Dragon Ball
First tankōbon volume, released in Japan on November 10, 1985
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ドラゴンボール
(Doragon Bōru) |
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| Genre | Action, Adventure, Comedy,Martial arts, Science fantasy |
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| Manga |
| Written by | Akira Toriyama |
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| Published by | Shueisha |
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| English publisher |
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| Demographic | Shōnen |
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| Magazine | Weekly Shōnen Jump |
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| English magazine |
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| Original run | December 3, 1984 –June 5, 1995 |
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| Volumes | 42 (List of volumes) |
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| Anime television series |
| Dragon Ball (anime) |
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| Directed by | Minoru Okazaki
Daisuke Nishio |
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| Music by | Shunsuke Kikuchi |
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| Studio | Toei Animation |
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| Licensed by |
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| Network | Fuji TV, Animax |
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| English network |
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| Original run | February 26, 1986 –April 12, 1989 |
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| Episodes | 153 (List of episodes) |
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| Anime television series |
| Dragon Ball Z |
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| Directed by | Daisuke Nishio |
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| Music by | Shunsuke Kikuchi |
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| Studio | Toei Animation |
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| Licensed by |
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| Network | Fuji TV, Animax, Tokyo MX |
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| English network |
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| Original run | April 26, 1989 –January 31, 1996 |
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| Episodes | 291 (List of episodes) |
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| Anime television series |
| Dragon Ball GT |
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| Directed by | Osamu Kasai |
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| Music by | Akihito Tokunaga |
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| Studio | Toei Animation |
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| Licensed by |
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| Network | Fuji TV, Animax |
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| English network |
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| Original run | February 7, 1996 –November 19, 1997 |
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| Episodes | 64 (List of episodes) |
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| Anime television series |
| Dragon Ball Z Kai |
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| Directed by | Yasuhiro Nowatari |
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| Music by | Kenji Yamamoto (1–95),Shunsuke Kikuchi (96–98), Norihito Sumitomo (99–Ongoing) |
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| Studio | Toei Animation |
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| Licensed by |
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| Network | Fuji TV |
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| English network |
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| Original run | April 5, 2009 – ongoing |
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| Episodes | 167[1] (List of episodes) |
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Dragon Ball (
ドラゴンボール Doragon Bōru?) is a Japanese
manga series written and illustrated by
Akira Toriyama. It was originally serialized in
Weekly Shōnen Jump from 1984 to 1995, with the 519 individual chapters published into 42
tankōbon volumes by
Shueisha.
Dragon Ball was initially inspired by the classical Chinese novel
Journey to the West. The series follows the adventures of the protagonist,
Goku, from his childhood through adulthood as he trains in martial arts and explores the world in search of the seven orbs known as the Dragon Balls, which summon a wish-granting dragon when gathered. Along his journey, Goku makes several friends and battles a wide variety of villains, many of whom also seek the Dragon Balls.
The 42
tankōbon have been adapted into two
anime series produced by
Toei Animation:
Dragon Ball and
Dragon Ball Z, which together were broadcast in Japan from 1986 to 1996. Additionally, Toei has developed
eighteen animated feature films and three television specials, as well as an anime sequel titled
Dragon Ball GT, which takes place after the events of the manga. From 2009 to 2011, Toei broadcast a revised, faster-paced version of
Dragon Ball Z under the title
Dragon Ball Kai, in which most of the original version's footage not featured in the manga was removed. Several companies have developed various types of merchandising based on the series leading to a large
media franchise that includes films, both animated and live-action, collectible trading card games, numerous action figures, along with
several collections of soundtracks and a
large number of video games.
The manga series was licensed for an English-language release in North America by
Viz Media, in the United Kingdom by
Gollancz Manga, and Australia and New Zealand by
Madman Entertainment. The entire anime series was licensed by
Funimation Entertainmentfor an English-language release in the United States, although the series has not always been dubbed by the same studio. There have been many films of the franchise including the first live-action film adaptation being produced in 1989 in Taiwan. In 2002,
20th Century Fox acquired the rights to produce an American-made live-action film titled
Dragonball Evolution that received a negative reception from critics and fans; the movie was released on April 10, 2009 in the United States.
Since its release,
Dragon Ball has become one of the most successful manga and anime series of all time. The manga's 42 volumes have sold over 156 million copies in Japan and more than 230 million copies worldwide, making it the second
best-selling manga series in history. Reviewers have praised the art, characterization, and humor of the story. It is widely regarded as one of the greatest manga series ever made, with many
manga artists such as
Eiichiro Oda (
One Piece),
Masashi Kishimoto (
Naruto),
Tite Kubo (
Bleach),
Hiro Mashima (
Rave Master,
Fairy Tail) and
Kentaro Yabuki (
Black Cat) citing
Dragon Ball as a source of inspiration for their own now popular works. The anime, particularly
Dragon Ball Z, is also highly popular in various countries and was arguably one of the most influential in boosting the popularity of Japanese animation in Western culture.
