(Welcome to Ani-time Ani-where, a regular column dedicated to helping the uninitiated understand and appreciate the world of anime.)
Anime is more popular than ever before, with big American studios now seeking Japanese studios to collaborate on projects based on big IP, including "Lord of the Rings" and DC Comics. With dozens of shiny new shows coming out every four months, it's hard to justify spending the time watching hundreds of episodes of an older show with limited animation, especially when the things that made them new have been copied, remixed, and parodied to death.
Take "Dragon Ball," for instance. Countless manga and anime, from "One Piece" and "Naruto" to "My Hero Academia" and "Hunter x Hunter," owe their existence to the late maestro Akira Toriyama and his work. Would live-action superhero movies like "Superman" pay homage to classic anime series had "Dragon Ball" not launched a million playground discussions about who could beat Goku in a fight?
It's easy to understate just how big of a cultural impact "Dragon Ball" (and its sequel series, "Z") had in both Japan and abroad. This is a franchise that helped save Toonami and turned a whole generation of kids into anime fans. Similarly, "Dragon Ball" itself has become synonymous with anime, with Goku becoming the archetypical anime protagonist. (Just think of how many anime characters have spiky hair just like him.) What other show would bring tens of thousands of people together on the streets of Mexico just to watch an animated fight?
All this is to say, the legacy of "Dragon Ball" is unequivocally unparalleled. Yet, if you watch "Dragon Ball" today, you might find that this is a classic that's somehow even better than its reputation (and our collective memories) would suggest.
In case you've been living under a rock for the past 40 years, "Dragon Ball" follows Son Goku, a young boy who goes on adventures around the world (and to other worlds) in search of magic Dragon Balls that grant any wish. From there, the series quickly becomes a superhero story where Goku and his friends fight increasingly stronger enemies to save the world, and at times the multiverse.