Dragon Ball is one of the most famous anime & manga series in the world, and even people unfamiliar with anime will know what Dragon Ball is. The manga started its publication in Weekly Shonen Jump in 1984, and its popularity grew to the point that it now has several anime adaptations, sequels, and spin-offs, as well as multiple movies, video games, and even live-action adaptations. Dragon Ball remains a popular franchise even in 2022, as people are looking forward to the new movie.
Despite its massive popularity, there are many anime fans who have yet to really experience Dragon Ball. This is because both the original manga and anime are several decades old, and new anime fans may not have had the chance to experience it in the way that older fans have. In addition, with new anime series still coming out, it can be a little hard to parse exactly the best place and way to start. Here's a short guide to help new fans get into Dragon Ball.
What Is Dragon Ball?
Dragon Ball follows the story of the character Son Goku, an energetic young boy with incredible strength and a monkey's tail. His journey starts when he meets a young girl named Bulma, who is searching for the seven Dragon Balls. Legend claims that if all seven Dragon Balls are gathered together, the person who does so will be granted a wish. Goku goes on a great adventure to find the Dragon Balls, and learns that there is much more to the world than he had previously believed. This quest inspires him to go on even more adventures, as he goes to trains with Master Roshi, compete in tournaments against mighty martial artists, and fight against tyrannical demons and criminal organizations.
As Dragon Ball goes on, Goku grows from a child to a young adult. By the start of Dragon Ball Z, Goku is now a married man with a young child named Gohan. However, he learns something that will change his entire worldview: that he is actually an alien called a Saiyan. This sets off a chain of events that bring a whole host of threats and challenges to Goku, including the Saiyan prince Vegeta, the mighty tyrant Frieza, and the monstrous Cell. With each major battle, Goku continues to surpass his limits and achieve new levels of strength.
While Dragon Ball Z was the canon end of the Dragon Ball story for a very long time, a new series, Dragon Ball Super, began running, which chronicled new adventures for Goku and his friends. Dragon Ball Super shows Goku ascending to greater heights as he faces off with gods like Beerus and mighty fighters from other worlds like Hit and Jiren. With new fighters to challenge and worlds to explore, Goku continues to grow in strength and power. While the original Dragon Ball manga has been concluded for quite some time, Dragon Ball Super is still being published on a monthly basis, meaning that Goku's adventures are still going to continue for quite some time.
Where To Read Dragon Ball
Dragon Ball as a manga is licensed in Japan by VIZ media, which releases the graphic novels as part of its Shonen Jump line. However, new readers who aren't interested in purchasing physical copies of Dragon Ball yet can also read the chapters on VIZ's Shonen Jump app and website, where they have Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, and Dragon Ball Super all available to read. Reading them will require having a subscription for the Shonen Jump website, but the subscription is extremely cheap at $1.99. Readers can also find the manga on the Manga Plus app and website.
Where To Watch Dragon Ball
Dragon Ball has several anime series, and unfortunately, they are somewhat scattered across several streaming services. In addition, watching certain parts of Dragon Ball may require the viewer to purchase a subscription, depending on the service being used. It is possible to find all the series available on Prime Video, however, they must be purchased and cannot be watched for free.
All of Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball Super, and the anime-only non-canon Dragon Ball GT can be found on Funimation. However, there are some limitations, especially for those who want to watch these shows for free. The biggest series, Dragon Ball Z, requires a subscription for any episode after Season 2. Dragon Ball can be watched for free, but only in Japanese, and Dragon Ball Super and GT require subscriptions to watch. Dragon Ball Super can also be found for free on Crunchyroll, for those who do not want to pay for Funimation's subscription. While Dragon Ball GT is not considered part of the main series timeline, those who want to watch it will have to pay for a subscription, either for Funimation's streaming service, or for Hulu's (which also has the original Dragon Ball).