Top 10 Greatest Dragon Ball References In Anime

“Blood Lad” (2013)

One of the most blatant examples of another shounen going all with the DBZ vibes, it’s clear from the off set that the punk vampire is a huge fan of Goku, so much so he was even willing to copy his signature attack during the battle against Akim. You have to love how badly Staz is fanboying here as he powers up to unleash a legit Kamehameha, while all Fuyumi can do is flail in the background for fear of getting charged with a copyright claim!

“YuruYuri” (2011-19)

Turns out that when it comes to gag anime, Dragon Ball is the gift that keeps on giving. Especially when it comes to cute moe girls, oddly enough. While making idle talk about how to lose weight and get in shape, two members of the Amusement Club somehow end up in a skit featuring Akari letting lose her inner strength. Apparently one way to get ripped is to tear off your buns and become a spikey haired warrior of legend. If only it were that easy.

“I Can’t Understand What My Husband Is Saying” (2014-15)

As any sane man knows, angering your wife is very much the equivalent of having a Saibaman strapped to you and ready to self-destruct. While on the hunt for an old ramen haunt, the husband makes the rather tragic mistake of embarrassing his bride in public by constantly asking Siri to say rather…inappropriate words. The response is so swift and so brutal that he meets the exact same fate as Yamcha, including the pitiful pose and crater of shame. Because nothing screams “I died like a moron” quite like that.

“MM!” (2010)

It may be stupid, but it’s the best kind of stupid. In a series where the lead is a self-described super masochist surrounded by others with equally excessive issues, the last thing we expected was an elsewhere episode that saw him turning into a Super Saiyan. It’s very much a tongue and cheek parody, one that goes the extra mile by having Taro swap out the Kamehameha for something a little more on the vulgar side. Who knew that hentai could do so much damage?

“A Thirty-Year Old's Health and Physical Education” (2011)

Because when faced with the threat of ultimate seduction, there’s no better counter than to unleash all of your accumulated virginity into a single attack. The series itself is a bit of an oddball, focusing on the antics of adults later in their life dealing with their lack of bed breaking, and yet it still finds time to have a scene of one of its sexually denied stars battle against a voluptuous temptress. Not sure what’s weirder, seeing the Spirit Bomb parodied in this way, or that this guy might have unlocked Ultra Instinct before Goku did.

“Lucky Star” (2007)

This one is a bit more elusive, but hardcore fans who grew up watching the original Japanese could never forget this particular tune. During the credits of one episode, the show shifts over to a karaoke bar, where we hear Konata and the gang letting loose with an awfully familiar jingle. Sure, it doesn’t have the same gravitas as the original, but we know Dragon Ball Z’s official theme song when we hear it! Cha La Head Cha La is a pretty tricky one to handle, so good on Konata for giving it a go.

“One-Punch Man” (2015-19)

Granted, he only appears in his original form for a few moments before mutating into his much more bestial state, but there’s no way we could mistake those antennae. Not sure if he came down with a terrible disease, but Saitama’s debut foe is very much akin to a citizen of Namek! This little Easter Egg gets doubly meta in the dub, since Piccolo’s voice actor, Christopher Sabat, also voiced Vaccine Man. Purple Namekian confirmed, with none of the handy regeneration.

“Flip Flappers” (2016)

Why wouldn’t someone want to bust out the ultimate Saiyan form if given the chance? After her friend Cocona is turned into a killing machine, it falls to Papika to knock her out of it. And by that we mean engage in a literal Dragon Brawl, complete with similar sound effects, animation style, and of course, someone screaming really loudly while their hair explodes into a completely different colour. Got to give it to Papika here – she sells the hell out of that Blue look.

“Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo” (2003-05)

Given the ludicrous places this comedy is willing to go, it’s shocking we didn’t see them parody Dragon Ball more. Sure, they did their take on the fusion dance, but the real gold is when Don Patch goes all in and recreates the scene where Chiaotzu blows himself up in order to protect Tien. Only here, instead of the feels, we’re given the giggles at how ridiculous the whole thing looks. We’ll give him a point for pulling off that dying expression though.

“Gintama” (2006-19)

No anime is safe from ridicule, mockery and parody when it comes to this series, and Dragon Ball is no exception. There are honestly too many moments to count, but our favourite would have to go to the time the bad boy of the Shinsengumi lacerated the franchises’ two most iconic villains just to get himself a cigarette. Sure, these were poor caricatures named Cello and Brieza, but look at them! They’re about as close to the originals as they can get without getting sued by Toei Animation! Just goes to show Hijikata’s desire for nicotine is stronger than Vegeta.