Dragon Ball
Cast & Key People
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Our Review
Cast & Key People
▶
Our Review
Dragon Ball (1986) is a action and adventure series from Crunchyroll. It has built a run of 153 episodes at roughly 30 minutes each. It premiered on February 26, 1986. Viewers rate it 7.6 out of 10. It is currently ended. It runs 5 seasons.
What Dragon Ball Is About
This is where it all begins. The story starts with Goku at 12 when he first meets Bulma and is introduced to the legend of the Dragonballs: who ever gets all seven Dragonballs will have their wish granted by Shenron, the Dragon who resides within the balls. As Goku goes along his adventure he meets other characters such as Master Roshi, Krillin and others.
What to Expect When You Watch
Episodes run about 30 minutes, which keeps the pace tight, the full run covers 153 episodes, spread across 5 seasons and it leans into its action/adventure roots while leaving room for the quieter character beats.
Performance-wise the series leans on Masako Nozawa, Hiromi Tsuru and Tōru Furuya to carry the emotional weight, with the rest of the ensemble filling out the world around them.
Cast and Creative Team
Masako Nozawa, Hiromi Tsuru, Tōru Furuya, Kōhei Miyauchi and Mayumi Tanaka lead the cast.
Key roles include Masako Nozawa as Son Goku; Hiromi Tsuru as Bulma; Tōru Furuya as Yamcha; Kōhei Miyauchi as Master Roshi; Mayumi Tanaka as Krillin.
Why It Stands Out
Fans of action, adventure and anime have a clear reason to give this one a shot. It sits comfortably alongside Crunchyroll’s other originals, a 7.6/10 audience score puts it in steady company and it commits to its premise instead of hedging between tones.
Released in 1986 and carried by Crunchyroll with the series still ended, it lands hardest with action and adventure viewers.
How Dragon Ball Compares
If Dragon Ball lands for you, the next stops are Avatar: The Last Airbender, Attack on Titan and Star Trek: The Next Generation, which share its action/adventure lean.
Each of those sits at a different point on the same spectrum, so they make a natural follow-up once you finish the run here.
Where to Stream
Dragon Ball comes from Crunchyroll. Check your preferred platform for current availability, since regional rights move around.
Disclosure: We may earn a commission if you sign up for a streaming service through links on this page. This helps support our independent reviews.
On the whole Dragon Ball is the kind of series that rewards a patient watch, with Masako Nozawa and Hiromi Tsuru doing the heaviest lifting, a tone that stays true to its action/adventure roots, It has held up since 1986 and so if the premise sounds like your lane, the execution holds up.
The Bottom Line
Dragon Ball is a safe bet for anyone already inside the action and adventure lane, at 153 episodes it is an easy run to work through, the audience score holds around 7.6/10 and so there is little risk in starting it tonight.
Verdict: 7.6/10. Watch it if you want action/adventure you can settle into.
