Dragonball: The Legendary Franchise!
Devon Lord-Moncrief
In 1984, the world of anime would change forever. The debut of Dragon Ball (sometimes written as “Dragonball”) by mangaka Akira Toriyama introduced the world to Goku and the titular magical orbs he traveled the world searching for.
Dragon Ball wasn’t an instant hit, but it kept growing and evolving. Over time, it became the powerhouse of anime action we know today. As we celebrate its 40th anniversary this year, let’s look back on one of anime’s greatest martial arts epics.
The Original Dragon Ball Set the Stage
Akira Toriyama was already a household name by the time Dragon Ball was created. Having started writing and illustrating manga throughout the late 70s, Toriyama had a rough start to his career as a creator. His first published story, Wonder Island, wasn’t very well received, and Toriyama struggled to establish himself. Luckily, due to his obstinacy and refusal to give up, Toriyama kept submitting work until he found massive success with his series, Dr. Slump. Dr. Slump was huge and catapulted Toriyama into success.
Not content to work on only one series, Toriyama continued to write a large variety of short series and one-shots, among them a short entitled “Dragon Boy.” The concept of a young boy performing martial arts laid the groundwork for what would later become Dragon Ball. Inspired heavily by martial arts films starring Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee, Toriyama combined the action he loved with the wonderful fantasy of Journey to the West.
What was Dragonball originally about?
The original Dragon Ball follows the young boy Goku as he travels the world in search of the mystical Dragon Balls. It’s said that whoever finds all seven of the Dragon Balls will have any wish come true. Along the way, Goku meets a colorful cast of characters who both aid and addle him. Characters include the wise Turtle Hermit, his friendly rival Krillin, and the spunky girl Bulma. Goku battles all sorts of enemies on his journey, like the evil Emperor Pilaf.
Believe it or not, but Dragon Ball took time to gain traction with fans. Toriyama originally wrote the series as a comedy, but fans responded more positively to the action sequences. This led Toriyama to shift gears and alter the series’ tone and content. He also introduced characters to liven the series up, too, as many readers opined that Goku was a little too bland to carry the entire series.
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Dragon Ball Z Changed the Game Forever
In 1989, Toriyama took a major gamble with Dragon Ball, introducing a large time skip. Where the original run of the series featured Goku as a young boy, the story – rebranded as Dragon Ball Z – would now pick up with him as an adult, happily married to Chi-Chi. With his son, Gohan, in tow, Goku was happy with his life – until the day the evil Saiyan Raditz came to Earth.
From that moment on, Goku’s entire life was thrown upside down as he fought larger and more powerful enemies to protect the Earth. The villainous Vegeta, the terrifying Frieza, the mysterious Androids, and the chaotic Buu are just some of the foes Goku and his friends contended with in their adventures.
Dragon Ball GT Was An Ardent, If Flawed, Sequel
After the events of the original Dragon Ball series concluded, a new series debuted in 1996: Dragon Ball GT. What made GT so unique was that it was not an adaptation of Toriyama’s original manga. Instead, it was its own original story, although Toriyama did create characters for the series.
Despite Toriyama’s small involvement with the series, GT has ultimately been a letdown for fans. While it was successful in its own right, contemporary opinions are not kind to it. Many fans considered it redundant and low-quality in its storytelling and characterizations. It has its moments, but it’s certainly not as well-regarded as the original series.
Dragon Ball Kai and Super Helped Reinvigorate The Series
In 2009, Dragon Ball Kai debuted as a means of remastering the original Dragon Ball Z series. As Toriyama refused to create a new story for the series, it was decided to remaster the original instead. This included digitally cleaning up the animation, removing damaged cels, and omitting filler episodes to better align with the manga’s pacing.
The new show had a much faster pace than the original and was generally well-received. However, fans debated over the years whether rerecording the voice acting and cutting entire episodes is fair to the original series. Nevertheless, viewers liked Kai overall.
Following the release of Kai, Dragon Ball has enjoyed an enormous resurgence. With the release of the films Battle of Gods, Resurrection ‘F’, Broly, and Super Hero, Dragon Ball was also kicked back into high gear with the release of the new series Dragon Ball Super in 2015.
Taking place during the ten-year time skip in the original manga series, Super also retells the events of Battle of the Gods and Resurrection ‘F’. Despite a handful of animation sequences drawing criticism from viewers due to their low quality, Super has been met overwhelmingly with positivity.
Why should you be excited for Dragon Ball’s 40th Anniversary?
On March 1st, 2024, Akira Toriyama passed away, leaving an unfilled void in the world of manga and anime. The list of his works and accomplishments is too numerous to list here. The impact he had on the world of entertainment as a whole is incalculable. People who don’t know anime know Goku. To say that Akira Toriyama was one of the greatest and most influential creators in history is putting it lightly.
Despite his absence, Dragon Ball is still roaring ahead with tons of new video games, movies, and even a new series slated for this year. Forty years ago, the world became richer with the introduction of a wily little boy and the magical quest he embarked on. How much do you love Dragon Ball? Please let us know! We’d love to hear from you!
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