While some things differ from the first "Dragon Ball" saga, there's enough of the show's charm to carry it. The voice actors are slightly different, with only Chris Sabat reprising his role, but they're similar to the ones I'm used to so it's not that big of a fault. Condensing the first 13 episodes into just 50 minutes was actually pretty successful. There's next to no filler, and the movie flows great from one moment to the next. While I wish the climax was a little longer, and I'd probably choose to watch the episodes individually than watch this as a replacement, it still delivers on the action, comedy, and memorable characters that the show introduced in the first season.

It's been a really long time since the first time I watched this movie. I was still on school, back in the mid 90s.This alternate re-telling of the Dragon Ball first episodes kept the original spirit of the story, and seems more appropriate for younger audiences.It is a classic I have on my old VHS collection, that I'm looking forward to replace with DVD-Blu Ray release. A must have for every Dragon Ball fan.There's even a live action remake of this movie, made in Taiwan! Don't miss that one!

Just recently I've begun to watch the entire series from the first episode with English subtitles. The Japanese version is by far much better than the English version of the series because of the lack of censorship on it.This being said, having to watch "Curse of the Blood Rubies" with an English dub was a little painful for me. Don't get me wrong! The dub in Dragon Ball and this movie are very good, but they just don't compare to the way it's originally meant to be heard and seen.If you're new to the Dragon Ball franchise, this movie is a great place to pick up if you don't feel like watching the first saga of the series. Though the story is different in MANY aspects, it can sum up a ton of episodes in a very short period of time if you want to just jump into the action of the series.All of the main characters are introduced with the exception of Emperor Pilaf and his goons, whom are in the first saga. In place of Pilaf, you'll be meeting King Gurumes. The way the characters meet is a bit different, but you'll end up in about the same place with either the series or this movie.Blood Rubies is a bit more "cutesy" than the original Dragon Ball series in my opinion, and seems to be a bit more aimed at a younger audience than the series itself is. That doesn't mean it's a bad movie though, but anyone coming in directly from the series may find themselves a tad disappointed.Overall I recommend this movie to anyone who's interested in the Dragon Ball series, regardless if you've seen the first saga or not. It's a fun animation, and though a bit slow in some parts, will keep you interested until the end.

I thought this movie served as an excellent introduction to the series, and because it's a semi original plotline, those who have seen the series will enjoy another outing with Son Goku.The animation is good, and (while I prefer the japanese) the english dubbing isn't half bad. The story line is simple, involving basically the dragonball gang looking for the something while a giant army does the same, resulting in a multitude of exciting (and never repetitive) fights. Lots of humor, lot's of action, and excellent characters, what more could you possibly ask for?I definately give this movie an A+!