How to watch Dragon Ball — can you stream Akira Toriyama’s legendary anime?

Anime don’t come much more influential than Dragon Ball, the start of Akira Toriyama’s incredible franchise following Goku. But how can you watch the show?

Before Dragon Ball Z defined anime for the entire world, we had Dragon Ball. A much more humble anime show, Dragon Ball introduced Goku as a plucky, monkey-tailed child with a propensity for kung fu and finding the eponymous orbs. He hung out with Bulma, a young woman who acted as his custodian, and his arch-enemy was a Namekian known as Piccolo.

Before you watch Dragon Ball Z, you should consider giving the prequel a look. Comedic and more nonchalant it may be, Dragon Ball wonderfully sets the stage for what’s to come, demonstrating Toriyama’s incredible skills in world-building and character design.

So, how can you stream Dragon Ball? What services can you watch it on if you’re in the US or Britain? Clearly, you’ve gathered the seven Dexerto Balls, so your wish is my command.

Is Dragon Ball streaming?

Yes, Dragon Ball is streaming, and you can watch the entire show on Crunchyroll in both the US and UK. This is actually a recent change, as the series only became available on the service in the UK in February 2024.

Since then, all 153 episodes can be viewed for subscribers on either side of the Atlantic. A good thing, too, since availability before now has been spotty, so now everyone can catch up on Goku’s first adventures.

Is Dragon Ball on Netflix?

No, Dragon Ball isn’t on Netflix. Crunchyroll has streaming rights in the UK and US, while fans in the latter can also enjoy the series on Hulu.

Though Netflix’s anime selection is strong and growing, the Dragon Ball franchise just isn’t something the company has managed to get. Maybe someday!

Is Dragon Ball worth watching?

Yes, Dragon Ball is worth watching, though it’s quite different to the shows that come after. It’s a much more grounded comedy than Dragon Ball Z, GT, or Super. Goku is just a strange boy with a monkey tail, going on misadventures with Bulma and occasionally doing some martial arts.

There are no mentions of Saiyans or Frieza or anything of the sort. It’s a simpler kind of story from Akira Toriyama, but all the charm is still there.

If you’d like more great viewing choices, our lists of the best anime like Solo Leveling and the best anime like Demon Slayer will provide just that.