Dragon Ball Episode 1

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Bulma and Son Goku
Japanese English
ブルマと孫悟空 Buruma to Son Gokū
Air Date	26 February 1986 (Fuji TV)
Opening	Mystical Adventure!
Eyecatch	1st Eyecatch
Ending	I'll Give You Romance
Episode Data
Chapters	Dragon Ball Chapter 1
TV Rating	27.4%
Format	4:3 (NTSC)
Main Staff Credits
Scenario	Yasushi Hirano
Art	Tadanao Tsuji
Animation	Minoru Maeda
Director	Minoru Okazaki
FUNimation English Dub
Title	The Secret of the Dragon Balls
Air Date	09 September 1995 (BLT) 20 August 2001 (redub)
FUNimation English Subs
Title	Bulma and Son Goku
Subtitles	Clyde Mandelin
Sub Debut	The Saga of Goku (Australia) Dragon Ball Season One (US)
Release Date	10 March 2004 (Australia) 15 September 2009 (US)

"Bulma and Son Goku" is the first episode of the Japanese animated television series Dragon Ball. The episode first aired in Japan on Fuji TV on 26 February 1986, receiving a ratings share of 27.4%. The episode was written by Yasushi Hirano and directed by Minoru Okazaki.

Synopsis

In West City, Bulma learns from a book in her home of the existence of the Dragon Balls, said to grant any single wish if all seven are gathered. She builds a Dragon Radar that picks up the radio waves emitted by the Dragon Balls, and sets out on a journey to find them. Midway through her journey, she meets the peculiar tailed boy Son Goku! Bulma recognizes that Goku's keepsake from his adoptive grandfather is the Four-Star Ball, one of the Dragon Balls. She invites him on her journey to collect the Dragon Balls, and the two set out for an adventure!!

Summary

Prologue

Long ago, in an unknown era, on a mountain thousands of miles from civilization, there lived a lone boy who was at home with nature. He is seen here demonstrating martial arts forms.

Part A

Near a waterfall, where deer graze and butterflies dance, a boy with a tail like a monkey walks balanced on a rolling log, carrying a giant serrated knife. He passes two monkeys in a tree and says hello, when all of a sudden his rolling log picks up speed, rolling downhill. The boy keeps perfect balance, jumping when necessary to stay on his log.

In front of a small house, the boy gathers his strength with martial arts forms. Then he grabs his log, throws it up into the air, and punches it once into perfect pieces for firewood. His task finished, he dusts off his hands with pride, and realizes he is hungry.

On the mountainside, a car drives down a twisting cliffside road. The car, with TURBO written on the driver's door in big red letters, comes to a screeching halt, and a young girl emerges from the car to stretch. She reaches in her side pouch to pull out a small device, turning it on with a click. The device starts beeping, and small dots are visible on its grid screen. The girl thinks "it" should be nearby. She gets back in the car and continues driving.

The boy ties a red pole to his back and addresses a small, orange ball resting on a pillow atop a chest as "Grandpa", telling it he is going to get some food. He walks away, and the ball glows. The boy turns around, and the ball stops glowing. He tells the ball that he thought he had seen it glowing, and asks his "Grandpa" if he had done something, but the ball does not respond. The boy gives up and leaves the house. Walking through a forest, he wonders what he wants to eat. He hops through the trees, using a vine to propel himself over a river to the opposite bank where there is an apple tree. He eats an apple, tossing the core to the ground, which accidentally hits a sabertooth tiger on the head as the boy eats another apple. The tiger jumps up into the tree to attack him, but the boy laughs and runs, leading the tiger over a cliff while he grabs onto a branch. The branch breaks, and he falls into the river, which he thinks feels good.

The boy takes off his clothes on a grassy rock in the river, wringing them out. As he relieves himself over the side of the rock, he notices a fish jumping, and decides that is what he will eat. He uses his tail as bait for a larger fish. When the fish tries to bite the boy's tail, he turns around quickly and kicks the fish dead into the water. He dives down to retrieve the fish, and then he is seen fully clothed, dragging the fish through the forest.

Suddenly, the car from the mountainside approaches at great speed. The girl tries to stop the car, but her speed is too great; she hits the boy and the fish, knocking them aside. The girl thinks she has injured the boy, but he is fine. He grows angry, thinking the car is an evil beast trying to steal his food. He picks up the car with the girl in it, tossing it to the side, and its wheels fly off. He tells the car to fight him if it wants his food, brandishing his pole. The girl leans out the window to chastise him for attacking her; the boy is confused; there is a goblin emerging from the beast! The girl takes out a gun and shoots at the boy, knocking him to the ground. In pain, he demands to know whether this is black magic. She demands to know why he is not dead. The boy thinks she is daft; it would take more than that to kill him; his body is hard as steel. He goes to attack her with the pole, but she throws down her gun in fear, holding up her hands. She is not a goblin; she is a human!

The boy stops in his tracks, surprised to hear this news. She climbs out of the car so that he can see she is a human. The boy is still suspicious, though. He tells her to freeze while he inspects her. She asks him if he is human, and he says that of course he is. He is confused because she does not look like him; she is soft and seems weak. She explains that is because she is a girl, which the boy cannot seem to believe. She thinks he must be a yokel, and asks him if he has never seen a girl before. He confirms this, and says he has never seen another human aside from his Grandpa, who told him that if he ever met a girl, he should be nice to her. The girl tells him that is good advice, and asks whether he lives with his Grandpa. The boy tells her he died long ago.

The boy, still confused by her appearance, uses his pole to lift up the back of her skirt. Indignant, she calls him a pervert and asks what he is doing, but he only wants to know whether girls do not have tails. The girl thinks to herself that the boy must think his fake tail makes him look cool. The boy asks whether the beast caught her, and she explains that it is a car. The boy heard about cars from his Grandpa, but he has never seen one. The girl thinks he is strong for someone so small, and he explains that his Grandpa trained him. He asks her if, since she has a car, she is from the city, which she confirms. He invites her to his house, and tells her he will cook for her since she is a girl.

The girl tells him to wait a minute, once again checking the radar in her bag. She sees that the item she is looking for seems to be further down the path they are on, and wonders if the boy has it. She thinks his power might be useful to her, even if he is a weirdo. He asks her what is wrong, and she tells him she is coming, but no funny business! He asks her what that is, and she blushes, telling him, "You know..." but then she remembers that he has never seen a girl before, and he probably has no idea what she is talking about. The boy thinks she is weird, but tells her to follow him. She finally asks him for his name, and he tells her he is Goku. Son Goku! She tells him her name is Bulma, which is written on her shirt. He thinks this is a funny name (because it sounds like "bloomers"), and she gets irritated; she knows her name is funny. He says it again, and laughs; she grows angry and says she hates children.

Part B

They approach the house, and Goku drops his fish and asks Bulma to wait outside. When he enters the house, he sees that the ball is glowing again. He says that Grandpa is talking; Bulma notes that he said his Grandpa was dead, but then she notices the Dragon Ball. Just what she was looking for! She pushes Goku aside and picks up the ball; Goku yells at her, grabbing her and telling her to stop touching his Grandpa. She is confused, and asks him whether he means the ball. He explains that this is the only memento his Grandpa left him, and girls are not allowed to touch it. He is excited because Grandpa is glowing; he has never seen that before, and he thinks his Grandpa is trying to tell him something.

Bulma decides to tell Goku her secret; she pulls two more Dragon Balls from her bag. Goku cannot believe she has two Grandpas, but she explains they are not Grandpas; they are Dragon Balls! His ball is merely reacting to the presence of hers. She puts hers on a table, and tells him to put his next to them, and they all glow together. She tells him that she found the Two-Star Ball in a storeroom at her house, and after some research, she found the legend of the Dragon Balls.

Far away, a small blue man flanked by a woman and an anthropomorphic dog opens a door to find the One-Star Ball resting on a cushion. He picks up the ball, excited to lay eyes on the legend at last. A suit of armor falls on top of him, its face mask falling open to reveal a skeleton inside, and he screams, pushing the armor aside. The skull falls out, and two bats fly out of the eye sockets. The blue man asks his companions if he is supposed to speak the words into the ball, and the woman tells him no, it is only one Dragon Ball and worthless on its own. Addressing him as Pilaf-sama, she informs him that there are seven Dragon Balls. When all seven are collected, the lord of dragons Shenlong appears. Only then can Pilaf say the words and get his wish granted. Pilaf declares that he will use the Dragon Balls to rule the world.

Back at Goku's house, Goku cannot believe that all seven balls will make any wish come true, but Bulma tells him that she heard that someone collected them all and became a king, but that was a long time ago, and the balls have gotten separated since then. Goku asks whether she is trying to collect them all. She tells him that she found the Five-Star Ball ten days previous in a valley to the north. Goku notices that "Grandpa" has four stars. Bulma giggles to herself and says she already knows what she will wish for. She thought about wishing for an unlimited supply of strawberries, but she decided to wish for a cute boyfriend instead.

Bulma asks Goku if she can have the Four-Star Ball, and he tells her no way; that is his Grandpa's gift to him. She complains that he is a cheapskate; it is not like he is going to use it, but he sticks his tongue out at her. Suddenly she has an idea; thinking she knows what he wants, she lifts her skirt to show him her panties, and tells him he can touch if he wants, but he says he does not want to touch her dirty butt. Indignant, she insists that her butt is not dirty, how dare he! Trying another tactic, she asks him to help her find the others, since his Grandpa told him to be nice to girls and all. She points out that he has nothing better to do, and it is his duty to travel and train his strength. He asks her if she thinks he can get strong like his Grandpa, and she promises that he can. She asks him if he has ever seen any place other than these mountains—has he seen the ocean? She tells him that there are towns with lots of people, and even dinosaurs and monsters. He agrees that it sounds like fun, and he will go with her, but she still cannot have his ball. She tells him she will just need to borrow it for a little bit once they find the others. She thinks to herself that this is perfect; she has a bodyguard for her quest.

Bulma tells him it is time to go, so they leave the house together. Goku asks her how she can find the other balls if she does not know where they are, and she informs him that she is smart as well as cute, showing him her Dragon Radar which she made herself. She points out the three huddled dots representing the balls they have between them, and shows him that the closest remaining one is about 1200 kilometers to the west. Goku does not understand. Bulma tells Goku they cannot exactly walk to the next ball.

Reaching into her bag, Bulma tells him Goku since he wrecked her car, they will have to use something else. She pulls out a small case, opening it to reveal several small capsules. Consulting a guide on the underside of the lid, she tries to remember what number capsule she wants. Selecting number 9, she clicks the top of the capsule and warns Goku to stay back. She tosses it onto the ground, where the capsule explodes and becomes a motorcycle. Goku is frightened, and thinks Bulma is a witch. She explains that these are Hoi-Poi Capsules; everyone civilized uses them. She gets on the bike, and Goku pokes it suspiciously with his pole. She assures him that it is not black magic, and tells him to get on the bike behind her. He hops up, and she takes off at full speed. Goku is impressed; the bike goes faster than he can run! Bulma tells him to watch where he puts his hands. One of Goku's monkey friends watches them pass and becomes frightened, dropping the apple it was eating. Thus begins the journey of Goku and Bulma.

Bulma picks up speed as she goes over a hill, and the bike leaves the ground, landing at the bottom of the hill. Goku thinks this is a great technique. They were flying! Bulma giggles, and thinks to herself that she did not think the slope was that steep. She gets off the bike, excusing herself, and tells Goku she will be right back. Goku asks where she is going, and she gets angry, telling him that whenever a lady says that, it means she has to go pee. She tells him not to follow her. Goku wonders why she had to go behind a rock to pee; could she not do it right there? He thinks she is weird.

Suddenly Bulma yells. Goku goes running toward her, asking if a snake bit her wiener, but when he reaches the other side of the rock, he finds Bulma in the hands of a great Pteranodon. The beast asks who he is, and he says he is Goku, and asks if he is a friend of Bulma's. The Pteranodon says that yes actually, and they have some things to discuss, so Goku should wait here. Just to be sure, the beast ties Goku to a tree. Goku is confused, but the beast thanks him and takes off to the air with Bulma. It has been a long time since he has had human meat and he is going to take his time eating Bulma. Goku asks how long he should wait, and Bulma tells him to hurry up and save her. Goku complains that she should have told him earlier if she wanted him to save her.

Goku uses his tail to untie himself, and wonders how he will save Bulma if he cannot fly. He remembers the trick Bulma pulled with the motorbike, so he runs to it and hops on, trying to remember what she did to make it go. He recalls that she twisted the handles, so he does that and takes off. Aiming for the top of the rise, he makes it fly, propelling himself up to Bulma. He falls just short, so he stands on top of the bike, reaching for Bulma. He cannot reach and falls back down, but then he jumps off of the falling bike. He still falls short, so he takes out his pole and commands it to extend, telling the Pteranodon to get a taste of his Nyoi-bō! The pole descends and breaks the beast's neck, and it falls out of the sky along with Bulma and Goku, but Goku has it all figured out. He tosses the Nyoi-bō toward Bulma and lands safely on his feet. When the beast crashes below, Goku looks over the edge of the cliff and thinks that maybe he did not save Bulma after all, but then she screams from above, a steady trickle of tinkle dropping below her. She is hanging from the Nyoi-bō which is stuck into the side of the cliff. She tells him she ended up peeing anyway. Goku is happy for her, and they take off again on her bike. Their journey has just begun; what awaits them ahead?

Cast

The following table provides the cast as credited in the original Japanese broadcast. Additional characters/cast members not originally credited, or with speaking roles exclusive to a specific dubbing, have been included at the bottom of the table.

Character	Cast
	Japanese	English (BLT)	English (FUNimation)
Son Goku	Masako Nozawa	Saffron Henderson	Stephanie Nadolny
Bulma	Hiromi Tsuru	Lalainia Lindbjerg	Tiffany Vollmer
Pilaf	Shigeru Chiba	Don Brown	Chuck Huber
Shuu	Tesshō Genda	Doug Parker	Chris Cason
Mai	Eiko Yamada	Teryl Rothery	Julie Franklin
Saber Tiger	Masaharu Satō	Unknown	Christopher R. Sabat
Pteranodon	Hiroshi Ōtake	Unknown	Brad Jackson
Narrator	Jōji Yanami	Jim Conrad	Brice Armstrong
Giant Fish	Unknown	N/A	N/A
Son Gohan	N/A	Michael Donovan	N/A

Funimation's 1995 dub was contracted out to BLT Productions in Vancouver, who hired Canadian voice actors typically associated with Ocean Group. Funimation redubbed the series in the early 2000s with their in-house cast.

Main Staff

The following list provides the main staff responsible for the production of this episode as credited in this specific episode's ending credits.

• Scenario: Yasushi Hirano
• Director (Storyboard): Minoru Okazaki
• Animation Supervisor: Minoru Maeda
• Art Director: Tadanao Tsuji

• Key Animation: Sonomi Aramaki, Masayuki Aoki, Akiko Nakano, Yasushi Tanizawa
• Special Effects: Yukari Hashimoto
• Photography: Motoaki Ikenoue
• Assistant Director: Yoshihiro Ueda

Music

The following table is a scene-by-scene account of the musical tracks used in this episode. The background music is composed by Shunsuke Kikuchi, and our in-house K-catalogue numbers apply to tracks composed or arranged by him.

None of the background music (BGM) tracks have official titles, but the officially-released tracks generally do have official catalogue numbers, which are prefaced by letters other than K. These are included in the "Catalogue/Title" column. The documentation and scene descriptions are adapted from kenisu's Magicant.

Dragon Ball Episode 1: Shunsuke Kikuchi OST
Catalogue	Scene	Catalogue/Title	Tonality	Release
OP	Opening	Mystical Adventure! (TV Size)	F Minor	Daizenshuu 2:1
K-1 K-2	Prologue + Title Card	H1 H4	F Major D Minor	Daizenshuu 2:7(b) Daizenshuu 2:7(d)
K-3	The rolling log	H3	D Minor	Daizenshuu 2:7(c)
K-4	Rolling faster	K-4	G7	Unreleased
K-5	Bulma's first appearance	B2-B	F Major	Daizenshuu 2:4(a)
K-6	Glowing Dragon Ball	K-6	C	Unreleased
K-7	Goku in his element	K-7	D Minor
K-8	Attack of the Saber-tiger	K-8	C˚7
K-9	The chase is on!	K-9	F Minor
K-10	The talking fish	K-10	C ♯˚7
K-11	Bulma goes go Goku's house	K-11	F Major
K-12	Eyecatch A	C4	F Minor	Daizenshuu 2:23(e)
K-13	Eyecatch B	C2B-2	F Minor	Daizenshuu 2:19(e)
K-6	Bulma notices the Dragon Ball	K-6	C+	Unreleased
K-14	Bulma grabs the Four-Star Ball	K-14
K-6	The Dragon Balls together	K-6
K-10	Pilaf discovers a Dragon Ball	K-10	C ♯˚7
K-6	Mai explains the legend	K-6	C+
K-15	Bulma's dirty offer	K-15	F Major
K-16	Bulma's trickery	G2	D Minor	Daizenshuu 2:4(d)
K-17	The journey begins	I1	F Major	Daizenshuu 2:11(c)
K-18	The Pteranodon	A6	F Minor	Daizenshuu 2:3(b)
K-19	Goku and the flying bike	K-19	F Major	Unreleased
K-20	Goku takes down the Pteranodon	K-20	A♭+
K-21	Bulma has an accident	K-21	G7
K-22	What happens next?	K-22	F Major
ED	Ending	I'll Give You Romance (TV Size)	E♭ Major	Daizenshuu 2:27
K-23	Next Episode Preview	M23	F Minor	Daizenshuu 2:26(c)

The opening song "Mystical Adventure!" is performed by Hiroki Takahashi, and the ending song "I'll Give You Romance" is performed by Ushio Hashimoto.

Notes:

• All listed BGM tracks are used here for the first time. Future episodes' music tables include notes on BGM track debuts.
• The Intro + Title Card music is almost entirely K-2 (H4). The opening harp arpeggio of K-1 (H1) is blended into the beginning of the track.
• The order of the eyecatch tracks is reversed in this episode, making Eyecatch B (K-12/C4) the first of the two tracks to appear in the series, before Eyecatch A (K-13/C2B-2).

Items

• Nyoi-bō
• Dragon Radar
• Dragon Balls
  • Grandpa Gohan was the owner of the 4-star ball; he left to to Son Goku after his death
  • Bulma discovered the 2-star ball in a storeroom at her house
  • Bulma discovered the 5-star ball in a valley to the north of Son Goku's home
  • Pilaf collects a dragon ball in an ancient castle. Although it is not depicted as having a star, subsequent episodes will reveal that it was the 1-star ball
• Capsules
  • Bulma begins the story with a "Turbo" car that presumably came from a capsule
  • Bulma subsequently switches to a Capsule 9 motorcycle.

Setting

Grandpa Gohan's original house on Mount Paozu.

• September 1, Age 749
  • Grandpa Gohan's house on Mount Paozu (not yet named in this episode) and environs

Variations

Below are significant variations in the FUNimation English dub:

• The dub Intro goes into considerably more detail than the Japanese version, telling the story of Grandpa Gohan and giving Goku's name. "Far away, in an enchanted land that seemed untouched by the steady march of time, there lived an old master named Gohan who found a baby boy abandoned in the wilderness of the region. The old master raised the boy as his own child and marveled as the youngster grew and became uncommonly strong. Now the boy, known as Goku, is on his own, and has become the sole guardian of his grandfather's most mystical possession: his Dragon Ball."
  • In Funimation's original 1995 dub of the Pilaf arc, the opening narration is slightly different: "Far across the sea, in a remote and enchanted land, there lived in harmony among the dangers and beauties of the region an old master, who found a very special boy abandoned in the wild, who he raised as his own grandson. The old master marveled as the power of light grew strongly within this young boy. Now, the boy known as Goku is on his own, and has become the sole guardian of his grandfather's most mystical possession: his Dragon Ball." This is followed by a soliloquy from Grandpa Gohan: "Grandson, even though this old body may pass away, my spirit will live on with you. So enjoy the mountains as always. Miss me not. Play just as if I am still waiting for you up on the hillside, because I still am."

• Narration continues to color silent moments in the episode to explain what is happening. In Bulma's first scene: "Little did Goku know, a visitor was approaching his remote mountainside home. The young boy's life was about to begin a radical new phase. Totally radical."

• In the same vein, Bulma identifies what she is looking for when she first looks at her Dragon Radar. "You're as good as mine, you little jewel."

• Goku's conversations with "Grandpa" are elaborated. "Grandpa, stay there, okay? This won't take long. I'll be right back." "Golly, I've never seen you shine bright like that before, Grandpa. How strange! Can you do it again? You can wait until later if you have to."

• Goku makes up his mind to have fish before he visits the apple tree. By accident or design, this is more consistent with the manga, where Goku does not eat apples. As he approaches the apple tree in the dub script: "But first, I'm gonna need a little snack."

• Goku talks a great deal in silent moments, for example when he is wringing out his clothes: "There, that oughtta do it. It'll be dry in no time. Here comes the waterfall! Hey, it looks like now is a good time to do a little tail-fishing! Come on you little rascals. I know you think it's a giant worm. Take a bite!" (In the Japanese version, all Goku says during this entire sequence is: "That's it! I'll have some fish!")

• Goku's impression that Bulma is a goblin or demon emerging from the "monster" (the car) is glossed over in the dub. "Well I'm ready for you this time. Why don't you come out of your shell and fight? What's wrong? Don't tell me you used up all of your power already, monster."

• The "black magic" accusation is similarly glossed over. "Holy cow. Whoa, what was that!" Later he does say, "Grandpa told me about evil creatures like you. Your black arts won't work on me! Alright monster! It's your turn!" Bulma denies that she is a monster.

• Instead of saying Bulma is "soft and weak", Goku says she is "thin and scrawny". When he notes that she has no tail, she does not think that his tail is fake; she just tells him "I'm sure it will sprout up any time now, kid," and thinks, "What a weirdo."

• When Goku offers to make Bulma lunch, he does not say he is offering because she is a girl.

• Goku tells Bulma his name is "Goku. G-O-K-U," instead of "Son Goku". When Goku laughs at Bulma's name, she says "Goku" is not a normal name, either, but Goku says it is not as weird as hers. Bulma does not agree.

• Bulma compliments Goku's house: "Wow, that's a nice little place you got there, kid."

• Instead of telling Bulma that girls are not allowed to touch his Grandpa, he tells her that no one is allowed to touch it but him.

• Instead of telling Goku how she found the Two-Star Ball in her house, she tells him it would be dangerous if a bad person obtained the balls, foreshadowing the next scene with Pilaf.

• Mai's speech about the Dragon Balls is elaborated. "But just imagine, dear Emperor, that glorious day when the seven balls are finally brought together, a beautiful burst of energy will light the sky, and in a blazing surge of fiery power, the eternal Dragon will rise before you for the sole purpose of granting you a single wish, whatever it may be."

• Instead of Bulma telling Goku about the person who wished to be a king, Goku wonders why his Grandpa did not tell him about the power of the Dragon Balls, and Bulma tells him that not many people know about it.

• Instead of Bulma telling Goku about where she found the Five-Star Ball, he tells her not to mix her balls up with his, and she tells him that will not happen because the one she is holding has five stars, while his has four.

• Bulma does not mention her discarded wish for unlimited strawberries; she only says she might be able to wish for a boyfriend by the end of the month.

• When Bulma shows Goku her panties, she does not offer to let him touch her; she only offers him a "little peek". Goku: "What do I care about seeing your dirty old fanny?"

• Bulma does not suggest that Goku can train his strength if he accompanies her; she only suggests his Grandpa would be proud of him for traveling and seeing new things.

• Bulma does not tell Goku that she made the Dragon Radar. (1200 kilometers is converted to 750 miles.)

• Hoi-Poi Capsules are called "Dyno Caps".

• The narration about the beginning of Goku's and Bulma's adventure is omitted.

• When Bulma tells Goku she needs to make a "pit stop", he offers to come with her.

• After Bulma tells Goku to wait there, when she gets behind the rock, she tells him to come to her. Instead of wondering whether a snake bit her wiener, he wishes she would make up her mind.

• The Pteranodon tells Goku that he and Bulma have "fancy dinner engagements, but the reservations are only for two." After the Pteranodon ties him up, Goku says "Gosh, I think he was lying!" and the Pteranodon says, "You're a regular Einstein. See ya!" He tells Bulma, "Hey, stop being such a downer, baby; I'm in the mood for a Happy Meal!"

• The Nyoi-bō is called the "Power Pole".

• Bulma says nothing about peeing her pants.

• The ending narration is elaborated: "As Goku and Bulma continue their quest, what will befall them next? The race is on as both good and evil forces plot a crash course. Who will be the first to unlock the mystery of the seven magic Dragon Balls?"

Production

• TBD

Availability

Toei

• Dragon Ball DVD Box – Dragon Box; Disc #01 (07 July 2004)
• Dragon Ball Individual DVD Volume #01 (04 April 2007)

FUNimation

• TV Series Volume 1 — "The Saga of Goku" (Version 1, North America; Ocean cast); Disc #1 (24 October 2000)
• TV Series Volume 1 — "The Saga of Goku" (Version 2, Australia; FUNimation cast); Disc #1 (10 March 2004)
• Dragon Ball Season 1 — "Blue Brick" Disc #1 (15 September 2009)

Tidbits

The sabertooth tiger reacts to the sudden discovery of gravity.

• The opening narration places the events of the series as "long Ago, in an era completely unknown to all" to reinforce the mythic and fantasy nature of the series. It also places the location as "thousands of miles from civilization". Later depictions will nail the series to a fixed timeline (this is Age 749) and places Satan City a mere thousand kilometers away.
• This episode is (naturally) the first appearances of Son Goku, Bulma, Pilaf, Shuu, and Mai. Shenlong appears only in a flashback.
• The initial chase between Son Goku and the sabertooth tiger appears to reference Warner Brothers "Wile E. Coyote" shorts including the reaction gag as the tiger chases Goku off a cliff and remains momentarily suspended in midair, before panicking and falling into a canyon far below. While no specific cartoon may be intended to be referenced, this specific gag is like one that first appeared in the 1952 short Beep, Beep.
• Bulma recounts that a previous Dragon Ball collector used his wish to become a king a "long time ago".
• The next ball that they will search for is 1,200 km to the west. Because the group will detour to collect the Turtle Hermit's ball, it is unclear which one this refers to.

Background Text

• 
  The entrance to Son Goku's house reads 福 (Chinese: Fú, Japanese: Fuku) meaning "good fortune". These are frequently seen on Chinese houses, especially around Chinese New Year.
• 
  Inside Son Goku's house is a sign reading 輪 (Chinese: Lún, Japanese: Wa) meaning "ring" or "wheel". To be completed.
• 
  This is the first appearance of Pilaf. He wears 炒饭 (Chinese: Chǎofàn ) meaning "fried rice". Pilaf explicitly wears the Chinese version of this phrase, rather than the equivalent Japanese kanji.

External Links

• Kanzenshuu Episode Guide - Dragon Ball Episode 1