Dragon Ball (TV series)
Dragon Ball | |
ドラゴンボール (Doragon Bōru) | |
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Genre | |
Anime television series | |
Directed by |
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English network | |
Original run | February 26, 1986 – April 19, 1989 |
Episodes | 153 |
Media franchise | |
Dragon Ball (
Film adaptations include: Dragon Ball: Curse of the Blood Rubies (1986), Dragon Ball: Sleeping Princess in Devil's Castle (1987), and Dragon Ball: Mystical Adventure (1988). The series was followed by a sequel, Dragon Ball Z, which had its own follow-ups with Dragon Ball GT and Dragon Ball Super. The English dubbed version of the original Dragon Ball series released in the United States was edited for content and dialogue.
Plot
Emperor Pilaf Saga
The series begins with a young monkey-tailed boy named
World Martial Arts Tournament Saga
After finding the Dragon Balls and using them, Goku undergoes rigorous training under world renowned martial artist Master Roshi in order to fight in the World Martial Arts Tournament (天下一武道会, "Tenkaichi Budōkai"), a competitive fighting tournament that attracts fighters from all around the world. A monk named Krillin becomes Goku's training partner and rival, but they quickly become best friends. After training with Master Roshi for a few months, Goku and Krillin start in the tournament, which is held every five years. They battle through with various opponents and Yamcha fights a mysterious man named Jackie Chun, who looks and fights oddly similar to Master Roshi. As the tournament continues, Goku and Jackie Chun are the final fighters, and after hours of battle, Jackie Chun realizes Goku is mimicking all of his moves. Recognizing that Goku is shorter, he lunges a flying kick at Goku. Knowing that Goku will do one right back, Jackie Chun's longer leg can reliably reach Goku and knock him out, defeating him.
Red Ribbon Army Saga
After the tournament, Goku sets out on his own to recover the Dragon Ball his deceased grandfather left him and encounters a terrorist organization known as the
King Piccolo Saga
Goku and his friends reunite at the World Martial Arts Tournament three years later and meet Master Roshi's rival and Tao's brother, Master Shen, and his students
Piccolo Junior Saga
Just before Piccolo dies, he spawns his final son, Piccolo Junior. Korin informs Goku that Kami, the original creator of the Dragon Balls, might be able to restore Shenron and the Dragon Balls so that Goku can wish his fallen friends back to life, which he does. He also stays and trains under Kami for the next three years, once again reuniting with his friends for the World Martial Arts Tournament, as well as a now-teenaged Chi-Chi and the revived Mercenary Tao. Piccolo Junior also enters the tournament to avenge his father, leading to the final battle between him and Goku. After Goku narrowly wins and defeats Piccolo Junior, he leaves with Chi-Chi and they get married, leading to the events of Dragon Ball Z.
Production
Kazuhiko Torishima, Toriyama's editor for Dr. Slump and the first half of Dragon Ball, said that because the Dr. Slump anime was not successful in his opinion, he and Shueisha were a lot more hands on for the Dragon Ball anime. Before production even began, they created a huge "bible" for the series detailing even merchandise. He himself studied the best way to present anime and its business side, discussing it with the Shogakukan team for Doraemon.[8]
Toriyama had some involvement in the production of the anime. When it began he did mention to the staff that they seemed to be making it too colorful by forcing the color palette of Dr. Slump on it.[9] He also listened to the voice actors' audition tapes before choosing Masako Nozawa to play Goku. He would go on to state that he would hear Nozawa's voice in his head when writing the manga.[10] Toriyama specified Kuririn's voice actress be Mayumi Tanaka after hearing her work as the main character Giovanni in Night on the Galactic Railroad.[10] Tōru Furuya remarked that there were not many auditions for the characters because the cast was made up of veteran voice actors.[11] Performing the roles was not without its difficulties, Toshio Furukawa, the voice of Piccolo, said it was difficult to constantly perform with a low voice because his normal lighter voice would break through if he broke concentration.[11]
Shunsuke Kikuchi composed the score for Dragon Ball. The opening theme song for all of the episodes is "Makafushigi Adventure!" (魔訶不思議アドベンチャー!, Makafushigi Adobenchā!, "Mystical Adventure!") performed by Hiroki Takahashi in Japanese and Jimi Tunnell in English. The ending theme is "Romantic Ageru yo" (ロマンティックあげるよ, Romantikku Ageru yo, "I'll Give You Romance") performed by Ushio Hashimoto in Japanese and Daphne Gere in English.
Feeling that the Dragon Ball anime's ratings were gradually declining because it had the same producer that worked on Dr. Slump, who had a "cute and funny" image connected to Toriyama's work and was missing the more serious tone, Torishima asked the studio to change the producer. Impressed with their work on Saint Seiya, he asked its director Kōzō Morishita and writer Takao Koyama to help "reboot" Dragon Ball; which coincided with the beginning of Dragon Ball Z.[8]
English localization and broadcasting
In 1989 and 1990,
A subtitled Japanese version of the series was first broadcast in the United States by the Hawaii-based Nippon Golden Network. The series aired in a 6AM slot on Tuesdays from 1992 to 1994, before the network moved on to Dragon Ball Z.[14]
In 1995, Funimation (founded a year earlier in California) acquired the license for the distribution of Dragon Ball in the United States as one of its first imports. They contracted Josanne B. Lovick Productions and voice actors from Ocean Productions to create an English version for the anime and first movie in Vancouver, British Columbia. The dubbed episodes were edited for content,[15] and contained different music. Thirteen episodes aired in first-run syndication during the fall of 1995 before Funimation canceled the project due to low ratings and moved on to Dragon Ball Z.
In March 2001, due to the success of their dub of Dragon Ball Z, Funimation announced the return of the original Dragon Ball series to American television, featuring a new English version produced in-house with slightly less editing for broadcast (though the episodes remained uncut for home video releases), and they notably left the original background music intact.
Content edits
The US version of Dragon Ball was aired on Cartoon Network with numerous digital cosmetic changes, which were done to remove nudity and blood, and dialogue edits, such as when
Changes also lead to confusing context and the content of the scenes; as when Bulma helps Goku take a bath. In the Japanese version, the two characters do not cover their privates because Goku is innocent of the differences in gender and Bulma believes Goku to be a little boy. While bathing Bulma asks Goku his age and only when Goku reveals himself to be fourteen does Bulma throw things at Goku before kicking him out of the bath.[19] In the Funimation version the dialogue was changed; with Goku remarking that Bulma did not have a tail and it must be inconvenient for her when bathing.[19]
Other media
Home media
In Japan, Dragon Ball did not receive a proper home video release until July 7, 2004, fifteen years after its broadcast.
Original releases
Dragon Ball's initial VHS release for North America was never completed. Funimation released their initial dub, the edited and censored first thirteen episodes, on six tapes from September 24, 1996, to February 28, 1998, together with Trimark Pictures. These episodes and the first movie were later released in a VHS or DVD box set on October 24, 2000. Funimation began releasing their in-house dub beginning with episode 14 by themselves on December 5, 2001, in both edited and uncut formats, only to cease VHS releases two years later on June 1, 2003, in favor for the DVD box sets. Including the initial 1996-1998 releases with Trimark, 86 episodes of Dragon Ball across 28 volumes were produced on VHS for North America.[citation needed]
Funimation released their own in-house dub to ten two-disc DVD box sets between January 28, 2003, and August 19, 2003. Each box set, spanning an entire "saga" of the series, included the English and Japanese audio tracks with optional English subtitles, and uncut video and audio. However, they were unable to release the first thirteen episodes at the time, due to
Funimation's English dub of Dragon Ball has been distributed in other countries by third parties. Madman Entertainment released the first thirteen episodes of Dragon Ball and the first movie uncut in Australasia in a DVD set on March 10, 2004. They produced two box sets containing the entire series in 2006 and 2007. Manga Entertainment began releasing Funimation's five remastered sets in the United Kingdom in 2014.
Dragon Ball: Yo! Son Goku and His Friends Return!! (ドラゴンボール オッス!帰ってきた孫悟空と仲間たち!! Doragon Bōru: Ossu! Kaette Kita Son Gokū to Nakama-tachi!!) is the second Dragon Ball Z OVA and features the first Dragon Ball animation in nearly a decade, following a short story arc in the remade Dr. Slump anime series featuring Goku and the Red Ribbon Army in 1999. The film premiered in Japan on September 21, 2008, at the Jump Super Anime Tour in honor of Weekly Shōnen Jump's fortieth anniversary. Yo! Son Goku and His Friends Return!! is also in the extra DVD included in the Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods limited edition, which was released on September 13, 2013.
Manga
Films
During the anime's broadcast, three theatrical animated Dragon Ball films were produced. The first was Curse of the Blood Rubies in 1986, followed by Sleeping Princess in Devil's Castle in 1987, and Mystical Adventure in 1988. In 1996 The Path to Power was produced in order to commemorate the anime's tenth anniversary.
Video games
Several video games based on Dragon Ball have been created, beginning with
Soundtracks
Dragon Ball has been host to several soundtrack releases, the first being
Reception
The show's initial U.S. broadcast run in 1995 met with mediocre ratings.[21]
In 2000 satellite TV channel Animax together with Brutus, a men's lifestyle magazine, and Tsutaya, Japan's largest video rental chain, conducted a poll among 200,000 fans on the top anime series, with Dragon Ball coming in fourth.[22] TV Asahi conducted two polls in 2005 on the Top 100 Anime, Dragon Ball came in second in the nationwide survey conducted among multiple age-groups and third in the online poll.[23][24] On several occasions the Dragon Ball anime has topped Japan's DVD sales.[25][26]
Otaku USA's Joseph Luster called Dragon Ball "one of the most memorable animated action/comedy series of all time." He cited the comedy as a key component to the show, noting that this might surprise those only familiar with Z.[27] Todd Douglass of DVD Talk referred to it as "a classic among classics [that] stands as a genre defining kind of show." and wrote that "It's iconic in so many ways and should be standard watching for otaku in order to appreciate the genius of Akira Toriyama."[28][29] He had strong praise for the "deep, insightful, and well-developed" characters, writing "Few shows can claim to have a cast quite like Dragon Ball's, and that's a testament to the creative genius of Toriyama."[30]
T.H.E.M. Anime Reviews' Tim Jones gave the show four out of five stars, referring to it as a forerunner to modern fighting anime and still one of the best. He also stated that it has much more character development than its successors Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball GT.[31] Carl Kimlinger of Anime News Network summed up Dragon Ball as "an action-packed tale told with rare humor and something even rarer—a genuine sense of adventure."[32] Kimlinger and Theron Martin, also of Anime News Network, noted Funimation's reputation for drastic alterations of the script, but praised the dub.[32][33]
The positive impact of Dragon Ball's characters has manifested itself in the personal messages Masako Nozawa sent to children as taped messages in the voice of Goku.[11] Nozawa takes pride in her role and sends words of encouragement that have resulted in children in comas responding to the voice of the characters.[11]
Notes
- Madman Anime.
References
- ^ a b "Dragon Ball". Funimation. Archived from the original on August 13, 2018. Retrieved August 13, 2018.
- ^ "Dragon Ball, Vol. 1". Viz Media. Archived from the original on August 12, 2019. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
- ^ アニメ様365日 第306回『DRAGON BALL』. Web Anime Style . Studio You. February 15, 2010. Archived from the original on February 18, 2010. Retrieved January 11, 2024.
- ^ 『ドラゴンボール』歴代主題歌を収録したテレビアニメ放送30周年記念“神”アルバムの収録曲全38曲を公開! (Press release) (in Japanese). Nippon Columbia. February 11, 2016. Archived from the original on February 12, 2016. Retrieved January 11, 2024 – via Famitsu.
- ^ ドラゴンボール (in Japanese). Toei Animation. Archived from the original on November 4, 2023. Retrieved January 11, 2024.
- ISBN 978-1476665993.
- ^ 深夜アニメの製作資金は約3億円…儲ける仕組みや製作委員会の構造とは 今こそ知っておきたいアニメビジネスの特徴を取材. Social Game Info (in Japanese). June 17, 2016. Archived from the original on September 3, 2020. Retrieved January 24, 2019.
- ^ a b "Kazuhiko Torishima On Shaping The Success Of 'Dragon Ball' And The Origins Of 'Dragon Quest'". Forbes. October 15, 2016. Archived from the original on October 17, 2016. Retrieved October 23, 2016.
- ISBN 978-4-08-873546-7.
- ^ ISBN 4-08-782753-4.
- ^ ISBN 4-08-102019-1.
- ^ Dragon Ball Harmony Gold dub
- ^ "The Lost 80s Dragonball Dub". Temple O'Trunks. Archived from the original on December 7, 2014. Retrieved October 23, 2013.
- ^ "Feature | the Dragon Ball Z American Debut Date". Archived from the original on September 20, 2021. Retrieved September 2, 2021.
- ^ a b "Rough Air Date for Dragon Ball". Anime News Network. March 9, 2001. Archived from the original on August 22, 2014. Retrieved July 19, 2008.
- ^ "Dragon Ball on CN debut date confirmed". Anime News Network. May 2, 2001. Archived from the original on August 21, 2014. Retrieved July 19, 2008.
- ^ "DragonBall Re-dub". Anime News Network. August 21, 2001. Archived from the original on August 22, 2014. Retrieved July 19, 2008.
- ^ "Dragon Ball Returns to US TV". Anime News Network. November 12, 2006. Archived from the original on September 19, 2014. Retrieved July 19, 2008.
- ^ a b c d West, Mark (2008). The Japanification of Children's Popular Culture: From Godzilla to Miyazaki. Scarecrow Press. pp. 203–208.
- ^ "Virtually Overlooked: Dragon Power". Engadget. March 27, 2008. Archived from the original on October 27, 2017. Retrieved December 18, 2015.
- ^ "Behind the Screens". Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 98. Ziff Davis. September 1997. p. 118.
- ^ "Gundam Tops Anime Poll". Anime News Network. September 12, 2000. Archived from the original on February 20, 2011. Retrieved January 4, 2017.
- ^ "Part 2 - TV Asahi Top 100 Anime". Anime News Network. September 23, 2005. Archived from the original on July 30, 2014. Retrieved January 4, 2017.
- ^ "TV Asahi Top 100 Anime". Anime News Network. September 23, 2005. Archived from the original on June 21, 2014. Retrieved January 4, 2017.
- ^ "Japanese Animation DVD Ranking, September 10–16". Anime News Network. September 20, 2008. Archived from the original on October 23, 2012. Retrieved January 4, 2017.
- ^ "Japanese Animation DVD Ranking, August 6–12". Anime News Network. August 14, 2008. Archived from the original on October 23, 2012. Retrieved January 4, 2017.
- ^ Luster, Joseph (September 23, 2009). "Dragon Ball Season One". Otaku USA. Archived from the original on July 24, 2015. Retrieved March 9, 2015.
- ^ Douglass Jr., Todd. "Dragon Ball: Season 5". DVD Talk. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 10, 2015.
- ^ Douglass Jr., Todd. "Dragon Ball: Season Three". DVD Talk. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved March 10, 2015.
- ^ Douglass Jr., Todd. "Dragon Ball: Season One". DVD Talk. Archived from the original on July 24, 2015. Retrieved March 10, 2015.
- ^ Jones, Tim. "Dragon Ball". T.H.E.M. Anime Reviews. Archived from the original on July 13, 2010. Retrieved September 12, 2013.
- ^ a b "Dragon Ball DVD Season 2 Uncut Set". Anime News Network. December 14, 2009. Archived from the original on July 11, 2017. Retrieved July 10, 2013.
- ^ "Dragon Ball DVD Season 3". Anime News Network. December 14, 2009. Archived from the original on September 22, 2013. Retrieved July 10, 2013.
External links
- Dragon Ball (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia