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** ''[[Dragon Ball Z Collectible Card Game|Dragon Ball Z]]''
** ''[[Dragon Ball Z Collectible Card Game|Dragon Ball Z]]''
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Really angry yellow haired dudes hitting each other. Yeah, thats about it.
{{Infobox animanga/Footer}}
S-s-s-s A-a-a-a F-f-f-f E-e-e-e T-t-t-t Y-y-y-y
{{nihongo|'''''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 through 1995; later the 509 individual chapters were published into 42 ''[[tankōbon]]'' volumes by [[Shueisha]]. ''Dragon Ball'' was inspired by the Chinese folk novel ''[[Journey to the West]]''. It follows the adventures of [[Son Goku (Dragon Ball)|Son Goku]] from his childhood through adulthood as he trains in martial arts and explores the world in search of the seven mystical objects known as the Dragon Balls, which can summon a [[List of Dragon Ball characters#Shenron|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 for their own desires.
Safe, dance!


[Spoken]
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 seventeen animated feature films and three television specials, as well as a short-lived third anime titled ''Dragon Ball GT'', which takes place after the events of the manga. In 2009, Toei began broadcasting a revised, faster-paced version of ''Dragon Ball Z'' under the name of ''Dragon Ball Kai'', in which most of the material not featured in the manga is removed. Several companies have developed various types of merchandising such as a [[Dragon Ball Z Collectible Card Game|collectible trading card game]], and a [[List of Dragon Ball video games|large number of video games]].
We can dance if we want to
We can leave your friends behind
'Cause your friends don't dance and if they don't dance
Well they're no friends of mine
I say, we can go where we want to
A place where they will never find
And we can act like we come from out of this world
Leave the real one far behind
And we can dance


[Sung]
The manga series was licensed for an English language release in North America by [[Viz Media]], in the United Kingdom by [[Gollancz Manga]], and in Australia and New Zealand by [[Chuang Yi]]. The anime series was licensed by [[Funimation Entertainment]] for an English language release worldwide, although the series has been dubbed several times by various studios. In China, a live-action film adaptation was produced in 1989. In 2002, [[20th Century Fox]] acquired the rights to produce an American-made [[Dragonball Evolution|live-action film]], which was released on April 10, 2009 to critical lambast.
We can dance if we want to
We can leave your friends behind
'Cause your friends don't dance and if they don't dance
Well they're no friends of mine
I say, we can go where we want to
A place where they will never find
And we can act like we come from out of this world
Leave the real one far behind
And we can dance
Danc¨¦e!


We can go when we want to
Since its release, ''Dragon Ball'' has become one of the most popular manga series of its time in both Japan and North America. It enjoys a high readership, with over 150 million volumes of the series sold by 2007. Reviewers have praised the art, characterization, and humor of the story. Several [[Mangaka|manga artists]] have noted that the manga series was the inspiration for their own now popular works, including ''[[Naruto]]'' and ''[[One Piece]]''. The anime is also highly popular and is arguably one of the most influential among both Eastern and Western audiences.
The night is young and so am I
And we can dress real neat from our hats to our feet
And surprise 'em with the victory cry
Say, we can act if want to
If we don't nobody will
And you can act real rude and totally removed
And I can act like an imbecile


[Refrain]
== Plot summary ==
I say, we can dance, we can dance
{{See also|List of Dragon Ball characters}}
Everything out of control
The series begins with a monkey-tailed boy named Goku befriending a teenage girl named [[Bulma]], and together they go on a quest to find the seven magic Dragon Balls. Along the way, they meet and befriend a plethora of martial artists. Goku also undergoes rigorous training regimes and educational programs in order to fight in the World Martial Arts Tournament, a competition involving the most powerful fighters- in the world. Outside the tournaments, Goku faces diverse villains such as [[List of Dragon Ball characters#Emperor Pilaf|Emperor Pilaf]], the [[List of Dragon Ball characters#Red Ribbon Army|Red Ribbon Army]], the demon [[List of Dragon Ball characters#Piccolo Daimao|Piccolo Daimao]] and his offspring [[Piccolo (Dragon Ball)|Piccolo Jr.]], who eventually becomes Goku's ally.
We can dance, we can dance
We're doing it from wall to wall
We can dance, we can dance
Everybody look at your hands
We can dance, we can dance
Everybody takin' the cha-a-a-ance


Safety dance
As a young man, Goku meets his older brother [[List of Dragon Ball characters#Raditz|Raditz]], who tells him that they come from a race of extraterrestrials called Saiyans. The Saiyans had sent Goku to Earth as an infant to conquer the planet for them, but he suffered a [[Traumatic brain injury|severe head injury]] soon after his arrival and lost all memory of his mission. Goku refuses to help Raditz continue the mission, after which he begins to encounter other enemies from space, most notably the Saiyan prince [[Vegeta]], who becomes his rival and, eventually, his ally as well. He later encounters [[Frieza]], the galactic tyrant responsible for the destruction of the Saiyan race, whose actions cause Goku to transform into a legendary Super Saiyan. After an epic battle on the planet Namek, Goku defeats Frieza, avenging the lives of billions across the universe.
Is it safe to dance
Is it safe to dance


S-s-s-s A-a-a-a F-f-f-f E-e-e-e T-t-t-t Y-y-y-y
Four years later, a group of androids from the former Red Ribbon Army appear, seeking revenge against Goku. During this time, an evil life form called [[List of Dragon Ball characters#Cell|Cell]] emerges and, after absorbing two of the androids to increase his power, holds his own martial arts tournament to decide the fate of the Earth, but is eventually defeated by Goku's first child [[Son Gohan]]. Seven years later, Goku is drawn into another battle for the universe against a magical monster named [[List of Dragon Ball characters#Majin Buu|Majin Buu]]. Joined by Vegeta and Gohan, Goku succeeds in destroying the evil half of Buu and the good half of Buu settles down with them. Ten years later, at another World Martial Arts Tournament, Goku meets the evil Buu's human reincarnation, [[List of Dragon Ball characters#Uub|Uub]]. At the end of the series, Goku takes Uub away on a journey to train him as the Earth's next defender.
Safe, dance!


We can dance if we want to
== Themes ==
We've got all your life and mine
At its core, ''Dragon Ball'' maintains the central tenets of the ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' core philosophy of "friendship, struggle, and victory". As the series shifts from a "heart warming" story into a more action-oriented piece, the protagonists go through an unending cycle of fighting, winning, losing, learning important lessons, then returning to the fight. As the series progresses, the heroes continue this cycle by using miraculous devices to achieve life after death while continuing their on-going battles with the dead heroes who continue to learn lessons as they defeat their challengers.<ref name="LittleBoy" /> The series also follows the idea that if someone is trying to be "the best", they can reach their goals by constantly challenging themselves.<ref name="Animerica">{{cite journal |year=2001 |month=March |title=Anime Radar: News |journal=[[Animerica]] |volume=9 |issue=2 |page=36 |publisher=[[Viz Media]] |location=San Francisco, California |issn=1067-0831 |oclc=27130932 }}</ref>
As long as we abuse it, never gonna lose it
Everything'll work out right
I say, we can dance if we want to
We can leave your friends behind
'Cause your friends don't dance and if they don't dance
Well they're no friends of mine


[Refrain]
== Production ==
Wanting to break from the Western influences common in his other series, when Akira Toriyama began work on ''Dragon Ball'' he decided to loosely model it on the classic Chinese novel ''[[Journey to the West]]''.<ref name="Manga Design">{{cite book |title=Manga Design |chapter=Akira Toriyama |first=Julius |last=Wiedemann |editor=Amano Masanao (ed.) |publisher=[[Taschen]] |date=September 25, 2004 |page=372 |isbn=3822825913 }}</ref><ref name="AnimeEncyc">{{cite book |last=Clements |first=Jonathan |authorlink=Jonathan Clements |coauthors=[[Helen McCarthy]] |title=The Anime Encyclopedia: A Guide to Japanese Animation Since 1917 |date=September 1, 2001 |publisher=Stone Bridge Press |location=Berkeley, California |isbn=1-880656-64-7 |oclc=47255331 |pages=101–102 |edition=1st }}</ref> He also redeveloped one of his earlier [[One-shot (comics)|one shot]] [[manga]] series, ''Dragon Boy'', which was initially serialized in ''Fresh Jump'' and released in a single ''[[tankōbon]]'' volume in 1983.<ref name="AnimeEncyc" /> This short work combined the comedic style of Toriyama's successful six-year series ''[[Dr. Slump]]'' with a more action-oriented plot and paid homage to famous martial art actor [[Jackie Chan]].<ref name="AnimeEncyc" /><ref name="color" /> Toriyama notes that his goal for the series was to tell an "unconventional and contradictory" story.<ref name="SJ interview" />

In the early concept of the series, Goku and Piccolo were from Earth. With the introduction of Kami, the idea of having fights from other planets was established and Goku and Piccolo were changed to alien species.<ref name="world"/> For the female characters, Toriyama felt it was not fun to draw "weak females" so he created women that he felt were not only "beautiful and sexy", but also "strong".<ref name="SJ interview" /> Going against the normal convention that the strongest characters should be the largest in terms of physical size, he designed many of ''Dragon Ball''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s most powerful characters with small statures, including the protagonist, Goku.<ref name="SJ interview">{{cite journal |year=2007 |month=November |title=Interview with the Majin! Revisited |journal=[[Shonen Jump (magazine)|Shonen Jump]] |volume=5 |issue=11 |page=388 |issn=1545-7818 }}</ref>
[[Image:Wiki DragonBall Earth.png|thumb|left|The Earth of ''Dragon Ball''<ref>Published in ''Daizenshuu'' Vol. 4 World Guide, p74–75.</ref>]]
The fighting techniques were initially unnamed, but the series editor felt it would be better to name them all. Toriyama proceeded to create names for all of the techniques, except for the {{nihongo|''Kamehameha''|かめはめ波||lit. "Turtle Striking Wave"}} which his wife named when Toriyama was indecisive about what it should be called.<ref name="world"/> When creating the fictional world of the series, Toriyama decided to create it from his own imagination to avoid referencing popular culture. However the island where the World Martial Arts Tournament is held is modeled after [[Bali]]. When having fights in the manga, Toriyama had the characters go to a place where nobody lived to avoid difficulties in drawing destroyed buildings. In order to advance the story quickly, he also gave most fighters the ability to fly so they could travel to other parts of the world without inconvenience. This was also the reasoning behind Goku learning to use instant transmission (thus allowing characters to move to any planet in a second).<ref name="world">{{cite book |last=Toriyama|first=Akira|title=DRAGON BALL 大全集 ➍ 「WORLD GUIDE」|year=1995 |publisher=Shueisha|pages=164–169 |isbn=4-08-782754-2}}</ref>

After the first chapters were released, readers commented that Goku seemed rather plain, so his appearance was changed. New characters (such as [[Master Roshi]] and [[Krillin]]) were added and martial arts tournaments were included to give the manga a greater emphasis on fighting. Anticipating that readers would expect Goku to win the tournaments, Toriyama had him lose the first two while continuing his initial goal of having Goku be the champion and hero. After Cell's death, he intended for Gohan to replace Goku as the series [[protagonist]], but then felt the character was not suited for the role and changed his mind.<ref name="creation">{{cite book |last=Toriyama|first=Akira|title=DRAGON BALL 大全集 ➋ 「STORY GUIDE」 |year=1995 |publisher=Shueisha|pages=261–265 |isbn=4-08-782752-6}}</ref>

Toriyama based the Red Ribbon Army from a video game he had played named ''[[Kung-Fu Master|Spartan X]]'' in which enemies tended to appear very fast. After the second tournament concluded, Toriyama wanted to have a villain who would be a true "bad guy." After creating Piccolo as the new villain, he noted that it was one of the most interesting parts of the stories and that he, and his son, became one of the favorite characters of the series. With Goku established as the strongest fighter on Earth, Toriyama decided to increase the number of villains that came from outer space. Finding the escalating enemies to be a pain to work with feeling it was too simple, he created the Ginyu Force to add more balance to the series.<ref name="creation">{{cite book |last=Toriyama|first=Akira|title=DRAGON BALL 大全集 ➋ 「STORY GUIDE」 |year=1995 |publisher=Shueisha |isbn=4-08-782752-6}}</ref> During this period of the series, Toriyama placed less emphasis on the series art work, simplifying the lines and sometimes making things "too square." He found himself having problems determining the colors for characters and sometimes ended up changing them unintentionally mid-story.<ref name="color">{{cite book |last=Toriyama|first=Akira|title=DRAGON BALL 大全集 ➊ 「COMPLETE ILLUSTRATION」 |year=1995 |publisher=Shueisha |pages=206–207 |isbn=4-08-782754-2}}</ref> In later accounts, Toriyama noted that he didn't plan out the details of the story, resulting in strange occurrences and discrepancies later in the series.<ref>"Shenron's Newspaper", ''Daizenshuu'' vol.2 (limited edition)</ref>

== Media ==
=== Manga ===
{{Main|List of Dragon Ball manga volumes}}
Written and illustrated by [[Akira Toriyama]], ''Dragon Ball'' was initially serialized in the manga anthology ''[[Weekly Shōnen Jump]]'' starting in 1984.<ref name="AnimeEncyc" /> The series ended in 1995 when Toriyama grew exhausted and felt he needed a break from drawing.<ref name="AnimeEncyc" /> The 519 individual chapters were published into 42 ''[[tankōbon]]'' volumes by [[Shueisha]] from November 10, 1985 through August 4, 1995.<ref name="sold">{{cite web | year=2006 | title=Comipress News article on "The Rise and Fall of Weekly Shōnen Jump" | url=http://comipress.com/article/2007/05/06/1923 |date=May 6, 2007 | work=comipress.com| accessdate=June 2, 2008}}</ref><ref name="Shueisha 1">{{cite web|url=http://books.shueisha.co.jp/CGI/search/syousai_put.cgi?isbn_cd=4-08-851831-4&mode=1|title=DRAGON　BALL 1 ドラゴンボール|BOOKNAVI|集英社|publisher=[[Shueisha]]|accessdate=June 2, 2008|language=Japanese}}</ref><ref name="ShueishaZ 26">{{cite web|url=http://books.shueisha.co.jp/CGI/search/syousai_put.cgi?isbn_cd=4-08-851090-9&mode=1|title=DRAGON　BALL 42 ドラゴンボール|BOOKNAVI|集英社|publisher=[[Shueisha]]|accessdate=June 2, 2008|language=Japanese}}</ref> In 2004, the chapters were re-released in a collection of 34 ''[[Tankōbon#Aizōban and kanzenban|kanzenban]]'' volumes, which included a slightly rewritten ending, new covers, and color artwork from its ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' run. Toriyama also created a short series, ''[[Neko Majin]]'', that became a self-parody of ''Dragon Ball''. First appearing in ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' in August 1999, the eight chapter series was released sporadically until it was completed in 2005. These chapters were compiled into a "kanzenban"-style package for release in Japan on April 4, 2005.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://books.shueisha.co.jp/CGI/search/syousai_put.cgi?isbn_cd=4-08-851090-9&mode=1|title=ネコマジン　完全版 |publisher=[[Shueisha]]|accessdate=July 22, 2008|language=Japanese}}</ref>

The ''Dragon Ball'' manga was licensed for release in English in North America by [[Viz Media]] which has released all 42 volume in both censored and uncensored forms.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/216.html|date=March 11, 2001|title=Viz Unleashes Uncensored Dragon Ball|publisher=ICv2|accessdate=September 30, 2006}}</ref> Viz released volumes 17 through 42 under the title ''Dragon Ball Z'' to mimic the name of the anime series adaptated from those volumes, feeling it would reduce the potential for confusion by its readers. The first volumes of both series were released in March 2003, with ''Dragon Ball'' being completed on August 3, 2004 and ''Dragon Ball Z'' finishing on June 6, 2006.<ref name="Viz 16">{{cite web|url=http://www.viz.com/products/products.php?product_id=2236|title=Viz Media&nbsp;— Products: Dragon Ball Vol. 16|publisher=[[Viz Media]]|accessdate=June 2, 2008}}</ref><ref name="VizZ 26">{{cite web|url=http://www.viz.com/products/products.php?product_id=5898|title=Dragon Ball Z, Vol. 26|publisher=[[Viz Media]]|accessdate=June 2, 2008}}</ref> In June 2008, Viz began re-releasing the two series in a [[Tankōbon#Wide-ban|wideban]] format called "VIZBIG Edition," which collects three individual volumes into a single large volume.<ref name="wideone">{{cite web|url=http://www.viz.com/products/products.php?product_id=7414|title=Dragon Ball Z, Vol. 1 (VIZBIG Edition)|publisher=Viz Media|accessdate=June 3, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.viz.com/products/products.php?product_id=7409|title=Dragon Ball, Vol. 1 (VIZBIG Edition)|publisher=Viz Media|accessdate=June 8, 2008}}</ref>

In 2006, Toriyama and ''[[One Piece]]'' author [[Eiichiro Oda]] teamed up to create a single chapter [[Fictional crossover|crossover]] of their individual hit series. Entitled ''Cross Epoch'', the chapter was published in the December 25, 2006 issue of ''Weekly Shōnen Jump''.
A manga adaptation of ''[[Dragon Ball: Yo! Son Goku and His Friends Return!!]]'' illustrated by Ooishi Naho, was published in the March 21, 2009 and April 21, 2009 issues of ''[[V Jump]]''.<ref>{{cite journal |year= 2009|month= February|title= ''Dragon Ball: Yo! The Return of Son Goku and Friends!! Manga Adaptation''|journal= [[V Jump]]|volume= 17|issue= 2|page= 55|accessdate= February 23, 2009}}</ref>

=== Anime series ===
==== ''Dragon Ball'' ====
{{Main|List of Dragon Ball episodes}}
Due to the high popularity of the ''Dragon Ball'' manga, [[Toei Animation]] produced two anime television series based on the manga chapters, and a third based on the series characters. The first series, also titled '''''Dragon Ball''''', premiered in Japan on [[Fuji Television]] on February 26, 1986 and ran until April 12, 1989.<ref name="AnimeEncyc" />

[[Harmony Gold USA]] licensed the series for an English-language release in North America in the late 1980s. In their voice dub of the series, Harmony renamed almost all of the characters, with some names appearing very odd, such as Goku being renamed "Zero" and the character [[List of Dragon Ball characters#Korin|Korin's]] name changed to "Whiskers the Wonder Cat." This dub version was eventually cancelled.{{Citation needed|date=July 2008}}

In 1995, [[Funimation Entertainment]] acquired the license for the distribution of ''Dragon Ball'', as well as its sequel series ''Dragon Ball Z'', in North America. Funimation contracted BLT Productions to help finance the first series and hired [[Ocean Productions]] to create an English voice track for the series. The dubbed episodes were also edited for content.<ref name="Return of DB" /> Thirteen episodes aired in [[broadcast syndication|syndication]] before Funimation canceled the project due to low ratings, switching to working immediately on the more action-oriented ''Dragon Ball Z''.<ref name="AnimeEncyc" /> In March 2001, Funimation announced the return of ''Dragon Ball'' to American television, featuring a new English audio track produced at their in-house dubbing studio, as well as slightly less editing, though they notably left the original background music intact, unlike their dubs of the two sequel series.<ref name="Return of DB">{{cite web |url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2001-03-09/rough-air-date-for-dragonball |title=Rough Air Date for Dragon Ball |publisher=[[Anime News Network]] |date=March 9, 2001 |accessdate=July 19, 2008 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2001-05-02/dragonball-on-cn-debut-date-confirmed |title=Dragon Ball on CN debut date confirmed |publisher=[[Anime News Network]] |date=May 2, 2001 |accessdate=July 19, 2008 }}</ref> The redubbed episodes aired on [[Cartoon Network]] from August 20, 2001<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2001-08-21/dragonball-re-dub |title=DragonBall Re-dub |publisher=[[Anime News Network]] |date=August 21, 2001 |accessdate=July 19, 2008 }}</ref> to December 1, 2003. Funimation also broadcast the series on [[Colours TV]] and their own Funimation Channel starting in 2006.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2006-11-12/dragon-ball-returns-to-us-tv |title=Dragon Ball Returns to US TV |publisher=[[Anime News Network]] |date=November 12, 2006 |accessdate=July 19, 2008 }}</ref>

Funimation began releasing the uncut episodes to [[Region 1]] [[DVD]] box sets on March 18, 2003. Each box set, spanning an entire saga of the series, included the English dub track and the original Japanese audio track with optional English subtitles. However, they were unable to release the first thirteen episodes at the time, due to [[Lionsgate Entertainment]] holding the licensing rights to Funimation's earlier dub of the same episodes. After Lionsgate's license to the first thirteen episodes expired in 2009, Funimation remastered and re-released the complete ''Dragon Ball'' series in five individual season box sets, with the first set released on September 15, 2009 and the final set on July 27, 2010.

==== ''Dragon Ball Z'' ====
{{Main|List of Dragon Ball Z episodes}}
With the ending of ''Dragon Ball'', Toei Animation quickly released a second anime television series, {{nihongo|'''''Dragon Ball Z'''''|ドラゴンボールZ(ゼット)|Doragon Bōru Zetto|commonly abbreviated as '''''DBZ'''''}}. Picking up where the first left off, ''Dragon Ball Z'' is adapted from the final twenty-six volumes of the manga series. 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.<ref name="AnimeEncyc" />

Following the short-lived dub of ''Dragon Ball'' in 1995, Funimation Entertainment began production on an English-language release of ''Dragon Ball Z'' in North America. They teamed with [[Saban Entertainment]] to finance the project, sub-licensed home video distribution to [[Geneon Universal Entertainment]], and once again hired [[Ocean Productions]] to dub the series. This dub of ''Dragon Ball Z'' was heavily edited for content, as well as length, reducing the first 67 episodes into 53.<ref>''Dragon Ball Z'' [[Ocean Productions|Ocean]] dub, episodes 1-53 (1-67)</ref> The series premiered in the United States on September 13, 1996 in [[first-run syndication]], but also suffered from poor ratings during its run, and was eventually cancelled after two seasons. On August 31, 1998, however, the Ocean dubbed episodes began airing on [[Cartoon Network]] as part of the channel's new [[Toonami]] programming block, where the series received much more popularity. With new success, Funimation continued production on the series by themselves, only now using their own in-house voice cast, as well as less editing due to fewer restrictions on cable programming.<ref>''Dragon Ball Z'' [[Funimation Entertainment|Funimation]] dub, episodes 54-276 (68-291)</ref> ''Dragon Ball Z'' was now in full production in the United States and the new dub of the series aired on Toonami from September 13, 1999 to April 7, 2003.

The Funimation dubbed episodes also aired in Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand. Beginning with episode 108, however, an alternate dub, produced again by Ocean Productions, was broadcast in the United Kingdom, Canada, and Ireland (in the case of Canada, beginning from Episode 168), while Funimation's in-house dub continued to air in the United States, Australia, and New Zealand. In August 2004, Geneon lost its licensing rights to the old Ocean dubbed episodes of ''Dragon Ball Z'', allowing Funimation to re-dub the first 67 episodes with their in-house voice cast and restore the removed content. These re-dubbed episodes aired in the United States on Cartoon Network during the summer of 2005.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2004-12-31/funimation-2005-plans|title=FUNimation 2005 Plans|date=December 31, 2004|accessdate=September 14, 2008|publisher=[[Anime News Network]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2005-06-09/dbz-uncut-on-cartoon-network|title=DBZ uncut on Cartoon Network|date=June 9, 2005|accessdate=September 14, 2008|publisher=[[Anime News Network]]}}</ref> In 2006, Funimation remastered the episodes then began re-releasing the series in nine individual season box sets. The first set was released on February 6, 2007; the final set on May 19, 2009. These sets were noticeable for including the option of hearing the English dub alongside the original Japanese music, an option that had previously not been available. Other options included hearing the English dub with the American soundtrack composed by [[Bruce Faulconer]], and a third option included watching the original Japanese version, with the original Japanese soundtrack and English subtitles. Beyond that, however, it was also noticeable for causing a degree of controversy among fans regarding the remastering process for the footage, which some fans deemed to be sub-par, particularly the 'video cropping' controversy.

In June 2009, Funimation announced that they would be re-releasing ''Dragon Ball Z'' in a new seven-volume set called the "Dragon Boxes," which were previously released in Japan as a five-volume set containing the entire anime franchise. Based on the original series masters with frame-by-frame restoration, the first set was released on November 10, 2009.<ref>{{cite press release |url=http://www.dragonballz.com/index.cfm?page=news&id=586 |title=Funimation Entertainment Announces First U.S. Release of Dragon Box |publisher=Funimation |date=July 20, 2009 |accessdate=August 28, 2009 }}</ref>

==== ''Dragon Ball GT'' ====
{{Main|List of Dragon Ball GT episodes}}
Produced by Toei Animation, {{nihongo|'''''Dragon Ball GT'''''|ドラゴンボールGT(ジーティー)|Doragon Bōru Jī Tī|'''''G(rand) T(our)'''''<ref name="AnimeEncyc" />}} premiered on [[Fuji TV]] on February 2, 1996, and ran until November 19, 1997. Unlike the first two series, it was not based on the original ''Dragon Ball'' manga.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2001-04-10/dbz-faq-update |title=DBZ FAQ Update |date=April 10, 2001 |accessdate=June 5, 2008 }}</ref> The series lasted 64 episodes.<ref name="AnimeEncyc" /> In ''Dragon Ball GT'', Goku is turned back into a child by the Black Star Dragon Balls and is forced to travel across the universe to retrieve them.

Following the success of their in-house dubs of ''Dragon Ball'' and ''Dragon Ball Z'', Funimation Entertainment licensed ''Dragon Ball GT'' for an English language [[Region 1]] [[DVD]] release and broadcast in North America. Funimation's dub of the series aired on [[Cartoon Network]] from November 14, 2003 to January 29, 2005. The television broadcast skipped the first 16 episodes of the series. Instead, Funimation created a composition episode entitled "A Grand Problem," which used scenes from the skipped episodes to summarize the story. The skipped episodes, advertised as "The Lost Episodes," were later aired after the remaining episodes of the series had been broadcast.

Funimation released their in-house dub to bilingual Region 1 DVD in two season box sets, with the first set released on December 9, 2008 and the final set on February 10, 2009. In a similar fashion to their DVD releases for ''Dragon Ball Z'', the DVD box sets have the option of hearing the English dub alongside the original Japanese music, and the rap song used for the TV airing of the show (nicknamed by fans "Step Into the Grand Tour") has been replaced by English-dubbed versions of the original Japanese opening and ending songs.<ref>http://www.amazon.com/Dragon-Ball-GT-Season-One/dp/B001DRF83S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1266852805&sr=1-1</ref>

==== ''Dragon Ball Z Kai'' ====
{{Main|List of Dragon Ball Z Kai episodes}}
In February 2009, Toei Animation announced that it<!--In US English, since Toei is one entity, so it is an it--> would begin rebroadcasting ''Dragon Ball Z'' as part of the series' 20th anniversary celebrations. The series premiered on April 5, 2009, under the name {{nihongo|'''''Dragon Ball Kai'''''|ドラゴンボール改(カイ)|Doragon Bōru Kai|lit. "Dragon Ball Revised"}}, with the episodes remastered for [[High-definition television|HDTV]], featuring updated opening and ending sequences, and a rerecording of the vocal tracks by most of the original cast.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2009-02-06/dragon-ball-z-to-rerun-on-japanese-tv-in-hd-in-april |title=Dragon Ball Z to Rerun on Japanese TV in HD in April |publisher=[[Anime News Network]] |date=February 6, 2009 |accessdate=February 21, 2009 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2009-02-19/japan-remastered-dbz-to-be-called-dragon-ball-kai |title=Japan's Remastered DBZ to Be Called Dragon Ball Kai |publisher=[[Anime News Network]] |date=February 19, 2009 |accessdate=February 21, 2009 }}</ref> The footage was also re-edited to more closely follow the manga, resulting in a faster moving story, and damaged frames removed.<ref>{{cite journal |title= 「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|publisher= [[Shueisha]]|location= Japan|page= 10|date= February 9, 2009|language= Japanese|work=[[V Jump]]}}</ref> As such, it is a "new" series created from the original ''Dragon Ball Z'' footage. Like all other ''Dragon Ball''-based anime, Funimation Entertainment licensed ''Dragon Ball Kai'' for an English-language release in North America, premiering on [[Nicktoons (TV channel)|Nicktoons Network]] on May 24, 2010, under the title '''''Dragon Ball Z Kai'''''.<ref>[http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2010-02-02/navarre-reveals-funimation-dragon-ball-kai-license Navarre Reveals Funimation's Dragon Ball Kai License (Updated)] -- Anime News Network (Received February 2, 2010)</ref><ref>[http://www.ohiomm.com/blogs/heldenfiles/2010/03/nickelodeon-announces-fall-plans Nickelodeon Announces Fall Plans] - Ohio.com Retrieved March 11, 2010</ref> In addition to Nicktoons, ''Dragon Ball Z Kai'' also began airing on [[The CW Television Network|The CW's]] [[Toonzai]] programming block on August 14, 2010.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2010-04-26/dragon-ball-z-kai-to-air-on-thecw4kids-on-saturdays|title=Dragon Ball Z Kai to Air on TheCW4Kids on Saturdays|date=April 26, 2010|publisher=[[Anime News Network]]|accessdate=April 26, 2010}}</ref> Both the Nicktoons and Toonzai airings are edited for content, though the Toonzai version is edited even more so than Nicktoons, possibly due to The CW being a broadcast channel.

The series was announced for a dubbing session in Latin America in August 2010, but the cast is still unknown at this point.<ref>http://www.anmtvla.com/2010/08/exclusiva-anmtv-mario-castaneda-nos.html</ref>

=== Anime films ===
{{Main|List of Dragon Ball films}}
Seventeen anime films based on the ''Dragon Ball'' series have been released in Japan. The first three films were based on the original ''Dragon Ball'' anime series. The remaining films included thirteen ''Dragon Ball Z'' films and one tenth anniversary special (also based on the first anime series). Funimation Entertainment has licensed and released all of the films to home video in North America.

=== Specials ===
Three television specials based on the series were released in Japan. The first, ''[[Dragon Ball Z: Bardock – The Father of Goku|Bardock – The Father of Goku]]'', was released on October 17, 1990. It is a [[prequel]] to the series, set years before the start of the manga and details how Goku's father, [[List of Dragon Ball characters#Bardock|Bardock]], discovers that Frieza is planning to kill all the other Saiyans, and his efforts to stop him. The second special, ''[[Dragon Ball Z: The History of Trunks|The History of Trunks]]'' was released on March 24, 1993. Based on an extra chapter of the original manga, it is set in a parallel universe where most of the series characters are killed by the evil androids. ''[[Dragon Ball GT: A Hero's Legacy|A Hero's Legacy]]'', released on March 26, 1997, is set 100 years after the end of ''Dragon Ball GT''. It features one of Goku's descendants who begins looking for the Dragon Balls in order to help his sick grandmother, Pan.

Two other specials were also released in Japan. A two-episode [[original video animation]] (OVA) series titled ''[[List of Dragon Ball films#OVA|Dragon Ball Z Gaiden: Saiyan Zetsumetsu Keikaku]]'', based on the [[Nintendo Entertainment System|Famicom]] video game of the [[List of Dragon Ball video games#1990's|same name]], was released in 1993 and was set during ''Dragon Ball Z''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.toei-anim.co.jp/tv/ov1990.html|archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20080420082913/http://www.toei-anim.co.jp/tv/ov1990.html|archivedate=2008-04-20|title= List of OVA produced by Toei in the 1990s|accessdate=September 27, 2008}}</ref> Another special, ''[[Dragon Ball: Yo! Son Goku and His Friends Return!!]]'', premiered at the Jump Super Anime Tour on November 24, 2008. The special is set two years after the defeat of the evil Buu and has Goku and his friends facing against new enemies, Avo and Kado, and meeting Vegeta's younger brother, Tarble.

=== Video games ===
{{Main|List of Dragon Ball video games}}
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 [[Nintendo Entertainment System]] following the storyline of the series.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamespot.com/nes/rpg/dragonballdaimaoufukkatsu/index.html?tag=result;title;6|title=Dragon Ball: Daimaou Fukkatsu|publisher=[[GameSpot]]|accessdate=September 26, 2008}}</ref> Starting [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System]], the [[Sega Saturn]] and the [[PlayStation]] most of the games were from the [[Fighting game|fighting]] genre including the series ''Super Butoden''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamespot.com/snes/action/dragonballz/index.html?tag=result;title;3|title=Dragon Ball Z Super Butouden|publisher=[[GameSpot]]|accessdate=September 26, 2008}}</ref> The first ''Dragon Ball'' game to be released in the United States was ''[[Dragon Ball GT: Final Bout]]'' for the PlayStation on July 31, 1997.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamespot.com/ps/action/dragonballfinalbout/index.html?tag=result;title;0|title=Dragon Ball GT: Final Bout|publisher=[[GameSpot]]|accessdate=January 10, 2009}}</ref> 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)|''Dragon Ball Z: Budokai'' series]] and the [[Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi (series)|''Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi'' series]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2002-11-13/dbz-budokai-to-ship-early|title=DBZ: Budokai to ship early|date=November 13, 2002|publisher=[[Anime News Network]]|accessdate=September 26, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gamespot.com/ps2/action/dragonballzbudokaitenkaichi/news.html?sid=6130926&mode=previews&tag=result;title;2|title=Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi Hands-On|date=August 15, 2005|author=Mueller, Greg|publisher=[[GameSpot]]|accessdate=September 26, 2008}}</ref> ''[[Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit]]'' was the first game of the series developed for the [[PlayStation 3]] and [[Xbox 360]].<ref>{{cite press release |title=Atari Announces the Next Generation Chapter for Dragon Ball Z(R) Video Game Series |publisher=Atari |date=January 16 |url=http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=66845&p=irol-newsArticle&t=Regular&id=1097059& |language= |accessdate=September 24, 2008}}</ref> A [[massively multiplayer online role-playing game]] called ''[[Dragon Ball Online]]'' is currently in development for release in 2010. It has been stated that Akira Toriyama has been working on character designs for this project for the last five years.<ref>[http://www.ntl-kk.com/dboreport.html DRAGONBALL ONLINE -ドラゴンボールオンライン<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>

=== Soundtracks ===
{{Main|List of Dragon Ball soundtracks}}
Myriad soundtracks were released to the anime, movies and the games. The music for the first two anime ''Dragon Ball'' and ''Z'' and its films was directed by [[Shunsuke Kikuchi]], while the music from ''GT'' was directed by Akihito Tokunaga and the music from ''Kai'' was directed by [[Kenji Yamamoto (Composer/arranger)|Kenji Yamamoto]]. 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/detailview.html?KEY=COCC-72015|title=Dragonball Music Collection|publisher=CDJapan.com|accessdate=September 26, 2008}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/detailview.html?KEY=COCX-33908|title=DRAGONBALL Z Hit Kyoku Shu|publisher=CDJapan.com|accessdate=September 26, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/detailview.html?KEY=COCX-33927|title=DRAGONBALL Z Hit Kyoku Shu 18 1/2 |publisher=CDJapan.com|accessdate=September 26, 2008}}</ref> Other CDs released are compilations, video games and films soundtracks as well as music from the English versions.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cdjapan.co.jp/detailview.html?KEY=COCX-33567|title=Dragon Ball Z Best Song Collection "Legend of Dragonworld"|publisher=CDJapan.com|accessdate=September 26,............. 2008}}</ref>

=== Live action films ===
A live-action [[Mandarin Chinese]] film adaptation of the series, ''[[Dragon Ball: The Magic Begins]]'', was released in [[Taiwan Province]] in [[Republic of China]] in 1989.<ref name="AnimeEncyc" /> Considered a "tacky" version of the story by critics,<ref name="AnimeEncyc" /> the plot revolves around a rag-tag group of heroes, led by "Monkey Boy" (Goku) trying to stop King Horn from using the wish-granting "Dragon Pearls" (Dragon Balls) to rule the world.

In March 2002, [[20th Century Fox]] acquired [[feature film]] rights to the ''Dragon Ball'' franchise<ref>{{cite journal | first=Chris "lastGardner |title=Fox draws deal for ''DragonBall'' live-action pics | journal=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]| date=March 12, 2002 | volume=372 | issue=28 }}</ref> and began production on an American live action film entitled ''[[Dragonball Evolution]]''.<ref name="itsofficial" /> Ben Ramsey was tapped to create a screenplay based on ''Dragon Ball Z''.<ref>{{cite news | author = Claude Brodesser | first=Claude | url=http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117907037.html?categoryid=1238&cs=1 | title=Ramsey rolls ''Dragonball Z'' | publisher=''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' | date=June 24, 2004 | accessdate=September 7, 2007 }}</ref> Directed by [[James Wong]] and produced by [[Stephen Chow]],<ref name="itsofficial">{{cite news | author = Tatiana Siegel | title = ''Dragonball'' comes to bigscreen | publisher = ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' | date = November 13, 2007 | url = http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117975946.html?categoryid=13&cs=1 | accessdate=November 14, 2007}}</ref> the film was released in the United States on April 10, 2009.<ref name="Fox Japan ''DragonBall'' Movie">{{cite web|url=http://www.foxjapan.com/movies/lineup/main.html#DB |title="''DragonBall'' Movie"|publisher=Fox Japan|accessdate=June 18, 2008 }}</ref> The film was largely considered a failure by both critics and ''Dragon Ball'' fans,<ref>{{cite web |url = http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/herocomplex/2009/04/dragonball-star-no-one-wants-to-make-a-movie-that-people-will-hate.html |title = Movies: 'Dragonball' star: 'No one wants to make a movie that people will hate' |first = Michelle |last = Castillo |work = [[L.A. Times (California)|L.A. Times]] |date = April 7, 2009 |accessdate = January 23, 2010 }}</ref> and it only grossed $57 million at the box office.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=main&id=dragonball.htm |title = Dragonball Evolution |publisher = [[Box Office Mojo]] |accessdate = June 19, 2009 }}</ref>

=== Art books ===
[[File:Db TCI.jpg|thumb|150px|Cover art of ''Dragon Ball - The Complete Illustrations''.]]
There are two companion books to the series, one called ''Dragon Ball GT Perfect Files'', released in May 1997 and December 1997 by [[Shueisha]]'s ''Jump Comics Selection'' imprint. It 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 and this edition is still in print.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.amazon.co.jp/%E3%83%89%E3%83%A9%E3%82%B4%E3%83%B3%E3%83%9C%E3%83%BC%E3%83%ABGT%E3%83%91%E3%83%BC%E3%83%95%E3%82%A7%E3%82%AF%E3%83%88%E3%83%95%E3%82%A1%E3%82%A4%E3%83%AB-Vol-1-%E3%82%B8%E3%83%A3%E3%83%B3%E3%83%97%E3%83%BB%E3%82%B3%E3%83%9F%E3%83%83%E3%82%AF%E3%82%B9-%E9%80%B1%E5%88%8A%E5%B0%91%E5%B9%B4%E3%82%B8%E3%83%A3%E3%83%B3%E3%83%97%E7%B7%A8%E9%9B%86%E9%83%A8/dp/4088740890/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1222290066&sr=8-10|language=Japanese |title=ドラゴンボールGTパーフェクトファイル (Vol.1) (ジャンプ·コミックス) (コミック) |publisher=Amazon.com |accessdate=September 24, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.amazon.co.jp/%E3%83%89%E3%83%A9%E3%82%B4%E3%83%B3%E3%83%9C%E3%83%BC%E3%83%ABGT%E3%83%91%E3%83%BC%E3%83%95%E3%82%A7%E3%82%AF%E3%83%88%E3%83%95%E3%82%A1%E3%82%A4%E3%83%AB-Vol-2-%E3%82%B8%E3%83%A3%E3%83%B3%E3%83%97%E3%83%BB%E3%82%B3%E3%83%9F%E3%83%83%E3%82%AF%E3%82%B9-%E9%80%B1%E5%88%8A%E5%B0%91%E5%B9%B4%E3%82%B8%E3%83%A3%E3%83%B3%E3%83%97%E7%B7%A8%E9%9B%86%E9%83%A8/dp/4088740904/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_b|language=Japanese |title=ドラゴンボールGTパーフェクトファイル (Vol.2) (ジャンプ·コミックス) (コミック) |publisher=Amazon.com |accessdate=September 24, 2008}}</ref>

The other was ''Dragon Ball - The Complete Illustrations'', first published in Japan in 1995, which was then translated and printed in 2008 by VIZ Media for the English-speaking fans. It contains all the 264 coloured illustrations Akira Toriyama done for the Weekly Jump magazines' covers, bonus giveaways and specials, and all the covers for the 42 tankōbon. It also includes an interview with Akira Toriyama on his work process.

=== Collectible cards ===
There has been collectible cards, based on the ''Dragon Ball'', ''Dragon Ball Z'', and ''Dragon Ball GT'' series, released under Bandai. They feature various scenes from the manga and anime stills, plus exclusive artwork from all 3 series.
They were previously released in other countries, like [[Taiwan]] and [[Singapore]], before making its debut in the United States in July 2008.

== Reception ==
''Dragon Ball'' is one of the most popular manga series of its 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.<ref name="LittleBoy">{{cite book |title=Little Boy: The Art of Japan's Exploding Subculture |first=Takashi |last=Murakami |others=Linda Hoaglund (translator) |publisher=[[Yale University Press]], [[Japan Society]] |date=May 15, 2005 |isbn=0300102852 |chapter=Earth in My Window |pages=105–106 }}</ref> By 2007, this number had grown to pass 150 million.<ref name="sold"/> It is the "quintessential mainstream manga" driven by an unending story. Its immense popularity resulted in the series being continuously extended, first through the use of acrobatic devices that regularly kept the series from falling into the routine characters and story lines, then by having the central characters surpass death itself using miraculous devices. In ''Little Boy: The Art of Japan's Exploding Subculture'' Takashi Murakami notes that ''Dragon Ball'''s "never-ending cyclical narrative moves forward plausibly, seamlessly, and with great finesse."<ref name="LittleBoy" /> Goku's journey and his ever growing strength resulted in the character winning "the admiration of young boys everywhere".<ref name="Manga Design" /> On several occasions the ''Dragon Ball'' anime series has topped Japan's DVD sales.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2008-09-20/japanese-animation-dvd-ranking-september-10-16|title= Japanese Animation DVD Ranking, September 10–16 |publisher= [[Anime News Network]] |date= September 20, 2008 |accessdate= October 11, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2008-08-14/japanese-animation-dvd-ranking-august-6-12|title= Japanese Animation DVD Ranking, August 6–12 |publisher= [[Anime News Network]] |date= August 14, 2008 |accessdate= October 11, 2008}}</ref>

In a survey conducted by [[Oricon]] in 2007 between 1,000 people, Goku, the main character of the franchise, ranked first place as the "Strongest Manga character of all time."<ref name=oricon>{{cite web|url=http://rn-cdn.oricon.co.jp/news/ranking/45750/#rk|title=1000人が選んだ！漫画史上“最強”キャラクターランキング！|language=Japanese|accessdate=October 28, 2007}}</ref> Manga artists, such as ''[[Naruto]]'' creator [[Masashi Kishimoto]] and ''[[One Piece]]'' creator [[Eiichiro Oda]], have stated that Goku inspired their series' main protagonists as well series structure.<ref>{{cite book |last=Kishimoto|first=Masashi |title=Uzumaki: the Art of Naruto|year=2007 |publisher=[[Viz Media]] |pages=138–139 |isbn=1-4215-1407-9}}</ref><ref>''One Piece Color Walk'' - Vol.1 - Interview with Eiichiro Oda and Akira Toriyama ((JP) ISBN 978-4-08-859217-6)</ref> When [[TV Asahi]] conducted an online poll for the top one hundred anime, the ''Dragon Ball'' series came in place twelve.<ref name="Japan100">{{cite web|url= http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2006-10-13/japan's-favorite-tv-anime |title= Japan's Favorite TV Anime |publisher= [[Anime News Network]] |date= October 13, 2006 |accessdate= July 9, 2008}}</ref> The first episode of ''Dragon Ball Kai'' earned a viewer ratings percentage of 11.3, ahead of ''[[One Piece]]'' and behind ''[[Crayon Shin-Chan]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2009-04-13/japanese-anime-tv-ranking-march-30-april-5|publisher=[[Anime News Network]]|date=April 13, 2009|title=Japanese Anime TV Ranking, March 30-April 5|accessdate=April 29, 2009}}</ref> Although following episodes have had lower ratings, ''Dragon Ball Kai'' remains to be among the top 10 anime in viewer ratings every week in Japan currently.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2009-04-16/japanese-anime-tv-ranking-april-6-12|publisher=[[Anime News Network]]|date=April 16, 2009|title=Japanese Anime TV Ranking, April 6–12|accessdate=April 29, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2009-04-22/japanese-anime-tv-ranking-april-13-19|publisher=[[Anime News Network]]|date=April 22, 2009|title=Japanese Anime TV Ranking, April 13–19|accessdate=April 29, 2009}}</ref>

''[[Animerica]]'' felt the series had "worldwide appeal" that uses 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".<ref name="Animerica" /> Ridwan Khan from Animefringe.com commented on the manga to have a "chubby" art style but as the series continued it gets more refined with the characters leaner and more muscular. He also noted he preferred the manga versions of the series to their animated counterparts that makes the story slower and pointless.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.animefringe.com/magazine/2003/07/reviews/08/|title= Dragon Ball Vol.1 review|publisher= Animefringe.com |month= July | year= 2003 |author=Khan, Ridwan|accessdate= September 27, 2008}}</ref> [[Anime News Network]] praised the story and humor of the manga to be very good due conveying of all the characters's personalities. They also remarked Viz's translation to be one of the best ones of all the English editions of the series praising the lack of censor.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/dragon-ball-gn-5|title= Dragon Ball (manga) Graphic Novel vol 5|publisher= [[Anime News Network]] |date= November 18, 2001 |author= Divers, Allen|accessdate= September 27, 2008}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.rationalmagic.com/Comics/DragonBall1.html|title= Dragon Ball Volume 1 review|publisher= Rationalmagic.com|accessdate= October 3, 2008}}</ref> Writer [[Jason Thompson (writer)|Jason Thompson]] commented that the series popularity comes from a formula that Toriyama used in various story arcs from which he describes as "lots of martial arts, lots of training sequences, a few jokes." Yet, he noted that such formula became the model for other manga from the same genre such as ''Naruto''.<ref>{{cite web |title=What is Dragon Ball?|url=http://io9.com/5201656/what-is-dragon-ball|author=Thompson, Jason|authorlink=Jason Thompson (writer)|publisher=Io9|accessdate=December 9, 2009|date=April 8, 2009}}</ref>

The anime adaptations have also had different positive reviews. ''Dragon Ball Z'' was listed as the 78th best animated show in IGN's Top 100 Animated Series.<ref name="ign100">{{cite web |title=78. Dragon Ball Z|url=http://tv.ign.com/top-100-animated-tv-series/78.html |publisher=IGN |accessdate=September 5, 2009 |date=January 23, 2009}}</ref> T.H.E.M. Anime Reviews considered the series characters are different from stereotypes characters and noted that they have much more development and in its sequels.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.themanime.org/viewreview.php?id=565|title= Dragon Ball anime review|publisher=themanime.org |author= Jones, Tim|accessdate= October 3, 2008}}</ref> However, they criticized ''Dragon Ball Z'' for having long and repetitive fights, though they remarked the show has good characterization.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.themanime.org/viewreview.php?id=245|title= Dragon Ball Z anime review|publisher=themanime.org |author= Ross, Carlos|accessdate= October 3, 2008}}</ref> The storylines of ''Dragon Ball Z'' have been compared to Greek mythology.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.coe.uga.edu/lle/faculty/alvermann/literacy.pdf|title=Literacy Identity Work: Playing to Learn with Popular Media|format=PDF}}{{dead link|date=September 2010}}</ref> Anime News Network considered Trunks's storyline to have an actual storyline with characters having more motivation than the common plot of the series.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/dbz-history-of-trunks-dvd|title= The History of Trunks review|publisher= [[Anime News Network]]|author= Shepard, Chris |accessdate= October 3, 2008}}</ref> [[IGN]] commented that ''Dragon Ball GT'' "is downright repellent" mentioning that the material and characters have lost their novelty and fun. They also criticized the character designs of Trunks and Vegeta as goofy.<ref>{{cite web|url= http://dvd.ign.com/articles/834/834547p1.html|title= Dragon Ball GT&nbsp;— The Lost Episodes DVD Box Set Review|publisher= IGN|date=November 12, 2007|author= Harris, Jeffrey |accessdate= October 3, 2008}}</ref> Anime News Network has had negative comments of ''Dragon Ball GT''. They mentioned the fights from the series are a very simple childish exercise and that many other anime were better. The plot of the series has also been criticized for giving a formula that was already used on its prequels.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/dragon-ball-gt/dvd-8|title=Dragon Ball GT DVD 8: Salvation|publisher= [[Anime News Network]]|date=June 6, 2004|author= Bertschy, Zac |accessdate= October 4, 2008}}</ref>


Is it safe to dance, oh is it safe to dance [6x]
Is it safe to dance
== References ==
== References ==
{{Reflist|2}}
{{Reflist|2}}

Revision as of 15:41, 22 September 2010

"Dragon Boy" redirects here. For the non-related Canadian television series, see Dragon Boys.
This article is about the media franchise. For other uses, see Dragon Ball (disambiguation).
Really angry yellow haired dudes hitting each other. Yeah, thats about it. S-s-s-s A-a-a-a F-f-f-f E-e-e-e T-t-t-t Y-y-y-y Safe, dance! [Spoken] We can dance if we want to We can leave your friends behind 'Cause your friends don't dance and if they don't dance Well they're no friends of mine I say, we can go where we want to A place where they will never find And we can act like we come from out of this world Leave the real one far behind And we can dance [Sung] We can dance if we want to We can leave your friends behind 'Cause your friends don't dance and if they don't dance Well they're no friends of mine I say, we can go where we want to A place where they will never find And we can act like we come from out of this world Leave the real one far behind And we can dance Danc¨¦e! We can go when we want to The night is young and so am I And we can dress real neat from our hats to our feet And surprise 'em with the victory cry Say, we can act if want to If we don't nobody will And you can act real rude and totally removed And I can act like an imbecile [Refrain] I say, we can dance, we can dance Everything out of control We can dance, we can dance We're doing it from wall to wall We can dance, we can dance Everybody look at your hands We can dance, we can dance Everybody takin' the cha-a-a-ance Safety dance Is it safe to dance Is it safe to dance S-s-s-s A-a-a-a F-f-f-f E-e-e-e T-t-t-t Y-y-y-y Safe, dance! We can dance if we want to We've got all your life and mine As long as we abuse it, never gonna lose it Everything'll work out right I say, we can dance if we want to We can leave your friends behind 'Cause your friends don't dance and if they don't dance Well they're no friends of mine [Refrain] Is it safe to dance, oh is it safe to dance [6x] Is it safe to dance

References

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Dragon Ball
First tankōbon volume, released in Japan on November 10, 1985
ドラゴンボール
(Doragon Bōru)
GenreBangsian fantasy, Martial arts, Science fiction
Manga
Written byAkira Toriyama
Published byShueisha
English publisherAustralia New Zealand Madman Entertainment

Canada United States Viz Media

United Kingdom Gollancz Manga
MagazineWeekly Shōnen Jump
English magazineUnited States Shonen Jump
DemographicShōnen
Original run1984 – 1995
Volumes42 (List of volumes)
Anime television series
Directed byMinoru Okazaki
Daisuke Nishio
StudioToei Animation
Original networkFuji TV, Animax
English networkAustralia Network Ten, Cartoon Network
Canada YTV

United Kingdom CNX, Toonami

United States Cartoon Network, Toonami, Colours TV, Funimation Channel, Toonami Jetstream, KIKU
Original run February 26, 1986 – April 12, 1989
Episodes153 (List of episodes)
Anime television series
Dragon Ball Z
Directed byDaisuke Nishio
StudioToei Animation
Original networkFuji TV, Animax, Tokyo MX
English networkAustralia Network Ten, Cartoon Network

Canada YTV
United Kingdom Cartoon Network, CNX, Toonami

United States Cartoon Network, Toonami
Original run April 26, 1989 – January 31, 1996
Episodes291 (List of episodes)
Anime television series
Dragon Ball GT
Directed byOsamu Kasai
StudioToei Animation
Original networkFuji TV, Animax
English networkAustralia Network Ten, Cartoon Network

Canada YTV
United States Cartoon Network, Toonami

United Kingdom CNX, Toonami
Original run February 7, 1996 – November 19, 1997
Episodes64 (List of episodes)
Anime television series
Dragon Ball Z Kai
StudioToei Animation
Original networkJapan Fuji TV
English networkUnited States Nicktoons,
The CW, Toonzai
Original run April 5, 2009 – present
Episodes72+ (List of episodes)
Related
Manga
Anime
TV and
net series
TV specials
and OVAs
Films
Dragon Ball
Dragon Ball Z
Dragon Ball Super
Others
Music
Soundtracks
Songs and singles
Games
Characters
Related
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