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IMDbPro

Dragon Ball

Original title: Dragon Ball: Doragon bôru
  • TV Series
  • 1986–19891986–1989
  • TV-14TV-14
  • 24m
IMDb RATING
8.6/10
59K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,442
89
Dragon Ball (1986)
Home Video Trailer from FUNimation
Play trailer0:44
2 Videos
99+ Photos
AnimationActionAdventure
Son Gokû, a fighter with a monkey tail, goes on a quest with an assortment of odd characters in search of the Dragon Balls, a set of crystals that can give its bearer anything they desire.Son Gokû, a fighter with a monkey tail, goes on a quest with an assortment of odd characters in search of the Dragon Balls, a set of crystals that can give its bearer anything they desire.Son Gokû, a fighter with a monkey tail, goes on a quest with an assortment of odd characters in search of the Dragon Balls, a set of crystals that can give its bearer anything they desire.
IMDb RATING
8.6/10
59K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,442
89
  • Stars
    • Masako Nozawa
    • Jôji Yanami
    • Brice Armstrong
  • Stars
    • Masako Nozawa
    • Jôji Yanami
    • Brice Armstrong
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 48User reviews
    • 5Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Top rated TV #172

    Episodes153

    Browse episodes
    TopTop-rated
    1 Season

    Videos2

    Dragon Ball
    Trailer 0:44
    Watch Dragon Ball
    Dragon Ball (US Trailer)
    Trailer 1:53
    Watch Dragon Ball (US Trailer)

    Photos239

    Dragon Ball (1986)
    Dragon Ball (1986)
    Dragon Ball (1986)
    Dragon Ball (1986)
    Dragon Ball (1986)
    Dragon Ball (1986)
    Dragon Ball (1986)
    Dragon Ball (1986)
    Dragon Ball (1986)
    Dragon Ball (1986)
    Dragon Ball (1986)
    Dragon Ball (1986)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Masako Nozawa
    Masako Nozawa
    • Son Gokû
    Jôji Yanami
    Jôji Yanami
    • Narrator…
    Brice Armstrong
    Brice Armstrong
    • Narrator…
    Stephanie Nadolny
    Stephanie Nadolny
    • Goku
    Hiromi Tsuru
    Hiromi Tsuru
    • Bulma
    Mayumi Tanaka
    Mayumi Tanaka
    • Kuririn…
    Tôru Furuya
    Tôru Furuya
    • Yamcha
    Naoko Watanabe
    Naoko Watanabe
    • Puar…
    Kôhei Miyauchi
    Kôhei Miyauchi
    • Kamesennin Muten Roshi…
    Naoki Tatsuta
    Naoki Tatsuta
    • Oolong…
    Mami Koyama
    Mami Koyama
    • Lunch…
    Kenji Utsumi
    Kenji Utsumi
    • Announcer…
    Hirotaka Suzuoki
    Hirotaka Suzuoki
    • Tenshinhan
    Daisuke Gôri
    • Umigame…
    Takeshi Aono
    Takeshi Aono
    • Piccolo Daimao…
    Tesshô Genda
    Tesshô Genda
    • Shuu…
    Hiroko Emori
    Hiroko Emori
    • Chaozu
    Shigeru Chiba
    Shigeru Chiba
    • Emperor Pilaf…
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Goku is 12 years old at the beginning of Dragon Ball. He tells Bulma he is 14 but later confesses he didn't know how to count properly at first.
    • Goofs
      When Master Roshi is introduced he knows nothing about the Dragon Balls. Yet later in the series, he tells Goku and company an extremely detailed story about their origin.
    • Quotes

      [Japanese opening song]

      Singer: Grab them in the hands! Dragon Ball! / One of the world's most thrilling secrets / Hunt those down! Dragon Ball! / One of the world's most pleasant miracles / This world is a huge treasure island / That's right, right now, Adventure! / The chest is tightened excitedly in love, dreaming lots of various colors / Somewhere in this world it's glowing / Let's go and find those, boy, striking out the ghosts and goblins / We'll also fly on the cloud machine today / Let's try, try, try, mystical adventure / Across the sky and over the mountains / Let's fly, fly, fly, great adventure / The wonderful trip has begun! / Grasp them in your hands! Dragon Ball! / One of the world's most tough chances / Chase those down! Dragon Ball! / One of the world's most enjoyable dramas / This world is a huge treasure island / That's right, right now, Adventure!

    • Crazy credits
      The closing credits are a montage of images based on covers from the "Dragon Ball" manga.
    • Alternate versions
      The French version, distributed across most of Europe during the 90s, reinterpreted or outright deleted several scenes in an effort to make the series suitable for their intended audience, young kids. Most famously, much of the perverted antics of Master Roshi and a great deal of crass jokes were rewritten, but the animation was often left intact. This has lead to the animation at times clearly showing that the characters were thinking "dirty" thoughts, even though the dialogue itself was more kid-friendly. For example, Yamcha's fear of seeing naked women was twisted into him being afraid of shampoo. However, several similar gags were actually kept and only slightly toned down.
    • Connections
      Alternate-language version of Dragon Ball Z (1989)

    User reviews48

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    Good show, but read the Manga first
    As a fan of Manga and Anime, I really enjoyed the Dragonball TV series, but I thought it could have done a lot better, but before I get to that, let me just explain one thing about the show.

    DRAGONBALL IS NOT A KIDS SHOW! Some of the content of the show is not suitable for children, particularly the uncut Japanese version. The English translation does try to clean it up a bit, but it still contains some things anyone under 10 shouldn't be exposed to. For example, one character (Oolong) attempts to "have his way" with another while she sleeps (although in the English version he was just after the Dragonballs) and in several episodes we see some of the male characters nude.

    OK, that's cleared up, so what's the show about? The series is based on the manga by Akira Toriyama, which was based on a Chinese legend, and follows the Adventures of Son Goku, a child with incredible powers. Goku meets Bulma, a 16 year old girl, who is looking for the Dragonballs, magical relics that, when all 7 are united, can summon Shenlon (Shenron in the English versions), who can grant 1 wish. Goku agrees to give Bulma his Dragonball (which he calls "Grandpa as it is the only thing he has that reminds him of his Grandpa, Son Gohan) only if he can join her. But they are not the only ones after the Dragonballs.

    While Dragonball offers some entertainment (although it does get better as it goes along), the Manga was far better. This maybe because the manga series was just straight-ford, while the anime goes of the track a bit with pointless episodes that weren't featured in the manga. That and the extra scenes that try to develop the characters we don't really care about.

    Apart from that, the series is fun and never takes itself seriously. Any Dragonball Z fans who haven't seen Dragonball should do so.
    helpful•9
    5
    • Evil_Chihuahua
    • Jan 3, 2006

    FAQ2

    • Why is there two entries for Dragon Ball (1986) series?
    • Is Hollywood making a live-action Dragonball movie?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • March 15, 2022 (United States)
      • Japan
      • Official Site
      • TOEI Animation Co., Ltd
      • Japanese
    • Also known as
    • Production companies
      • Bird Studios
      • Toei Animation
      • Toei Company
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • 24 minutes
      • Color
      • Dolby

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