Today marks a big day for the anime fandom and shonen fans in particular. Nearly thirty years ago, the world watched as Akira Toriyama rolled out an anime with Toei Animation that would change the world.
Yes, that's right. Dragon Ball Z is turning 29 today, and the anime fandom is celebrating the milestone moment with lots of online tributes.
For those of you who aren't in the know, Dragon Ball Z went live in Japan on April 26, 1989. The first episode was aired on Fuji TV shortly after the original Dragon Ball anime came to a close. The debut kicked off Dragon Ball Z's lengthy run as the show collected nearly 300 episodes before ending in 1996.
The premiere of Dragon Ball Z might have taken place a long time ago, but anime fans remember how it went down. The first episode was titled "Mini-Goku is an Overprotected Boy! I Am Gohan!", and it introduced Goku's son. Five years after the end of Dragon Ball, Goku and Chi-Chi started a family, and Gohan gets into trouble when he slips off a waterfall. The harrowing moment is an intense one, but it has nothing on the arrival of a strange alien to Earth. The man challenges Piccolo and clobbers the Namekian, and Piccolo is only saved when the baddie senses Goku's power level and flies off to face him.
As you can see below, fans have a lot to say about the show's birthday. For some, it is hard to believe that Dragon Ball Z is nearly 30 years old. For others, they are simply thankful the show was around to introduce them to anime. Dragon Ball Z may be over, but the franchise continues on as Goku is still going on adventures through Dragon Ball Super. So, there is no telling where the Saiyan and the Z-Fighters will be in another three decades!
Did you watch Dragon Ball Z from the beginning? When did you first get into the shonen series? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics, k-pop, and anime!