ドラゴンボール 第1話
Dragon Ball 1

ブルマと孫悟空
Blooma and SON Gokuu

 

Story

In a mountainous region quite far away from civilization, a boy with a monkey tail returns to his tiny home, where he attacks a large log in order to chop it into pieces. He then realizes that he is hungry. Elsewhere, a teenage girl steps out of her car, and uses a round device to confirm that something is nearby. Thus, she gets back into her car and drives off. The boy then heads into his house to retrieve his staff and tell "Grandpa" (a tiny orb with four stars) that he's off to find food. Walking through the woods, he comes upon an apple tree, but his feast is interrupted by a saber-toothed tiger. The tiger chases the boy until they reach a cliff, where the boy tricks it into dashing over the edge. However, the boy soon shares a similar fate, falling down into a river. When he swims ashore, he decides he'll have fish, removing his clothes and dipping his tail into the river to fish with it. This catches the eye of a large fish, whom the boy manages to kill with one hard kick. He then claims his prize, and gleefully heads back toward his home with it.

As the boy reaches the road, the teenage girl's car quickly approaches him. She comes to a screeching halt, but not before sending him and his giant fish flying to the side of the road. The monkey boy is now angry, believing that the car is a monster that wants to steal his fish. He lifts and tosses the car aside, challenging it to attack him further. The girl emerges from the wreckage with a pistol in hand and begins shooting at the boy, who thinks her to be an evil demon that has come out of the monster. The girl's shots are accurate, but the boy is barely harmed at all by them, and angered by her use of evil magic. The girl is shocked by his survival, so the monkey boy explains to her that he has been well-trained. He then prepares to attack her, but the girl quickly screams out that she is human, like him. The boy stops and attempts to confirm her claim, but is troubled by the fact that she seems thinner and weaker than himself. This prompts the girl to inform him that women are the fairer sex, after all.

However, the monkey boy is quite shocked to learn that she is female, for he has never seen one in person before. He does recall his late grandfather teaching him to treat women kindly, though, much to the girl's delight. The boy then inquires about her monster, which she explains is actually an automobile. He has heard of automobiles as well, and then wonders if this girl came from the city, which she confirms. The monkey boy then invites her to his home, where he'll feed her per his grandfather's advice. As they travel, she asks the boy his name, to which he responds, "I'm Gokuu. SON Gokuu!" She replies that her name is "Blooma." When the duo arrives at Gokuu's house, Blooma takes a look at "Grandpa," and shrieks, realizing it is a Dragon Ball. She excitedly attempts to pick the ball up, but Gokuu will not allow her to touch Grandpa's memento. In response, she pulls two similar balls from her pouch, explaining that these things are called "Dragon Balls." She had found one of them (which has only two stars on it) in her basement, which prompted her to research it. She then offers to explain the details to him.

Elsewhere, a trio enters an ancient tomb that also holds a Dragon Ball. Their leader, a small blue creature they refer to as Pilaf, thinks his search his done. However, his tall female underling explains that there are seven Dragon Balls in all, each with a corresponding number of stars on it, from the Yi Xing Qiu with one star, to the Qi Xing Qiu with seven stars. The woman further explains that when all seven Dragon Balls are gathered, Shen Long, the dragon god, will appear to grant you any one wish you desire. Pilaf declares that he will use them to conquer the world. Meanwhile, Gokuu is amazed to learn what the Dragon Balls can do. Blooma adds that the Dragon Balls did not stay together after the last person, who apparently became a king, used them, and thus they are now scattered all over the world again. Her second ball with five stars, the Wu Xing Qiu, is one she found in a northern valley. Gokuu notes that Grandpa's ball has four stars, which makes it the Si Xing Qiu. Blooma intends to wish for a dreamy boyfriend, hence her need for his Si Xing Qiu, but Gokuu still refuses to give up Grandpa's memento.

Blooma then attempts to bribe him by lifting up her skirt and offering to let him feel, but he has no interest in touching filthy rear ends. However, her next idea is more successful: she suggests that he join her on her search, since it could be good training. Gokuu agrees, but he'll hold onto the Si Xing Qiu himself. Blooma then thinks to herself that he will make a good bodyguard. As they leave the house, Gokuu wonders how they'll find the other balls, to which Blooma proudly explains that she created a device that can detect their signals: a "Dragon Radar." It currently shows that the next Dragon Ball is about 1200 km to the west, which will require a vehicle. Blooma then remedies the situation by opening a case of capsules, throwing one, and in a cloud of smoke, a motorcycle appears. Gokuu is suspicious, but nonetheless, he hops onto it behind her, and they drive off.

The motorcycle eventually comes to a stop after taking a rough bump. Blooma then excuses herself, which Gokuu doesn't understand, and so she angrily blurts that she has to pee. Gokuu does not understand her secretiveness about it, but his thoughts are interrupted by her scream, so he quickly runs to discover the problem. Gokuu then finds her in the clutches of a pteranodon, but does not understand the problem. The pteranodon uses this to his advantage and ties Gokuu to a tree as he flies away to supposedly talk with Blooma. Blooma angrily yells to Gokuu for help, explaining that she'll be eaten, so Gokuu unties himself with his tail. He then realizes he may be able to "fly" with the motorcycle, and fiddles with the gears until it starts. When a hill gives him enough altitude, Gokuu jumps off of it, and wills his Compliance Staff to extend until it is long enough to whack the pteranodon over the head, killing it. The three of them fall down toward a ravine, but Gokuu tosses his staff and lands safely on the ground. Blooma, on the other hand, is left hanging from the Compliance Staff in the side of a cliff, where she finally relieves herself.

Continuity

The events of this episode are taken from Chapter 1, first printed approximately 14 months before this episode first aired. A major difference is that the manga chapter lacks the scene introducing Pilaf, and has Blooma explain the details of the Dragon Balls instead of Mai. Pilaf and his cohorts' manga debut happens a bit later in the series' story.

Cast

• 野沢雅子 Masako Nozawa as 孫悟空 SON Gokuu (Debut)
• 鶴ひろみ Hiromi Tsuru as ブルマ Blooma (Debut)
• 千葉 繁 Shigeru Chiba as ピラフ Pilaf (Debut)
• 玄田哲章 Tesshou Genda as シュウ Shuu (Debut)
• 山田栄子 Eiko Yamada as マイ Mai (Debut)
• 佐藤正治 Masaharu Satou as サーベルタイガー Saber-Toothed Tiger
• 大竹 宏 Hiroshi Ootake as プテラノドン Pteranodon
• 八奈見乗児 Jouji Yanami as ナレーター Narrator

Although Mr. Genda is credited as voicing Shuu, the character does not actually have any speaking lines in this episode. Conversely, there is a large fish that has one line, but is uncredited.

Setting

The events of this episode take place primarily on Mount Baozi, including scenes at Grandpa Gohan's house, which is located on Mount Baozi. There is also a scene in an ancient tomb, but its exact location is unknown.

This episode takes place during Age 749, about twelve years after Gokuu's birth. It is also set during Blooma's summer vacation from school, with 30 days remaining.

Miscellaneous

• Gokuu narrates the preview for the next episode.
• This episode officially began the Dragon Ball anime adaptation. However, within the Dragon World chronology, the first Dragon Ball Z TV Special takes place 12 years before the events of this episode, but it did not air until more than 4 years later.
• Because Blooma's hair was blue in the corresponding manga chapter, this episode did the same. Her hair remained blue throughout the entire anime (with the exception of the seventeenth and final film), despite the manga soon changing it to purple in following chapters.
• This episode features the first anime appearances of the Compliance Staff, the Dragon Radar, the Dragon Balls, and Hoi Poi Capsules.

Home Video

This episode was first released on DVD in the limited edition Dragon Ball Dragon Box on July 7th, 2004. It was again released in single disc format on April 4th, 2007 as part of Dragon Ball #1.