I purchased the first season of the original Dragon Ball series on DVD today from Walmart, and I thought I’d write up my impressions for anyone interested.

We’ll start off with a little information. This is the first 31 episodes of the original animated series. The video is not cropped like in those DBZ sets they were doing, and the film has been restored frame by frame. It’s digitally remastered and it’s the first time the uncut series has made its way to the United States.

Among the things in the uncut version you’ve likely not seen are gun violence against children, strong language, sexual humor, and Bulma’s panties (gasp!).

The English audio is in brilliant 5.1 surround sound, while the original Japanese mono track is also included. The musical score is from the Japanese version and it sounds great.

The animation quality is great, especially considering the age of the series. The original aspect ratio is maintained, so as I already mentioned, there is no cropping involved. The colors have been restored and are more vibrant than I remembered and the animation is nice and smooth.

The packaging is a sight to behold. The box set spans five discs and fits in a nice fold-out case. It’s got a sleeve to protect the outside of the box. It’s obvious that the spine of the case is meant to form a picture when combined with future seasons (Season Two is out right now as well).

It comes with a booklet containing some cool art, character bios, episode summaries, and all sorts of other fanservice.

The one of the best things about the set is the price. I paid 30 dollars for it, which is a price you’ll only get at Walmart (or online). Anywhere else it’ll cost 50.

The last thing to think about is the anime itself. It’s Dragon Ball in all its original glory. The action, the humor, filler, the drama… It’s the series that brought anime to the American mainstream. It’s something that I think all anime fans should watch. It’s a perfect series for someone looking to get into anime, and it’s awesome enough for any longtime anime fan. If you think your tastes are beyond Dragon Ball, you’re probably an elitist doucher.

So anyway, 10/10. Go buy it.