“FEATURE: The First Dragon Ball Series' Appeal Lies In Its Simplicity”

Hello everyone, and welcome back to Why It Works. I’ve been keeping a close eye on the migration of the Funimation library and most recently was delighted to see the original Dragon Ball show up in both subbed and dubbed varieties. Dragon Ball, and Goku in particular, are essentially global icons at this point, but fans tend to focus on the high-stakes battles of Z and beyond, when Goku and his friends are fighting for the fate of the world. Z is iconic for a variety of reasons, but personally, it’s the lower-stakes conflicts of the original Dragon Ball that most appeal to me, and which I’m now eager to revisit. If you’ve enjoyed Z but have never seen Dragon Ball, this is a perfect time to rectify that — and if you’re still on the fence, here are a few of the things that make Goku’s origins so compelling!

First off, the very fact that Dragon Ball’s conflicts occupy a smaller scale than Z’s battles is, to my mind, one of its greatest assets. When you’re beginning with the fate of the world at stake, any lesser conflict will naturally seem somewhat trivial; as a result, Z tends to focus primarily on escalating battles, with the scale eventually expanding to include other planets and even the galaxy. In contrast, Dragon Ball opens with Bulma seeking the Dragon Balls for entirely selfish reasons and Goku instantly sidetracking her into a variety of errands, ambiguously useful quests, and confrontations with petty dictators.

This rambling focus helps convey the sense of a true adventure, a journey where the end isn’t certain and anything could happen along the way. Unburdened by the shadow of a world-threatening apocalypse, Dragon Ball can stretch its legs and embrace a wide variety of dramatic styles. There are fights and tournaments, but also mysteries, fantastical fables, and even a brief war arc. Dragon Ball’s structure is as loose and wandering as Toriyama’s imagination, and that’s a very good thing.

The relatively low-stakes conflicts of Dragon Ball also free up room for other priorities, like developing a strong rapport between the key players. Whereas the conflicts of Z are generally too pressing to allow goofing off, Dragon Ball’s idle journeys offer plenty of time for Goku, Bulma, and their various companions to bounce their personalities off each other. They’re not just sworn allies, they’re a makeshift family — and ultimately, all their time spent huddling over fires in the wilderness makes their unity in times of trouble feel that much more meaningful.

This celebration of Dragon Ball’s character dynamics is further bolstered by the series’ amplified focus on comedy. Leaning into Toriyama’s experience writing beloved gag manga Dr. Slump, Dragon Ball possesses an easy sense of humor that makes all of its heroes seem relatably fallible. Don’t you love the incidental Z episodes where the gang does something like take a driver’s license test or go to an amusement park? The original Dragon Ball is absolutely brimming with episodes like that, making it hard not to fall in love with its supremely goofy cast.

Incidentally, if you’ve already come to love Dragon Ball’s cast through its sequels, the original offers one final allure: revealing the origins of iconic friendships, along with the heyday of now-secondary companions. Dragon Ball illustrates the origins of Goku’s relationship with many of his Z companions, with characters like Yamcha, Krillin, and Piccolo playing key dramatic roles in their early appearances. Can you even imagine that — Yamcha serving as a force to be reckoned with, or Krillin and Goku squaring off as equals? With the overall power scaling more flattened, every character can contribute to the drama, resulting in all sorts of unexpected twists.

Ultimately, it is Dragon Ball’s very provincialism and lightness of stakes that make it special, allowing the story to embrace a wide variety of conflicts and giving the relationships between its stars time to bloom. Goku’s early adventures are snappy in pacing and diverse in style, demonstrating a world brimming with possibility, and populating that world with all manner of fascinating creatures. Dragon Ball is the foundation upon which Goku’s future adventures stand, and it will always possess a special place in my heart. If you haven’t seen it yet, this is a perfect time to give it a shot!

Nick Creamer has been writing about cartoons for too many years now and is always ready to cry about Madoka. You can find more of his work at his blog Wrong Every Time, or follow him on Twitter.

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