that might not make it as compelling for some people.

[Eclipse]

Manga is what won me over. I remember way back when I read some Freeza saga ones years ago and I've been a fan ever since.

Well you could always introduce the manga to the person while they're watching the series, or after. I was introduced to the Android arc via Viz's manga (Back when I didn't know the Dragon Ball manga existed....I callled it a TV comic! >_<). Of course, like Akira said, it varies from person to person....so be careful..

[MultilangDBZ]

I would start them off with Gokuh and Kuririn's training with Master Roushi up to the 21st tournament.

"No, you can't sleep until you've finished watching the lot."