Dragon Ball

=Dragon Ball= From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (Redirected from Dragonball) Jump to: navigation, searchThis article is about the media franchise. For other uses, see Dragon Ball (disambiguation). Dragon Ball (ドラゴンボール, Doragon Bōru ?) is a Japanesemanga series written and illustrated by Akira Toriyama. It was originally serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump from 1984 to 1995, with the 519 individual chapters published into 42 tankōbon volumes by Shueisha. Dragon Ball was initially inspired by the classical Chinese novel Journey to the West. The series follows the adventures of the protagonist, Goku, from his childhood through adulthood as he trains in martial arts and explores the world in search of the seven orbs known as the Dragon Balls, which summon a wish-granting dragon when gathered. Along his journey, Goku makes several friends and battles a wide variety of villains, many of whom also seek the Dragon Balls.

The 42 tankōbon have been adapted into two anime series produced by Toei Animation: Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z, which together were broadcast in Japan from 1986 to 1996. Additionally, Toei has developed eighteen animated feature films and three television specials, as well as an anime sequel titled Dragon Ball GT, which takes place after the events of the manga. From 2009 to 2011, Toei broadcast a revised, faster-paced version of Dragon Ball Z under the title Dragon Ball Kai, in which most of the original version's footage not featured in the manga was removed. Several companies have developed various types of merchandising based on the series leading to a large media franchise that includes films, both animated and live-action, collectible trading card games, numerous action figures, along with several collections of soundtracks and a large number of video games.

The manga series was licensed for an English-language release in North America by Viz Media, in the United Kingdom by Gollancz Manga, and Australia and New Zealand by Madman Entertainment. The entire anime series was licensed by Funimation Entertainment for an English-language release in the United States, although the series has not always been dubbed by the same studio. There have been many films of the franchise including the first live-action film adaptation being produced in 1989 in Taiwan. In 2002, 20th Century Fox acquired the rights to produce an American-made live-action film titled Dragonball Evolution that received a negative reception from critics and fans; the movie was released on April 10, 2009 in the United States.

Since its release, Dragon Ball has become one of the most successful manga and anime series of all time. The manga's 42 volumes have sold over 156 million copies in Japan and more than 230 million copies worldwide, making it the second best-selling manga series in history. Reviewers have praised the art, characterization, and humor of the story. It is widely regarded as one of the greatest manga series ever made, with many manga artists such as Eiichiro Oda (One Piece), Masashi Kishimoto (Naruto), Tite Kubo (Bleach), Hiro Mashima (Rave Master, Fairy Tail) and Kentaro Yabuki (Black Cat) citing Dragon Ball as a source of inspiration for their own now popular works. The anime, particularly Dragon Ball Z, is also highly popular in various countries and was arguably one of the most influential in boosting the popularity of Japanese animation in Western culture.

Contents
[hide] *1 Plot summary
 * 2 Production
 * 3 Media
 * 3.1 Manga
 * 3.1.1 Spin-offs and 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 Kai
 * 3.3 Films
 * 3.3.1 Anime
 * 3.3.2 Live-action
 * 3.4 TV Specials and other animations
 * 3.5 Video games
 * 3.6 Soundtracks
 * 3.7 Companion books
 * 3.8 Collectible cards
 * 4 Reception
 * 4.1 Manga
 * 4.2 Anime
 * 5 References
 * 6 External links

Plot summary
See also: List of Dragon Ball charactersThe series begins with a monkey-tailed boy named Goku befriending 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 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 Jr.. 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 Jr. before leaving with Chi-Chi to keep his promise to marry her.

Five years later, Goku is a young adult and father to his son 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.

A group of Androids (人造人間, Jinzōningen ?, "Artificial Humans") created by a member of the former Red Ribbon Army, Doctor Gero, appear three years later, 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 Boo. 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.

Production
Akira Toriyama loosely modeled Dragon Ball on the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West;[1] [2] but also redeveloped it from his 1983 one-shot manga Dragon Boy.[2] He has said that the fighting was influenced from movies by famous martial arts actor Jackie Chan,<sup id="cite_ref-Illustrations_3-0" class="reference">[3] <sup id="cite_ref-Story_4-0" class="reference">[4] as he wanted to create a story with the basic theme of Journey to the West, but with "a little kung fu."<sup id="cite_ref-TenkaDen_5-0" class="reference">[5] 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.<sup id="cite_ref-TenkaDen_5-1" class="reference">[5] 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.<sup id="cite_ref-Story_4-1" class="reference">[4] <sup id="cite_ref-Shenlong2_6-0" class="reference">[6] Wanting to break from the Western influences common in his previous serial, Dr. Slump, he deliberately went for Chinese scenery, referencing Chinese buildings and photographs of China his wife had bought.<sup id="cite_ref-World_7-0" class="reference">[7] The island where the Tenkaichi Budōkai (天下一武道会<span style="font: bold 80%/normal sans-serif; padding: 0px 0.1em; color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;" class="t_nihongo_icon"> ?, "Strongest Under the Heavens Martial Arts Tournament", renamed "World Martial Arts Tournament" in Funimation's dub) is held is modeled after Bali, which he, his wife and assistants visited before serialization began, and for the area around Bobbidi's spaceship he consulted photos of Africa.<sup id="cite_ref-World_7-1" class="reference">[7]

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.<sup id="cite_ref-Story_4-2" class="reference">[4] Anticipating that readers would expect Goku to win the tournaments, Toriyama had him lose the first two while planning an eventual victory. He admitted that the Red Ribbon Army was equivalent to the Tenkaichi Budōkai, 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.<sup id="cite_ref-Story_4-3" class="reference">[4] 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."<sup id="cite_ref-Story_4-4" class="reference">[4] Finding the escalating enemies difficult, he created the Ginyu Force to add more balance to the series. He added time travel next, but confesses he had a hard time with it, only thinking of what to do that week and having to discuss it with his editor.<sup id="cite_ref-Story_4-5" class="reference">[4] 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.<sup id="cite_ref-Story_4-6" class="reference">[4] The Earth of Dragon Ball as published in Daizenshuu 4: World Guide.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.<sup id="cite_ref-SJ_interview_8-0" class="reference">[8] When creating a character, his process is to first come up with their face and body type, and then the clothes while thinking of the world they inhabit and if the fighters can move around in them.<sup id="cite_ref-Animation2_9-0" class="reference">[9] Toriyama has admitted 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.<sup id="cite_ref-Illustrations_3-1" class="reference">[3] <sup id="cite_ref-TenkaDen_5-2" class="reference">[5] <sup id="cite_ref-Shenlong2_6-1" class="reference">[6] <sup id="cite_ref-Animation2_9-1" class="reference">[9]

Toriyama later explained the he had Goku grow up as a means to make drawing fight scenes easier, even though his editor was initially against it because it was rare to have the main character of a manga series change drastically.<sup id="cite_ref-Chogashu_10-0" class="reference">[10] When including fights in the manga, Toriyama had the characters go to uninhabited locations to avoid difficulties in drawing residents and destroyed buildings. While he personally doesn't like the idea of naming fighting techniques, his editor at the time felt it would be better, so Toriyama proceeded to create names for all of the techniques, except for the series' signature Kamehameha (かめはめ波<span style="font: bold 80%/normal sans-serif; padding: 0px 0.1em; color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;" class="t_nihongo_icon"> ?, lit. "Kamehame Wave") which his wife came up with when he was indecisive about what it should be called.<sup id="cite_ref-World_7-2" class="reference">[7] In order to advance the story quickly by having characters travel without inconvenience, he created the flying cloud Kinto-un (筋斗雲<span style="font: bold 80%/normal sans-serif; padding: 0px 0.1em; color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;" class="t_nihongo_icon"> ?, lit. "Somersault Cloud", renamed "Nimbus" in Funimation's dub), then gave most fighters the flying technique Bukū-jutsu (舞空術<span style="font: bold 80%/normal sans-serif; padding: 0px 0.1em; color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;" class="t_nihongo_icon"> ?, lit. "Air Dance Technique") , and finally granted Goku the teleportation ability Shunkan Idō (瞬間移動<span style="font: bold 80%/normal sans-serif; padding: 0px 0.1em; color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;" class="t_nihongo_icon"> ?, lit. "Instant Teleport", renamed "Instant Transmission" in Funimation's dub) .<sup id="cite_ref-World_7-3" class="reference">[7] Once he came up with the idea of the Super Saiyan (超サイヤ人<span style="display: none;" class="t_nihongo_comma">, Sūpā Saiya-jin<span style="font: bold 80%/normal sans-serif; padding: 0px 0.1em; color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;" class="t_nihongo_icon"> ?) , he felt the only way to show Goku's massive power up was to have him transform.<sup id="cite_ref-Animation2_9-2" class="reference">[9] Initially he was concerned that the facial expression looked like that of a villain, but felt since the transformation was brought about by anger it was acceptable.<sup id="cite_ref-Animation2_9-3" class="reference">[9] While talking to his long-time friend and fellow manga artist Masakazu Katsura about how there was nothing stronger than a Super Saiyan, Katsura suggested having two characters "fuse" together, leading to the creation of the Fusion (フュージョン<span style="font: bold 80%/normal sans-serif; padding: 0px 0.1em; color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;" class="t_nihongo_icon"> ?) technique.<sup id="cite_ref-Movies_11-0" class="reference">[11] <sup id="cite_ref-12" class="reference">[12] 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 admits 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.<sup id="cite_ref-Illustrations_3-2" class="reference">[3] He also explained he would get letters from readers complaining that the art had become "too square", so he intentionally made it more so.<sup id="cite_ref-Illustrations_3-3" class="reference">[3] In 2013, he stated that because Dragon Ball is an action manga the most important aspect is the sense of speed, so he didn't draw very elaborate, going so far as to suggest one could say that he wasn't interested in the art.<sup id="cite_ref-Chogashu_10-1" class="reference">[10] He also once said that his goal for the series was to tell an "unconventional and contradictory" story.<sup id="cite_ref-SJ_interview_8-1" class="reference">[8] In 2013, commenting on Dragon Ball's global success, Toriyama admitted, "Frankly, I don'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 don't care even if [my works] have left nothing behind, as long as they have entertained their readers."<sup id="cite_ref-AsahiInterview_13-0" class="reference">[13]

Manga
See also: List of Dragon Ball manga volumesWritten and illustrated by Akira Toriyama, Dragon Ball was initially serialized in the manga anthology Weekly Shōnen Jump starting on December 3, 1984.<sup id="cite_ref-AnimeEncyc_2-2" class="reference">[2] The series ended on June 5, 1995 when Toriyama grew exhausted and felt he needed a break from drawing.<sup id="cite_ref-AnimeEncyc_2-3" class="reference">[2] The 519 individual chapters were published into 42 tankōbon volumes by Shueisha from November 10, 1985 through August 4, 1995.<sup id="cite_ref-sold_14-0" class="reference">[14] <sup id="cite_ref-Shueisha_1_15-0" class="reference">[15] <sup id="cite_ref-ShueishaZ_26_16-0" class="reference">[16] In 2002, 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.<sup id="cite_ref-colorchozenshuu_17-0" class="reference">[17] Three volumes comprising the "Saiyan arc" (which begins with chapter 195 of the original series) were released on February 4, 2013, and five volumes of the "Freeza arc" were released on April 4, 2013.

The Dragon Ball manga is licensed for release in English in North America by Viz Media. Viz released volumes 17 through 42 (chapters 195 through 519) under the title "Dragon Ball Z" to mimic the name of the anime series adapted from those volumes, feeling it would reduce the potential for confusion by its readers. They initially released both series chapter by chapter in a monthly comic book format starting in 1998, and later began collecting them in graphic novels in 2000.<sup id="cite_ref-18" class="reference">[18] In 2000, while releasing Dragon Ball in the monthly format, Viz began to censor the series in response to complaints by parents.<sup id="cite_ref-censorship_19-0" class="reference">[19] <sup id="cite_ref-censorship2_20-0" class="reference">[20] They argued that when there are parental complaints, major chain stores stop selling the series, so to keep wide distribution, they made some "concessions".<sup id="cite_ref-censorship2_20-1" class="reference">[20] They assured that all changes were done with approval by Toriyama and Shueisha, with Toriyama making suggestions himself: such as to obscure Goku's genitals with objects, rather than "neuter him".<sup id="cite_ref-censorship2_20-2" class="reference">[20] A fan petition that garnered over 10,000 signatures was created, and a year later, Viz announced they would stop censoring the series and instead increased its "rating" to 13 and up, and reprinted the first 3 graphic novels.<sup id="cite_ref-censorship_19-1" class="reference">[19] <sup id="cite_ref-censorship3_21-0" class="reference">[21]

"Dragon Ball Z", from Trunk's appearance to chapter 226, was published in Viz's monthly magazine Shonen Jump from its debut issue in January 2003 to April 2005. Later, the first 10 collected volumes of both series were re-released from March to May 2003 under their "Shonen Jump" imprint, with Dragon Ball being completed on August 3, 2004 and Dragon Ball Z finishing on June 6, 2006.<sup id="cite_ref-Viz_16_22-0" class="reference">[22] <sup id="cite_ref-VizZ_26_23-0" class="reference">[23] However, when releasing the last few volumes of Dragon Ball Z, the company began to censor the series again; translating the sound effects of gunshots to "zap" and changing the few sexual references.<sup id="cite_ref-censorship3_21-1" class="reference">[21] In June 2008, Viz began re-releasing the two series in a wideban format called "Viz Big Edition," which collects three individual volumes into a single large volume.<sup id="cite_ref-wideone_24-0" class="reference">[24] <sup id="cite_ref-25" class="reference">[25] These editions are on higher quality paper and include some of the original Weekly Shōnen Jump color pages, however, they include new censorship not in the 2003 releases. On November 3, 2008, the first volumes of both series were released in hardcover "Collector's Editions."<sup id="cite_ref-26" class="reference">[26] <sup id="cite_ref-27" class="reference">[27] Viz began releasing new 3-in-1 volumes of Dragon Ball, similar to their "Viz Big Edition", using the Japanese kanzenban covers; with volume one released on June 4, 2013.<sup id="cite_ref-28" class="reference">[28] In February 2013, they began serializing the new fully colored version of the manga, starting from chapter 195, in their digital anthology Weekly Shonen Jump.<sup id="cite_ref-29" class="reference">[29] They will publish Dragon Ball Full Color Edition into large printed volumes beginning on February 4, 2014.<sup id="cite_ref-30" class="reference">[30]

The manga has also been licensed in other English-speaking countries, distributed in the same Viz format of separating it into Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z. The United Kingdom's release of the manga has been through different distributors. From August 2005 to November 2007, Gollancz Manga an imprint of the Orion Publishing Group released the 16 volumes of Dragon Ball and the first 4 of Dragon Ball Z.<sup id="cite_ref-31" class="reference">[31] <sup id="cite_ref-32" class="reference">[32] Viz would release the books after Gollancz and expand to digital sales on the Nook in August 2013.<sup id="cite_ref-33" class="reference">[33] In Australia and New Zealand, Madman Entertainment has released all 16 volumes of the Dragon Ball manga and the 9 "Viz Big" volumes of Dragon Ball Z.<sup id="cite_ref-34" class="reference">[34] <sup id="cite_ref-35" class="reference">[35] <sup id="cite_ref-36" class="reference">[36] <sup id="cite_ref-37" class="reference">[37]

Spin-offs and crossovers
Toriyama also created a short series, Neko Majin, that became a self-parody of Dragon Ball. First appearing in August 1999, the eight chapter series was released sporadically in Weekly Shōnen Jump and Monthly Shōnen Jump until it was completed in 2005. These chapters were compiled into one kanzenban volume for release on April 4, 2005.<sup id="cite_ref-38" class="reference">[38] In 2006, in celebration of the 30th anniversary of Kochira Katsushika-ku Kameari Kōen-mae Hashutsujo (or Kochikame), a special manga titled Super Kochikame (超こち亀<span style="display: none;" class="t_nihongo_comma">, Chō Kochikame<span style="font: bold 80%/normal sans-serif; padding: 0px 0.1em; color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;" class="t_nihongo_icon"> ?) was released on September 15.<sup id="cite_ref-39" class="reference">[39] It included characters from the series appearing in special crossover chapters of other well-known manga. The chapter "This is the Police Station in front of Dragon Park on Planet Namek" (こちらナメック星ドラゴン公園前派出所<span style="display: none;" class="t_nihongo_comma">, Kochira Namekku-sei Dragon Kōen-mae Hashutsujo<span style="font: bold 80%/normal sans-serif; padding: 0px 0.1em; color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;" class="t_nihongo_icon"> ?) was a Dragon Ball crossover by Toriyama and Kochikame author Osamu Akimoto. That same year, Toriyama teamed up with Eiichiro Oda to create a single crossover chapter of Dragon Ball and One Piece. Entitled Cross Epoch, the chapter was published in the December 25, 2006 issue of Weekly Shōnen Jump. It was published in English in the April 2011 issue of Shonen Jump.<sup id="cite_ref-40" class="reference">[40] The final chapter of Toriyama's 2013 manga series Jaco the Galactic Patrolman (銀河パトロール ジャコ<span style="display: none;" class="t_nihongo_comma">, Ginga Patorōru Jako<span style="font: bold 80%/normal sans-serif; padding: 0px 0.1em; color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;" class="t_nihongo_icon"> ?), which ran in Weekly Shōnen Jump from July 13 to September 30 and simultaneously in Viz's digital English Weekly Shonen Jump, revealed that it is set before Dragon Ball, with several characters making appearances.<sup id="cite_ref-41" class="reference">[41]

A manga adaptation of ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon_Ball:_Yo!_Son_Goku_and_His_Friends_Return!! Dragon Ball: Yo! Son Goku and His Friends Return!! ] illustrated by Naho Ōishi, was published in the March 21 and April 21, 2009 issues of V Jump as smaller books inserted in the magazine.<sup id="cite_ref-42" class="reference">[42] A colored spin-off manga titled Dragon Ball SD, also written by Ōishi, has been published in Shueisha's Saikyō Jump'' magazine since its debut issue released in December 2010.<sup id="cite_ref-43" class="reference">[43] After the first four issues, the second released in April 2011,<sup id="cite_ref-44" class="reference">[44] the third in August, and the fourth in October, the magazine became a monthly publication. The manga is a condensed retelling of Goku's various adventures as a child, with many details changed, in a super deformed art style, hence the title.<sup id="cite_ref-45" class="reference">[45] Dragon Ball: Episode of Bardock is a three-chapter manga, once again penned by Naho Ōishi, that was published in the monthly magazine V Jump from August and October 2011.<sup id="cite_ref-46" class="reference">[46] This manga is a sequel to the 1990 TV special Bardock – The Father of Goku with some key details changed. As the title indicates the manga's story revolves around Bardock, Goku's father, who in this special is featured in a "what-if" scenario in which he did not die at the hands of Freeza and gets to fight his enemy as a Super Saiyan. The fact that Bardock appears as a Super Saiyan is based on the Dragon Ball Heroes card featuring him as one.<sup id="cite_ref-47" class="reference">[47] To promote Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods, Ōishi drew a short manga adaptation of the film for the April 2013 issue of Saikyō Jump.<sup id="cite_ref-48" class="reference">[48] The 12-page color manga took the place of Dragon Ball SD for that issue and depicts the beginning of the film.

A short manga series to promote the arcade game Dragon Ball Heroes has been running in V Jump since September 2012.<sup id="cite_ref-49" class="reference">[49] Titled Dragon Ball Heroes: Victory Mission and written and drawn by Toyotarō, each chapter focuses on the game's main character, Beet (ビート<span style="font: bold 80%/normal sans-serif; padding: 0px 0.1em; color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;" class="t_nihongo_icon"> ?), with characters from the Dragon Ball franchise appearing as well. As of March 2013, seven chapters have been published.

Dragon Ball
Main articles: Dragon Ball (anime) and List of Dragon Ball episodesToei 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.<sup id="cite_ref-AnimeEncyc_2-4" class="reference">[2]

Dragon Ball Z
Main articles: Dragon Ball Z and List of Dragon Ball Z episodesInstead 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)<span style="display: none;" class="t_nihongo_comma">, Doragon Bōru Zetto<span style="font: bold 80%/normal sans-serif; padding: 0px 0.1em; color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;" class="t_nihongo_icon"> ?, 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.<sup id="cite_ref-AnimeEncyc_2-5" class="reference">[2]

Dragon Ball GT
Main articles: Dragon Ball GT and List of Dragon Ball GT episodesDragon Ball GT (ドラゴンボールGT(ジーティー)<span style="display: none;" class="t_nihongo_comma">, Doragon Bōru Jī Tī<span style="font: bold 80%/normal sans-serif; padding: 0px 0.1em; color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;" class="t_nihongo_icon"> ?, G(rand) T(ouring)<sup id="cite_ref-GTDragonBox_50-0" class="reference">[50] ) premiered on Fuji TV on February 2, 1996 and ran until November 19, 1997 for 64 episodes.<sup id="cite_ref-AnimeEncyc_2-6" class="reference">[2] Unlike the first two anime series, it is not based on Akira Toriyama's original Dragon Ball manga,<sup id="cite_ref-51" class="reference">[51] being created by Toei Animation as a sequel to the series or as Toriyama called it, a "side story of the original Dragon Ball".<sup id="cite_ref-GTDragonBox_50-1" class="reference">[50] Toriyama only designed the main cast and some machines, and came up with the title.

Dragon Ball Kai
Main articles: Dragon Ball Kai and List of Dragon Ball Z Kai episodesIn February 2009, Toei Animation announced that it would begin broadcasting a revised version of Dragon Ball Z as part of the series' 20th anniversary celebrations. The series premiered on Fuji TV in Japan on April 5, 2009, under the name Dragon Ball Kai (ドラゴンボール改<span style="display: none;" class="t_nihongo_comma">, Doragon Bōru Kai<span style="font: bold 80%/normal sans-serif; padding: 0px 0.1em; color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;" class="t_nihongo_icon"> ?, lit. "Dragon Ball Revised"), with the episodes remastered for HDTV, featuring updated opening and ending sequences, and a rerecording of the vocal tracks by most of the original cast.<sup id="cite_ref-52" class="reference">[52] <sup id="cite_ref-53" class="reference">[53] The footage was also re-edited to more closely follow the manga, resulting in a faster-moving story, and damaged frames removed.<sup id="cite_ref-54" class="reference">[54] As such, it is a new version of Dragon Ball Z created from the original footage. The majority of the international versions, including Funimation Entertainment's English dub, are titled Dragon Ball Z Kai.<sup id="cite_ref-55" class="reference">[55] <sup id="cite_ref-56" class="reference">[56]

Anime
See also: List of Dragon Ball filmsEighteen 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 fourteen Dragon Ball Z films and one tenth anniversary special (also based on the first anime series). However, the films are generally either alternate re-tellings of certain story arcs or extra side-stories that do not correlate with the same timeline as the series. The exception being Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods released in 2013, the first to have original creator Akira Toriyama deeply involved in its production.<sup id="cite_ref-BattleGods_57-0" class="reference">[57]

Live-action
An unofficial live-action Mandarin Chinese film adaptation of the series, Dragon Ball: The Magic Begins, was released in Taiwan in 1989.<sup id="cite_ref-AnimeEncyc_2-7" class="reference">[2] In December 1990, the unofficial live-action Korean film Dragon Ball: Ssawora Son Goku, Igyeora Son Goku was released. 20th Century Fox acquired feature film rights to the Dragon Ball franchise in March 2002 and began production on an American live-action film entitled Dragonball Evolution.<sup id="cite_ref-58" class="reference">[58] <sup id="cite_ref-itsofficial_59-0" class="reference">[59] Directed by James Wong and produced by Stephen Chow, it was released in the United States on April 10, 2009.<sup id="cite_ref-itsofficial_59-1" class="reference">[59] <sup id="cite_ref-FoxJapan_60-0" class="reference">[60]

TV Specials and other animations
See also: List of Dragon Ball filmsThree 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.<sup id="cite_ref-crossover_61-0" class="reference">[61]

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.<sup id="cite_ref-62" class="reference">[62] 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.<sup id="cite_ref-63" class="reference">[63]

The short film ''[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon_Ball:_Yo!_Son_Goku_and_His_Friends_Return!! Dragon Ball: Yo! Son Goku and His Friends Return!! ] was created for the Jump Super Anime Tour,<sup id="cite_ref-64" class="reference">[64] 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.<sup id="cite_ref-info_65-0" class="reference">[65]

Video games
See also: List of Dragon Ball video gamesA Dragon Ball arcade game in the far right along with many other arcade 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.<sup id="cite_ref-66" class="reference">[66] Starting Super Nintendo Entertainment System, the Mega Drive/Genesis, the Sega Saturn and the PlayStation, most of the games were from the fighting genre or RPG (Role Playing Game), including the series Super Butoden.<sup id="cite_ref-67" class="reference">[67] 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.<sup id="cite_ref-68" class="reference">[68] 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.<sup id="cite_ref-69" class="reference">[69] <sup id="cite_ref-70" class="reference">[70] Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit was the first game of the series developed for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.<sup id="cite_ref-71" class="reference">[71] 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.<sup id="cite_ref-72" class="reference">[72]

Soundtracks
See also: List of Dragon Ball soundtracksMyriad 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 directed by Shunsuke Kikuchi, while the music from GT was directed by Akihito Tokunaga and the music from Kai was directed by 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.<sup id="cite_ref-73" class="reference">[73] 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.<sup id="cite_ref-74" class="reference">[74] <sup id="cite_ref-75" class="reference">[75] Other CDs released are compilations, video games and films soundtracks as well as music from the English versions.<sup id="cite_ref-76" class="reference">[76]

Companion books
Cover of Dragon Ball: The Complete IllustrationsThere have been numerous companion books to the Dragon Ball franchise. Chief among these are the Daizenshuu (大全集<span style="font: bold 80%/normal sans-serif; padding: 0px 0.1em; color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;" class="t_nihongo_icon"> ?) 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.<sup id="cite_ref-77" class="reference">[77] 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<span style="font: bold 80%/normal sans-serif; padding: 0px 0.1em; color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;" class="t_nihongo_icon"> ?) series.<sup id="cite_ref-colorchozenshuu_17-1" class="reference">[17] 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.<sup id="cite_ref-78" class="reference">[78] <sup id="cite_ref-79" class="reference">[79]

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,<sup id="cite_ref-80" class="reference">[80] <sup id="cite_ref-81" class="reference">[81] while Dragon Ball: Tenkaichi Densetsu (ドラゴンボール 天下一伝説<span style="font: bold 80%/normal sans-serif; padding: 0px 0.1em; color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;" class="t_nihongo_icon"> ?) and Dragon Ball Z: Son Goku Densetsu (ドラゴンボールZ 孫悟空伝説<span style="font: bold 80%/normal sans-serif; padding: 0px 0.1em; color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;" class="t_nihongo_icon"> ?) cover the Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z anime, respectively.<sup id="cite_ref-82" class="reference">[82] <sup id="cite_ref-83" class="reference">[83] 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<span style="font: bold 80%/normal sans-serif; padding: 0px 0.1em; color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;" class="t_nihongo_icon"> ?) in 2009, covering the manga,<sup id="cite_ref-84" class="reference">[84] <sup id="cite_ref-85" class="reference">[85] 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<span style="font: bold 80%/normal sans-serif; padding: 0px 0.1em; color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;" class="t_nihongo_icon"> ?) in 2010, covering the anime series.<sup id="cite_ref-86" class="reference">[86] <sup id="cite_ref-87" class="reference">[87] 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」<span style="font: bold 80%/normal sans-serif; padding: 0px 0.1em; color: rgb(0, 0, 238); text-decoration: none; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal;" class="t_nihongo_icon"> ?) ; 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 and Dragon Ball Z Collectible Card GameCollectible 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.<sup id="cite_ref-88" class="reference">[88]

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.<sup id="cite_ref-LittleBoy_89-0" class="reference">[89] By 2012, this number had grown to pass 156 million in Japan and 230 million worldwide, making it the second best-selling Weekly Shōnen Jump manga of all time.<sup id="cite_ref-156mil_90-0" class="reference">[90] <sup id="cite_ref-230mil_91-0" class="reference">[91] Dragon Ball is credited as one of the main reasons for the "Golden Age of Jump", the period between the mid-1980s and the mid-1990s when manga circulation was at its highest.<sup id="cite_ref-IbarakiInterview_92-0" class="reference">[92] <sup id="cite_ref-93" class="reference">[93] For the 10th anniversary of the Japan Media Arts Festival in 2006, Japanese fans voted Dragon Ball the third greatest manga of all time.<sup id="cite_ref-94" class="reference">[94]

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."<sup id="cite_ref-oricon_95-0" class="reference">[95] Goku's journey and his ever growing strength resulted in the character winning "the admiration of young boys everywhere".<sup id="cite_ref-Manga_Design_1-1" class="reference">[1] 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.<sup id="cite_ref-96" class="reference">[96] <sup id="cite_ref-97" class="reference">[97]

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."<sup id="cite_ref-ANNJT_98-0" class="reference">[98] He says the series "turns from a gag/adventure manga to an nearly-pure fighting manga",<sup id="cite_ref-ANNJT_98-1" class="reference">[98] 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.<sup id="cite_ref-99" class="reference">[99] Thompson also called Toriyama's art influential and cited it as a reason for the series' popularity.<sup id="cite_ref-ANNJT_98-2" class="reference">[98] 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.<sup id="cite_ref-Yadao116_100-0" class="reference">[100] 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.<sup id="cite_ref-Yadao116_100-1" class="reference">[100] 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."<sup id="cite_ref-Yadao116117_101-0" class="reference">[101]

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".<sup id="cite_ref-Animerica_102-0" class="reference">[102] 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."<sup id="cite_ref-LittleBoy_89-1" class="reference">[89] 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.<sup id="cite_ref-103" class="reference">[103] Anime News Network praised the story and humor of the manga as being very good at conveying all of the characters' personalities. They 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.<sup id="cite_ref-104" class="reference">[104] 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.<sup id="cite_ref-105" class="reference">[105]

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.<sup id="cite_ref-Maryland_106-0" class="reference">[106] Commenting on the issue, Susan J. Napier explained it as a difference in culture.<sup id="cite_ref-Maryland_106-1" class="reference">[106] After the ban, Viz reluctantly began to censor the series to keep wide distribution.<sup id="cite_ref-censorship2_20-3" class="reference">[20] However in 2001, after releasing three volumes censored, Viz announced Dragon Ball would be uncensored and reprinted due to fan reactions.<sup id="cite_ref-censorship3_21-2" class="reference">[21] 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."<sup id="cite_ref-Maryland_106-2" class="reference">[106]

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."<sup id="cite_ref-107" class="reference">[107] 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.<sup id="cite_ref-108" class="reference">[108] TV Asahi conducted two polls in 2005 on the Top 100 Anime, Dragon Ball came in second in the nation-wide survey conducted with multiple age-groups and in third in the online poll.<sup id="cite_ref-109" class="reference">[109] <sup id="cite_ref-110" class="reference">[110] On several occasions the Dragon Ball anime has topped Japan's DVD sales.<sup id="cite_ref-111" class="reference">[111] <sup id="cite_ref-112" class="reference">[112]

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."<sup id="cite_ref-DBseason2_113-0" class="reference">[113] They noted Funimation's reputation for drastic alterations of the script, but praised the dub.<sup id="cite_ref-DBseason2_113-1" class="reference">[113] <sup id="cite_ref-DBseason3_114-0" class="reference">[114] 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. IGN criticized the voices including how Freeza's appearance combined with the feminine English voice left fans confused about Freeza's gender.<sup id="cite_ref-IGN_115-0" class="reference">[115] 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.<sup id="cite_ref-116" class="reference">[116] Despite praising Dragon Ball Z for its cast of characters, they criticized it for having long and repetitive fights.<sup id="cite_ref-117" class="reference">[117]

Dragon Ball Z is well-known, and often criticized, for its long, repetitive, dragged-out fights that span several episodes, with Anime News Network commenting "DBZ practically turned drawing out fights into an art form."<sup id="cite_ref-DBZSeason6_118-0" class="reference">[118] However, Jason Thompson explained that this comes from the fact that the anime was being created alongside the manga.<sup id="cite_ref-119" class="reference">[119] Dragon Ball Z was listed as the 78th best animated show in IGN's Top 100 Animated Series,<sup id="cite_ref-ign100_120-0" class="reference">[120] and was also listed as the 50th greatest cartoon in Wizard magazine's Top 100 Greatest Cartoons list.<sup id="cite_ref-121" class="reference">[121] IGN commented that Dragon Ball GT "is downright repellent", mentioning that the material and characters had lost their novelty and fun. They also criticized the GT character designs of Trunks and Vegeta as being goofy.<sup id="cite_ref-IGN_115-1" class="reference">[115] 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.<sup id="cite_ref-122" class="reference">[122]

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.<sup id="cite_ref-123" class="reference">[123] 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.<sup id="cite_ref-124" class="reference">[124] <sup id="cite_ref-125" class="reference">[125]

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.suggest_logo{background-image:url(http://cdn.sendori.com/images/feedback_logo.png);background-position:center;background-repeat:no-repeat;float:left;height:16px;padding-top:7px;width:25px} .couponCode{background:linear-gradient(centerbottom,white,#EEEEEE0px,white15px) repeat scroll 0 0 transparent;border:2px solid #CCC;color:#33669A;font-size:1.5em;text-shadow:1px 1px 0 #CCC;width:120px!important;padding:2px 4px} .hideOnLoad{display:none} .buttonMoreOld{ border-top:1px solid #96d1f8; background:#326DB1; background:-webkit-gradient(linear,left top,left bottom,from(#3e779d),to(#326DB1)); background:-webkit-linear-gradient(top,#3e779d,#326DB1); background:-moz-linear-gradient(top,#3e779d,#326DB1); background:-ms-linear-gradient(top,#3e779d,#326DB1); background:-o-linear-gradient(top,#3e779d,#326DB1); padding:5px 10px; -webkit-border-radius:5px; -moz-border-radius:5px; border-radius:5px; -webkit-box-shadow:rgba(0,0,0,1) 0 1px 0; -moz-box-shadow:rgba(0,0,0,1) 0 1px 0; box-shadow:rgba(0,0,0,1) 0 1px 0; text-shadow:rgba(0,0,0,.4) 0 1px 0; color:white; font-size:13px; font-weight:bold; font-family:Helvetica,Arial,Sans-Serif; text-decoration:none; vertical-align:middle; height:15px; margin-right:15px; width:92px; margin-top:85px; left:auto; right:0; top:0; position:absolute } .buttonMore{padding-left: 0;padding-right: 0;width: 112px;border-radius: 6px 6px 6px 6px;background-image: linear-gradient(#FF9933, #FF6633);background-size: 100% auto;border: 0 none;color: white;cursor: pointer;font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Helvetica,Arial,"Lucida Grande",sans-serif;font-size: 13.4px;font-weight: bold;line-height: 1.5em;overflow: visible;padding:6px 3px;text-shadow: 0 -1px 1px gray;} .buttonMore:hover{background-image: linear-gradient(#FF7F00, #FF4000);background-size: 100% auto;} .moreBtnSection{margin-right:15px; margin-top:82px; left:auto; right:0; top:0; position:absolute;} .marginTopMore{margin-top:-20px!important;} .buttonSavings{padding-left: 0;padding-right: 0;width: 112px;border-radius: 6px 6px 6px 6px;background-image: linear-gradient(#FF7F00, #FF4000);background-size: 100% auto;border: 0 none;color: white;cursor: pointer;font-family: "Helvetica Neue",Helvetica,Arial,"Lucida Grande",sans-serif;font-size: 13.4px;font-weight: bold;line-height: 1.5em;overflow: visible;padding:6px 3px;text-shadow: 0 -1px 1px gray;} .buttonSavings:hover{background-image: linear-gradient(#FF7F00, #FF4000);background-size: 100% auto;} .savingsBtnSection{margin-right:15px; margin-top:55px; left:auto; right:0; top:0; position:absolute;}
 * 1) inlineTextHighlight{background:none repeat scroll 0 50% transparent;text-decoration:underline;display:inline;visibility:none;color:#f35b00 !important;font-family:Arial;cursor:pointer;line-height:1.5em}
 * 2) slider_header{height:26px;width:510px;background-image:url(http://cdn.sendori.com/images/bg_header.png);background-repeat:repeat-x;border-left:1px #1A5189;border-top:1px #1A5189;border-right:1px #1A5189;display:block}
 * 3) coupon_header{height:26px;width:710px;background-image:url(http://cdn.sendori.com/images/bg_header.png);background-repeat:repeat-x;border-left:1px #1A5189;border-top:1px #1A5189;border-right:1px #1A5189;display:block}
 * 4) slider_body{height:90px;width:510px;background-image:url(http://cdn.sendori.com/images/bg_body.png);background-repeat:repeat-x;border-top:1px #438ECE;border-bottom:1px #438ECE;border-left:1px #1A5189;border-right:1px #1A5189;display:block;cursor:pointer}
 * 5) coupon_body{height:110px;width:710px;border-top:1px #438ECE;border-bottom:1px #438ECE;border-left:1px #1A5189;border-right:1px #1A5189;display:block;cursor:pointer}
 * 6) coupon_body_groupon{height:80px;width:710px;border-top:1px #438ECE;border-bottom:1px #438ECE;border-left:1px #1A5189;border-right:1px #1A5189;display:block;cursor:pointer}
 * 7) coupon_body_grouponmerchant{height:110px;width:710px;border-top:1px #438ECE;border-bottom:1px #438ECE;border-left:1px #1A5189;border-right:1px #1A5189;display:block;cursor:pointer}
 * 8) slider_footer{height:30px;width:510px;background-image:url(http://cdn.sendori.com/images/bg_footer.png);background-repeat:repeat-x;border-left:1px #1A5189;border-right:1px #1A5189;border-bottom:1px #1A5189;display:block;cursor:auto}
 * 9) coupon_footer{height:10px;width:710px;background-image:url(http://cdn.sendori.com/images/bg_footer.png);background-repeat:repeat-x;border-left:1px #1A5189;border-right:1px #1A5189;border-bottom:1px #1A5189;display:block;cursor:auto}
 * 10) bt_learn{background-image:url(http://cdn.sendori.com/images/btn_learn.png);background-repeat:no-repeat;height:90px;margin-right:5px;width:112px;margin-top:60px;left:auto;right:0;top:0;position:absolute}
 * 11) btn_getDeal{background-image:url(http://cdn.sendori.com/test/coupons/img/get_deal.png);background-repeat:no-repeat;height:90px;margin-right:15px;width:112px;margin-top:45px;left:auto;right:0;top:0;position:absolute}
 * 12) btn_getCode{background-image:url(http://cdn.sendori.com/test/coupons/img/get_code.png);background-repeat:no-repeat;height:90px;margin-right:15px;width:112px;margin-top:45px;left:auto;right:0;top:0;position:absolute}
 * 13) icon_alert{height:16px;width:16px;background-image:url(http://cdn.sendori.com/images/icon_alert.png);padding:5px}
 * 14) icon_close{background-image:url(http://cdn.sendori.com/images/icon_close.png);background-repeat:no-repeat;display:block;float:left;height:16px;width:16px;cursor:pointer}
 * 15) favicon{background-position:center top;background-repeat:no-repeat;height:90px;margin-left:5px;margin-top:5px;width:16px;float:left;position:relative}
 * 16) couponIcon{background-repeat:no-repeat;margin-left:5px;margin-top:5px;height:30px;width:120px;float:left;position:absolute;border:1px solid #DFDFDF}
 * 17) couponSmallIcon{background-position:center top;background-repeat:no-repeat;width:110px;height:30px;margin-left:5px;margin-top:5px;float:left;position:relative}
 * 18) ad_title{font-family:Helvetica;font-size:13pt;font-weight:700;color:#000;text-decoration:underline;margin-right:122px;text-align:left}
 * 19) coupon_title{font-family:Helvetica;font-size:12pt;font-weight:700;color:#036;text-decoration:underline;margin-right:127px;margin-top:3px;text-align:left;line-height:20px;display:table}
 * 20) ad_body{font-family:Helvetica;font-size:11pt;color:#333;padding-top:5px;margin-right:125px;text-align:left}
 * 21) ad_url{color:#FFF;float:left;font-family:Helvetica;font-size:10pt;margin-right:10px;margin-left:10px;padding-top:6px;cursor:auto}
 * 22) snd_logo{background-image:url(http://cdn.sendori.com/images/logo.png);background-repeat:no-repeat;height:17px;width:65px;cursor:auto;float:left;margin-right:10px;margin-top:1px}
 * 23) sndsug{font:arial,helvetica,sans-serif!important;font-size:16px!important}
 * 24) sndsug a{color:#000!important;text-decoration:none!important;padding-left:6px}
 * 1) snds{display:block!important}
 * 2) notification_message{color:#FFF;float:left;font-family:Helvetica;font-size:8pt;font-weight:700;padding-left:0;margin-top:5px;text-decoration:none}
 * 3) coupon_message{color:#FFF;float:left;font-family:Helvetica;font-size:16px;font-weight:bold;padding-left:270px;margin-top:3px;text-decoration:none;text-shadow: #333 0.1em 0.1em 0.2em;}
 * 4) notification_alert{background-image:url(http://cdn.sendori.com/images/icon_alert.png);background-position:center center;background-repeat:no-repeat;float:left;height:16px;padding-left:10px;padding-top:5px;width:16px}
 * 5) slider_container{width:510px;height:146px;display:none;position:fixed;left:50%;bottom:0;margin-left:-255px;z-index:9999999999;border-radius:4px 4px 0 0;-webkit-border-radius:4px 4px 0 0;-moz-border-radius:4px 4px 0 0;box-shadow:0 0 9px #515151;-webkit-box-shadow:0 0 9px #515151;-moz-box-shadow:0 0 9px #515151}
 * 6) coupon_container{width:710px;height:146px;display:none;position:fixed;left:50%;bottom:0;margin-left:-370px;z-index:9999999999;border-radius:4px 4px 0 0;-webkit-border-radius:4px 4px 0 0;-moz-border-radius:4px 4px 0 0;box-shadow:0 0 9px #515151;-webkit-box-shadow:0 0 9px #515151;-moz-box-shadow:0 0 9px #515151}
 * 7) coupon_container_groupon{width:710px;height:116px;display:none;position:fixed;left:50%;bottom:0;margin-left:-370px;z-index:9999999999;border-radius:4px 4px 0 0;-webkit-border-radius:4px 4px 0 0;-moz-border-radius:4px 4px 0 0;box-shadow:0 0 9px #515151;-webkit-box-shadow:0 0 9px #515151;-moz-box-shadow:0 0 9px #515151}
 * 8) coupon_container_grouponmerchant{width:710px;height:146px;display:none;position:fixed;left:50%;bottom:0;margin-left:-370px;z-index:9999999999;border-radius:4px 4px 0 0;-webkit-border-radius:4px 4px 0 0;-moz-border-radius:4px 4px 0 0;box-shadow:0 0 9px #515151;-webkit-box-shadow:0 0 9px #515151;-moz-box-shadow:0 0 9px #515151}
 * 9) Nx_slider_container{width:510px;height:26px;display:none;position:fixed;left:50%;bottom:0;margin-left:-255px;border-radius:4px 4px 0 0;-webkit-border-radius:4px 4px 0 0;-moz-border-radius:4px 4px 0 0;z-index:9999999999;border-left:1px #1A5189;border-top:1px #1A5189;border-right:1px #1A5189;box-shadow:0 0 9px #515151;-webkit-box-shadow:0 0 9px #515151;-moz-box-shadow:0 0 9px #515151}
 * 10) coupon_description{width:440px;font-family:Helvetica;font-size:14px;color:#000;margin-top:6px;text-align:left;}
 * 1) code{margin-right:5px;margin-top:60px;left:auto;right:0;top:0;position:absolute}
 * 2) code a{color:#000;display:inline-block;font-size:12px;font-weight:700;padding-top:5px;text-decoration:none}
 * 1) sndSugTbl{width:570px}
 * 1) grouponIcon{background-repeat:no-repeat;margin-left:5px;margin-top:40px;height:60px;width:120px;float:left;position:absolute;border:1px solid #DFDFDF}