OG Dragon Ball Episode 1 Full Reaction

Why does the visual footage disappear after the episode title at 3:27? There is only the audio left. This feels pointless.

Merethys

Ah okay. That makes sense now for the Oolong story coming up...😂

Bethany and Ken

Just letting you know, Goku may be small but he’s actually around 12 here! Bulma’s 16, Yamcha’s 16-18, and Oolong is apparently like, 5? Yeah, the ages are a little strange but Goku’s grandpa Gohan died about 8 years before the start of Dragon Ball, so Goku’s naive about a lot of things.

Silxvi

He was 14 but couldn't count so said 12, although to be fair to goku I forget my birthdays until I get a call from family or a friend and he had neither

HisokaTheMasochist

So yeah, to answer your question, Bulma at the start of the series was 16 and I believe Goku was either 13 or 14 despite him looking like a 5 or 6 year old. Also if you remember DBZA where Cell is talking to a reporter about how "our story begins with a little girl shooting going boy in the face", that was a callback to this first interaction between Goku and Bulma. Furthermore, your not wrong to feel that Dragon ball was controversial. Even with japanese culture at the time it was definitely a bit more raunchy at times compared to other anime when it came out.

Akka

It really shows the development of Goku from living alone with no friends in the woods to seeing him have a big family, friends and then becoming a grandparent which is rare in anime, cartoons as you normally don't go through that long journey with a character i.e. following them from childhood to being a grandparent as normally maximum a character's journey will stop when they become a parent

Zaid

I think watching this back the funny thing was I was around 6-8 when I was watching this so those adult jokes literally went over my head. I took the show from Goku's perspective so yeah bulma wheres your tail. Thinking back my parents may not have let me watch this if they saw a few of the episodes 💀

Jehanzeb Ahmed khan

This is peak dragonball IMO. DBZ is great obviously, but the show never quite reached the peaks that OG manage to reach. It's everything I love in a dragonball story. I hope you guys enjoy it a ton!

Shawn Waldrop

You've now watched more of og Dragon Ball than most fans.

feltskate ._.

Haha yeah. Toriyama is the goat

Logan Prime

Yup she is thankfully, coincidentally Chris is not the director of Daima 👀😂

Cynergy

Nah, bruh (edit:👍)

k c

I wouldn’t mind you guys watching and keeping the ending reactions in every time lol.

k c

Bruh chill

BNutt18

Delete this, my guy.

k c

Linda is good. I do prefer the “new” Frieza style. And regarding the sub vs dub stuff. I don’t get the comparison thing since there are way too many differences between languages. I get people respecting the original version, though.

k c

You learn something new everyday.

k c

lol what? I had no idea. She’s in Daima tho, right? Waiting for it to finish before watching.

k c

I enjoyed the One Piece ones. I really like Bon Voyage. Now, I’m getting nostalgic… I’m about to listen to a bunch of anime op’s and ed’s for old times sake.

k c

I hope everyone following the reactions will keep their tongues tied and lips sealed. Hopefully, all discussions will be kept to the episode and if you want to allude to something later, you can just say “keep that in mind” and explain it in the appropriate episode. There was already one guy mentioning other arcs (edit: it was BNutt18 - edit: all good😊). If you get a serious spoiler, hopefully, it’ll be forgotten lol. Blind reactions are the most entertaining.

k c

All this will be figured out eventually.

k c

No need to think about that last part in the heat of an episode.

k c

They played Kakarot, my guy.🫰🫰

k c

I hope they took turns.

k c

Yep. I was hoping they would sit through it.

k c

This is the SOUL of Dragon Ball!

Asuka Yousei 妖精帝國

Me too! This show will completely catch them off guard. Can't wait ❤

Asuka Yousei 妖精帝國

I teared up hearing the ending song because it's so nostalgic TToTT But I'm so glad yall get to see where it all started!

Ceeneon

Excited for this! It's been nearly a decade since I busted out my blue box DVD set, so I'm more than happy use it to watch along. Hmm, shame my DVD player is giving aspect ratio issues. Oh well. Let's do this! "So 80s!" Hell yeah! Oh hey! I think this is your introduction to Tiffanie Volmer as Bulma, huh? She kept the role for over a decade in the US until Kai started. It'll be interesting to see your reactions to her portrayal. Context: Goku laughs at Bulma's name in japanese because it's based on bloomer, so he laughs because her name is underwear. "Why are we working on AI? We should be working on Dynocaps." Thank you! Imagine how much easier things would be if we didn't need to worry about parking or luggage. A lot of the images in the credits are additional artwork that Toriyama would put at the end of chapters or as chapter title pages. The man loved technology and mech designs, so there were a lot of things like this. They'll say it next episode, but Bulma is 16 and Goku is a preteen (his actual age will be revealed a little later, because he doesn't yet know). Also, yes, Bulma is Goku's first and oldest friend, which makes a lot of moments in Z and Super a little more sweet. "I think it's gonna be some silly fun going forward." Yes, Dragon Ball originally started as a gag manga, much like Toriyama's previous series, Dr. Slump. The action will make its way in eventually, especially towards the end. Actually, that's why the anime has the distinction of Z. The manga was only called Dragon Ball, but because it became more action-oriented partway through, Toei decided to distinguish the change by making Z as a sequel anime.

DementisXYZ

Still so impressive what they were able to do animation wise as back then each second was hand drawn 1000x with a slightly different change till you had a whole frame. Similar to claymation. This anime is so nostalgic and great fun.

Logan Prime

Just blurting out spoilers for no reason

Sean Carroll

Fair enough. Though honestly now I really wanna see someone edit Goku saying Bobby Hill lines. Shit would be hilarious.

JT

Yes, episode 1 out the gate! So, as you now know Goku has known Bulma longer than anybody. It’s such a nostalgic feeling seeing an adventure with Goku and Bulma together knowing what’s to come. This show is very much a product of its time. A lot of its content and dialogue would not pass in today’s society which makes this show an absolute gem. Goku being literally a mountain hick with no contact with society and having lived on his own for an unknown number of years makes for great comedy. As you can already see from episode 1. Many fun lines and moments that you guys already mentioned from this episode. One of my favs is Goku’s response to Bulma as she’s showing her panties. “Why would I want to see your dirty fanny?”

Cilla W

Just checked with my friend who's a manga collector, and weirdly enough, the manga is 100% clothed, Bulma wears a bra, while the colored released has her full frontal. Wonder why they did that.

Jason Rogue

It's just something about the cadence of her voice, the "DAAAAAAAYD" that makes me unable to take seriously. It's not something though that I'd consider getting upset over, the original dub has far bigger issues and worse miscasting (I'm truly sorry Linda Young, but you didn't have a chance lol). Edit: I did catch up with Diama's dub and although I'll go into more detail later, I was really offput by some of the kid voices, Nadolny included, some of them sounded really off to me. I have to wonder what the voice direction for some of it was. The last episode I watched though, the one where they introduced Panzy was better though, I think that was the first episode where Nadolny sounded significantly more comfortable back into the role.

Shadowpunch13

Here we go!! I told you guys before that OG Dragon Ball has its "moments" and this is exactly what I meant lol. And what you said is true Bethany, the standards for anime like this one in the 80s was less restricted compared to now, so there's gonna be quite a few wild moments. Kid Goku is straight up one of the most adorable characters in anime, and why people have fallen in love with him from the start. Many anime have tried to replicate this kind of MC behavior but none can do it like the way Toriyama did with Goku

J Sal

Same Cynergy, I'm a 90s baby and grew up with the OG voices and I have to agree with you that their voices are like candy to my ear too (though I like Monica's Bulma a bit more)

J Sal

Man, I used to think that Pokémon opening was like the genuine peak of musical creation when I was a small kid lmao.

JT

They met her in DBZ Kakarot, and a lot us commenters filled them in a tad bit.

JT

Idk I actually liked her Gohan, especially her Teen Gohan voice, but I understand where you're coming from. As much as I dislike Colleen Clickenbeard's Goku voice, she does a good job nailing the innocence of Gohan

J Sal

Yeah ngl english dubs do make some killer openings, the Pokemon one being the most iconic

J Sal

Well... I did say that OG DB is a bit raunchy. It uh... doesn't stop here. How did you guys know who launch is?

Serpent King

Oh yeah, just remembered. It might be a bit too early to be suggesting this, but if you two end up digging Toriyama's more adventure/comedy focused storytelling here then I highly recommend watching Sand Land. It's a short Hulu exclusive anime that came out last year based on a manga that Toriyama made back in 2000. It's not Dragon Ball, but it holds all of the playful charm and sense of humor that OGDB does. Could be something to watch once you've made it past the end of OGDB.

JT

"Now...our story begins as many stories often do... With a young girl shooting a little boy in the face." - DBZA Cell

Serpent King

BNutt18

There's a censored version but first time I ever read it, I read the colored version. Which is most decidedly NOT censored whatsoever.

Shadowpunch13

I don't know about the manga, but it's slightly censored here. Unless you're watching in .25x speed, you won't see anything.

Jason Rogue

When you guys started Super, you had no clue about who the Pilaf gang were. This is their debut arc. As you’ve noticed, they’re adults here because this is before they made their wish to turn to kids down the line. Unlike Goku and Bulma, the Pilaf gang do not act any different in the OG show, which is good since I think they’ll ease the transition into the show for you guys

Hohoho

Noteworthy changes/cuts the dub makes: Title Card: Pretty sure the dub changes all of the titles (could be wrong) but the direct translation of this episode's title is simple, "Bulma and Son Goku." The Dragon Balls: The Dragon Balls use the Chinese pronunciation when referring to them in the original version. This is understandably completely admitted in the English Version. Also, in the scene where Bulma explains what the Dragon Balls are, she mentions a person used them a long time ago to become a king, and they've been scattered ever since. I honestly don't remember if this gets brought up again but it's a neat little piece of worldbuilding. Bulma's wish: The original line is: "I already know what my wish is going to be! Having an unlimited supply of strawberries is hard to turn down, but I'm going to wish for a cute boyfriend instead!" Considering the two people in this series she winds up with, I can't help but wonder what the series would've been like, had she gotten that original wish. Hoi-Poi Capsules: "Hoi-Poi Capsules" are officially what the capsules are called after the Japanese onomatopoeia "Hoi-Poi" which is what is typically used for something popping out evocatively. The Power Pole: The original name is "Nyoi-Bo" which if, the Monkey boy wasn't a clear enough reference to Journey to the West, then that certainly is. One final thing I'll say, since I'm unable to unsee it and now you won't either. Anytime a character is talking but their mouth isn't on screen, 90% of the time it means the dub added a line in where there wasn't one originally. Once you notice it once, it's pretty difficult not to.

Shadowpunch13

That’s fair, I grew up on DBZ from back in late 90s - early 00s so I’m very attached to the original VAs of this anime.

Cynergy

We're not gonna mention the Bulma panel from the Fortuneteller Baba arc are we? 💀

Shadowpunch13

Yes Stephanie was asked to make the Gohan voice more raspy compared to her Goku voice so I think it was a ADR decision rather than the decision of the VA to voice it that way.

Cynergy

You guys should react to the og dbz instead of the abridged it's bad ass as well

Jesus Leos

Wooooooo!!!! Let’s start OG DB!!

victoria t

I love the opening and closing themes for this series as well, English dubs don’t often get the music right ❤️

Cynergy

Doesn't it go back even further, I remember Gundam in '79 had some very weird scenes as well. Other than sending literal children to war. Japan is just different, and we're all just prudes.

Jason Rogue

Bro when I was reading Dr Slump last year some of the panels left me fucking apalled 😆. 80s Japan was something else

JT

At the start of the series bulma is around 16 and Goku is around 12. In the recent movies heroes there was a throw away line that explains gokus and other saiyans height that they go through a insane growth spurt at one point in time in reference to goten and trunks

Knight Spearhead

Yeah, Japan has a different policy towards underage nudity. As long as it's not sexual its perfectly fine as it's pure innocence. Bulma is 16, Goku isn't that young, but they'll disclose his age later on in the series. By the by, this dub was made after DBZ, as this was 2001, DBZ dub was in '98.

Jason Rogue

Perhaps it's just because I grew up being exposed to the different dub actors equally, but I don't find myself leaning too much toward certain VAs in that regard.

JT

The start of a new adventure for Goku, I love the 80s nostalgia this anime brings with the music and fashion. As you can hear, the VAs are vastly different to the current VAs used for Kai and Super, imo alot more pleasant to listen to as well. There are many rumors out there regarding why Stephanie Nadolny was not asked back for Kai and Super for the roles of Kid Goku (flashbacks) and Gohan, one being that her and Chris Sabat (Vegeta) had a bad break up, I'm inclined to lean towards that theory since to this day he does not acknowledge her in DB panels.

Cynergy

OGDB's ending song, "I'll Give You Romance", is one of my favorite outros of the whole series. An incredible song with fantastic art direction. A lot of the images of Goku, Bulma, and co. riding dinos and sporting military gear are actually Toei Animation redrawings of Toriyama's cover art for OGDB's early manga chapters. I love those drawings so much cuz you can tell Toriyama was just having fun mashing together his favorite kinds of media/things to draw.

JT

Don't get me started on Funimation changing the VAs for Kai/Super lol I love Stephanie and Tiffany for the roles of Kid Goku/Gohan and Bulma, their voices are better suited for the roles and are candy to the ears ❤️

Cynergy

22:26 Aside from the monkey tail, this would be Goku's first parallel to Sun Wukong, the Power Pole. It's a staff that's based on the monkey king's primary weapon, the Ruyi Jingu Bang, a staff-like weapon that could grow or shrink to any size.

JT

"Let's try, try, try, look high and low! Search the sky and the sea below!" 🎵🔥

JT

Makafushigi Adventure. That is all.

Shadowpunch13

"Bobby Hill" 😂. Don't know if I'd say it's that raspy haha.

JT

The reason Gokus Voice is so Raspy is cause the original JP voice actors for most young male characters back in the day were female Cause they had a shortage of male voice actors in jp. In america we didnt really have that issue but they still tried to replicate the original actresses

Knight Spearhead

I've seen OG Dragon Ball dubbed all the way through only one time, quite a long time ago, (any rewatch I do is either the original, or just rereading the manga) so I look forward to this. I can personally tolerate Stephanie Nadolny as Goku though I absolutely despise her for Gohan. She doesn't hit the right level of "well-spoken, polite young man" that Gohan is (something that's lost in the localization anyway). The Bobby Hill voice is just too ear-piercing for my liking. She fits a little better as Goku since Goku's intended to have that hick energy although I personally find that she falls flat in some of the more emotional moments later on. The OG Dragon Ball scripts also unfortunately suffers from some of the same problems that plagued the original Z dub, albeit not nearly as egregious. Honestly Masako Nozawa just kills Goku, especially kid Goku, to the point where I wouldn't think twice about it. Collen I think was a solid improvement for Gohan (though I don't know if I'd call her perfect), though for Goku, especially concerning Diama, I would've just gotten someone brand new, personally, but eh what are you gonna do.

Shadowpunch13

And thus true peak begins. OG Dragon has a different style to even Z. It's a slow burn, but so worth it once we're out of the introductions.

Jason Rogue

Pretty sure you already tell, but OG Dragonball is pretty unhinged with its content compared to Z and Super.

Pyrodragon3993

OG DB is really enjoyable alot of fans dont bother with it, and honestly if i hadn’t grown up with it playing at the same time as DBZ on Toonami i might not have either. I think fans get worried it might be boring without characters we’re so used to like Vegeta,Gohan,ect. But it really is very enjoyable

Austin Collier

SHE SHOOTS HIM IN THE HEAD

Shadowpunch13

Finally getting to old school db will be a journey

Knight Spearhead

So, this is the first time you guys are getting to Stephanie Nadolny’s performance as a young Goku. She’s the VA for any young version of Goku and Gohan back in the dub for OGDB, the original DBZ dub, and now in Daima. While I’ve never minded Coleen Clinkenbeard’s performances as the replacement for Nadolny’s roles in DB, I find that Nadolny’s voice is more fitting. Especially for scenes when Goku and Gohan get angry and start yelling. You’ll also be getting to hear Tiffany Vollmer’s performance as VA for Bulma instead of Monica Rial this time around. I personally don’t find myself preferring Vollmer or Rial over each other as Bulma.

JT

Now that rewatching OGDB with you two has me revisiting the anime and manga, I thought I’d share some Q&As and Author Notes from Toriyama as we go through these reactions. Here’s one Q&A with some fairly interesting info: Q: Hello sensei. Please allow me to ask you some questions: 1) How long does it take for you to create one chapter of Dragon Ball? 2) Do you draw the backgrounds yourself? 3) How many assistants do you have? 4) Does your assistant live at your house? - Hajime Higaki, Mie Prefecture A: 1) It takes me about 5 days to think of the story and draw it all. I draw one chapter a week. 2) I draw the backgrounds if it’s the first time they show up, otherwise it’s mostly my assistant that draws them. If there’s a lot of scenery to draw then I’ll also draw some of it. 3) I have one assistant named Matsuyama. If things get really busy his wife also helps out. 4) He commutes. He doesn’t have to draw every day. Having him come two days a week is sufficient.

JT

Perhaps these points are obvious, but I wanted to reiterate them just for keeps: - Toriyama did not intend for Goku to be an alien at this point. The idea had not occurred to him until the Saiyan Saga. Any lines or gags suggesting he isn’t human are pure coincidence. As I said back on DBS ep 131, Dragon Ball began as a loose adaptation of Journey to the West, and Goku (whose name is the Japanese rendering of “Sun Wukong”) was based on the monkey king himself. At this point he was just a strange boy with a monkey tail and an incredible aptitude for martial arts. As we go forward you’ll be seeing many parallels between the two. - Unlike DBZ Kai and DBS, this is the first DB series you’ll be watching that was produced under the strict condition that it must not go past the manga (which was ongoing at the time). This means that many scenes and episodes have been made for the express purpose of padding out Toriyama’s story. While some of it actually improves upon the original plot IMO, it can certainly feel like a drag at times. Especially if you’ve read the manga beforehand like I did. - Probably the most obvious note, but most of the greater world of Dragon Ball’s lore was not even a thought in Toriyama’s mind. Might want to set aside all you’ve learned about the Namekians, Saiyans, Kais, G.o.Ds. other universes, etc. during our ride through OGDB.

JT

The start of a new journey! So excited!

Alex Deleon

Now we begin to make our way onto the latter half of your DB journey. Gotta say I’m rather grateful to you two for deciding to actually check out OGDB in the first place. A good number of fans don’t even bother with it (here in the U.S., at least).

JT