Dragon Ball Z First Premiered 37 Years Ago Today, And It’s Aging Better Than Critics Admit

There may be no series more important to the growth of anime in the West than Dragon Ball Z. Since Goku and the rest of the Z-Warriors landed on screens in North America during the late ’90s and early 2000s, generations of fans have found themselves enamored, inspired, and endlessly entertained by many of the strongest fighters in anime. Nearly a decade before then, Japanese audiences were captivated by the series in much the same way.

Dragon Ball Z premiered in Japan nearly 37 years ago to the day on April 26th, 1989, and followed Goku into his adult years, building on the foundation set by the already massively popular Dragon Ball. Almost four decades later, the anime continues to attract countless new fans with its endless spin-offs, video game adaptations, and more merchandise than any fan could possibly imagine.

However, as time has continued to pass, the general attitude towards Dragon Ball Z has changed. What was once heralded as a staple of shōnen anime is now seen by many as an outdated product of its time, now largely mediocre by modern standards. While it’s true that Dragon Ball Z has its flaws, it’s aged far better than many of its detractors and biggest critics give it credit for.

Dragon Ball Z Premiered 37 Years Ago, and It’s Aging Better than Its Critics Would Admit

DBZ Has Its Flaws, But It’s a Classic for a Reason

To this day, and likely until the end of time, discussions surrounding the strongest characters in anime will start and end with Goku. When younger audiences first experienced Dragon Ball Z, it’s likely that strength was what drew them in. Superhuman feats, flashy, named attacks, colorful transformations, and primal screams of rage have captured the attention of kids around the world, turning them into dedicated fans. Many have remained as such for life.

However, when those fans get older, their appreciation for the series will often change. While the screaming and shouting of named attacks never gets old, Dragon Ball Z also does the finer things in storytelling rather well. Goku, the unshakably kind, yet fighting-obsessed protagonist, is incredibly difficult to root against. Vegeta, his right-hand Saiyan, goes through what is arguably the most satisfying villain-to-hero character arc in anime history. Gohan, the son of Goku, is central to one of anime’s greatest passing of the torch moments ever.

Despite what its critics and detractors might say, and no matter how many holes are poked in its reputation, Dragon Ball Z has earned its status as an unmissable classic. That being said, the show isn’t without its flaws. While its art style and overall aesthetic are still pleasing to the eye, especially for fans of the retro look, its visuals are largely inconsistent, especially in its second half. The show’s pacing, while not too different from other modern weekly shōnen anime adaptations like One Piece, doesn’t exactly make for a smooth, fully satisfying viewing experience.

The original Japanese audio has become muffled over the years thanks to a lack of preservation on Toei Animation’s part, while the English dub and score have their own laundry list of issues. Even so, it isn’t hard to find what makes Dragon Ball Z so great throughout its original 291 episodes, filler and all. And once viewers dive in and commit to Akira Toriyama’s original story, it’ll be difficult to draw their attention away.

Pinpointing a reason for Dragon Ball‘s success can be difficult. Even Akira Toriyama famously struggled to understand why exactly his work had become such a massive worldwide hit. Perhaps it has something to do with the ongoing struggle to push beyond limits. Perhaps it’s something else legions of fans can’t quite put their finger on. Either way, 37 years later, fans are still glued to their seats when Goku and company appear on-screen, and that isn’t likely to change any time soon.

Dragon Ball Will Not End Any Time Soon

Four Decades Later, Dragon Ball Remains One of the Most Profitable Franchises in Anime

Rather than the peaks of its success, what’s most impressive about Dragon Ball is its staying power. Since the mid 1980s, the franchise has remained one of the most profitable in the anime and manga industries year to year. Even in the gaming sphere, Bandai Namco revealed Dragon Ball as its most profitable IP in 2024, the franchise toppling other notable titles like Mobile Suit Gundam and One Piece, which do very well for themselves when it comes to merchandise and games.

Dragon Ball is an entertainment titan, and given how profitable it’s proven to be even through periods of relative inactivity, fans can expect more of Goku and friends in the coming years. Akira Toriyama passed away in March 2024, and though he stepped away from full creative control of Dragon Ball when his original manga ended, the artist oversaw nearly every entry in the franchise that followed the conclusion of the Majin Buu Saga.

His passing left the future of the series somewhat uncertain, until the 2026 special Dragon Ball event in Tokyo revealed the start of a new era for the franchise. Dragon Ball Super, the 2015 sequel to the original Dragon Ball series, was confirmed to be returning with an all-new anime continuation, titled “The Galactic Patrol”, which is currently in production. Before it arrives, a remake/remaster of Dragon Ball Super will begin airing in fall 2026.

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After nearly a decade of waiting, fans were also treated to the reveal of Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3, the latest in a series of video games that began in 2014.

Dragon Ball is arguably more popular today than it’s ever been before, 37 years on from the premiere of the anime that would eventually make the franchise a household name around the world. Newer fans who might be shying away from Dragon Ball Z because of its age or any other reason are doing themselves a disservice, and will find the show has aged far better than its biggest critics give it credit for.

Release Date

1989 – 1996

Network

Fuji TV

Directors

Daisuke Nishio, Shigeyasu Yamauchi, Osamu Kasai

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  Masako Nozawa

  Son Goku / Son Gohan / Son Goten (voice)

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  Ryo Horikawa

  Vegeta (voice)