Dragon Ball (ドラゴンボール), created by Akira Toriyama in 1984, is an internationally popular teen and young adult franchise, though it is also popular among younger children. It consists primarily of one manga series, four anime series, seventeen animated feature films, an unofficial live-action Chinese feature film as well as an American live-action one, a collectible card game, a large number of video games, collectible products, and action figures. Dragon Ball has an extensive online fanbase and (as of
Dragon Ball manga cover.
2005) is consistently one of the most frequently searched-for terms on Google, Yahoo!, and Lycos.
The story of Dragon Ball got some of its inspiration and several characters from the Chinese folk novel Journey to the West, though it diverges from the novel very quickly. It follows the adventures of its lead character, Son Goku (based on the Monkey King of the folk legend, Sun Wukong) from his childhood into old age. The story includes both action and comedy elements, though the series became more action-oriented over time.
Before Dragon Ball
Main article: Dragon Boy
Just prior to ending a successful six-year run on his humor manga, Dr. Slump, in the Weekly Shonen Jump anthology magazine, Akira Toriyama started toying with the ideas that he would later apply into the Dragon Ball manga. In 1983, he wrote two issues of Dragon Boy manga for the Fresh Jump anthology magazine. This story, left unfinished, merged in the comic style of Dr. Slump with an action-oriented plot. It includes many elements which would be reused in the later series, including a very different kind of Dragon Ball. Also in 1983, he published (but also did not finish) The Adventures of Tongpoo, a science fiction manga also featuring a Goku-like character and plot elements (such as Hoi Poi Capsules) which he would reuse later.
Dragon Ball manga
Main article: Dragon Ball (manga)
In late 1984, the first issue of "Dragon Ball" appeared in Weekly Shonen Jump, the same anthology magazine where Dr. Slump had previously been published. The series was then published weekly and on a very tight schedule (14 pages per week, plus title page) for nearly eleven years, ending in May 1995. In total, 519 regular chapters and one bonus chapter were published. Unlike American-style comic books, Dragon Ball was largely produced in black and white. Some small number of pages in a subset of issues were colorized for emphasis. During the run of the manga in Japan, it was reprinted in (an eventual total of 42) tankôbon (Japanese graphic novels). Unlike the original print run of the manga, the previously colorized pages were reprinted only in grayscale.
A year and a half into the story of Dragon Ball, Akira Toriyama included an extended (three issue) cameo by some of the characters and locations from his previous popular manga, Dr. Slump. This is perceived by many fans as tying the two fictional universes together, although the Slump characters never make any further appearances in the manga.
Among fans, the Dragon Ball manga is considered the "authoritative" source of the events in the Dragon Ball universe (called Dragon World by the author). Events that take place outside the manga are generally not considered canonical. For instance, the anime-only filler scenes often create plot holes.
Dragon Ball anime
Main article: Dragon Ball
Within a short time after the first publication of the manga, it had reached a level of popularity in Japan that convinced the people of Toei Animation to produce both an anime series and a feature film based on the characters. The anime series premiered in February 1986 on Fuji Television, running weekly and in prime time with new episodes every Wednesday night.
The anime series that was produced closely matched the manga that it was based on (as opposed to Sailor Moon, for example, which the manga and anime diverged significantly), but this had the major drawback that the anime would often catch up to the current point in the manga and the animators were left to create additional episodes and situations to allow them time for more source material to be written. Such material in the series (known by fans as filler) was often of a lower quality than the original manga and occasionally would directly contradict information that would be provided in the source material later. This is perhaps unsurprising due to the difficulty of producing 20 minutes of animation each week, with only 14 pages of manga to work from.
Dragon Ball logo
In December of 1986, the first theatrical film version of the anime was produced. Called simply "Dragon Ball" (in Japan, the movie's eventual English title is "Curse of the Blood Rubies"), it retold the events of the first several episodes of the anime series. That was followed by additional movies in July 1987 ("The Sleeping Princess in the Devil's Castle") and July 1988 ("Mystical Great Adventure"). (The first two films were directed by Daisuke Nishio, the third by Kazuhisa Takenouchi.)
Because of the popularity of the title in Japan, three video games (all for the Nintendo Family Computer) were produced. The first, released in 1986 as "The Mystery of Shenlong", was the only action game of the three. The other two (1988 and 1989) were card game / board game hybrids.
The anime series ended in April 1989 after 153 episodes (and Son Goku's marriage and transition to adulthood). Although the animated series ended, fans did not have to wait long for the continuation of the story. The sequel anime, "Dragon Ball Z" debuted the following week.
First US Release
In the first years after the Dragon Ball manga and anime became successful in Japan, an initial attempt was made to export the show to an American audience. These initial attempts to gain a foothold in the large American market were unsuccessful and short lived.
In 1986, right as the Dragon Ball anime was kicking off in Japan, a Dragon Ball video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System was produced by Bandai and exported to the US. Titled "Dragon Power" (or "Mystery of Shenlong" in Japan), it was a martial arts action game which loosely followed the plot of the first thirteen issues of the manga. Sales figures for the game are not available, but no further Dragon Ball video games were released in the US for another seven years.
In 1989, a first attempt was made to release the Dragon Ball anime in the US in the form of a limited number of episodes (and an edited form of the first and third movies) produced and dubbed by Harmony Gold. After being test marketed in several cities (with some resulting controversy over the subject matter of the early episodes-- something that would strike again in later attempts), it was withdrawn from the marketplace without a full season produced. Because it was never broadcast to the general public, it is referred to as the "Lost Dub" by fans.
Dragon Ball Z
Main article: Dragon Ball Z
Picking up exactly where the previous series left off, Dragon Ball Z began airing in Japan a week after the Dragon Ball anime ended, and in the same timeslot. A new series name was chosen by the producers to differentiate the current series, with its reduced emphasis on comedy and its new science fiction themes, from the previous one -- even though both were still based on the same Dragon Ball manga. The new show also featured improved production values and animation quality. This transition point was attractive because not only did it follow a several year gap in the plot (one of several such gaps in the series), but it also featured revised origin stories for several lead characters and the introduction of several new characters. This made it a good jumping on
Dragon Ball Z logo
point for new fans of the series.
Three months after the premier of the Z anime, in July 1989, the first Dragon Ball Z movie (entitled "Return my Gohan" in Japanese) premiered in theaters. This was followed by two additional theatrical movies released per year (one in March and one in July) until 1995. In total, thirteen Dragon Ball Z movies were produced. In addition to the feature films, two movie-length television specials were also produced for the series. (These initially aired in 1990 and 1993.)
Like the original "Dragon Ball" anime, "Dragon Ball Z" suffered from the same manga-to-anime pacing problems which resulted in the excess of filler material in the previous anime. In some ways, the problem was more pronounced during the production of the "Z" series as the increased focus on action resulted in many issues of the manga devoted entirely to action sequences. These combat-oriented issues were more difficult to "stretch" into episodes than more diverse action and this resulted in pacing problems throughout some sections of the series.
In May 1995, the long running "Dragon Ball" manga finally ended its run in Shonen Jump. Without additional issues of the manga to translate onto the small screen, the "Dragon Ball Z" series ended in January 1996 after 291 episodes. Once again however, Japanese fans would not have to wait more than a week for the continuation of the story, in "Dragon Ball GT".
During the production of Dragon Ball Z in Japan, popularity for the franchise was at its peak. Production of video games--first for the Nintendo Family Computer (Famicom), then later for Super Famicom, PlayStation, Game Boy, and Sega Saturn-- reached its peak during this period. Ironically, despite tremendous success in Japan and tons of marketable goods, the series had yet to take off in the US.
Second US Release
Shortly after the release of Dragon Ball Z in Japan, momentum was building in the US for a second attempt at releasing "Dragon Ball" to an American audience. In the fall of 1995, the first episodes of "Dragon Ball" were redubbed by Ocean Group for syndicated release on American television by FUNimation Productions through SeaGull Entertainment. Ultimately, the show only lasted for less than one season before being canceled in favor of jumping ahead to Dragon Ball Z. (The latter series was believed to have greater merchandise potential.) In total, only thirteen episodes (of the production order of 26) and the first Dragon Ball feature film were produced. In 1996, Vidmark Entertainment purchased the home video rights for the series.
As of 2004, Vidmark still retained the rights to the first season of Dragon Ball in the US. This prevented FUNimation from releasing the first season unedited (with their dubbing) in the United States, though it has been released in other countries. Vidmark was acquired by Lionsgate in recent years, making them the holder of the rights for many years. However, FUNimation has since regained the rights, and will release the first season (Emperor Pilaf and Tournament Sagas) uncut here for the first time in September of 2009.
After the two failed launches of the Dragon Ball cartoon in the States, FUNimation switched distribution companies to Saban (at that time riding on the popularity of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, another Japanese import) and began releasing Dragon Ball Z on American television in the fall of 1996, using voice actors of the Ocean Group. The intended audience of the series (young children) did not work well with the more violent and adult nature of the Z cartoon. This resulted in extensive editing of the series (cutting out the equivalent of 14 of the first 67 episodes-- almost 21%), including the complete removal of references to character death ("sent to another dimension"), blood, etc. To many fans of the series, these edits actually made the series worse as violence was always shown without consequence. Also, they made many changes to the original dialogue and also created many name changes to characters and techniques.
In addition to the anime series, Saban also edited the third Dragon Ball Z movie ("Tree of Might" in the US) and released it as a three-part episode in the production run of the series. Two more movies (#1 and #2) were subsequently released by Pioneer Entertainment direct to video.
In part due to an early timeslot in most markets (6:30 AM), Dragon Ball Z again failed to find its target audience and was cancelled in January 1998 after a two season run of 53 episodes, or the equivalent of 67 Japanese episodes. However, this was still the most successful import of the property to the US to date.
Dragon Ball GT
Main article: Dragon Ball GT
Back in Japan, the third and final Dragon Ball series quickly followed the completion of "Dragon Ball Z" in February 1996. This new series, called Dragon Ball GT (for "Grand Tour"), was a complete departure from the previous two anime series. Unlike those series, GT was not based on the "Dragon Ball" manga by Akira Toriyama. Instead, it was completely new material.
From the beginning however, there were problems with the series. Dragon Ball fandom in Japan was waning. To help renew interest in the series and bring it back to its roots, a decision was made to return the series to the style of the original comedy "Dragon
Dragon Ball GT logo
Ball" anime, rather than the more action-oriented "Dragon Ball Z". This decision led to the reintroduction of several villains not present since the original series, a return to the "Dragon Ball quest"-style plot of that series, and even the mystical de-aging of the series' lead character, back to roughly the age when the first series began. Unfortunately, this creative change did not improve ratings and the series focus was changed again after the completion of only sixteen episodes. The remaining episodes of the series returned to the more action-oriented style of the latter series. As a result of declining interest, the series had ended in November 1997 after only 64 episodes. There was no sequel the following week.
Dragon Ball GT was also less successful in its tie-ins than the previous series had been. Unlike the previous series, Dragon Ball GT did not spawn any theatrical films on its own. In March 1996, just one month after the introduction of the series, the Dragon Ball 10th Anniversary Special (called "The Path to Power" in the US) was released. Although produced in the artistic style of Dragon Ball GT, the plot was a modified retelling of the very beginning of the original Dragon Ball anime. This was the last Dragon Ball animated movie to be released to date. Other than that film, the final series was limited to a single television special, released in March 1997. In other product areas, such as video games and merchandise, Dragon Ball GT was also less successful than its predecessors.
Third US Release
In September 1998, after its failure in syndication, the Saban/Funimation dub of Dragon Ball Z found new life on Cartoon Network, particularly on the action-animation block Toonami. The block gave the series new life and, combined with the DiC Sailor Moon dub, exposed the series to a much wider audience. With new success, Funimation went forward in continuing the dub on their own instead of alongside the backing of a company such as Saban. The third season appeared on home video in 1999 and then on Cartoon Network shortly after. Dragon Ball Z was now in full production and continued to the end of series in 2003, with less editing restrictions than the previous dub, FUNimations own in-house voice actors, and new music. Still, it kept the name changes of characters and techniques that the previous dub had created. While still disliked from fans of the original Japanese version, it received the most popularity of all releases in the US.
The success of DBZ on Cartoon Network allowed Funimation to go back and do a new dub of Dragon Ball as well, starting from the beginning and airing on the Toonami block as well. However, there were marked changes in the dubbing between this and its sequel series, most pronounced in the usage of the original Japanese music as opposed to new compositions for the dub. Funimation also released Dragon Ball to DVD, but with a slight snag: since Vidmark remained the distributor of the earlier DB dub, they could not release the first thirteen episodes of the new dub until their license expired. The two remaining DB movies were also dubbed at this time.
By 2003, with the completion of Dragon Ball Z, Funimation began dubbing Dragon Ball GT, which would be released on both Cartoon Network and DVD. However, they were afraid they would experience the same drop off as Japan by starting with the lighter episodes at the beginning. In a controversial decision, Funimation decided to start from the first action-intensive arc, connected with the first major villain of the series. Furthermore, a special episode was created for the beginning of this series that would fill in the material prior to the start of this arc (such as how Goku became a child again and went into space). Similarly, DBGT would feature a new musical composer, pushing music with a harder sound and even creating a hip-hop-style opening. Eventually after the completion of the series, the earlier episodes prior to the starting point were released and aired as "Lost Episodes".
Release of manga in US through comics and Shonen Jump.
Neko Majin Z
Main article: Neko Majin Z
Originally a one-shot bearing little relation to Akira Toriyama's other series, the first chapter of Neko Majin appeared in Weekly Shonen Jump in April 1999 (WJ #22-23). Though there were some similarities, it didn't become a self-parody of the Dragon Ball manga, until Neko Majin Z, which had cameos of characters from the author's magnum opus. As of 2005, the series was completed with eight total chapters (five of which are Dragon Ball parodies). These chapters were compiled into a "kanzenban"-style package for release in Japan on 4 April 2005.However because the manga is intended as a parody of Dragon Ball, most fans do not consider it a sequel and do not consider the events canonical. (post DB projects
Kochikame 30th anniversary
On the 30th anniversary of Kochikame's serialization in September, 2006, Ryo-san made a cameo in every serialized manga currently in Weekly Jump; most notably, he had a full appearance as a marine in One Piece (chapter 428) and drinking alongside Don Patch in Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo. At the same time, a special manga was published featuring the Kochikame characters in special chapters of series such as Golgo 13, Lupin III, Kinnikuman and Dragon Ball, as well as congratulatory pics from over 80 mangaka, many from Weekly Jump authors past and present, but also from other Shueisha mangaka and even from manga artists not associated with Shueisha such as Hiromu Arakawa (Fullmetal Alchemist) and Jyoji "George" Morikawa (Hajime no Ippo).
Special Chapters
1. Golgo 13 (The Holiday Runner) - Ryo-san and Nakagawa are on vacation in France when Ryo-san's luggage gets mixed up with Golgo 13's. So they chase after him in order to retrieve it.
2. Lupin III (Kankichi Ryotsu vs. Lupin III) - Ryo-san, Nakagawa, Reiko, and Bucho must prevent Lupin and the gang from stealing a diamond from a museum.
3. Kinnikuman (Seigi Choujin's Great Rendezvous in Kameari) - Kinnikuman and the Idol Choujins head to Kameari in order to fight Akuma Choujins, but each end up getting arrested for various reason.
4. Dragon Ball (Kochira Namek-Sei Dragon Kōen-mae Hashutsujo) - Ryo-san, having been reassigned to Planet Namek, runs across Frieza and tries to arrest him for parking his UFO illegally. Vegeta and Goku make appearances as well.
5. Shinsetsu Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo, Pyuu to Fuku! Jaguar, Taizo Mote King Saga, Maison de Penguin (Ryo-san vs. Don Patch!! Jump Gag All Stars' Great Panic in Katsushika) - Don Patch, jealous of the attention Ryo-san is getting during the 30th Anniversary Celebration, tries to steal Ryo-san's statue. So Bo-bobo, Jaguar, and Taizo help Ryo-san stop him.
Cross Epoch
Cross Epoch is a Japanese manga by Akira Toriyama and Eiichiro Oda. It's a crossover between "Dragon Ball" and "One Piece".
Released on December 25th, 2006 in the Weekly Shōnen Jump.
There are currently no plans for "Cross Epoch" to be released as a Tankōbon or for it to be released in English.
Dragonball canon
The Manga
Dragonball
In the universe of Dragon Ball, the highest level of canon is the manga Dragon Ball. Published in Weekly Shonen Jump in Japan, the comic was both written and drawn by Akira Toriyama. As such, it represents the ultimate and correct vision of his world as it was presented to his readers. Fortunately, the manga itself is relatively free from direct contradictions, though there are certainly some topics open for debate.
Although Viz Communications is thought to do a good job translating the manga into English by fans, the final and authoritative source is the original Japanese comic.
Kanzenban Rerelease
In the 2002-04 rerelease of the Dragon Ball manga (called the Kanzenban, or "complete edition"), Akira Toriyama rewrote the final four pages of the series. However, this change has no impact on the storyline. (Son Goku gives Kintoun to Uub at the conclusion of the series, rather than carrying the boy on his back.)
The only change significant to the story in the re-release is that the date of the Cell Game is changed to the 26th of May, from the 17th of "M." This was done to remove a noticeable contradiction in the series, specifically that if the Jinzōningen arrived on May 12th and at least 10 days elapsed between then and the start of the Cell Game, a date of May 17th for the latter event would be impossible. (Alternative theories, such as the month after May in the Dragon Ball universe starting with the letter "M", now appear to hold no weight.)
Dr. Slump
Prior to writing Dragon Ball, Akira Toriyama wrote a separate weekly humor manga for Shonen Jump called Dr. Slump. It featured the adventures of an inept inventor and his android daughter Arale in Penguin Village. During the Red Ribbon Army Saga, Son Goku and General Blue wind up in Penguin Village and are assisted by characters from the previous series. Dr. Slump itself is not meant to be taken seriously, as it contains references to the real world, as well as generally "implausible" events such as the earth being cut in half (in a comedic fashion). While the characters in Dr. Slump exist as cameos in the Dragon Ball universe, it is debatable at best whether the Dragon Ball universe is truly compatible with the world portrayed in Dr. Slump.
Neko Majin Z
Long after finishing up with Dragon Ball, Akira Toriyama has written a short series of one-shot comics that parody Dragon Ball. Called Neko Majin Z (because it stars a cat-warrior named "Z"), it features several characters from or inspired by Dragon Ball. (For example: the Saiyan Onio and his wife, Freeza's son Kuriza, Z's rival Neko Majin Usagi and even appearances by Vegeta, Majin Buu and Goku.)
Because the manga is intended as a parody of Dragon Ball, most fans do not consider it a sequel and do not consider the events canonical. That has not prevented the characters of Neko Majin Z from appearing in Dragon Ball fan fiction or Kuriza from showing up in some Dragon Ball Z video games and being included in character lists by some fans.
Kochikame 30th anniversary manga
For the 30th anniversary of kochikame the longest running manga to date, a special manga was made. The manga was a crossover between various different mangas and kochikame characters. Ryo-san, having been reassigned to Planet Namek, runs across Frieza and tries to arrest him for parking his UFO illegally. Vegeta and Goku make appearances as well. While it was co-written by Akira Toriyama and had appearances by Goku, Vegeta, Frieza, and took place on Namek it is not considered to be canon.
Cross Epoch
Cross Epoch is a Japanese manga by Akira Toriyama and Eiichiro Oda. It's a crossover between "Dragon Ball" and "One Piece". It was released on December 25th, 2006 in the Weekly Shōnen Jump.
Because it features alternate versions of dragonball manga and is a crossover manga it is not considered canon.
The Anime
The second highest level of canon in Dragon Ball is the two anime series based on the comic: Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z. This anime series significantly "fill out" the plot of the Dragon Ball comic with many extended sequences. This is due largely to the comic and the anime being produced in parallel; it was often necessary for the anime to add filler material to keep from getting ahead of the manga. These extended sequences often fill out the backstory, but frequently are contradicted by events later in the manga.
Most fans consider the events in the anime to be somewhat canon, unless they are directly contradicted by events later in the series. Again, the original Japanese version is considered the authoritative source for anime canon, as the English dubs introduce inconsistencies and misinformation that further muddle the story.
TV Specials
There are two Dragon Ball Z television specials, which aired as special double-length episodes during the normal course of the series. The Dragon Ball Z television specials are noteworthy in that their content (for the most part) does not contradict the manga. The Bardock special contradicts the manga only in that Goku appears happy (rather than violent and bloodthirsty) at the end, and Bardock himself later appeared in a two-panel stint in the manga. The Trunks special was actually based on a special chapter of the manga, though it presents an alternate version of certain events in that chapter (namely, it alters when Trunks was able to achieve Super Saiyan, for dramatic effect).
There is one Dragon Ball GT television special, which is grouped with that series in terms of canon level.
Garlic Jr. Saga
The Garlic Junior Saga is an interesting exception to most of the filler used in the anime and its level of canon is disputed. Like much of the other filler, it does not include situations described in the original manga. However, it is a direct sequel to events from the first Dragon Ball Z movie, "Return My Gohan!" (dub: "Dead Zone"). It details a second attempt by Garlic Junior to take over the world and also features other elements which are more difficult to rationalize in the anime such as the appearance of Son Gohan's pet dragon from Movie #3, Haiyaa Dragon.
Because it does not have the level of contradictions found in other movies, some fans consider both the Garlic Jr. Saga and Dead Zone to have "happened" within the anime canon. This remains, however, a controversial topic. Dead Zone is considered to take place shortly before the start of Dragon Ball Z, but two problems arise when fitting it into the flow of the series: given that the Dragon Balls are used in the film, Son Goku is alive, and Son Gohan is still very young, it must happen at least a full year before Goku is revived (and thus before the start of the series); on the other hand, Son Gohan is known to the characters in the movie, where he was unknown to them in the series itself. Thus, claims of canonicity are contentious at best.
Dragon Ball GT
Dragon Ball GT was an original sequel series to Dragon Ball Z, based on the manga by Akira Toriyama. Toriyama did contribute some material early on, such as character designs for the leads, their spaceship, and some of the aliens, but for the most part, it was the work of Toei Animation. The author himself has had no problems with the series, and has publicly stated on a number of occasions that he liked it and considers it something of a "sidestory." This view is shared (though usually with far less goodwill toward the series) among many fans.
Regardless of the creator's influence, a number of plot holes make the series difficult to classify as canon. These include, but are not limited to:
Son Goku's immature behavior in his child form, despite retaining his adult memories and strength.
Trunks and Son Goku not using Super Saiyan as often as they ought to, in fights where it would easily allow them to win.
Vegeta growing (and then shaving off) a mustache, when Saiyans are previously stated to only have hair that grows in a set pattern, to a certain length. (There is no previous evidence of Vegeta shaving in the series, though his father, when depicted in the anime, had a mustache and beard.)
Freeza and Cell being immortal in Hell, when in the final chapters of the manga it was revealed that someone dead can indeed be killed again, apparently totally destroying them.
Thus, Dragon Ball GT is often considered a non-canon "epilogue" to the main plot that takes place after the events of Dragon Ball Z.
The Daizenshuu
Main article: Daizenshuu The final component which most fans consider to be canonical information is the several daizenshuu which were released only in Japan. These "Perfect File" books are reference guides to the series and often contain character and attack names and other clarifiations which are not present in the manga or anime themselves. There are no current plans to release these books in the US and they are out of print even in Japan.
Many fans however question how canon the actual books are. The books were not actually written by Akira Toriyama. The Power Levels given in the books are often disregarded by some fans who find inconsistencies in them. One notable example is that Nappa's power level is stated to be 4,000 in the books, though this is never given in the manga along with assortment of other readings given. Both the manga and Daizenshuu state Goku's power level during the fight to be 8,000 which means he was twice Nappa's power level suggesting he should have had an easy time defeating him without using Kaiô-ken. This is not true as Nappa manages to trade blows with Goku and after deflecting Nappa's strongest attack, comments that the fight will take forever without the use of Kaiou-ken, contradicting the stated information in the daizenshuu.
The Movies
Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z each had a number of movies made, generally two each year (one each for the spring and summer recesses from school). While it is possible to relate the movies to a relative time period within the series itself, they often contradict, make impossible, or completely replace the normal flow of the series. Several movies have relatively few such conflicts, but none are completely free of them except 9. The movies are generally considered to be "sidestories" or "what if?" situations based on (or in a parallel universe to) the series, but not part of the series itself.
The OVA
The OVA "Plot To Destroy the Saiya-jin!" is generally considered lower than the movies on the canon scale, though it is noteworthy in that its villain, Dr. Raichii, was more or less rehashed into Dr. Myuu for Dragon Ball GT. It should be noted that a two-part 'digital comic' videogame series (composed of various parts of the OVA turned into interactive cutscenes) was released for the Playdia.
The Games
At the very bottom rung of canon is the world of video games and collectible card games. These games usually are designed and built by people with little affiliation with the series itself and may contain inaccuracies.
Notes on Translations
There are a large number of inconsistencies between the various English translation of the series with respect to character names and translations. Many fans do not agree which of the translations have the "correct" spelling and Romanization of names. Other solutions, such as using a standard Hepburn romanization, tend to make name puns and some of the fun of the series more obscure. As long as there are Dragon Ball fans, there will be arguments over the correct English names.
Although not universally agreed upon, the Viz Communications translations of the manga are a generally accepted source of "correct" names. Their translation is more direct than the anime translation and they have the advantage of working directly in a textual medium so that spelling is never in question. Of course, even that translation is imperfect and cannot be accepted as completely authoritative ("Mr. Satan," for example, is the original name of a character that was changed to "Hercule" by Viz).
Real World Time line
1980
- "Dr. Slump" begins in Shonen Jump. (February)
1983
- 'Dragon Boy and Adventures of Tongpoo" appear in Fresh Jump.
1984
- Dr. Slump ends. (September)
- "Dragon Ball" (manga) begins in Shonen Jump. (December)
1985
- Dragon Ball manga tankubon publication begins.
1986
- Dragon Ball anime premiers of Fuji TV. (February)
- Dragon Ball "Mystery of Shenlong" game for NES released. (November)
- Dragon Ball Movie #1 premiers (December)
1987
- Dragon Ball Movie #2 premiers. (July)
1988
- Dragon Ball Movie #3 premiers. (July)
- Famicom game "Resurrection of the Demon King" released (Japan only). (August)
1989
- Dragon Ball anime ends. (April 17)
- "Dragon Ball Z" anime begins. (April 26)
- DBZ Movie #1 premiers. (July)
- Famicom gane "Story of Goku" released (Japan only). (October)
- Dragon Ball anime's first English dub by Harmony Gold, but subsequently discontinued.
1990
- DBZ Movie #2 premiers. (March)
- DBZ Movie #3 premiers. (July)
- "Bardock" special airs on Fuji TV. (October)
- Famicom "Attack of the Saiyajin" released. (Japan only) (October)
1991
- DBZ Movie #4 premiers. (March)
- DBZ Movie #5 premiers. (July)
- Famicom "Battle Against Freeza" released. (Japan only) (August)
1992
- Super Famicom "Legend of the Super Saiyan" released. (Japan only) (January)
- DBZ Movie #6 premiers. (March)
- DBZ Movie #7 premiers. (July)
- Famicom "Battle Against the Androids" released. (Japan only) (August)
- Famicon "Plan to Destroy the Saiyajin" released. (Japan only) (August)
- Famicom "Dragon Ball Z Barcode Battler" released. (Japan only) (December)
1993
- "Trunks" special airs on Fuji TV. (February)
- DBZ Movie #8 premiers. (March)
- Super Famicom "Super Butoden 1" released. (Japan only) (March)
- DBZ Movie #9 premiers. (July)
- Super Famicom "Super Butoden 2" released. (Japan only) (December)
1994
- DBZ Movie #10 premiers. (March)
- Mega Drive "Buu Yuu Retsuden" released. (Japan only) (April)
- DBZ Movie #11 premiers. (July)
- Super Famicom "Super Butoden 3" released. (Japan only) (September)
- Playdia "The Plan to Destroy the Saiyans Part 1" (Japan only) (September)
- Turbo Duo "Legend of Son Goku" released. (Japan only) (November)
- Game Boy "Goku Hishouden" released. (Japan only) (November)
- Playdia "The Plan to Destroy the Saiyans Part 2" (Japan only) (December)
- FUNimation Productions founded by Gen Fukunaga.
1995
- DBZ Movie #12 premiers. (March)
- Super Famicom "Super Gokuden 1" released. (Japan only) (March)
- Dragon Ball (manga) ends. (May)
- DBZ Movie #13 premiers. (July)
- PlayStation "Ultimate Battle 22" (Japan only) (July)
- Game Boy "Goku Gekitouden" released. (Japan only) (August)
- Dragon Ball manga tankoubon releases finish. (August)
- Super Famicom "Super Gokuden 2" released. (Japan only) (September)
- Saturn "Shin Butoden" released. (Japan only) (November)
- Dragon Ball anime arrives in the U.S. (first 13 edited episodes)
1996
- Dragon Ball Z anime ends. (January)
- "Dragon Ball GT" anime begins. (February)
- Dragon Ball 10th Anniversary Movie released (March)
- Super Famicom "Hyper Dimension" released. (Japan only) (March)
- PlayStation / Saturn "Dragon Ball Z Legends" released. (Japan only) (May)
- Dragon Ball Z anime arrives in the U.S. (first edited seasons) (September)
1997
- Dragon Ball GT "Goku" special airs on Fuji TV. (March)
- PlayStation "Dragon Ball GT Final Bout" released. (Japan only) (August)
- DBZ Movie #3 released to US. (broadcast) (November)
- Dragon Ball GT ends. (November)
- DBZ Movie #1 released to U.S. (December)
1998
- DBZ Movie #3 released to U.S. (March)
- Viz starts releasing DB & DBZ manga in US as comic. (March)
- DBZ Movie #2 released to U.S.(May)
- Dragon Ball Movie #1 released to U.S. (July)
1999
- Dragon Ball Movie #2 released to U.S. (April)
- Dragon Ball Z 3rd Season (Ginyu and Frieza sagas) is released in the U.S. on Cartoon Network (September)
2000
- "Trunks" special released to U.S. (December)
2001
- "Bardock" special released to U.S. (January)
- Dragon Ball Movie #3 released to U.S. (February)
- DBZ Movie #4 released to US. (August)
- Dragon Ball anime released to U.S. again. (for real) (August)
2002
- DBZ Movie #5 released to U.S. (January)
- DBZ Movie #6 released to U.S. (August)
- Playstation 2 "Dragon Ball Z Budokai" Released. (December)
2003
- DBZ Movie #7 released to U.S. (February)
- Viz ends monthly publication of Dragon Ball manga in U.S. (compilations only)
- Dragon Ball Z: Ultimate Battle 22 released to U.S. (March)
- Dragon Ball 10th Anniversary Movie released to U.S. (April)
- Dragon Ball Z ends new episodes in U.S. (April)
- DBGT released on DVD in the U.S. (April)
- -DBZ Movie #8 released to U.S. (August)
- Playstation 2 "Dragon Ball Z Budokai 2" Released. (November)
- Dragon Ball ends new episodes in U.S. (December)
2004
- DBZ Movie #9 released to U.S. (August)
- Playstation 2 "Dragon Ball Z Budokai 3" Released. (December)
2005
- DBGT Series Ends in U.S.
- DBZ Movie #10 released to U.S. (April)
- First two seasons of DBZ are re-released uncut in the U.S. (April)
- DBZ Movie #11 released to U.S. (September)
- Playstation 2 "Dragon Ball Z Budokai Tenkaichi" Released. (November)
2006
- DBZ Movie #12 released to U.S. (March)
- Re-released uncut DBZ is ended in U.S. (May)
- DBZ Movie #13 released to U.S. (August)
- Playstation 2 "Dragon Ball Z Budokai Tenkaichi 2" Released. (October)
- "Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 2" for the Wii. (November)
2007
- Uncut Remastered Season 1 releasesd in U.S. (February)
- Announcement of a DRAGONBALL MMORPG, "Dragon Ball: Online" (March)
- "Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3" released for Playstation 2. (November)
- "Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3" released for Wii. (December)
2008
- DBZ movies 1 and 2 are remastered and re-released in a double feature (May)
- "The History of Trunks" and "Bardock: The Father of Goku" are remastered and re-released in a double feature. (July)
- DBZ movies 3 and 4 are remastered and re-released in a double feature. (September)
- DBZ movies 5 and 6 are remastered and re-released in a double feature. (November)
- Box sets of Dragon Ball remastered versions release throughout the year. (Feb. - November)
- "Dragon Ball Z: Burst Limit" is released for the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. (June)
- Yo! Son Goku and His Frieds Return released in Japan as part of the Jump Anime Tour.
2009
- DBZ movies 7 and 9 are remastered and re-released in a double feature. (Feb.)
- DBZ movies 8, 10, and 11 are remastered and re-released in a triple feature. (March)
- "Dragonball Evolution" (live-action film) is released in theaters. (April)
- Remastered Dragon Ball GT box sets are released. (Spring - Summer)
- "Dragon Ball: Kai" (remastered Japanese version) airs on Fuji TV in Japan. (Spring - Summer)
- Final remastered Dragon Ball Z box sets are released. (Feb. - May)
- Movies 12 and 13 are remastered and re-released in a double feature. (May)
- Remastered version of Dragon Ball season one released (September)
- "Dragon Ball: Revenge of King Piccolo" released for the Wii. (June and October)
- Dragon Ball Z: Attack of the Saiyans is released for Nintendo DS. (June and October)
- "Dragon Ball: Raging Blast" released for the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3. (November)
- Funimation Dragon Box Sets one released on DVD and Blu-ray (November)
- Dragon Ball season two remastered is released. (November)
2010
- Funimation Dragon Box Sets two set to be released. (February)
- Dragon Ball remastered season three to be released. (February)un