Dragon Ball

Story

Dragon Ball follows the adventures of a mischievous young boy called Son Goku and his friend Bulma. The two of them embark on a long journey to collect seven dragon balls in order to summon the great dragon Shenlong who will grant them one wish. The general plot of each series conveys Son Goku combat and/or befriend a different array of often bizarre and surreal characters.

Why we chose it

Dragon Ball embodies everything that people have come to love about shonen manga. Its engaging and seemingly infinite narratives have provided lifetimes of entertainment for many and allowed fans to grow alongside their favourite characters, as Dragon Ball follows Goku’s experiences from childhood to adulthood.

It is for this reason that Goku has become a manga icon alongside characters like Pikachu and Astro Boy.

Where it came from

Dragon Ball was written and illustrated by Akira Toriyama and published by Japanese publishing company Shueisha. The manga was serialized in their magazine ‘Weekly Shonen Jump’ from 1984 to 1995. Toriyama had a passion for Kung fu films, especially films starring Jackie Chan. This passion drove him to create Dragon Ball.

Where it went next

It went on to become one of the most successful and well-known mangas of all time; Dragon Ball transformed into a whole media franchise. The story of Son Goku has been adapted into books, TV shows, films and video games. The latest animated series Super Dragon Ball Heroes is still ongoing to this day, proving the longevity of the fan’s support and love of Dragon Ball.

Associated stories

Toriyama has been said to have taken inspiration from the Chinese novel Journey to the West. Toriyama has also stated that Dragon Ball would not exist if he hadn’t seen the film Drunken Master, which contains the genres of comedy, action and martial arts. All of which are very prominent within Dragon Ball.