The release of Dragon Ball Daima has anime fans looking back at the classic beginngs of the Dragon Ball franchise all over again. Akira Toriyama’s final work in Dragon Ball is a full-circle return to the plucky supernatural fantasy adventures of the first Dragon Ball manga/anime, complete with a kid version of Goku dealing with the machinations of the Demon Realm and its inhabitants.
A lot of fans first (including this one!) first discovered Dragon Ball by stumbling across one of these classic anime films that the franchise put out in its early days. Now, those early Dragon Ball movies are finally more accessible to watch than every before!
How to Stream Some of the Original Dragon Ball Movies Right Now
Toei Animation recently made the announcement that several of the original Dragon Ball movies are now available to stream via iTunes! In the promo post, Toei informs fans that “It’s time to relive the action of the original Dragon Ball with this exclusive movie bundle, now available on @iTunes!”
Here is the list of Dragon Ball films are Apple currently has available for streaming:
Dragon Ball: Curse of the Blood Rubies (1986)
The once benevolent King Gurumes has become greedy after discovering a large supply of blood rubies under his kingdom. His greed causes him to tear up his subjects’ crops and homes in search of more, resulting in him being cursed and transformed into a monster. He now scours the earth looking for the seven dragon balls, which, once brought together, summon a mighty dragon that grants one wish – a wish which might ease his unending hunger. The king’s henchmen find that it is not so easy to steal the dragon ball from Goku, who, once he discovers the plight of the kingdom, decides to free the land from the king’s oppression
This is the OG Dragon Ball animated film, which lays out the entire foundation of the series, from Goku and his powers, to his group of friends (Krillin, Bulma, Roshi, Yamcha), and the entire Dragon Ball mythology. It also happens to be the film that kickstarted an entire generation of international fandom for Dragon Ball; I, personally, was there when Curse of the Blood Rubies was first airing on WPSG Philly 57 in Philadelphia, in December of 1989, and can say in no uncertain terms it changed my life. I’ll be revisiting – you should too.
Dragon Ball: Sleeping Princess in Devil’s Castle (1987)
Goku and Kuririn are given an assignment by Kame-Sen’nin: “Retrieve the sleeping princess from Lucifer and I will take you as my students.” But the mission proves to be more perilous than originally thought.
The second of the Dragon Ball animated features is a classic that takes place early on when Son Goku and Krillin are auditioning to be Master Roshi’s martial arts students. Unlike the first feature, this second film gets deep into the supernatural fantasy side of the Dragon Ball Universe, with Lucifer, a couple of werewolf tropes, and the titular sleeping princess. It’s also one of the more obscure DB films, so give it a watch!
Dragon Ball: Mystical Adventure (1988)
Master Roshi has succeeded at the one mission he valued most: to train Goku and Krillin to become ultimate fighters. So, he arranges for them to test their mettle at a competition hosted by Emperor Chiaotzu. Not everyone’s playing by the rules, however, as a member of the ruler’s household schemes to use the Dragonballs to extort money and power from the royal.
Dragon Ball’s continuity is infamously murky, and films like Mystical Adventure are a big reason why. The film tells on alternate version of the Dragon Ball story, starting with Goku and Krillin training with Master Roshi for a World Martial Arts tournament, only to be caught up in a hunt for the mystical Dragon Balls, with competing factions like Bulma and Co. and The Red Ribbon Army all racing to secure the balls. The film features the introduction of characters like Tien and Chiaotzu, and focused on the martial arts side of the series.
Dragon Ball: The Path to Power (1996)
Goku and friends go to an adventure searching for the legendary Dragon Balls, as they fight against the Red Ribbon army.
This animated feature was the first example of a Dragon Ball manga/anime story arc being condensed into a single feature-film. Path to Power retells Dragon Ball’s opening arc, including Goku meeting Bulma for the first time, and initially learning about the Dragon Balls, Capsule Corp tech, and enemies like the Red Ribbon Army and its deadly androids. If anyone ever needs a quick primer on the origins of Dragon Ball’s story and characters, this is the place to go!
The Dragon Ball movies are available on iTunes.
The post Dragon Ball’s Earliest Movies Are Now Easier to Watch Than Ever appeared first on ComicBook.com.
