3 Dragon Ball Movies You Can Skip & 2 That Are Unmissable

If you’re looking for one more that you can easily cut out of your marathon «Dragon Ball» watch sessions, look no further than «Curse of the Blood Rubies.» This is by far the most superfluous of the movies, as it basically just retells the first arc from the manga, with a few changes thrown in. With this in mind, not only is «Curse of the Blood Rubies» not canon, it may actually muddy the waters for your recollection of the main continuity.

The movie is also among the lowest-rated by fans in the «Dragon Ball» franchise, offering yet another reason for viewers to give it a pass. However, for those who are going to skip the initial series and just want to get some bearing for how Goku met Bulma (Hiromi Tsuru/Wendee Lee) and some of his other pre-«Z» friends, «Curse of the Blood Rubies» can serve as a quick primer.

Note that this film is also sometimes known as «The Legend of Shenlong,» a title that can be confusing, as the name is very close to that of the Earth dragon, Shenron (Kenji Utsumi/Sabat). Either way, though, fans can use this list as a speedy tool to catch up on the events of the series past and present. As for how many years «Dragon Ball» will continue to be a massive pop culture phenomenon, you’ll have to collect the titular balls and ask the dragon about that one.