Dragon Ball - wikipedia Dragon Ball This is the latest accepted revision, reviewed on 18 December 2017. This article is about the media franchise in general. For other uses, see Dragon Ball ( disambiguation ). Dragon Ball Created by Akira Toriyama Original work Dragon Ball ( manga ) ( 1984 -- 1995 ) Owner Bird Studio / Shueisha Print publications Book ( s ) See Companion books Comics See Manga Films and television Film ( s ) See List of Dragon Ball films Animated series Dragon Ball ( anime ) ( 1986 -- 1989 ) Dragon Ball Z ( 1989 -- 1996 ) Dragon Ball GT ( 1996 -- 1997 ) Dragon Ball Super ( 2015 -- present ) Television special ( s ) Bardock -- The Father of Goku ( 1990 ) The History of Trunks ( 1993 ) A Hero 's Legacy ( 1997 ) Direct - to - video Plan to Eradicate the Saiyans ( 1993 ) Plan to Eradicate the Super Saiyans ( 2010 ) Games Traditional Dragon Ball Collectible Card Game Video game ( s ) See List of Dragon Ball video games Audio Soundtrack ( s ) See List of Dragon Ball soundtracks Official website Japan Dragon Ball ( Japanese : ドラゴンボール, Hepburn : Doragon Bōru ) is a Japanese media franchise created by Akira Toriyama. The initial manga, written and illustrated by Toriyama, was serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump from 1984 to 1995, with the 519 individual chapters collected into 42 tankōbon volumes by its publisher Shueisha. Dragon Ball was initially inspired by the classical Chinese novel Journey to the West. The series follows the adventures of the protagonist, Son 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 Dragon Ball manga has 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, the studio has developed 19 animated feature films and three television specials, as well as two anime sequel series titled Dragon Ball GT ( 1996 -- 1997 ) and Dragon Ball Super ( 2015 -- present ). From 2009 to 2015, a revised, faster - paced version of Dragon Ball Z aired in Japan under the title Dragon Ball Kai, in which most of the original version 's footage not featured in the manga is 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. As of January 2012, the franchise generated $5 billion in merchandise, making Dragon Ball one of the most merchandisable anime based media franchises of all time. 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 240 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 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. Contents 1 Plot summary 2 Production 3 Media 3.1 Manga 3.1. 1 Spin - offs 3.1. 2 Crossovers 3.2 Anime series 3.2. 1 Dragon Ball 3.2. 2 Dragon Ball Z 3.2. 3 Dragon Ball GT 3.2. 4 Dragon Ball Z Kai 3.2. 5 Dragon Ball Super 3.3 Films 3.3. 1 Anime 3.3. 2 Live - action 3.4 TV specials and other animations 3.4. 1 Theme park attractions 3.5 Video games 3.6 Merchandise 3.6. 1 Soundtracks 3.6. 2 Companion books 3.6. 3 Collectible cards 3.6. 4 Tabletop role - playing game 4 Reception 4.1 Manga 4.2 Anime 5 Cultural impact 5.1 Unofficial live - action films 6 References 7 External links Plot summary See also : List of Dragon Ball characters On a version of Earth in Universe 7, a monkey - tailed boy named Goku befriends a teenage girl named Bulma, whom he accompanies to find the seven Dragon Balls ( ドラゴンボール, Doragon Bōru ), which summon the dragon Shenlong to grant the user one wish. The journey leads them to the desert bandit Yamcha, who later becomes an ally ; Chi - Chi, whom Goku unknowingly agrees to marry ; and Emperor Pilaf, an impish man who seeks the Dragon Balls to fulfill his desire to rule the world. Goku then undergoes rigorous training regimes under the martial arts master Kame - Sen'nin in order to fight in the Tenkaichi Budōkai ( 天下 一 武道 会, `` Strongest Under the Heavens Martial Arts Tournament '' ). A monk named Kuririn becomes his training partner and rival, but they soon become best friends. After the tournament, Goku searches for the Dragon Ball his grandfather left him and almost single - handedly defeats the Red Ribbon Army and their hired assassin Taopaipai. Thereafter Goku reunites with his friends to defeat the fortuneteller Baba Uranai 's fighters and have her locate the last Dragon Ball to revive a friend killed by Taopaipai. At the Tenkaichi Budōkai three years later Goku and his allies oppose Kame - Sen'nin's rival and Taopaipai 's brother, Tsuru - Sen'nin, and his students Tenshinhan and Chaozu. Kuririn is killed after the tournament and Goku tracks down and is defeated by his killer, Piccolo Daimao. The samurai Yajirobe takes Goku to the hermit Karin, where he receives healing and a power boost. Meanwhile, Piccolo fights Kame - Sen'nin and Chaozu, leading to both their deaths, and uses the Dragon Balls to regain his youth before destroying Shenlong. Goku then kills Piccolo Daimao, who, just before dying, spawns his son / reincarnation Piccolo. Karin then directs Goku to Kami - sama, the original creator of the Dragon Balls, to restore Shenlong and revive his slain friends. Goku trains under Kami for the next three years, once again reuniting with his friends at the Tenkaichi Budōkai, where he narrowly wins against Piccolo before leaving with Chi - Chi to keep his promise to marry her. Five years later, Goku is a young adult and father of Gohan, when Raditz arrives on Earth, identifies Goku as his younger brother ' Kakarrot ' and reveals to him that they are members of a nearly extinct extraterrestrial race called the Saiyans ( サイヤ 人, Saiya - jin ), who sent Goku to conquer Earth for them, until he suffered a severe head injury and lost all memory of his mission. Goku refuses to continue the mission, sides with Piccolo, and sacrifices his life to defeat Raditz. In the afterlife Goku trains under the North Kaiō until he is revived by the Dragon Balls to save the Earth from the invading Nappa and Vegeta. In the battle Yamcha, Chaozu, Tenshinhan, and Piccolo are killed, and the Dragon Balls cease to exist. Kuririn and the galactic tyrant Freeza learn of another set of Dragon Balls on planet Namek ( ナメック 星, Namekku - sei ), whereupon Bulma, Gohan, and Kuririn search for them to revive their friends and subsequently the Earth 's Dragon Balls, leading to several battles with Freeza 's minions and Vegeta, the latter standing alongside the heroes to fight the Ginyu Force, a team of mercenaries. The long battle with Freeza himself comes to a close when Goku transforms into a Super Saiyan ( 超 サイヤ 人, Sūpā Saiya - jin ) of legends and defeats him, with Namek being destroyed in the process. Sometime after, Frieza is revealed to have survived after the fight in Namek and have traveled to Earth with his father King Cold, to face Goku. Instead, he is encountered by a mysterious person who came from the future who is none other than Vegeta and Bulma 's son, Trunks. Trunks had defeated both Frieza and King Cold, also having the ability to turn to a Super Saiayn. Trunks gave the Z warriors the medicine for the virus that would be fatal to Goku and a warning to train for an upcoming threat that will appear in the near future. Three years later, a group of Androids ( 人造 人間, Jinzōningen, `` Artificial Humans '' ) created by a member of the former Red Ribbon Army, Doctor Gero, seeking revenge against Goku. During this time, an evil life form called Cell also emerges and, after absorbing two of the Androids to achieve his `` perfect form, '' holds his own fighting tournament to challenge the protagonists. After Goku sacrifices his own life to no avail, Gohan avenges his father by defeating Cell. Seven years later, Goku, briefly revived for one day, and his allies are drawn into a fight against Majin Buu. After numerous battles, including destruction and re-creation of the Earth, Goku destroys Boo with a Genki - Dama ( a sphere of pure energy drawn from all intelligent beings on Earth ) and wishes for him to be reincarnated as a `` good person. '' Ten years later, at another Tenkaichi Budōkai, Goku meets Boo 's human reincarnation, Oob. Leaving their match unfinished, Goku departs with Oob to train him to be Earth 's new guardian. Six months after the defeat of Majin Buu, Earth was at peace one again. Goku became a radish farmer, Krillen a father, Gohan married to Videl, and Vegeta spent more time with his family. After thirty -- nine years of slumber, Lord Beerus, the God of Destruction of the universe, had awoken to a prophecy of a warrior emerging that would rival his power being known as a Super Saiyan God ( 超 スーパー サイヤ 人 ゴッド Sūpā Saiya - jin Goddo ). Beerus along with mentor / servant Whis took course to find Goku and Vegeta to fulfill the prophecy. Goku along with the rest of the sayians Including Gohan and Videl 's soon to be born daughter, united to have Goku achieve the Super Saiyan God form through a ritual revealed by Shenron. Goku with his new power faced the God of Destruction with Earth 's destruction at stake. Although Goku defeated, Beerus spares Earth and looks forward to Goku being more powerful. A year has past since the encounter with Beerus. Goku and Vegeta had been training under Whis who had taken them as his students to master on controlling their flow of energy, maintaining it from within themselves. During this time, the remaining remnant of Frieza 's army had went to earth to use the dragon balls to revive the long dead galactic ruler. Being revived and regenerated from the army 's latest technology of regeneration, Frieza had began to plot his revenge on Goku who had defeated him on planet Namek. Learning that he had defeated Majin Buu, one of two beings warned not to fight with from his father ; the other being Beerus, Frieza decided to begin intense training to reach new heights of power to face Goku. Frieza 's army had arrived on Earth while Goku and Vegeta still training with Whis. Tien, Piccolo, Gohan, Krillin, and Master Roshi had fought the remnant until their return. Once arriving on Earth, Frieza and Goku had fought showing their latest forms and power. Goku achieved a form beyond the Super Saiyan God form being the Super Saiyan God Super Saiyan ( shortened Super Sayian Blue ). Frieza revealed his new form achieved after training stating he has not done before, calling it his Golden Frieza form. Freiza became a handful with Goku but was bested yet again. However, with his commander Sorbet 's help, defeated Goku with a severe shot when he was no longer focused. Vegeta then came in to fight Frieza being able to transform to the form as well. Vegeta outmatched Frieza, showing the flaw of his new form where his body has not been used to the energy that gets consumed. Out of desperation, Frieza had destroyed Earth, killing him and almost everyone, later with Whis reversing time, Goku was able to prevent Frieza from destroying the Earth after being too over confident against him in the first place and destroys him once more. After Frieza 's return, the God of Destruction by the name of Champa and his attendant, Vados appears who are Beerus and Whis ' relatives. Also being the God of Destruction and Angel of Universe 6. Champa arrived to Beerus ' home to see whose universe was superior. Eventually, it was settled in a tournament using the Super Dragon Balls, planet - sized versions of the titular artifacts, to grant a wish as the main prize for the two universes to swap their Earths. The universes ' fighters were selected by the Gods of Destruction. During the tournament, many surprises and turn of events occurred. Each universe having formidable warriors in their respected universes. Following the elimination of Frost, Vegeta singlehandedly eliminated most of Universe 6 's fighters until being defeated by the assassin Hit. The tournament reached its peak with the match up of Goku vs Hit. Each fighter raising hew heights in power with Hit being the winner by forfeit following Goku 's failed attempt to lift the tournament rules to fight Hit at his full power. Production Akira Toriyama, the creator of Dragon Ball Akira Toriyama loosely modeled Dragon Ball on the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West ; but also redeveloped it from his 1983 one - shot manga Dragon Boy. He has said that the fighting was influenced from movies by famous martial arts actor Jackie Chan, as he wanted to create a story with the basic theme of Journey to the West, but with `` a little kung fu. '' Since it was serialized in a shōnen magazine, he added the idea of the Dragon Balls to give it a game - like activity of gathering something, without thinking of what the characters would wish for. With Goku being Sun Wukong, Bulma as Xuanzang, Oolong as Zhu Bajie and Yamcha being Sha Wujing, he originally thought it would last about a year or end once the Dragon Balls were collected. Toriyama stated that although the stories are purposefully easy to understand, he specifically aimed Dragon Ball at readers older than those of his previous serial Dr. Slump. He also wanted to break from the Western influences common in Dr. Slump, deliberately going for Chinese scenery, referencing Chinese buildings and photographs of China his wife had bought. The island where the Tenkaichi Budōkai is held is modeled after Bali, which he, his wife and assistant visited in mid-1985, and for the area around Bobbidi 's spaceship he consulted photos of Africa. The Earth of Dragon Ball, as published in Daizenshuu 4 : World Guide It was when the Tenkaichi Budōkai martial arts tournament began that Dragon Ball truly became popular, having recalled the races and tournaments in Dr. Slump. Anticipating that readers would expect Goku to win the tournaments, Toriyama had him lose the first two while planning an eventual victory. He said that Muscle Tower in the Red Ribbon Army storyline was inspired by the video game Spartan X, in which enemies tended to appear very fast. He then created Piccolo Daimao as a truly evil villain, and as a result called that arc the most interesting to draw. Once Goku and company had become the strongest on Earth, they turned to extraterrestrial opponents including the Saiyans. Freeza, who forcibly took over planets to resell them, was created around the time of the Japanese economic bubble and was inspired by real estate speculators, whom Toriyama called the `` worst kind of people. '' Finding the escalating enemies difficult, he created the Ginyu Force to add more balance to the series. He added time travel next, but said he had a hard time with it, only thinking of what to do that week and having to discuss it with his second editor Yu Kondo. After Cell 's death, Toriyama intended for Gohan to replace Goku as the series ' protagonist, but felt the character was not suited for the role and changed his mind. Going against the normal convention that the strongest characters should be the largest in terms of physical size, he designed many of Dragon Ball 's most powerful characters with small statures, including the protagonist, Goku. Toriyama later explained that he had Goku grow up as a means to make drawing fight scenes easier, even though his first editor Kazuhiko Torishima was initially against it because it was rare to have the main character of a manga series change drastically. When including fights in the manga, Toriyama had the characters go to uninhabited locations to avoid difficulties in drawing residents and destroyed buildings. Toriyama said that he did not plan the details of the story, resulting in strange occurrences and discrepancies later in the series, including changing the colors of the characters mid-story and few characters having screen tone because he found it difficult to use. Since the completion of Dragon Ball, Toriyama has continued to add to its story, mostly background information on its universe, through guidebooks published by Shueisha. During the second half of the series, Toriyama has said that he had become more interested in coming up with the story than actually drawing it, and that the battles became more intense with him simplifying the lines. In 2013, he stated that because Dragon Ball is an action manga the most important aspect is the sense of speed, so he did not draw very elaborate, going so far as to suggest one could say that he was not interested in the art. He also once said that his goal for the series was to tell an `` unconventional and contradictory '' story. In 2013, commenting on Dragon Ball 's global success, Toriyama said, `` Frankly, I do n't quite understand why it happened. While the manga was being serialized, the only thing I wanted as I kept drawing was to make Japanese boys happy. '', `` The role of my manga is to be a work of entertainment through and through. I dare say I do n't care even if ( my works ) have left nothing behind, as long as they have entertained their readers. '' Media Manga Main article : Dragon Ball ( manga ) Dragon Ball debuted in Weekly Shōnen Jump No. 51, on December 3, 1984. Written and illustrated by Akira Toriyama, Dragon Ball was serialized in the manga anthology Weekly Shōnen Jump from December 3, 1984 to June 5, 1995, when Toriyama grew exhausted and felt he needed a break from drawing. The 519 individual chapters were published into 42 tankōbon volumes by Shueisha from September 10, 1985 through August 4, 1995. Between December 4, 2002 and April 2, 2004, the chapters were re-released in a collection of 34 kanzenban volumes, which included a slightly rewritten ending, new covers, and color artwork from its Weekly Shōnen Jump run. The February 2013 issue of V Jump, which was released in December 2012, announced that parts of the manga will be fully colored and re-released in 2013. Twenty volumes, beginning from chapter 195 and grouped by story arcs, were released between February 4, 2013 and July 4, 2014. Twelve volumes covering the first 194 chapters were published between January 4 and March 4, 2016. A sōshūhen edition that aims to recreate the manga as it was originally serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump with color pages, promotional text, and next chapter previews, was published in eighteen volumes between May 13, 2016 and January 13, 2017. Spin - offs Another manga penned by Ōishi, the three - chapter Dragon Ball : Episode of Bardock that revolves around Bardock, Goku 's father, was published in the monthly magazine V Jump from August and October 2011. The final chapter of Toriyama 's 2013 manga series Jaco the Galactic Patrolman revealed that it is set before Dragon Ball, with several characters making appearances. Jaco 's collected volumes contain a bonus Dragon Ball chapter depicting Goku 's mother. In December 2016, a spin - off manga titled Dragon Ball Side Story : The Case of Being Reincarnated as Yamcha began in Shueisha 's Shōnen Jump+ digital magazine. Written and illustrated by Dragon Garow Lee, it is about a high school boy who after an accident wakes up in the body of Yamcha in the Dragon Ball manga. Crossovers Toriyama also created a short series, Neko Majin ( 1999 -- 2005 ), that became a self - parody of Dragon Ball. In 2006, a crossover between Kochira Katsushika - ku Kameari Kōen - mae Hashutsujo ( or Kochikame ) and Dragon Ball by Toriyama and Kochikame author Osamu Akimoto appeared in the Super Kochikame ( 超 こち亀, Chō Kochikame ) manga. That same year, Toriyama teamed up with Eiichiro Oda to create a crossover chapter of Dragon Ball and One Piece titled Cross Epoch. Anime series Dragon Ball Main articles : Dragon Ball ( anime ) and List of Dragon Ball episodes Toei Animation produced an anime television series based on the first 194 manga chapters, also titled Dragon Ball. The series premiered in Japan on Fuji Television on February 26, 1986 and ran until April 12, 1989, lasting 153 episodes. Dragon Ball Z Main articles : Dragon Ball Z and List of Dragon Ball Z episodes Instead of continuing the anime as Dragon Ball, Toei Animation decided to carry on with their adaptation under a new name and asked Akira Toriyama to come up with the title. Dragon Ball Z ( ドラゴンボール Z ( ゼット ), Doragon Bōru Zetto, commonly abbreviated as DBZ ) picks up five years after the first series left off and adapts the final 325 chapters of the manga. It premiered in Japan on Fuji Television on April 26, 1989, taking over its predecessor 's time slot, and ran for 291 episodes until its conclusion on January 31, 1996. Dragon Ball GT Main articles : Dragon Ball GT and List of Dragon Ball GT episodes Dragon Ball GT ( ドラゴンボール GT ( ジーティー ), Doragon Bōru Jī Tī, G ( rand ) T ( ouring ) ) premiered on Fuji TV on February 2, 1996 and ran until November 19, 1997 for 64 episodes. Unlike the first two anime series, it is not based on Akira Toriyama 's original Dragon Ball manga, being created by Toei Animation as a sequel to the series or as Toriyama called it, a `` grand side story of the original Dragon Ball. '' Toriyama designed the main cast, the spaceship used in the show, the design of three planets, and came up with the title and logo. In addition to this, Toriyama also oversaw production of the series, just as he had for the Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z anime. Dragon Ball Z Kai Main articles : Dragon Ball Z Kai and List of Dragon Ball Z Kai episodes In February 2009, Dragon Ball Z celebrated its 20th anniversary, with Toei Animation announcing that it would broadcast a re-edited and remastered version under the name Dragon Ball Kai ( ドラゴンボール 改, Doragon Bōru Kai, lit. `` Dragon Ball Revised '' ). The footage would be re-edited to follow the manga more closely, eliminating scenes and episodes which were not featured in the original manga, resulting in a more faithful adaptation, as well as in a more faster - moving, and focused story. The episodes remastered for HDTV, with rerecording of the vocal tracks by most of the original cast, and featuring updated opening and ending sequences. On April 5, 2009, the series premiered in Japan airing in Fuji TV. Dragon Ball Z Kai reduced the episode count to 159 episodes ( 167 episodes internationally ), from the original footage of 291 episodes. Damaged frames were removed, resulting in some minor shots being remade from scratch in order to fix cropping, and others to address continuity issues. The majority of the international versions, including Funimation Entertainment 's English dub, are titled Dragon Ball Z Kai. Dragon Ball Super Main articles : Dragon Ball Super and List of Dragon Ball Super episodes On April 28, 2015, Toei Animation announced Dragon Ball Super ( ドラゴンボール 超, Doragon Bōru Sūpā ), the first all - new Dragon Ball television series to be released in 18 years. It debuted on July 5 and will run as a weekly series at 9 : 00 am on Fuji TV on Sundays. Masako Nozawa reprised her roles as Goku, Gohan, and Goten. Most of the original cast reprise their roles as well. Kouichi Yamadera and Masakazu Morita also reprise their roles, as Beerus and Whis, respectively. The story of the anime is set four years after the defeat of Majin Buu, when the Earth has become peaceful once again. Akira Toriyama is credited as the original creator, as well for `` original story & character design concepts. '' It is also being adapted into a parallel manga. Films Anime See also : List of Dragon Ball films Nineteen animated theatrical films based on the Dragon Ball series have been released in Japan. The first three films are based on the original Dragon Ball anime series. The remaining films include fifteen based on Dragon Ball Z and one tenth anniversary special ( also based on the first anime series ). The first five films were shown at the Toei Manga Festival ( 東映 まんが まつり, Tōei Manga Matsuri ), while the sixth through seventeenth films were shown at the Toei Anime Fair ( 東映 アニメ フェア, Toei Anime Fea ). They are mostly alternate re-tellings of certain story arcs involving new characters or extra side - stories that do not correlate with the same continuity as the series. Since these movies were originally shown as back - to - back presentations alongside other Toei film productions, they were usually below feature length ( around 45 -- 60 minutes each ), making them only slightly longer than an episode of the TV series ( the sole exception being 1996 's The Path to Power, which has a running time of 80 minutes ). The newest films, Dragon Ball Z : Battle of Gods ( 2013 ) and Dragon Ball Z : Resurrection ' F ' ( 2015 ), were produced as full - length feature films and were given stand - alone theatrical releases in Japan ( as well as limited theatrical releases in the U.S. ) ; these being the first movies to have original creator Akira Toriyama deeply involved in their production. As such, they are considered to have a greater sense of continuity with the series than the older films, especially since they have been adapted into the first two - story arcs of the new Dragon Ball Super anime. Live - action An American live - action film titled Dragonball Evolution was produced by 20th Century Fox, after it acquired the feature film rights to the Dragon Ball franchise in March 2002, previous to the film, two unofficial live - action films have been produced decades prior. The film was directed by James Wong and produced by Stephen Chow, it was released in the United States on April 10, 2009. The film was meant to lead into sequels, which were cancelled, after the film released and became universally heralded as one of the worst adaptations of all time, being considered by the fans as being unfaithful to the source material. Franchise creator Akira Toriyama also criticized the film adding he was completely left out of the creative process, despite having himself offered to help, going as far as saying : `` the result was a movie, I could n't even call Dragon Ball ''. Years after its release, the writer of the film, Ben Ramsey, released a public apology in which he admitted to have written the film `` chasing for a payday '' instead of `` as a fan of the franchise ''. TV specials and other animations See also : List of Dragon Ball films Three television specials based on the series were aired on Fuji TV in Japan. The first, The One True Final Battle ~ The Z Warrior Who Challenged Freeza -- Son Goku 's Father ~, renamed Bardock -- The Father of Goku by Funimation, was shown on October 17, 1990. The second special, The Hopeless Resistance ! ! Gohan and Trunks -- The Two Remaining Super Warriors, renamed The History of Trunks by Funimation, is based on a special chapter of the original manga and aired on March 24, 1993. Goku Side Story ! The Four Star Ball is a Badge of Courage, renamed A Hero 's Legacy by Funimation, aired on March 26, 1997. A two - part hour - long crossover special between Dragon Ball Z, One Piece and Toriko, referred to as Dream 9 Toriko & One Piece & Dragon Ball Z Super Collaboration Special ! ! aired on April 7, 2013. The short film Dragon Ball : Yo ! Son Goku and His Friends Return ! ! was created for the Jump Super Anime Tour, which celebrated Weekly Shōnen Jump 's 40th anniversary, and debuted on November 24, 2008. A short animated adaptation of Naho Ōishi 's Bardock spinoff manga, Dragon Ball : Episode of Bardock, was shown on December 17 -- 18, 2011 at the Jump Festa 2012 event. A two - episode original video animation ( OVA ) titled Dragon Ball Z Side Story : Plan to Eradicate the Saiyans was created in 1993 as strategy guides for the Famicom video game of the same name. A remake titled Dragon Ball : Plan to Eradicate the Super Saiyans was created as a bonus feature for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 video game Dragon Ball : Raging Blast 2, which was released on November 11, 2010. Theme park attractions `` Dragon Ball Z : The Real 4D '' debuted at Universal Studios Japan in the summer of 2016. It features a battle between Goku and Freeza. Unlike most Dragon Ball animation, the attraction is animated with CGI. A second attraction titled `` Dragon Ball Z : Super Tenkaichi Budokai '' debuted at Universal Studios Japan in the summer of 2017. Video games See also : List of Dragon Ball video games A Dragon Ball Z arcade conversion kit that includes the PCB, instructions and operator 's manual The Dragon Ball franchise has spawned multiple video games across various genres and platforms. Earlier games of the series included a system of card battling and were released for the Famicom following the storyline of the series. Starting with the Super Famicom and Mega Drive, most of the games were from the fighting genre or RPG ( Role Playing Game ), such as the Super Butoden series. The first Dragon Ball game to be released in the United States was Dragon Ball GT : Final Bout for the PlayStation in 1997. For the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable games the characters were redone in 3D cel - shaded graphics. These games included the Dragon Ball Z : Budokai series and the Dragon Ball Z : Budokai Tenkaichi series. Dragon Ball Z : Burst Limit was the first game of the franchise developed for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Dragon Ball Xenoverse was the first game of the franchise developed for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. A massively multiplayer online role - playing game called Dragon Ball Online was available in Korea, Hong Kong and Taiwan until the servers were shut down in 2013. A few years later fans started recreating the game. Today, `` Dragon Ball Online Global '' is a new, European version of Dragon Ball Online and it is being developed, while open beta server is running. Merchandise Soundtracks See also : List of Dragon Ball soundtracks Myriad soundtracks were released in the anime, movies and the games. The music for the first two anime Dragon Ball and Z and its films was composed by Shunsuke Kikuchi, while the music from GT was composed by Akihito Tokunaga and the music from Kai was composed by Kenji Yamamoto and Norihito Sumitomo. For the first anime, the soundtracks released were Dragon Ball : Music Collection in 1985 and Dragon Ball : Complete Song Collection in 1991, although they were reissued in 2007 and 2003, respectively. For the second anime, the soundtrack series released were Dragon Ball Z Hit Song Collection Series. It was produced and released by Columbia Records of Japan from July 21, 1989 to March 20, 1996 the show 's entire lifespan. On September 20, 2006 Columbia re-released the Hit Song Collection on their Animex 1300 series. Other CDs released are compilations, video games and films soundtracks as well as music from the English versions. Companion books Cover of Dragon Ball : The Complete Illustrations There have been numerous companion books to the Dragon Ball franchise. Chief among these are the Daizenshuu ( 大 全集 ) series, comprising seven hardback main volumes and three supplemental softcover volumes, covering the manga and the first two anime series and their theatrical films. The first of these, Dragon Ball : The Complete Illustrations ( Daizenshuu volume 1 ), first published in Japan in 1995, is the only one that was released in English, being printed in 2008 by Viz Media. It contains all 264 colored illustrations Akira Toriyama drew for the Weekly Shōnen Jump magazines ' covers, bonus giveaways and specials, and all the covers for the 42 tankōbon. It also includes an interview with Toriyama on his work process. The remainder have never been released in English, and all are now out of print in Japan. From February 4 to May 9, 2013, condensed versions of the Daizenshuu with some updated information were released as the four - volume Chōzenshū ( 超 全集 ) series. For Dragon Ball GT, the Dragon Ball GT Perfect Files were released in May and December 1997 by Shueisha 's Jump Comics Selection imprint. They include series information, illustration galleries, behind - the - scenes information, and more. They were out of print for many years, but were re-released in April 2006 ( accompanying the Japanese DVD release of Dragon Ball GT ) and this edition is still in print. Coinciding with the 34 - volume kanzenban re-release of the manga, and the release of the entire series on DVD for the first time in Japan, four new guidebooks were released in 2003 and 2004. Dragon Ball Landmark and Dragon Ball Forever cover the manga, using volume numbers for story points that reference the kanzenban release, while Dragon Ball : Tenkaichi Densetsu ( ドラゴンボール 天下 一 伝説 ) and Dragon Ball Z : Son Goku Densetsu ( ドラゴンボール Z 孫悟空 伝説 ) cover the Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z anime, respectively. Much of the material in these books is reused from the earlier Daizenshuu volumes, but they include new textual material including substantial interviews with the creator, cast and production staff of the series. Son Goku Densetsu in particular showcases previously - unpublished design sketches of Goku 's father Bardock, drawn by character designer Katsuyoshi Nakatsuru prior to creator Akira Toriyama 's revisions that resulted in the final version. Following the release of Dragon Ball Kai in Japan, four new guidebooks were released : the two - volume Dragon Ball : Super Exciting Guide ( ドラゴンボール 超 エキサイティング ガイド ) in 2009, covering the manga, and two - volume Dragon Ball : Extreme Battle Collection ( ドラゴンボール 極限 バトル コレクション ) in 2010, covering the anime series. Despite the TV series airing during this time being Kai, the Extreme Battle Collection books reference the earlier Z series in content and episode numbers. These books also include new question - and - answer sessions with Akira Toriyama, revealing a few new details about the world and characters of the series. 2010 also saw the release of a new artbook, Dragon Ball : Anime Illustrations Guide - The Golden Warrior ( ドラゴンボール アニメ イラスト 集 「 黄金 の 戦士 」 ) ; a sort of anime - counterpart to the manga - oriented Complete Illustrations, it showcases anime - original illustrations and includes interviews with the three principal character designers for the anime. Each of the Japanese `` Dragon Box '' DVD releases of the series and movies, which were released from 2003 to 2006, as well as the Blu - ray boxed sets of Dragon Ball Kai, released 2009 to 2011, come with a Dragon Book guide that contains details about the content therein. Each also contains a new interview with a member of the cast or staff of the series. These books have been reproduced textually for Funimation 's release of the Dragon Ball Z Dragon Box sets from 2009 to 2011. Collectible cards See also : Dragon Ball Collectible Card Game Collectible cards based on the Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, and Dragon Ball GT series have been released by Bandai. These cards feature various scenes from the manga and anime stills, plus exclusive artwork from all three series. Bandai released the first set in the United States in July 2008. Tabletop role - playing game Dragon Ball Z : The Anime Adventure Game, a tabletop role - playing game produced by R. Talsorian Games Reception Manga Dragon Ball is one of the most popular manga series of all time, and it continues to enjoy high readership today. By 2000, more than 126 million copies of its tankōbon volumes had been sold in Japan alone. By 2016, this number had grown to pass 156 million in Japan and 240 million worldwide, making it the second best - selling Weekly Shōnen Jump manga of all time. Dragon Ball is credited as one of the main reasons for the period when manga circulation was at its highest in the mid-1980s and mid-1990s. For the 10th anniversary of the Japan Media Arts Festival in 2006, Japanese fans voted Dragon Ball the third greatest manga of all time. In a survey conducted by Oricon in 2007 among 1,000 people, Son Goku, the main character of the franchise, ranked first place as the `` Strongest Manga Character of All Time. '' Goku 's journey and his ever - growing strength resulted in the character winning `` the admiration of young boys everywhere ''. Manga artists, such as One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda and Naruto creator Masashi Kishimoto, have stated that Goku inspired their series ' main protagonists as well as series structure. Manga critic Jason Thompson stated in 2011 that `` Dragon Ball is by far the most influential shonen manga of the last 30 years, and today, almost every Shonen Jump artist lists it as one of their favorites and lifts from it in various ways. '' He says the series `` turns from a gag / adventure manga to an nearly - pure fighting manga '', and its basic formula of `` lots of martial arts, lots of training sequences, a few jokes '' became the model for other shōnen series, such as Naruto. Thompson also called Toriyama 's art influential and cited it as a reason for the series ' popularity. James S. Yadao, author of The Rough Guide to Manga, claims that the first several chapters of Dragon Ball `` play out much like Saiyuki with Dr. Slump - like humour built in '' and that Dr. Slump, Toriyama 's previous manga, has a clear early influence on the series. He feels the series `` established its unique identity '' after the first occasion when Goku 's group disbands and he trains under Kame - sen'nin, when the story develops `` a far more action - packed, sinister tone '' with `` wilder '' battles with aerial and spiritual elements and an increased death count, while humor still makes an occasional appearance. Yadao claims that an art shift occurs when the characters `` lose the rounded, innocent look that he established in Dr. Slump and gain sharper angles that leap off the page with their energy and intensity. '' Animerica felt the series had `` worldwide appeal '', using dramatic pacing and over-the - top martial arts action to `` maintain tension levels and keep a crippler crossface hold on the audience 's attention spans ''. In Little Boy : The Art of Japan 's Exploding Subculture, Takashi Murakami commented that Dragon Ball 's `` never - ending cyclical narrative moves forward plausibly, seamlessly, and with great finesse. '' Ridwan Khan from Animefringe.com commented that the manga had a `` chubby '' art style, but as the series continued the characters got more refined, leaner, and more muscular. Khan prefers the manga over the slow pacing of the anime counterparts. Allen Divers of Anime News Network praised the story and humor of the manga as being very good at conveying all of the characters ' personalities. Divers also called Viz 's translation one of the best of all the English editions of the series due to its faithfulness to the original Japanese. D. Aviva Rothschild of Rationalmagic.com remarked the first manga volume as `` a superior humor title ''. They praised Goku 's innocence and Bulma 's insistence as one of the funniest parts of the series. The content of the manga has been controversial in United States. In November 1999, Toys `` R '' Us removed Viz 's Dragon Ball from their stores nationwide when a Dallas parent complained the series had `` borderline soft porn '' after he bought them for his four - year - old son. Commenting on the issue, Susan J. Napier explained it as a difference in culture. After the ban, Viz reluctantly began to censor the series to keep wide distribution. However, in 2001, after releasing three volumes censored, Viz announced Dragon Ball would be uncensored and reprinted due to fan reactions. In October 2009, Wicomico County Public Schools in Maryland banned the Dragon Ball manga from their school district because it `` depicts nudity, sexual contact between children and sexual innuendo among adults and children. '' Anime The anime adaptations have also been very well - received and are better known in the Western world than the manga, with Anime News Network saying, `` Few anime series have mainstreamed it the way Dragon Ball Z has. To a certain generation of television consumers its characters are as well known as any in the animated realm, and for many it was the first step into the wilderness of anime fandom. '' In 2000, satellite TV channel Animax together with Brutus, a men 's lifestyle magazine, and Tsutaya, Japan 's largest video rental chain, conducted a poll among 200,000 fans on the top anime series, with Dragon Ball coming in fourth. TV Asahi conducted two polls in 2005 on the Top 100 Anime, Dragon Ball came in second in the nationwide survey conducted with multiple age - groups and in third in the online poll. On several occasions the Dragon Ball anime has topped Japan 's DVD sales. Carl Kimlinger of Anime News Network summed up Dragon Ball as `` an action - packed tale told with rare humor and something even rarer -- a genuine sense of adventure. '' Both Kimlinger and colleague Theron Martin noted Funimation 's reputation for drastic alterations of the script, but praised the dub. However, some critics and most fans of the Japanese version have been more critical with Funimation 's English dub and script of Dragon Ball Z over the years. Jeffrey Harris IGN criticized the voices including how Freeza 's appearance combined with the feminine English voice left fans confused about Freeza 's gender. Carlos Ross of T.H.E.M. Anime Reviews considered the series ' characters to be different from stereotypical stock characters and noted that they undergo much more development. Despite praising Dragon Ball Z for its cast of characters, they criticized it for having long and repetitive fights. Dragon Ball Z is well - known, and often criticized, for its long, repetitive, dragged - out fights that span several episodes, with Martin commenting `` DBZ practically turned drawing out fights into an art form. '' However, Jason Thompson of io9 explained that this comes from the fact that the anime was being created alongside the manga. Dragon Ball Z was listed as the 78th best animated show in IGN 's Top 100 Animated Series, and was also listed as the 50th greatest cartoon in Wizard magazine 's Top 100 Greatest Cartoons list. Harris commented that Dragon Ball GT `` is downright repellent '', mentioning that the material and characters had lost their novelty and fun. He also criticized the GT character designs of Trunks and Vegeta as being goofy. Zac Bertschy of Anime News Network also gave negative comments about GT, mentioning that the fights from the series were `` a very simple childish exercise '' and that many other anime were superior. The plot of Dragon Ball GT has also been criticized for giving a formula that was already used in its predecessors. The first episode of Dragon Ball Z Kai earned a viewer ratings percentage of 11.3, ahead of One Piece and behind Crayon Shin - chan. Although following episodes had lower ratings, Kai was among the top 10 anime in viewer ratings every week in Japan for most of its run. Cultural impact Unofficial live - action films An unofficial live - action Mandarin Chinese film adaptation of the series, Dragon Ball : The Magic Begins, was released in Taiwan in 1989. In December 1990, the unofficial live - action Korean film Dragon Ball : Ssawora Son Goku, Igyeora Son Goku was released. References Jump up ^ `` Funimation January 2012 Catalog '' ( PDF ). thecnl.com. Retrieved August 2, 2017. ^ Jump up to : Wiedemann, Julius ( September 25, 2004 ). `` Akira Toriyama ''. In Amano Masanao ( ed. ). Manga Design. Taschen. p. 372. ISBN 3 - 8228 - 2591 - 3. CS1 maint : Extra text : editors list ( link ) ^ Jump up to : Clements, Jonathan ; Helen McCarthy ( September 1, 2001 ). The Anime Encyclopedia : A Guide to Japanese Animation Since 1917 ( 1st ed. ). Berkeley, California : Stone Bridge Press. pp. 101 -- 102. ISBN 1 - 880656 - 64 - 7. OCLC 47255331. ^ Jump up to : DRAGON BALL 大 全集 1 : COMPLETE ILLUSTRATIONS ( in Japanese ). Shueisha. 1995. pp. 206 -- 207. ISBN 4 - 08 - 782754 - 2. ^ Jump up to : DRAGON BALL 大 全集 2 : STORY GUIDE ( in Japanese ). Shueisha. 1995. pp. 261 -- 265. ISBN 4 - 08 - 782752 - 6. ^ Jump up to : DRAGON BALL 天下 一 伝説 ( in Japanese ). Shueisha. 2004. pp. 80 -- 91. ISBN 4 - 08 - 873705 - 9. ^ Jump up to : `` Shenlong Times 2 ''. DRAGON BALL 大 全集 2 : Story Guide ( in Japanese ). Shueisha. 1995. Jump up ^ `` Toriyama / Takahashi interview ''. Furinkan.com. 1986. Retrieved May 18, 2014. ^ Jump up to : DRAGON BALL 大 全集 4 : WORLD GUIDE. Shueisha. 1995. pp. 164 -- 169. ISBN 4 - 08 - 782754 - 2. ^ Jump up to : `` Interview with the Majin ! Revisited ''. Shonen Jump. Viz Media. 5 ( 11 ) : 388. November 2007. ISSN 1545 - 7818. ^ Jump up to : DRAGON BALL 超 画集 ( in Japanese ). Shueisha. 2013. pp. 224 -- 225. ISBN 978 - 4 - 08 - 782520 - 6. Jump up ^ DRAGON BALL 大 全集 5 : TV ANIMATION PART 2. Shueisha. 1995. pp. 206 -- 210. ISBN 4 - 08 - 782755 - 0. Jump up ^ Iwamoto, Tetsuo ( March 27, 2013 ). `` Dragon Ball artist : ' I just wanted to make boys happy ' ''. Asahi Shimbun. Retrieved September 20, 2013. Jump up ^ `` 週刊 少年 ジャンプ 1984 / 12 / 03 表示 号 数 51 ''. Media Arts Database ( in Japanese ). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Retrieved February 25, 2017. Jump up ^ `` 週刊 少年 ジャンプ 1995 / 06 / 05 表示 号 数 25 ''. Media Arts Database ( in Japanese ). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Retrieved February 25, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Comipress News article on `` The Rise and Fall of Weekly Shōnen Jump '' ``. comipress.com. May 6, 2007. Retrieved June 2, 2008. Jump up ^ `` DRAGON BALL 1 ドラゴンボール '' ( in Japanese ). Shueisha. Retrieved June 2, 2008. Jump up ^ `` DRAGON BALL 42 ドラゴンボール '' ( in Japanese ). Shueisha. Retrieved June 2, 2008. Jump up ^ `` DRAGON BALL 完全 版 1 '' ( in Japanese ). Shueisha. Retrieved August 28, 2016. Jump up ^ `` DRAGON BALL 完全 版 34 '' ( in Japanese ). Shueisha. Retrieved August 28, 2016. ^ Jump up to : `` Dragon Ball Manga Reprinted in Full Color in Japan ''. Anime News Network. Retrieved December 21, 2012. Jump up ^ `` ドラゴンボール フルカラー サイヤ 人 編 1 '' ( in Japanese ). Shueisha. Retrieved September 9, 2015. Jump up ^ `` ドラゴンボール フルカラー 魔 人 ブウ 編 6 '' ( in Japanese ). Shueisha. Retrieved September 9, 2015. Jump up ^ `` ドラゴンボール フルカラー 少年 編 1 '' ( in Japanese ). Shueisha. Retrieved August 28, 2016. Jump up ^ `` ドラゴンボール フルカラー ピッコロ 大 魔王 編 4 '' ( in Japanese ). Shueisha. Retrieved August 28, 2016. Jump up ^ `` DRAGON BALL 総集編 超 悟空 伝 Legend1 '' ( in Japanese ). Shueisha. Retrieved August 28, 2016. Jump up ^ `` DRAGON BALL 総集編 超 悟空 伝 Legend18 '' ( in Japanese ). Shueisha. Retrieved February 25, 2017. Jump up ^ `` Dragon Ball Episode of Bardock Spinoff Manga Gets Anime ''. Anime News Network. November 21, 2011. Retrieved December 15, 2012. Jump up ^ `` The Galactic Patrolman 's Completed Mission ''. Weekly Shōnen Jump. Shueisha ( 44 ). September 30, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Dragon Ball Bonus Story to Run in Viz 's Shonen Jump on Monday ''. Anime News Network. April 3, 2014. Retrieved April 4, 2014. Jump up ^ Chapman, Paul ( December 12, 2016 ). `` '' Dragon Ball '' Spin - Off Imagines a World Where Yamcha Totally Rules ``. Crunchyroll. Retrieved February 25, 2017. Jump up ^ ネコマジン 完全 版 ( in Japanese ). Shueisha. Retrieved June 22, 2008. Jump up ^ `` 超 こち亀 ''. Amazon.co.jp. Retrieved March 19, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Comics Spotlight on Shonen Jump # 100 ''. Wired. Retrieved July 29, 2012. ^ Jump up to : Akira Toriyama message in the Dragon Book included with the Dragon Ball GT Dragon Box DVD set. Jump up ^ `` DBZ FAQ Update ''. April 10, 2001. Retrieved June 5, 2008. Jump up ^ `` 「 ドラゴンボール Z 」 放送 開始 20 周年 記念 ! HD リ マスター 坂 で テレビ アニメ が 堂々 復活 ! ! 孫悟空 伝説 再び ! ! その 名 も... DRAGON BALL KAI ''. V Jump ( in Japanese ). Japan : Shueisha : 10. February 9, 2009. Jump up ^ `` Dragon Ball Z to Rerun on Japanese TV in HD in April ''. Anime News Network. February 6, 2009. Retrieved February 21, 2009. Jump up ^ `` Japan 's Remastered DBZ to Be Called Dragon Ball Kai ''. Anime News Network. February 19, 2009. Retrieved February 21, 2009. Jump up ^ Paschal, Jacob T. ( May 19, 2010 ). `` What is Dragon Ball Kai ? Part I : The History Of Kai ''. toonzone.com. Retrieved April 28, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Navarre Reveals Funimation 's Dragon Ball Kai License ''. Anime News Network. February 2, 2010. Retrieved February 2, 2010. Jump up ^ Heldenfelds, Rich ( March 11, 2010 ). `` Nickelodeon Announces Fall Plans ''. Ohiomm.com. Akron Beach Journal. Archived from the original on May 17, 2007. Retrieved September 5, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Dragon Ball Super TV Anime Debuts on July 5 ''. Anime News Network. June 4, 2015. Retrieved June 4, 2015. Jump up ^ 作品 情報 ( Credits ) ( in Japanese ). Toei Animation. Retrieved August 17, 2015. ^ Jump up to : `` Dragon Ball Super Main Visual Reveals 2 New Characters ''. Anime News Network. June 15, 2015. Retrieved June 26, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Dragon Ball Gets 1st New TV Anime in 18 Years in July ''. Anime News Network. April 28, 2015. Jump up ^ Osborn, Alex ( May 19, 2015 ). `` Dragon Ball Super Getting Companion Manga ''. IGN. Retrieved May 19, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Akira Toriyama, Toei Make Dragon Ball Z Film Next March ''. Anime News Network. Retrieved March 22, 2013. Jump up ^ `` 1st Key Visual For 2015 Dragon Ball Z Film Reveals Frieza ''. ANN. Retrieved November 17, 2014. Jump up ^ Gardner, Chris ( March 12, 2002 ). `` Fox draws deal for DragonBall live - action pics ''. The Hollywood Reporter. 372 ( 28 ). ^ Jump up to : Tatiana Siegel ( November 13, 2007 ). `` Dragonball comes to bigscreen ''. Variety. Retrieved November 14, 2007. Jump up ^ `` DragonBall Movie ''. Fox Japan. Archived from the original on June 23, 2008. Retrieved June 18, 2008. Jump up ^ Dragonball Sequels Exclusive - IGN Jump up ^ Dragonball Sequel Already Has A Script Screen Rant Jump up ^ CiNEMAESTRO : REVIEW - DRAGONBALL : EVOLUTION ( 2009 ) Jump up ^ Did n't Like Hollywood 's Dragon Ball Movie ? Well, Neither Did Dragon Ball 's Creator Jump up ^ Dragon Ball Evolution Writer Apologizes to Fans The Dao of Dragon Ball Jump up ^ ' Dragonball Evolution ' Writer Apologizes To Fans Jump up ^ `` Toriko, One Piece, Dragon Ball Z Get Crossover Anime Special ''. Anime News Network. February 5, 2013. Retrieved February 6, 2013. Jump up ^ `` New DB, Tegami Bachi, Romance Dawn Anime DVD Offered ''. Anime News Network. December 12, 2008. Retrieved December 16, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Dragon Ball Episode of Bardock Spinoff Manga Gets Anime ''. Anime News Network. November 21, 2011. Retrieved December 16, 2012. Jump up ^ `` List of OVA produced by Toei in the 1990s ''. Archived from the original on April 20, 2008. Retrieved September 27, 2008. Jump up ^ `` Dragon Ball : RB2 Game to Add New 1 / 2 - Hour Anime ''. Anime News Network. August 9, 2010. Retrieved December 16, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Dragon Ball : Daimaou Fukkatsu ''. GameSpot. Retrieved September 26, 2008. Jump up ^ `` Dragon Ball Z Super Butouden ''. GameSpot. Archived from the original on December 20, 2008. Retrieved September 26, 2008. Jump up ^ `` Dragon Ball GT : Final Bout ''. GameSpot. Retrieved January 10, 2009. Jump up ^ `` DBZ : Budokai to ship early ''. Anime News Network. November 13, 2002. Retrieved September 26, 2008. Jump up ^ Mueller, Greg ( August 15, 2005 ). `` Dragon Ball Z : Budokai Tenkaichi Hands - On ''. GameSpot. Retrieved September 26, 2008. Jump up ^ `` Atari Announces the Next Generation Chapter for Dragon Ball Z ( R ) Video Game Series '' ( Press release ). Atari. January 16, 2008. Archived from the original on July 16, 2012. Retrieved September 24, 2008. Jump up ^ Te, Zorine ( June 11, 2014 ). `` E3 2014 : Powering Up Dragon Ball Xenoverse to the Next Generation ''. GameSpot. Retrieved April 19, 2015. Jump up ^ Reparaz, Mikel ( June 30, 2014 ). `` DBZ Goes Next - Gen With Dragon Ball Xenoverse ''. IGN. Retrieved April 20, 2015. Jump up ^ `` 드래곤 볼 온라인 서비스 종료 안내 ( End of Dragon Ball Online ) ''. Dragon Ball Online - Net Marble. August 26, 2013. Retrieved September 7, 2013. Jump up ^ `` DragonBall Online Global - The Server Revival ''. dboglobal.com. Retrieved 2016 - 11 - 30. Jump up ^ `` Dragonball Music Collection ''. CDJapan.com. Retrieved September 26, 2008. Jump up ^ `` DRAGONBALL Z Hit Kyoku Shu ''. CDJapan.com. Retrieved September 26, 2008. Jump up ^ `` DRAGONBALL Z Hit Kyoku Shu 181⁄2 ''. CDJapan.com. Retrieved September 26, 2008. Jump up ^ `` Dragon Ball Z Best Song Collection `` Legend of Dragonworld '' ``. CDJapan.com. Retrieved September 26, 2008. Jump up ^ `` Dragon Ball : The Complete Illustrations ''. Viz Media. Retrieved July 20, 2013. Jump up ^ `` 復刻 版 ドラゴンボール GT パーフェクト ファイル vol. 1 ( Dragon Ball GT : Perfect File vol. 1 ) ''. Shueisha. Retrieved December 22, 2013. Jump up ^ `` 復刻 版 ドラゴンボール GT パーフェクト ファイル vol. 2 ( Dragon Ball GT : Perfect File vol. 2 ) ''. Shueisha. Retrieved December 22, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Dragonball FOREVER ''. Shueisha. Retrieved December 22, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Dragonball LANDMARK ''. Shueisha. Retrieved December 22, 2013. Jump up ^ `` テレビ アニメ 完全 カイド 「 DRAGONBALL 」 ~ 天下 一 伝説 ~ ( Dragon Ball : Tenkaichi Densetsu ) ''. Shueisha. Retrieved September 1, 2013. Jump up ^ `` テレビ アニメ 完全 ガイド Dragonball Z 孫悟空 伝説 ( Dragon Ball Z : Son Goku Densetsu ) ''. Shueisha. Retrieved September 1, 2013. Jump up ^ `` DRAGON BALL 超 エキサイティング ガイド ストーリー 編 ( Dragon Ball : Super Exciting Guide Story ) ''. Shueisha. Retrieved December 22, 2013. Jump up ^ `` DRAGON BALL 超 エキサイティング ガイド キャラクター 編 ( Dragon Ball : Super Exciting Guide Character ) ''. Shueisha. Retrieved December 22, 2013. Jump up ^ `` DRAGON BALL 極限 バトル コレクション ラウンド 01 ( Dragon Ball : Extreme Battle Collection : Round 1 ) ''. Shueisha. Retrieved December 22, 2013. Jump up ^ `` DRAGON BALL 極限 バトル コレクション ラウンド 02 ( Dragon Ball : Extreme Battle Collection : Round 2 ) ''. Shueisha. Retrieved December 22, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Dragon Ball Collectible Card Game - Series # 1 : The Warriors Return ''. Bandai. Retrieved September 7, 2013. Jump up ^ Pool, Robert ( 1999 ). `` Review ofDragon Ball Z : The Anime Adventure Game ''. RPGnet. Jump up ^ The Ultimate Power In the Universe ! ^ Jump up to : Murakami, Takashi ( May 15, 2005 ). `` Earth in My Window ''. Little Boy : The Art of Japan 's Exploding Subculture. Linda Hoaglund ( translator ). Yale University Press, Japan Society. pp. 105 -- 106. ISBN 0 - 300 - 10285 - 2. Jump up ^ `` Top 10 Shonen Jump Manga by All - Time Volume Sales ''. Retrieved November 17, 2012. Jump up ^ `` Shueisha Establishes New Department Focused on Dragon Ball ''. Anime News Network. October 13, 2016. Retrieved October 14, 2016. Jump up ^ Ibaraki, Masahiko ( March 31, 2008 ). `` The Reminiscence of My 25 Years with Shonen Jump ''. Ohara, T. ( trans ). ComiPress. Retrieved July 10, 2013. Jump up ^ `` The Rise and Fall of Weekly Shonen Jump : A Look at the Circulation of Weekly Jump ''. ComiPress. May 8, 2007. Retrieved July 10, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Top 10 Anime and Manga at Japan Media Arts Festival ''. Anime News Network. October 4, 2006. Retrieved November 17, 2012. Jump up ^ 1000 人 が 選ん だ ! 漫画 史上 `` 最強 '' キャラクター ランキング ! ( in Japanese ). Retrieved October 28, 2007. Jump up ^ Oda, Eiichiro ( 2001 ). One Piece Color Walk 1. Shueisha. ISBN 4 - 08 - 859217 - 4. Jump up ^ Kishimoto, Masashi ( 2007 ). Uzumaki : the Art of Naruto. Viz Media. pp. 138 -- 139. ISBN 1 - 4215 - 1407 - 9. ^ Jump up to : Thompson, Jason ( March 10, 2011 ). `` Jason Thompson 's House of 1000 Manga - Dragon Ball ''. Anime News Network. Retrieved July 10, 2013. Jump up ^ Thompson, Jason ( April 8, 2009 ). `` What is Dragon Ball ? ''. Io9. Retrieved December 9, 2009. ^ Jump up to : Yadao, James S. The Rough Guide to Manga. Penguin Books, October 1, 2009. p. 116. ISBN 1405384239, 9781405384230. Available on Google Books. `` Also in evidence is the influence of Dr. Slump, especially in the early chapters, which play out much like Saiyuki with Dr. Slump - like humour built in. '' Jump up ^ Yadao, James S. The Rough Guide to Manga. Penguin Books, October 1, 2009. p. 116 - 117. ISBN 1405384239, 9781405384230. Available on Google Books. Jump up ^ `` Anime Radar : News ''. Animerica. San Francisco, California : Viz Media. 9 ( 2 ) : 36. March 2001. ISSN 1067 - 0831. OCLC 27130932. Jump up ^ Khan, Ridwan ( July 2003 ). `` Dragon Ball Vol. 1 review ''. Animefringe.com. Archived from the original on December 11, 2008. Retrieved September 27, 2008. Jump up ^ Divers, Allen ( November 18, 2001 ). `` Dragon Ball ( manga ) Graphic Novel vol 5 ''. Anime News Network. Retrieved September 27, 2008. Jump up ^ `` Dragon Ball Volume 1 review ''. Rationalmagic.com. Retrieved October 3, 2008. ^ Jump up to : `` Maryland School Library to Remove Dragon Ball Manga ''. Anime News Network. October 7, 2009. Retrieved July 10, 2013. ^ Jump up to : `` Viz explains censorship in Dragonball Manga ''. Anime News Network. August 22, 2000. Retrieved March 30, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Dragon Box Z Set 2 ''. Anime News Network. March 8, 2010. Retrieved July 10, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Gundam Tops Anime Poll ''. Anime News Network. September 12, 2000. Retrieved July 10, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Part 2 - TV Asahi Top 100 Anime ''. Anime News Network. September 23, 2005. Retrieved July 10, 2013. Jump up ^ `` TV Asahi Top 100 Anime ''. Anime News Network. September 23, 2005. Retrieved July 10, 2013. Jump up ^ `` Japanese Animation DVD Ranking, September 10 -- 16 ''. Anime News Network. September 20, 2008. Retrieved October 11, 2008. Jump up ^ `` Japanese Animation DVD Ranking, August 6 -- 12 ''. Anime News Network. August 14, 2008. Retrieved October 11, 2008. ^ Jump up to : Kimlinger, Carl ( December 14, 2009 ). `` Dragon Ball DVD Season 2 Uncut Set ''. Anime News Network. Retrieved July 10, 2013. Jump up ^ Martin, Theron ( December 14, 2009 ). `` Dragon Ball DVD Season 3 ''. Anime News Network. Retrieved July 10, 2013. ^ Jump up to : Harris, Jeffrey ( November 12, 2007 ). `` Dragon Ball GT -- The Lost Episodes DVD Box Set Review ''. IGN. Retrieved October 3, 2008. Jump up ^ Jones, Tim. `` Dragon Ball anime review ''. themanime.org. Retrieved October 3, 2008. Jump up ^ Ross, Carlos. `` Dragon Ball Z anime review ''. themanime.org. Retrieved October 3, 2008. Jump up ^ Martin, Theron ( November 5, 2008 ). `` Dragon Ball Z DVD Season 6 ''. Anime News Network. Retrieved July 10, 2013. Jump up ^ Thompson, Jason ( April 8, 2009 ). `` Is n't Dragon Ball just a bunch of speedlines and ripped dudes with bad hair screaming `` It 's over 9,000 ! '' ``. Io9. Retrieved July 10, 2013. Jump up ^ `` 78. Dragon Ball Z ''. IGN. January 23, 2009. Archived from the original on March 16, 2010. Retrieved September 5, 2009. Jump up ^ `` Wizard Magazine 's Top 100 cartoons list ''. Listal. Retrieved April 30, 2011. Jump up ^ Bertschy, Zac ( June 6, 2004 ). `` Dragon Ball GT DVD 8 : Salvation ''. Anime News Network. Retrieved October 4, 2008. Jump up ^ `` Japanese Anime TV Ranking, March 30 - April 5 ''. Anime News Network. April 13, 2009. Retrieved April 29, 2009. Jump up ^ `` Japanese Anime TV Ranking, April 6 -- 12 ''. Anime News Network. April 16, 2009. Retrieved April 29, 2009. Jump up ^ `` Japanese Anime TV Ranking, April 13 -- 19 ''. Anime News Network. April 22, 2009. Retrieved April 29, 2009. External links Dragon Ball portal Anime and manga portal Wikimedia Commons has media related to Dragon Ball. Wikiquote has quotations related to : Dragon Ball Official Dragon Ball 30th anniversary website ( in Japanese ) Dragon Ball by Akira Toriyama Media Manga chapters Dragon Ball Z Dragon Ball episodes Z episodes season 1 5 6 7 8 9 GT episodes Kai episodes Super episodes Films and TV specials Video games Soundtracks Characters Goku Bulma Yamcha Krillin Tien Shinhan Piccolo Gohan Vegeta Frieza Trunks Android 17 Android 18 Cell Majin Buu Beerus Zamasu Related Dr. Slump Neko Majin Episode of Bardock Jaco the Galactic Patrolman Portal Dragon Ball films and TV specials Animated ( Dragon Ball ) Curse of the Blood Rubies Sleeping Princess in Devil 's Castle Mystical Adventure The Path to Power Animated ( Dragon Ball Z ) Dead Zone The World 's Strongest The Tree of Might Lord Slug Cooler 's Revenge The Return of Cooler Super Android 13 ! Broly -- The Legendary Super Saiyan Bojack Unbound Broly -- Second Coming Bio-Broly Fusion Reborn Wrath of the Dragon Battle of Gods Resurrection ' F ' TV specials Bardock -- The Father of Goku The History of Trunks A Hero 's Legacy OVAs Plan to Eradicate the Saiyans Plan to Eradicate the Super Saiyans Festival Yo ! Son Goku and His Friends Return ! ! Episode of Bardock Live action Ssawora Son Goku, Igyeora Son Goku The Magic Begins Evolution Dragon Ball video games Action - adventure The Legacy of Goku series Sagas Advanced Adventure Transformation Origins Revenge of King Piccolo Role - playing / card - based Legendary Super Warriors Harukanaru Densetsu Attack of the Saiyans Online Dokkan Battle Fusions Collectible Card Game Dragon Ball Heroes Fighting Buyū Retsuden The Legend Final Bout Budokai series Infinite World Supersonic Warriors series Budokai Tenkaichi series Ultimate Tenkaichi Super Dragon Ball Z Burst Limit Evolution Raging Blast Ultimate Butoden Kinect Battle of Z Xenoverse Extreme Butoden FighterZ Crossover Famicom Jump : Hero Retsuden II Battle Stadium D.O.N Jump Super Stars Ultimate Stars J - Stars Victory VS Dragon Ball soundtrack albums and songs Anime soundtracks Music Collection Complete Song Collection Hit Song Collection series Akira Toriyama : The World Great Complete Collection Digital Dragon Ball The World Music Fantasy The Best Selections Hironobu Kageyama Best Album 3 : Mixture Dragon'98 Special Live Legend of Dragonworld BGM Collection Best Remix 2006 1⁄2 Special Koro - chan Pack Z Complete Song Collection Journey of Light Incredible Mightiest vs. Mightiest Fly Away ! Hero Promise of Eternity Film soundtracks Dragon Ball Z : Music Collection Vol. 1 Vol. 2 Kiken na Futari ! Super Senshi wa Nemurenai Super Senshi Gekiha ! ! Katsu no wa Ore Da Saikyō e no Michi Dragonball Evolution Video game soundtracks Game Music series Original Soundtrack Z & Z 2 Z 3 Super Survivor Burst Limit Infinite World American soundtracks Original USA Television Soundtrack Original USA TV Soundtrack Recording American Soundtrack series Songs and singles `` Makafushigi Adventure ! '' `` Cha - La Head - Cha - La '' `` Kiseki no Big Fight '' `` Saikyō no Fusion '' `` Ore ga Yaranakya Dare ga Yaru '' `` Dan Dan Kokoro Hikareteku '' `` Hitori ja Nai '' `` Do n't You See ! '' `` Blue Velvet '' `` Ore wa Tokoton Tomaranai ! ! '' `` F '' `` Hikari no Sasu Mirai e ! '' `` Rule '' `` Dragon Soul '' `` Yeah ! Break ! Care ! Break ! '' `` Hero ( Kibō no Uta ) / Cha - La Head - Cha - La '' `` '' Z '' no Chikai '' `` Chōzetsu Dynamic ! '' Akira Toriyama Manga / anime Dr. Slump Pink Hetappi Manga Kenkyūjo Akira Toriyama 's Manga Theater Dragon Ball Go ! Go ! Ackman Cowa ! Kajika Neko Majin Sand Land Jaco the Galactic Patrolman Video games Dragon Quest series Chrono Trigger Tobal No. 1 Tobal 2 Blue Dragon series Wu Cheng'en 's Journey to the West Characters Sun Wukong Xuanzang Zhu Bajie Sha Wujing Red Boy Baigujing Princess Iron Fan Others Films The Cave of the Silken Web ( 1927 ) Princess Iron Fan ( 1941 ) Alakazam the Great ( 1960 ) Havoc in Heaven ( 1961 ) Princess Iron Fan ( 1966 ) The Cave of the Silken Web ( 1967 ) Doraemon : Nobita 's Parallel `` Journey to the West '' ( 1988 ) A Chinese Odyssey ( 1995 ) A Chinese Tall Story ( 2005 ) Saiyūki ( 2007 ) Monkey King vs. Er Lang Shen ( 2007 ) The Forbidden Kingdom ( 2008 ) Journey to the West : Conquering the Demons ( 2013 ) The Monkey King ( 2014 ) Monkey King : Hero Is Back ( 2015 ) The Monkey King 2 ( 2016 ) A Chinese Odyssey Part Three ( 2016 ) Journey to the West : The Demons Strike Back ( 2017 ) Wu Kong ( 2017 ) The Monkey King 3 ( 2018 ) Journey to the West ( TBA ) Sequels A Supplement to the Journey to the West ( c. 1640 ) TV Gokū no Daibōken ( 1967 ) Monkey ( 1978 ) Science Fiction Saiyuki Starzinger ( 1978 ) Journey to the West ( 1986 and 1999 ) Journey to the West ( 1996 ) Journey to the West II ( 1996 ) Monkey Magic ( 1998 ) Journey to the West -- Legends of the Monkey King ( 1999 ) Shinzo ( 2000 ) Sunny Piggy ( 2000 ) The Monkey King ( 2001 ) The Monkey King : Quest for the Sutra ( 2002 ) Saiyūki ( 2006 ) Wu Cheng'en and Journey to the West ( 2010 ) Journey to the West ( 2010 ) Journey to the West ( 2011 ) Hwayugi ( 2017 ) The Legend of Monkey ( 2018 ) Stage Monkey : Journey to the West ( play ) Manga and Comics Dragon Ball Saiyūki Patalliro Saiyuki Monkey Typhoon Saint The Monkey King Xin American Born Chinese Games Ether Saga Online Enslaved : Odyssey to the West Fantasy Westward Journey Ganso Saiyūki : Super Monkey Daibōken Legend of Wukong Monkey Hero Monkey Magic Saiyuki : Journey West SonSon Westward Journey Online II Whomp ' Em Yūyūki Literature Monkey ( 1942 novel ) Griever : An American Monkey King in China ( 1986 novel ) Tripmaster Monkey ( 1989 novel ) Four Great Classical Novels Places Gao Village Gao Village Arc Mount Huaguo Shuilian Cave Tepe Narenj Other List of media adaptations of Journey to the West Monk 's spade Ruyi Jingu Bang Journey to the West ( album ) BNF : cb14534411x ( data ) NDL : 01235593 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dragon_Ball&oldid=815921926 '' Categories : Dragon Ball 1980s toys 1990s toys 2000s toys 2010s toys Media franchises Japanese brands Akira Toriyama Bandai brands Chinese mythology in anime and manga Cyborgs in fiction Afterlife in fiction Works based on Journey to the West Hidden categories : CS1 maint : Extra text : editors list CS1 Japanese - language sources ( ja ) CS1 uses Japanese - language script ( ja ) Wikipedia indefinitely move - protected pages Wikipedia pending changes protected pages ( level 1 ) Use mdy dates from March 2017 Good articles Articles containing Japanese - language text Articles with Japanese - language external links Wikipedia articles with BNF identifiers Talk Contents About Wikipedia Afrikaans Alemannisch አማርኛ Ænglisc Arpetan Asturianu Azərbaycanca বাংলা Bân - lâm - gú Беларуская Български Boarisch Bosanski Brezhoneg Català Cebuano Čeština Cymraeg Dansk Deutsch ދިވެހިބަސް Eesti Ελληνικά Español Esperanto Euskara فارسی Français Galego 한국어 हिन्दी Hrvatski Bahasa Indonesia Interlingua Íslenska Italiano עברית Basa Jawa ಕನ್ನಡ Kreyòl ayisyen Kurdî Ladino Latina Latviešu Lëtzebuergesch Lietuvių Magyar Македонски മലയാളം Bahasa Melayu Baso Minangkabau Монгол မြန်မာဘာသာ Nāhuatl Nederlands 日本 語 Napulitano Norsk Norsk nynorsk Occitan ਪੰਜਾਬੀ Papiamentu Picard Plattdüütsch Polski Português Română Runa Simi Русский Саха тыла Sardu Scots Shqip Simple English Slovenčina Slovenščina Soomaaliga کوردی Српски / srpski Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Basa Sunda Suomi Svenska Tagalog తెలుగు ไทย Türkçe Українська اردو Tiếng Việt Winaray 吴语 ייִדיש Yorùbá 粵語 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 18 December 2017, at 02 : 22. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: when did the first episode of dragonball air
Answer: February 26, 1986