Dragon Ball (Japanese: ドラゴンボール, Hepburn: Doragon BŠru)
is a Japanese media franchise created by Akira Toriyama in 1984. The
initial manga, written and illustrated by Toriyama, was serialized in
Weekly ShÅ nen Jump from 1984 to 1995, with the 519 individual
chapters collected into 42 tankÅ bon volumes by its publisher
Shueisha. Dragon Ball was initially inspired by the classical 16th
century Chinese novel Journey to the West, as well as Hong Kong
martial arts films. The series follows the adventures of the
protagonist, Son Goku, from his childhood through adulthood as he
trains in martial arts. He spends his childhood far from civilization
until he meets a teen girl named Bulma, who encourages him to join her
quest in exploring 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 other friends, becomes a family man,
discovers his alien heritage, and battles a wide variety of villains,
many of whom also seek the Dragon Balls.Toriyama's manga was adapted
and divided 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 20 animated
feature films and three television specials, as well as two anime
sequel series titled Dragon Ball GT (1996â€"1997) and Dragon Ball
Super (2015â€"2018). From 2009 to 2015, a revised version of Dragon
Ball Z aired in Japan under the title Dragon Ball Kai, as a recut that
follows the manga's story more faithfully by removing most of the
material featured exclusively in the anime. 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 numerous video
games. Dragon Ball is one of the top twenty highest-grossing media
franchises of all time, having generated an estimated $30 billion in
total franchise revenue.Since its release, Dragon Ball has become one
of the most successful manga and anime series of all time, with the
manga sold in over 40 countries and the anime broadcast in more than
80 countries. The manga's 42 collected tankÅ bon volumes have sold
over 160 million copies in Japan, and are estimated to have sold more
than 250â€"300 million copies worldwide, making it the second
best-selling manga series in history, behind only One Piece. Reviewers
have praised the art, characterization, and humour of the story. It is
widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential 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 across the world
and is considered one of the most influential in boosting the
popularity of Japanese animation in Western culture. It has had a
considerable impact on global popular culture, referenced by and
inspiring numerous artists, athletes, celebrities, filmmakers,
musicians and writers across the world.
is a Japanese media franchise created by Akira Toriyama in 1984. The
initial manga, written and illustrated by Toriyama, was serialized in
Weekly ShÅ nen Jump from 1984 to 1995, with the 519 individual
chapters collected into 42 tankÅ bon volumes by its publisher
Shueisha. Dragon Ball was initially inspired by the classical 16th
century Chinese novel Journey to the West, as well as Hong Kong
martial arts films. The series follows the adventures of the
protagonist, Son Goku, from his childhood through adulthood as he
trains in martial arts. He spends his childhood far from civilization
until he meets a teen girl named Bulma, who encourages him to join her
quest in exploring 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 other friends, becomes a family man,
discovers his alien heritage, and battles a wide variety of villains,
many of whom also seek the Dragon Balls.Toriyama's manga was adapted
and divided 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 20 animated
feature films and three television specials, as well as two anime
sequel series titled Dragon Ball GT (1996â€"1997) and Dragon Ball
Super (2015â€"2018). From 2009 to 2015, a revised version of Dragon
Ball Z aired in Japan under the title Dragon Ball Kai, as a recut that
follows the manga's story more faithfully by removing most of the
material featured exclusively in the anime. 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 numerous video
games. Dragon Ball is one of the top twenty highest-grossing media
franchises of all time, having generated an estimated $30 billion in
total franchise revenue.Since its release, Dragon Ball has become one
of the most successful manga and anime series of all time, with the
manga sold in over 40 countries and the anime broadcast in more than
80 countries. The manga's 42 collected tankÅ bon volumes have sold
over 160 million copies in Japan, and are estimated to have sold more
than 250â€"300 million copies worldwide, making it the second
best-selling manga series in history, behind only One Piece. Reviewers
have praised the art, characterization, and humour of the story. It is
widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential 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 across the world
and is considered one of the most influential in boosting the
popularity of Japanese animation in Western culture. It has had a
considerable impact on global popular culture, referenced by and
inspiring numerous artists, athletes, celebrities, filmmakers,
musicians and writers across the world.
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