Dragon Ball: Season One

• The greatest adventure of all time begins now!Goku may be small, but this fearless warrior packs a punch as powerful as any on the planet. Left alone after his grandfather s death, this unusual boy is happy to spend his days hunting and eating and eating some more. But everything changes on the day he meets Bulma a bossy, blue-haired beauty with boys on the brain. Together, they set out to track d

The greatest adventure of all time begins now! pGoku may be small, but this fearless warrior packs a punch as powerful as any on the planet. Left alone after his grandfather’s death, this unusual boy is happy to spend his days hunting and eating and eating some more. But everything changes on the day he meets Bulma â€" a bossy, blue-haired beauty with boys on the brain. Together, they set out to track down the seven magic Dragon Balls and make the wish that will change their lives forever.

And ! that’s just the beginning! Goku also spends some time on Turtle Island where he and Krillin study martial arts under the legendary Master Roshi. The old hermit may not look like much, but if his new pupils can find him a woman, he’ll make sure they’re ready to rumble at the upcoming World Martial Arts Tournament!

Season One of Dragon Ball is a must-have for everyone from the die-hard fan to the next generation of collectors.In 1986, the animated adaptation of Akira Toriyama's manga Dragon Ball debuted on Japanese television, launching one of the most popular franchises in anime history. Dragon Ball introduced a special mixture of male bonding, rigorous training, martial arts fighting, slapstick comedy, and sci-fi action that scored a huge hit with boys and led to the follow-ups Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball GT--and numerous imitators. A small boy from another planet, Goku commands super-human strength, but he was raised in the remote mou! ntains by an old man and he knows little of the world. Goku me! ets Bulm a, who's trying to assemble the seven magical Dragon Balls so she can wish for a boyfriend. The naive boy and the hot-tempered girl join forces, then form a quarrelsome alliance with Oolong, the shape-shifting pig, and Yamcha, a dashing bandit with a metamorphic familiar, Puar. The heroes compete for the Dragon Balls against the pint-sized Emperor Pilaf (who wants to rule the world). After defeating Pilaf, Goku goes to study martial arts with Master Roshi, a lecherous but extraordinarily skilled old man. Goku and fellow student Krillin develop formidable powers that they use in the World Martial Arts Tournament. These episodes set the pattern for Dragon Ball and numerous other series: humans and creatures of all description train endlessly, then gather to pound the ramen out of each other before an audience. Naturally, the hero wins in an extended final match. The first adventures are lighter in tone and more broadly comic than the beginning of the darker Red Ribbon S! aga. For years, the first13 episodes of Dragon Ball were only available in the U.S. in the heavily edited set Saga of Goku, to the chagrin of the fans. Following their successful release of the complete Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball GT, Funimation is presenting Dragon Ball uncut and digitally restored. The series probably looks better now than it did when it premiered, as it was reportedly filmed in 16mm. Note: The sight of the prepubescent Goku and Krillin running around naked doesn't bother Japanese audiences. (Rated TV 14, but appropriate for ages 12 and up: nudity, risqué and toilet humor, cartoon violence, ethnic stereotypes, alcohol and tobacco use) --Charles Solomon

(1. Secret of the Dragon Balls, 2. The Emperor’s Quest, 3. The Nimbus Cloud of Roshi, 4. Oolong the Terrible, 5. Yamcha the Desert Bandit, 6. Keep an Eye on the Dragon Balls, 7. The Ox-King on Fire Mountain, 8. The Kamehameha Wave, 9. Boss Rabbit’s Magic T! ouch, 10. The Dragon Balls Are Stolen, 11. The Penalty Is Pinb! all, 12. A Wish to the Eternal Dragon, 13. The Legend of Goku, 14. Goku's Rival, 15. Look Out for Launch, 16. Find That Stone! 17. Milk Delivery, 18. The Turtle Hermit Way, 19. The Tournament Begins, 20. Elimination Round, 21. Smells Like Trouble, 22. Quarterfinals Begin, 23. Monster Beast Giran, 24. Krillin's Frantic Attack! 25. Danger From Above, 26, The Grand Finals, 27. Number One Under The Moon? 28. The Final Blow, 29. The Roaming Lake, 30. Pilaf and the Mystery Force, 31. Wedding Plans?)