dragon ball japanese hepburn japanese manga series written illustrated originally serialized weekly jump individual chapters published volumes initially inspired classical chinese novel journey west series follows adventures protagonist childhood adulthood trains martial arts explores world search seven known dragon balls summon wish granting dragon gathered journey makes friends battles wide variety villains seek dragon balls adapted anime series produced dragon ball dragon ball broadcast japan additionally studio developed nineteen animated feature films television specials anime series titled revised faster paced version aired japan title original version footage featured manga removed fifth anime series titled began airing japan july companies developed types merchandising based series leading large media franchise includes films animated live action trading card games numerous action figures collections soundtracks large number video games manga series licensed english language release north_america united_kingdom australia new_zealand entire anime series licensed english language release united_states series dubbed studio films franchise including live action film adaptation produced taiwan 20th century fox acquired rights produce american live action film titled evolution received negatively critics fans movie released april united_states release successful manga anime series time manga volumes sold million copies japan million copies worldwide making best selling manga series history reviewers praised art characterization humor story widely regarded greatest manga series manga artists piece rave master black cat citing source inspiration popular works anime particularly dragon ball highly popular countries arguably influential popularity japanese animation western culture plot summary series begins monkey tailed boy named teenage girl named accompanies find seven summon dragon grant user wish journey leads desert later ally agrees marry man seeks dragon balls fulfill desire rule world undergoes rigorous training regimes martial arts master order fight strongest heavens martial arts tournament monk named training partner rival soon best friends tournament searches dragon ball grandfather left single defeats hired assassin reunites friends defeat fighters locate dragon ball revive friend killed years later allies oppose rival brother students killed tournament tracks defeated killer takes receives healing power boost fights leading deaths uses dragon balls regain youth destroying kills dying son directs original creator dragon balls restore revive slain friends trains years reuniting friends narrowly wins leaving promise marry years later young adult father son arrives earth identifies younger brother reveals members nearly extinct extraterrestrial race called sent conquer earth suffered severe head injury lost memory mission refuses continue mission sides sacrifices life defeat trains revived dragon balls save earth invading battle killed dragon balls cease exist learn set planet search revive friends subsequently earth leading battles standing alongside heroes fight team mercenaries long battle comes close transforms super legends defeats group artificial humans created member doctor appear years later seeking revenge time evil life form called cell emerges absorbing achieve perfect form holds fighting tournament challenge protagonists sacrifices life avail father defeating cell seven years later briefly revived day allies drawn fight numerous battles including destruction creation earth destroys sphere pure energy drawn intelligent beings earth wishes good person years later meets human leaving match unfinished departs train earth new guardian production loosely modeled classic chinese novel journey west redeveloped shot manga said fighting influenced movies famous martial arts actor wanted create story basic theme journey west little serialized magazine added idea dragon balls game like activity gathering thinking characters wish originally thought year end dragon balls collected stated stories easy understand specifically aimed readers older previous serial slump wanted break western influences common slump deliberately going chinese scenery referencing chinese buildings photographs china wife bought island held modeled wife assistant visited area spaceship consulted photos africa martial arts tournament began truly popular having recalled races tournaments slump anticipating readers expect win tournaments lose planning eventual victory said muscle tower storyline inspired video game enemies tended appear fast created truly evil villain result called arc interesting draw company strongest earth turned extraterrestrial opponents including forcibly took planets created time japanese economic bubble inspired real estate called worst kind people finding escalating enemies difficult created add balance series added time travel said hard time thinking week having discuss second editor cell death intended replace series protagonist felt character suited role changed mind going normal convention strongest characters largest terms physical size designed dragon ball powerful characters small including protagonist creating character process come face body type clothes thinking world inhabit fighters said plan details story resulting strange occurrences later series including changing colors characters mid story characters having screen tone found difficult use later explained grow means drawing fight scenes easier editor initially rare main character manga series change drastically including fights manga characters locations avoid difficulties drawing residents destroyed buildings personally idea naming fighting techniques time felt better proceeded create names techniques series signature lit wife came called order advance story quickly having characters travel created flying cloud lit cloud gave fighters flying technique lit air dance technique finally granted ability lit instant came idea felt way massive power transform initially concerned facial expression looked like villain felt transformation brought anger acceptable talking long time friend fellow manga artist stronger super suggested having characters fuse leading creation fusion technique completion continued add story background information universe published second half series said interested coming story actually drawing battles intense lines said letters readers complaining art square intentionally stated action manga important aspect sense speed draw elaborate going far suggest interested art said goal series tell unconventional contradictory story commenting global success said frankly don understand happened manga serialized thing wanted kept drawing japanese boys happy role manga work entertainment dare don care works left long entertained readers media manga written illustrated serialized manga anthology weekly jump november grew exhausted felt needed break drawing individual chapters published volumes september august chapters released collection volumes included slightly rewritten ending new covers color artwork weekly jump run february issue jump released december announced parts manga fully colored released volumes beginning chapter grouped story arcs released february july dragon ball manga licensed release english north_america originally released volumes chapters title dragon ball mimic anime series adapted volumes feeling reduce potential confusion readers initially released series chapter chapter monthly comic book format starting later began collecting graphic novels releasing monthly format began censor series response complaints parents argued parental complaints major chain stores stop selling series wide distribution concessions assured changes approval making suggestions obscure objects fan petition garnered signatures created year later announced stop series instead increased rating reprinted graphic novels dragon ball trunk appearance chapter published monthly magazine debut issue january april later collected volumes series released march imprint completed august finishing june releasing volumes company began censor series translating sound effects changing sexual references june began releasing series format called big edition collects individual volumes single large volume editions higher quality paper include original weekly jump color pages include new censorship releases november volumes series released hardcover collector editions began releasing new volumes similar big edition volume released june version uses japanese covers marks time english entire series released dragon ball serialized chapter fully colored version manga digital anthology february february began publishing dragon ball color edition large printed volumes february manga licensed english speaking countries distributed format separating united_kingdom release manga different distributors august november imprint released volumes dragon ball release books expand digital sales august australia new_zealand released volumes dragon ball manga big volumes spin offs created short series self parody appearing august chapter series released sporadically weekly jump monthly jump completed chapters compiled volume release april celebration 30th anniversary special manga titled super released september included characters series appearing special crossover chapters known manga chapter police station dragon ball crossover author year teamed create single crossover chapter piece chapter published december issue weekly jump april issue english final chapter manga series revealed set characters making appearances collected volumes contain bonus chapter depicting mother bonus chapter published digital english weekly colored spin manga titled dragon ball written published magazine debut issue released december manga condensed retelling adventures child details changed super deformed art style title collected volumes released april second april december fourth february chapter manga penned published monthly magazine jump august october manga sequel special father key details changed title indicates manga story revolves father special featured scenario die hands gets fight enemy super anime series dragon ball produced anime television series based manga chapters titled series premiered japan television february ran april lasting episodes dragon ball instead continuing anime animation decided carry adaptation new asked come title dragon ball commonly abbreviated picks years series left final chapters manga premiered japan television april taking predecessor time slot ran episodes conclusion january dragon ball dragon ball premiered february ran november episodes unlike anime series based original manga created sequel series called grand story original designed main cast spaceship design planets came title logo addition oversaw production series dragon ball dragon ball anime february announced begin broadcasting revised version series 20th anniversary celebrations series premiered japan april lit dragon ball revised episodes remastered featuring updated opening ending sequences vocal tracks original cast footage edited closely follow manga resulting faster moving story damaged frames removed new version created original footage shots remade scratch order fix continuity issues majority international versions including english dub titled dragon ball dragon ball super april announced new television series released years debuted july run weekly series sundays reprised roles original cast reprise roles reprise roles respectively story anime set months defeat earth peaceful credited original creator original story character design concepts adapted companion manga films anime nineteen animated theatrical films based dragon ball series released japan films based original anime series remaining films include dragon ball films tenth anniversary special based anime series films generally alternate certain story arcs extra stories timeline series exception dragon ball battle gods dragon ball resurrection released respectively films original creator deeply involved production live action unofficial live action chinese film adaptation series magic begins released taiwan december unofficial live action korean film dragon ball son released 20th century fox acquired feature film rights dragon ball franchise march began production american live action film entitled evolution directed produced released united_states april specials animations television specials based series aired japan son father renamed father shown october second special renamed history based special chapter original manga aired march story star ball badge courage renamed hero legacy aired march hour long crossover special piece referred dragon ball super collaboration special aired april episode original video animation titled plan created strategy guides video game remake titled dragon ball plan super created bonus feature playstation xbox video game dragon ball raging blast released november short film dragon ball son friends return created celebrated weekly jump 40th anniversary debuted november short animated adaptation manga dragon ball episode shown december jump event video games dragon ball franchise spawned multiple video games genres platforms earlier games series included system card battling released nintendo_entertainment_system following storyline series starting super nintendo entertainment system playstation games fighting genre rpg including series dragon ball game released united_states dragon ball final bout playstation playstation playstation portable games characters redone shaded graphics games included dragon ball series series dragon ball burst limit game franchise developed playstation xbox game franchise developed playstation xbox massively multiplayer online role playing game called dragon ball online available korea hong_kong taiwan shut soundtracks soundtracks released anime movies games music anime films composed music composed music composed anime soundtracks released dragon ball music collection dragon ball complete song collection reissued respectively second anime soundtrack series released produced released columbia_records japan july march entire lifespan september columbia released series cds released compilations video games films soundtracks music english versions companion books numerous companion books dragon ball franchise chief series comprising seven main volumes supplemental volumes covering manga anime series theatrical films dragon ball published japan released english printed contains colored illustrations drew magazines covers bonus specials covers includes interview work process remainder released english print japan february condensed versions updated information released volume series dragon ball perfect files released december jump comics selection imprint include series information illustration galleries scenes information print years released april accompanying japanese dvd release edition print coinciding volume release manga release entire series dvd time japan new released dragon ball forever cover manga volume numbers story points reference release dragon ball son cover dragon ball dragon ball anime respectively material books reused earlier volumes include new material including substantial interviews creator cast production staff series son particular showcases previously unpublished design sketches father drawn character designer prior creator revisions resulted final version following release japan new released volume dragon ball super exciting guide covering manga volume dragon ball extreme battle collection covering anime series despite series airing time extreme battle collection books reference earlier series content episode numbers books include new question answer sessions revealing new details world characters series saw release new dragon ball anime illustrations guide golden warrior sort anime counterpart manga oriented showcases anime original illustrations includes interviews principal character designers anime japanese dvd releases series movies released blu ray boxed sets released come dragon book guide contains details content contains new interview member cast staff series books reproduced release dragon ball dragon box sets cards cards based dragon ball dragon ball series released cards feature scenes manga anime plus exclusive artwork series released set united_states july reception manga popular manga series time continues enjoy high readership today million copies volumes sold japan number grown pass million japan million worldwide making second best selling weekly jump manga time credited main reasons period manga circulation highest mid-1980s mid-1990s 10th anniversary japanese fans voted greatest manga time survey conducted oricon people son main character franchise ranked place strongest manga character time journey growing strength resulted character winning admiration young boys manga artists piece creator creator stated inspired series main protagonists series structure manga critic stated dragon ball far influential manga years today artist lists favorites lifts ways says series turns gag adventure manga nearly pure fighting manga basic formula lots martial arts lots training sequences jokes model series thompson called art influential cited reason series popularity author manga claims chapters dragon ball play like slump like humour built slump previous manga clear early influence series feels series established unique identity occasion group trains story develops far action packed sinister tone battles aerial spiritual elements increased death count humor makes occasional appearance claims art shift occurs characters lose rounded innocent look established slump gain angles leap page energy intensity felt series worldwide appeal dramatic pacing martial arts action maintain tension levels hold audience attention spans little boy art japan commented dragon ball ending narrative moves forward seamlessly great commented manga art style series continued characters got refined muscular khan prefers manga slow pacing anime counterparts praised story humor manga good conveying characters personalities divers called translation best english editions series original japanese remarked manga volume superior humor title praised innocence insistence funniest parts series content manga controversial united_states november toys removed stores nationwide dallas parent complained series borderline soft porn bought year old son commenting issue explained difference culture ban reluctantly began censor series wide distribution releasing volumes censored announced reprinted fan reactions october maryland banned dragon ball manga school district depicts nudity sexual contact children sexual adults children anime anime adaptations received better known western world manga saying anime series way dragon ball certain generation television consumers characters known animated realm step wilderness anime satellite channel men lifestyle magazine japan largest video rental chain conducted poll fans anime series coming fourth conducted polls anime came second nationwide survey conducted multiple age groups online poll occasions dragon ball anime topped japan dvd sales summed dragon ball action packed tale told rare humor genuine sense adventure colleague noted reputation drastic alterations script praised dub critics fans japanese version critical english dub script years criticized voices including appearance combined feminine english voice left fans confused gender considered series characters different stereotypical stock characters noted undergo development despite praising dragon ball cast characters criticized having long repetitive fights known criticized long repetitive dragged fights span episodes martin commenting practically turned drawing fights art form explained comes fact anime created alongside manga dragon ball listed best animated ign animated series listed 50th greatest cartoon wizard magazine greatest cartoons list harris commented dragon ball downright mentioning material characters lost novelty fun criticized character designs goofy gave negative comments mentioning fights series simple exercise anime superior plot criticized giving formula predecessors episode earned viewer ratings percentage ahead piece following episodes lower ratings anime viewer ratings week japan run
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