Dragon Ball is the first of two anime adaptations of the Dragon Ball manga series by Akira Toriyama. Produced by Toei Animation, the anime series premiered in Japan on Fuji Television on February 26, 1986, and ran until April 12, 1989. Spanning 153 episodes (Episode 140 was delayed by the death of Emperor Shōwa), it covers the first 194 chapters of the 519 chapters-long manga series. It is followed by Dragon Ball Z, which covers the remainder of the manga.
Contents
Sagas overview
A note on the "Saga" nomenclature:
The "sagas" that comprise the following list correspond to the sets released by Funimation in 2003. However, these "sagas" only correspond to story arcs (which are themselves split at debatable points), and not to the pattern in which the show aired in either Japan or the United States.
In Japan, Dragon Ball (like both of the other Dragon Ball series) was aired year-round continuously, with regular off-days for sporting events and television specials taking place about once every six weeks on average.