Dragon Ball

“Dragon Ball” is a Japanese series of manga written and illustrated by Akira Toriyama. It is famous for its art, characterization, and humour. Weekly Shonen Jump initially serialized it from 1984 through 1995. Later, 519 individual chapters of the manga were published as 42 volumes by Sheuisha. Dragon Ball is a story about the adventures of Son Goku as he learns martial arts and explores various worlds to collect seven mystical items, called the Dragon Balls. Goku is joined by several friends and enemies who are also after the balls. The 42 volumes of the manga were adapted by Toei Animation into three animé series: “Dragon Ball,” “Dragon Ball Z,” and “Dragon Ball GT.”

Dragon Ball Series

In 2006, the animé ranked 12th among the best animé series of all time and enjoys wide readership. A total of 17 animated feature films and 3 television specials have been developed by Toei. Several tie-in merchandise, collectibles, and video games have been created and distributed worldwide. 20th Century Fox started in 2002 the development of “Dragonball Evolution,” the first American-made live-action film. The film, which stars Justin Chatwin as Goku and Chow Yun-Fat as villain Piccolo, is slated for release in April 2009.