Dragon ball is a widely known manga series that was created by a Japanese illustrator by the name Akira Toriyama. He series began its origins in Weekly Shonen Jump in which it began in 1984 and ran up until 1995. The series was also published by Sueisha with 42 volumes that featured 519 chapters combined. The inspiration for Dragon Ball can from a very popular Chinese book that is titled “Journey to the West.” The story of the series is about a young boy named Goku who spends his childhood learning different skills in martial arts. Goku also sets out to travel the world so he can find a total of 7 orbs that were deemed the name of Dragon Balls. The purpose of the balls is to be a way for anyone who possesses the balls to summon a dragon.

The 42 volumes of the manga were later on developed into two series that Toei Animation produced. The two shows known as Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z had an air time that ran from 1986 all the way through 1996 in Japan. Toei was also able to develop a total of seventeen feature films that took place long after the mange met its end. It was not until 2009 that Toei began a broadcast of Dragon Ball Z that was renamed as Dragon Ball Kai.

A great number of companies have actually came up with different ways to merchandise the Dragon Ball franchises that include, trading card games, action figures, and also soundtracks from the animated films. The series was introduced and licensed in North America by a company that goes by the name of Viz Media. After its first release Dragon Ball has without a doubt became one of the most popular anime series to reach the big screen.

The series has been able to sell well over 152 million for Japan and over 200 million copies across the globe. What is most interesting about Dragon Ball is that it has received a lot of praise by reviewers for its art. Something else that has caught the eye of reviewers about Dragon Ball is the fact that it has amazing characterization. Dragon Ball has also become a major source of inspiration for aspiring manga writers. The Dragon Ball franchise has been also said to be a major influence of Japanese animation for western culture.

The basis that surrounds Dragon Ball is themed at three major philosophies such as victory, friendship, and struggle. A very popular theme that is recognized by millions of Dragon Ball fans is that people are able to become a better person through the challenges they face. The main character Goku has been through many physical changes due to the fact that a lot of people considered his appearance plain. There have been a total of three metaseries specials based on Dragon Ball in Japan. Another popular form the series has taken is to introduce itself into the world of gamers.