Dragon Ball (1986)ドラゴンボール
Director: Daisuke Nishio
Screenwriter: Akira Toriyama
Starring: Masako Nozawa / Nori Yanami / Tsuruhiro Mi
Genre: Comedy / Animation / Fantasy / Adventure
Official site: en.dragon-ball-official.com
Country/Region of Production: Japan
Language: Japanese
Date: 1986-02-26 (Japan) / April 26, 1989 / February 7, 1996 / April 5, 2009 / July 5, 2015
Number of Seasons: 6
Number of episodes: 806
Episode length: 25 minutes
Number of Movies: 29
Number of Games: 111
Also known as: Dragonball / Dragon Ball Z / Dragon Ball GT / Dragon Ball Z Kai / Dragon Ball Super
IMDb: tt0088509
Adaptation: Inspiration
Summary:
Earth, known as the Dragon World (ドラゴンワールド) and designated as “Planet 4032-877” by the celestial hierarchy, is the main setting for the entire Dragon Ball series, as well as related media such as Dr. Slump, Neko Majin, and Jaco the Galactic Patrolman. It is mainly inhabited by Earthlings (地球人, Chikyūjin), a term used inclusively to refer to all of the intelligent races native to the planet, including humans, anthropomorphic beings, and monsters. Starting from the Dragon Ball Z series, various extraterrestrial species such as the Saiyans (サイヤ人, Saiya-jin) and Namekians (ナメック星人, Namekku-seijin) have played a more prominent role in franchise media.
The narrative of Dragon Ball predominantly follows the adventures of the Saiyan Son Goku; upon meeting Bulma at the beginning of the series, the two embark on an adventure to gather the seven Dragon Balls, a set of orbs that summon the wish-granting dragon Shenlong. Goku later receives martial arts training from Kame-Sen'nin, meets his lifelong friend Kuririn, and enters the Tenkaichi Budōkai (天下一武道会, lit. “Strongest Under the Heavens Martial Arts Tournament”) to fight the world’s strongest warriors. When Piccolo Daimao, and later his offspring Piccolo, tries to conquer the planet, Goku receives training from Earth’s deities to defeat them. Goku later sacrifices his life to save the planet from his estranged brother Raditz, but is revived after training in the afterlife under the tutelage of the North Kaio to combat the other incoming Saiyans, Nappa and Vegeta. He later becomes a Super Saiyan and defeats the powerful alien tyrant Freeza; this sets the tone of the rest of the series, with each enemy the characters face becoming stronger than the last, requiring them to attain further training.
Dragon Ball Super establishes that the franchise is set in a multiverse composed of twelve numbered universes, with the majority of the Dragon Ball series taking place in Universe 7 (第７宇宙, Dai-Nana Uchū, lit. “Number Seven Universe”). Each universe is ruled by a number of benevolent and malevolent deities, respectively called Kaioshin and Gods of Destruction who are appointed by a higher being called Zeno, who watches over the multiverse.
