Newbie Guide
What is Dragon Ball? What's is about? What's it's history? Well you've come to the right place. Here we cover the basics to some stuff not even die-hard fans know about. To begin, I copied this excerpt from The Anime Encyclopedia. Anything in [brackets] like these are indications of my editing in 2005.6.15. I spent an hour typing this up, so please don't steal it. I only claim right to type this online, because I bought the book. You can find it in your local Barnes and Noble near the anime and film making section.
Dragon Ball: Synopsis | Ratings: What to Expect | Further Information
Dragon Ball: Synopsis
1986. TV series, movies. DIR: Minoru Okazaki, Daisuke Nishio, Kazuhisa Takenouchi, Katsumi Endo, Haruki Iwanami, Akinori Nagaoka. SCR: Yasushi Hirano, Toshiki Inoue, Takao Koyama, Michiru Shimada, Yuji Endo, Tetsuo Imazawa, Tatsuo Higashino, Mitsuo Hashimoto. DES: Tadamasa Tsuji, Yuji Ikeda. ANI: Minoru Maeda, Ryukichi Takauchi, Masayuki Uchiyama. MUS: Shunsuke Kikuchi. PRD: FUJI TV, Toei [Animations]. 25 mins. x 153 eps., 45 mins. x 3 films, 25 mins. x 291 eps. (DBZ), Ca. 45-70 mins. x 14 films, 25 mins. x 64 eps. (DBGT).
"Son Goku[u] (Sun Wo Kong) is an orphan martial artist, taught by the Master Kamesennin (Roshi) and enlisted by Bulma, a pretty girl whose father owns the Capsule invention corporation, to help her search for the seven legendary Dragon Balls. If brought together in the presence of the dragon god, Shen[ron] (Shin Long), These balls will grant a single wish. The two assemble a band of pilgrims, and, with time out for many martial arts tournaments and fights with divine beings, slowly gather the seven orbs. Members include Yamucha the highwayman; his shapeshifting feline partner P[uar]; Oolong the pig; Goku[u]'s future wife, Chichi; and Goku[u]'s Buddhist classmate, Kri[llin]. They must also fight off other groups, including the Red Ribbon organization, which wishes to change the space-time continuum by destroying Goku[u]. Eventually, the high demon Piccolo uses the Dragon Balls to rejuvenate himself and then kill Shen[ron], while Goku[u] and his gang travel to another world to use 'their' Dragon Balls instead and prevent the alien warlord Frieza from getting them himself.
Tiring of his Doctor Slump and seeking a clean break from Western inspirations, creator Akira Toriyama plucked elements from Journey to the West for his follow-up. Redeveloping his early strip 'Dragon Boy', which incorporated Jackie Chan homages, he published Dragon Ball in 1984, and the series was soon animated. With a reset-to-zero gimmick in the balls' unerring habit of scattering themselves throughout the universe and taking a year to recharge, the anime was able to stretch itself out for a formidable run, becoming one of the smashes of the late 1980s. It was less successful in the U.S., where only 26 episodes were shown before the distributors Funimation ditched the rest of the series and relaunched with DBZ (see below 2001 they announced they would go back and fill the gap).
Short 'movie' versions followed as part of double and triple bills, beginning with Nishio's DB: Legend of the Dragon (1986), in which Goku[u] fights the evil Pasta and Pongo. The same director made DB: Sleeping Beauty in the Magic Castle (1987), while Takenouchi took over for the final film, DB: Marvelous Magical Mystery (1988), in which the cast of DBwanders into Doctor Slump's Penguin Village for a crossover. All formed parallel stories designed not to interfere with the continuity of the series, which eventually finished in 1989.
The DB sequel, DBZ, jumps [five] years into the future when an older Goku[u] is now married with a son, Gohan. Because this is where many foreign-language version begin, early episodes often seem like a massive class reunion which the viewer knows nobody. Goku[u] is attacked by the alien Raditz, who reveals that Goku[u] is his brother, a Sa[i]yajin alien, sent to destroy the planet many years ago. Goku[u] refuses to blow up his adopted home and opposes the invading Sa[i]yajin, dying and then being reborn as a blond-haired 'Super Sa[i]yajin.' Violence and some nudity were cut for the U.S. release, but even in this bowdlerized form, the series remained popular.
This series also had a thriving series of short 'movie' spinoffs, beginning with DBZ (1989) and then following with two a year, one for each major school holiday. These included 'The World's Stringest [Man]' and 'Dead Zone' [JPN: 'Return My Gohan'] (both in 1990, and released in the U.S. following the success of the DBZ TV series). 'Super Sa[i]yajin Son Goku[u]' and 'Tree of Might' [JPN: 'The World's Most Decisive Battle for Earth'] (both 1991, and U.S. releases), 'Collision: Billion Powered Warriors' and 'Extreme Battle: Three Super Sa[i]yajin[s]' (both 1992), 'Ignite! Burning Fight! Greater Fight! Super Conflict Fight!', and 'Galaxy Flex! Very Threatening Guy!' (both 1993), 'Dangerous Duo! Super Warriors Never Rest' and 'Super Warrior Destructive Fist: I am the Victor' (both 1994), 'Return Fusion! Goku[u] and Vegeta' and '[Exploding] Dragon Punch! [If Goku[u] Can't Do it Who Else Can]?' (both 1995), and at last, the 80-minute feature '[The Road to the Strongest]' (1996).
DBZ came off the air in 1996, a few months after Toriyama pleaded exhaustion and stopped drawing the manga. Rebranded as Dragon Ball G(rand) T(our) the following month, it featured the return of arch-nemesis Emperor Pilaf with yet another set of Dragon Balls. The emperor accidentally wishes for Goku[u] to be a child once more, so the new kiddie-friendly Goku[u] sets out on another galactic adventure with Pan (his granddaughter) and an older version of Trunks (son of Bulma and Goku[u]'s alien nemesis-turned-buddy Vegeta). Directed by Osamu Kasai, the new series seemed to have lost the magic and ended in November 1997. Tellingly, this was also the same time as Toriyama's Doctor Slump was brought back on air, perhaps showing that the artist wasn't quite so tired of his original creation after all. The story also exists in a tacky live-action 1996 Cantonese adaptation, DB: The Magic Begins directed by Joe Chan."
Clements, Jonathan and Helen McCarthy. The Anime Encyclopedia: A Guide to Japanese Animation Since 1917. Stone Bridge Press. Berkley, California. 2001.
Ratings: What to Expect
Do to the American television censor laws the American dub of Dragon Ball is rated differently on than the original Japanese, and for some parts of the dub there are uncut versions available on VHS and DVD (DVD is almost always uncut and includes theoriginal Japanese audio track).
Dragon Ball 1987 Dub - Dubbed by Harmony Gold, I would rate it at TVY. Most of it is censored for a child audience. There is violence. However, this version of Dragon Ball is hard to find, because of it's failure to sell. Note: The character's names are changed.
Dragon Ball 1995 Dub - This version was adapted by FUNimation and Pioneer, which aimed for the audience of 3 to 11, thus any footage containing the author's perverted jokes, nudity, and blood were cut from the show completely. It is very kiddy and a lot of the time boring, this version only lasted for one season and was ditched and was rated a TVY. Note: The music was changed from the original and there is only a censored version available.
Dragon Ball 2003 Dub - To make up for their mistake in the 1995 dub, FUNimation completely re-dubbed Dragon Ball. Most of the perverted jokes, nudity, and blood are present but censored to meet American TV censor laws, which rates this dub at TVY7. For scenes that did not meet the censor laws, they were mostly altered by covering it up or changing the script. Note: Due to fan demand, the original Japanese music was used, but the theme songs were shortened and dubbed in English.
Dragon Ball Z 1997 Dub - After ditching Dragon Ball in 1995, FUNimation and Pioneer decided to try the next series Dragon Ball Z. Again, although few in the original, perverted jokes and nudity were completely cut out. Most of the blood was censored by covering it up with 'scratch' lines. Rated TVY7. Note: The original music was replaced and random scenes that were completely acceptable were cut for no reason at all.
Dragon Ball Z 1999 Dub - After taking a two year break from dubbing, FUNimation left Pioneer and continued the series, but there were some changes. For example a different style of music and different voice actors. Along with this came less censoring and cutting out random footage. The blood is no longer 'scratched out' (although some scenes were edited or cut if too gruesome), perverted jokes are still censored, and as well as nudity. Rated between TVY7 and PG13. There is an uncut version available, which includes most of the blood, jokes, and nudity, however the script still seems censored.
Dragon Ball GT Dub - Very much the same as the 2003 DBZ dub. Rated TVY7. Note: In the censored version, the first 13 episodes were cut.
Japanese Dragon Ball - The Japanese version is very different from the American dub. According to the author Akira Toriyama, Dragon Ball is a family show. To American standards it would be rated PG13 to PG16. The basis of Dragon Ball is to be funny with a little bit of adventure on the side. Toriyama's humor consists of comic mischief, situational humor, and perverted jokes. Most of these jokes revolve around balls and girls. For example one typical joke of Mr. Toriyama was when Gokuu discovered that girls have different parts than boys, because of his nativity he wonders why Bulma doesn't have a bulge in her underwear. Not knowing the difference he examines her while she's asleep by taking off her panties. He screams, Bulma wakes up thinking he's yelling about the Dragon Balls missing. There is some nudity with Gokuu running around as a child. There is some violence, blood, and cursing.
Japanese Dragon Ball Z - Toriyama's focus became more dependent on the plot, adventure, and violence. Thus the nudity and jokes lowered and violence rose. The blood can get a little gruesome but not too bad. There is cursing every once in a while. You might see a 'damn', 'bastard' or 'shit'. Rated at an approximate PG-14.
Japanese Dragon Ball GT - Toriyama no longer worked on Dragon Ball when this series came out. Everything is a bit different, but mostly the same as Dragon Ball Z. Rated PG13. Note: Music is changed, Toriyama's only involvement with the production was character designs, and the target audience was changed to include more girls.
Further Information
If you would like to learn more about the show please take the opportunity to read the Summaries, Episodes, Encyclopedia, and Character Biographies located under information in the top menu.