Dragon Ball has been around for decades, but it is easy to forget just how far back its roots go. Akira Toriyama pushed forward the manga in 1984, and he had no idea how popular the series would become. Nowadays, Goku is one of the biggest entertainment icons from Japan, and fans are gathering this week to celebrate the anime’s 35th anniversary.
Yes, that is right! Dragon Ball first hit up televisions 35 years ago. Toei Animation tackled the project back in 1986. The original Dragon Ball anime went live on Fuji TV starting February 25, 1986 in Japan. The first episode introduced fans around the country to Goku and Bulma. And now?
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Well, it is hard to find people who do not know Goku and Bulma. Even the most anime illiterate will likely know the characters, and that goes to show just how big Dragon Ball has become.
Without the original series, fans would not have been able to enjoy Dragon Ball Z on the small screen, and anime would surely be different as well know it. The medium is booming right now, and its current successes haven’t been seen since Dragon Ball Z went international in the 1990s. The shonen helped popularize anime in the West alongside series like Sailor Moon and Gundam Suit Mobile. The kind of influence Dragon Ball exerts is hard to describe, but it is impossible to imagine how anime would fare today if Dragon Ball never existed. So if there is one anniversary you should take time to celebrate right now, this is it!
What do you think of this latest anniversary? Can you believe Dragon Ball has been on TV this long…? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB.
What a Legend
Dragon Ball anime is 35 years ago old today.
โ ๐ Ken Xyro (@KenXyro) February 26, 2021
Episode 1 aired in Japan on February 26, 1986.
Legend pic.twitter.com/zxUncp07T7
Congrats!
35 years ago today the first episode of Dragon Ball aired on Fuji TV in Japan. Happy 35th Anniversary to Dragon Ball! pic.twitter.com/oADv4bguso
โ Dragon Ball Hype. (@DbsHype) February 26, 2021
That’s How You Do It
Dragon Ball first premiered 35 years ago…
โ Club Amรฉrica EN (@ClubAmerica_EN) February 26, 2021
Here’s @yosoy8a going full Saiyajin ๐ฅ๐ช๐ผ๐ฆ #DragonBall35 #FlyWithUs pic.twitter.com/6ybYVT9cza
That’s True Love
Today 35 years ago Dragon Ball aired in Japan for the first time. Happy 35th anniversary to the series Iโve grown up with and will love till the day I dieโค๏ธ๐
โ Little Wolf Litos๐บ (@Litooooos) February 26, 2021
Here’s to 35 More
Today marks the 35th anniversary of the debut of the Dragon Ball anime on Fuji TV!
โ The Lookout | anime podcast network ๐ (@TheLookoutRNC) February 26, 2021
That’s 35 years of Goku, 35 years of Dragon Balls, and 35 years of adventures! ๐งก๐ pic.twitter.com/9BbFOhFRs3
Show Your Respect
Today the original Dragon Ball anime turns 35 years old.
โ Comicaze (@ComicalDude) February 26, 2021
I love this series. one of my favorite anime of all time and a big inspiration on my artwork. pic.twitter.com/snv8NFe6Yn
The Best Kind of Anime
Wow the Dragon Ball anime is 35 years old now…
โ 1PressL2P (@1PressL2P) February 27, 2021
Absolutely love it. Really hope that Super comes back again! It’s an anime that may be clichรฉ and not as engrossing as other anime stories but it’s literally a popcorn anime for me.
Plus I love getting hyped by big moments in it! pic.twitter.com/3ANVlz3TlV