The reach and reputation of anime in the West have come a long way since the 1990s, and alongsidePokémon,Dragon Ball Zis among the most important series in expanding that reach. Sequel series and new movies have kept theDragon Ballname active in pop culture, but nothing has yet matched the impact of the original (not even…well, the original). The latest film is stillnearly a year away, but the popularity of the franchise endures, and longtime fans and newcomers alike may want to get their Dragon Ball fix before the new film by revisitingZ.
Not sure where to do that? No need to fret. Here’s where you may catchDragon Ball Z, and all its sister series.
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What Is the “Z” in ‘Dragon Ball Z’?
For the uninitiated, it might help to clarify:Dragon Ballis a long-running manga written and drawn byAkira Toriyama, published between 1984 and 1995. It was adapted into a 153-episode anime of the same name between 1986 and 1989. For a variety of reasons, at the moment in the manga when series lead Goku reaches adulthood and has a son, the anime rebranded as a new series,Dragon Ball Z, that continued for 291 episodes until 1996.Dragon Ball Z, as dubbed by Funimation and aired on Cartoon Network’s Toonami block, is what popularized the series outside of Japan, and remains the best known of all the Dragon Ball television series.
Where Can You Watch ‘Dragon Ball Z’?
Dragon Ball Zhas received several comprehensive home video releases which can be obtained relatively easily. Episodes and seasons can also be purchased through Amazon Prime.
Where Can You Stream ‘Dragon Ball Z’?
Dragon Ball Zand its 13 original movies are available to stream through Funimation and AnimeLab. On both platforms, you may watch the American dub or the original Japanese language track. The originalDragon Ballis available on both platforms, and is also available to stream on Hulu in Japanese.
What Other ‘Dragon Ball’ Series Are There?
BesidesDragon BallandDragon BallZ, there are three more anime series in the franchise.Dragon Ball GTis a short-lived direct sequel toDragon Ball Z, developed by Toei Animation without direct input from Akira Toriyama.Dragon Ball Superis a slightly longer-lived direct sequel toDragon Ball Zthatdidhave involvement from Toriyama. Then there’sDragon Ball Z Kai, a “remake” of the firstDragon Ball Zthat re-edits and re-dubs the original footage to produce a leaner (by 132 episodes) series that discarded most of the anime-exclusive material to more closely match Toriyama’s manga.
Where Can You Watch the Other ‘Dragon Ball’ Series?
Dragon Ball GTis available to stream through Funimation and AnimeLab.Dragon Ball Supercan be purchased through Amazon Prime, seen on Adult Swim, or streamed on CrunchyRoll, Funimation, Hulu, or AnimeLab. The movies tied to theSuperlabel aren’t so widely available, but they can be purchased through AppleTV.Dragon Ball Z Kaiis available to stream through Funimation.
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