Dragon Ball: Season 1by Sheena McNeilReviews may contain information that could be considered 'spoilers'. Readers should proceed at their own risk. Studio
Credits Grade: 7 Goku meets Bulma and they begin searching for Dragon Balls, gaining allies along the way (who also want the Dragon Balls). Then Goku trains with Krillin at Master Roshi's till they fight in the World Martial Arts Tournament!Finally, the first 13 episodes released as they should have been. It's so nice to sit down and watch this classic series start from the very beginning. If you're already a fan you must get this 5-disc, 31-episode box set from FUNimation. It's classic! There's great humor and adventure to start things off, with friendships based on common goals and strong-willed determination. While some find the drawn-out battles tedious (and I'm not saying they aren't sometimes), these early ones really set the tone. Plus it's fun to see how our hero Goku started out; later on, in DBZ we see this echoed some in his son Gohan, but Goku truly is a unique character. I love that Akira Toriyama created the series with anthropomorphic creatures on equal footing with humans (not to mention the myriad of aliens). It keeps things interesting on many levels while also adding to the humor and cuteness. Then, there are all the funny names. I especially like that they fight Jackie Chun in the WMAT. Not only that, but Jackie Chun has to take on Goku in giant ape form! I always liked Toriyama's use of Saiyans as apes, comparing them to humanity, but he gives it more of a rampaging Godzilla feel. As always with this series, I recommend staying with the English dub, as the sub just makes me laugh to much rather than enjoy the series. It's a great addition to your anime collection if you're a fan. If you've not really sat down to watch more than a random episode or two, now's the time to see where it all started and give it a real shot. Written: November 7, 2010
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