Dragon Ball Z (Z Doragon Bru Zetto, abbreviated as DBZ) is a long-running anime sequel to Dragon Ball. The series is a faithful adaptation of Akira Toriyama’s second (and much longer) Dragon Ball manga. To avoid confusion among younger readers in the United States, the manga’s second half is also titled Dragon Ball Z.
Dragon Ball Z follows the adventures of adult Goku as he defends the earth with his friends against various villains, including intergalactic space fighters and conquerors, unnaturally powerful androids, and nearly indestructible magical creatures. While the original Dragon Ball anime followed Goku from childhood to adulthood, Dragon Ball Z follows his adult life while also paralleling the maturation of his son, Gohan, as well as other Dragon Ball and other characters. The difference in tone between the two series is also significant, with the latter taking on a more severe and dramatic fashion. Characters, situations, and backstories not seen in the manga are included in the anime.
A Glimpse Into Its Production
Nekomajin, Toriyama’s humor/parody manga released after Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z, contains several concepts introduced in the series and several Dragon Ball Z characters. Following Dragon Ball Z, the story of Goku and his friends continues in the anime-only series Dragon Ball GT, which is not based on an Akira Toriyama manga but is a Toei Animation project that uses the same characters and storyline as Dragon Ball Z. In Japan, 19 years after the conclusion of Dragon Ball Z, a new sequel series titled Dragon Ball Super debuted with original concepts by Akira Toriyama, set after the death of Kid Buu but before the conclusion of Dragon Ball Z.
The series aired in first-run syndication in the United States from September 13, 1996, to May 23, 1998, and then on Cartoon Network’s Toonami block from August 31, 1998, to April 7, 2003, though not always with the same dubbing consistency (for details on the dubbing problems, see Ocean Group dubs and Funimation dub). Around the same time, it aired on YTV in Canada. It premiered on Cartoon Network in the United Kingdom on March 6, 2000, and ran on that channel until 2002, with the same dubbing issue.
Whether you’ve been a fan of the show since the beginning or are new to it, everyone knows that Goku’s quest to become the strongest person in the universe makes it so compelling—especially given the lengths to which he goes to achieve his goal.
When watching the episodes, the many friends and foes Goku meets along the way are the icing on the cake, and we know you’re probably wondering where you can get lost in the Dragon Ball Z. We’ve got your back. Here’s where you can catch up on the iconic anime seasons!
Is Dragon Ball Z on Netflix?
Finally, “Dragon Ball,” one of the most anticipated manga series, is now available on Netflix. But there’s a catch!
As we all know, Netflix’s content library varies from country to country due to content distribution policies. This is why Dragon Ball is only available on Netflix in Japan.
It’s unclear why Netflix hasn’t invested in making such a popular anime available in other countries, especially considering the streaming platform’s other legendary anime programs like Naruto and One Piece. Still, as soon as we hear more from our experts at Shonen Road about the anime’s future on Netflix, we’ll be sure to let you know.
However, there’s no need to be concerned! Other websites may have Dragon Ball Z available to stream, and you may even be able to watch every episode from the beginning.
Where to Watch Dragon Ball Z
The possibilities to watch these legendary anime are endless, even though the series not being on Netflix is a huge bummer. But while you wait for it to make it, The anime website Funimation is currently streaming every episode of Dragon Ball Z. That’s right; you read that correctly. With a Funimation subscription, you can enjoy every Super Saiyan moment.
You can also buy every season of the 1989 anime on Amazon Video for a small fee, according to our Shonen Road sources. If you want to take your Dragon Ball binge to the next level, Hulu has the original series and Dragon Ball Super and Dragon Ball GT.
The possibilities for watching this legendary anime are endless, even though the series is unavailable on Netflix. While you wait for it to arrive on Netflix, you can watch Yu-Gi-Oh, Hunter x Hunter, and Pokemon, which are all anime that are similar to Dragon Ball Z.
