Dragon Ball (1986)
Young Goku sets off on a quest with his teenage friend Bulma to find the seven Dragon Balls, which grant whoever possesses them a single wish.
| Type | TV series |
|---|---|
| First aired | 26 February 1986 |
| Status | Ended, last episode 19 April 1989 |
| Genre | Animation, Action & Adventure, Sci-Fi & Fantasy |
| Starring | Masako Nozawa, Chikao Ohtsuka and Mayumi Tanaka |
| Seasons | 1 season, 153 episodes |
| Episode length | about 24 min |
| Time to watch it all | about 61 hours |
| Rated | TV-PG |
| Scores | TMDB users 8.3/10 |
Where to watch Dragon Ball
Dragon Ball is streaming on Hulu ($18.99 a month) in the US. It is also on Crunchyroll ($9.99 a month). At ten hours a week, all of the series takes about 2 months of Crunchyroll, or $19.98 at list price.
We check availability daily. Page last updated 12 October 2026. Prices are standard monthly plans and change often, so check with the service before you sign up.
What kind of watch this is
Dragon Ball is a 1986 anime that runs on pure, unadulterated energy. It is 153 episodes of a boy chasing seven glowing orbs. The tone is loud, fast, and completely unapologetic about its own simplicity. There is no subtlety here, just a relentless forward momentum. It is a 61-hour commitment to watch a cartoon. The characters do not grow, they just get stronger.
What the critics said
The numbers are sparse, but the sentiment leans warm. Joseph Luster of Otaku USA called it "one of the most memorable animated action/comedy series of all time," specifically citing the comedy as a surprise to those who only know Z. Todd Douglass of DVD Talk found it "iconic in so many ways," praising the character work as a testament to Toriyama’s genius. Dissent was quiet; the main friction involved Funimation’s script changes, though reviewers still liked the dub. It is a series that earned its shelf space through sheer volume of affection.
If you liked this
TMDB's recommendations for people who watched Dragon Ball.
Sources
- Dragon Ball on TMDB — synopsis, cast, ratings and recommendations
- Wikidata Q239506 — review scores, box office and awards (CC0)
- “Dragon Ball (TV series)” on Wikipedia, by its contributors (history) — reception, audience figures and legacy, summarised and adapted here under CC BY-SA 4.0
- Where to watch and prices: Binge Boss, from TMDB watch-provider data (powered by JustWatch) and our own provider list
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