Dragon Ball (Japanese: ドラゴンボール Hepburn: Doragon Bōru) is a Japanese media franchise created by Akira Toriyama. The initial manga, written and illustrated by Toriyama, was serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump from 1984 to 1995, with the 519 individual chapters collected into 42 tankōbon volumes by its publisher Shueisha. Dragon Ball was initially inspired by the classical Chinese novel Journey to the West. The series follows the adventures of the protagonist, Son Goku, from his childhood through adulthood as he trains in martial arts and explores the world in search of the seven orbs known as the Dragon Balls, which summon a wish-granting dragon when gathered. Along his journey, Goku makes several friends and battles a wide variety of villains, many of whom also seek the Dragon Balls.

The Dragon Ball manga has been adapted into two anime series produced by Toei Animation: Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z, which together were broadcast in Japan from 1986 to 1996. Additionally, the studio has developed 19 animated feature films and three television specials, as well as two anime sequel series titled Dragon Ball GT (1996–1997) and Dragon Ball Super (2015–present). From 2009 to 2015, a revised, faster-paced version of Dragon Ball Z aired in Japan under the title Dragon Ball Kai, in which most of the original version's footage not featured in the manga is removed. Several companies have developed various types of merchandising based on the series leading to a large media franchise that includes films, both animated and live-action, collectible trading card games, numerous action figures, along with several collections of soundtracks and a large number of video games. As of January 2012, the franchise generated $5 billion in merchandise,[1] making Dragon Ball one of the most merchandisable anime based media franchises of all time.

Since its release, Dragon Ball has become one of the most successful manga and anime series of all time. The manga's 42 volumes have sold over 156 million copies in Japan and more than 240 million copies worldwide, making it the second best-selling manga series in history. Reviewers have praised the art, characterization, and humor of the story. It is widely regarded as one of the greatest manga series ever made, with many manga artists citing Dragon Ball as a source of inspiration for their own now popular works. The anime, particularly Dragon Ball Z, is also highly popular in various countries and was arguably one of the most influential in boosting the popularity of Japanese animation in Western culture.


Bulma's search for six Dragon Balls leads her to a remote valley, and to a boy named Goku. The two strangers begin their new relationship with Goku's naivete getting on Bulma's nerves, but after Goku saves Bulma's life they join forces in search of the remaining Dragon Balls.
Son Goku (孫悟空 Son Gokū) is the protagonist of the Dragon Ball series. He is immensely strong, pure of heart, and extremely competitive, but dedicated to defending the Earth from evil. First introduced as a young boy, Goku was originally conceived by creator Akira Toriyama as a variation of Sun Wukong, protagonist of the Chinese novel Journey to the West; wherefore Goku also sported a prehensile tail until later. Upon meeting Bulma at the beginning of the series, the two then embark on an adventure to gather the seven Dragon Balls.
Bulma (ブルマ Buruma) first appears as a teenager, using the Dragon Radar, a fictional device she created to detect the energy signal emitted by a Dragon Ball, she is led to Goku and ends up recruiting him as a body guard while hoping to get his four-star ball to grant her wish for a boyfriend.
Kame-Sennin (亀仙人, "Turtle Hermit"), also known as Muten-Rōshi (武天老師, "Old Master Muten"), or Master Roshi in the English anime dub, is a perverted elderly martial arts master instructor that lives on a small island and is the inventor of the Kamehameha technique.
Yamcha (ヤムチャ Yamucha), known as Zedaki in the Harmony Gold dub, is introduced as a desert bandit alongside his constant companion Pu'ar, trying to steal Goku and Bulma's Dragon Balls and wish not to feel nervous when near women.
Kuririn (クリリン), Krillin in the English anime dub, is a bald martial artist and one of Goku's best friends. He is the classmate of Goku under Kame-Sennin's tutelage;[ch. 28] initially his rival but later a friend, and a loyal companion in adventures thereafter.
Tenshinhan (天津飯 テンシンハン), named Tien Shinhan in the Funimation anime dub and also known as Shinto in the Harmony Gold dub, is first introduced, having been trained by Kame-Sennin's rival Tsuru-Sennin, trying to kill Goku and his fellow-students.Later, he and his friend and fellow student Chaozu become their allies.
Piccolo (ピッコロ Pikkoro) is the spawn of Piccolo Daimao, created to get revenge on Goku in the wake of his death, subsequently assuming the role as the "evil half" of Kami. However, after just narrowly being defeated by Goku, he has to team up with him and his friends when opposing the invading Saiyans, including training Goku's son Gohan. He is later revealed to be a Namekian – a green-skinned, four-fingered, hairless humanoid species who create the series' titular Dragon Balls.







Dragon Ball Z (Japanese: ドラゴンボールZ ゼット Hepburn: Doragon Bōru Zetto, commonly abbreviated as DBZ) is a Japanese anime television series produced by Toei Animation. Dragon Ball Z is the sequel to the Dragon Ball anime and adapts the latter 325 chapters of the original 519-chapter Dragon Ball manga series created by Akira Toriyama, that were published from 1988 to 1995 in Weekly Shōnen Jump. Dragon Ball Z first aired in Japan on Fuji TV from April 26, 1989 to January 31, 1996, before being dubbed in several territories around the world, including the United States, Australia, Europe, India, and Latin America.

Dragon Ball Z follows the adventures of the protagonist Goku who, along with his companions, defends the Earth against an assortment of villains ranging from intergalactic space fighters and conquerors, unnaturally powerful androids and nearly indestructible creatures. While the original Dragon Ball anime followed Goku from his childhood into adulthood, Dragon Ball Z is a continuation of his adult life, but at the same time parallels the maturation of his sons, Gohan and Goten, as well as the evolution of his rivals Piccolo and Vegeta from enemies into allies.

Due to the success of the anime in the United States, the manga chapters comprising its story were initially released by Viz Media under the title Dragon Ball Z. Additional works called animanga were released, which adapt the animation to manga form. Dragon Ball Z's popularity has spawned numerous releases which have come to represent the majority of content in the Dragon Ball universe; including 17 movies and 148 video games, many of them being only released in Japan, and a host of soundtracks stemming from this material. Dragon Ball Z remains a cultural icon through numerous adaptations, including a more-recent remastered broadcast titled Dragon Ball Kai[a]. There have also been two sequel series; Dragon Ball GT (1996–1997) and Dragon Ball Super (2015–present).









Story
THE LEGENDARY Z REBORN!

For the first time in history, experience the legendary Z as the master intended: bigger, faster, stronger, and packed with the pulverizing power to blow your puny minds! Beef up your collection with this manga-centric, fresh take on Akira Toriyama's original vision, featuring more action than you can handle, revitalized animation, and an amped-up audio experience that will make your ears beg for mercy!




After surviving trials that would have destroyed a mere mortal, Goku now faces the most dangerous journey of his entire life. Evil forces have conspired to scatter the Dragon Balls to the far corners of the universe, and the atmosphere is dense with danger. Unless the heroic Saiyan can recover all seven magic orbs within a year, Earth will meet a catastrophic end!

Even if Goku is successful on his mission of mercy, threats remain that must be dealt with swiftly. Two evil geniuses have created the perfect killing machine: Android 17. While this mechanical abomination deals out death, terrifying villains from battles past rise up to wreak havoc on humanity, and cracks in the Dragon Balls give birth to the fury of seven Shadow Dragons! Goku is the only warrior live with the strength to defeat these new evils, but one false step from the mighty Saiyan could spell doom for the world!




STORY
With Majin Buu defeated, Goku has taken a completely new role as a…radish farmer?! Now, with Earth at peace, our heroes have settled into normal lives. But they can’t get too comfortable. Far away, a powerful god awakens to a prophecy revealing his demise at the hands of a formidable being. When his search for the Saiyan God brings him to Earth, can Goku and his friends take on their strongest foe yet?






Dragon Ball Super is the latest entry to the series and is currently on-going.
Ways to Watch:
Japan - FujiTV
Streaming - Crunchyroll, Funimation, VRV, Hulu
AdultSwim/Cartoon Network - English Dub

Specific times/dates/info coming



Dragon Ball Games, Manga, Misc.
More Coming.

Films
Nineteen animated theatrical films based on the Dragon Ball series have been released in Japan. The first three films are based on the original Dragon Ball anime series. The remaining films include fifteen based on Dragon Ball Z and one tenth anniversary special (also based on the first anime series). The first five films were shown at the Toei Manga Festival (東映まんがまつり Tōei Manga Matsuri), while the sixth through seventeenth films were shown at the Toei Anime Fair (東映アニメフェア Toei Anime Fea).
An American live-action film titled Dragonball Evolution was produced by 20th Century Fox, after it acquired the feature film rights to the Dragon Ball franchise in March 2002, previous to the film, two unofficial live-action films have been produced decades prior.
TV specials and other animations:
Three television specials based on the series were aired on Fuji TV in Japan.
Theme Park attractions
"Dragon Ball Z: The Real 4D" debuted at Universal Studios Japan during Summer 2016. It features a battle between Goku and Freeza. Unlike most Dragon Ball animation, the attraction is animated with CGI. A second attraction titled "Dragon Ball Z: Super Tenkaichi Budokai" debuted at Universal Studios Japan during Summer 2017.
Video games

The Dragon Ball franchise has spawned multiple video games across various genres and platforms.
Soundtracks
Myriad soundtracks were released in the anime, movies and the games. The music for the first two anime Dragon Ball and Z and its films was composed by Shunsuke Kikuchi, while the music from GT was composed by Akihito Tokunaga and the music from Kai was composed by Kenji Yamamoto and Norihito Sumitomo.
Companion books
There have been numerous companion books to the Dragon Ball franchise. Chief among these are the Daizenshuu (大全集) series, comprising seven hardback main volumes and three supplemental softcover volumes, covering the manga and the first two anime series and their theatrical films.
Collectible cards
Collectible cards based on the Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, and Dragon Ball GT series have been released by Bandai. These cards feature various scenes from the manga and anime stills, plus exclusive artwork from all three series. Bandai released the first set in the United States in July 2008.



Links.
Official:

www.dragonball.com
www.dragonballz.com
www.dragonballzkai.com
www.dragonballgt.com
www.dragonballsuperofficial.com/

Unofficial:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dragon_Ball
http://dragonball.wikia.com
http://www.kanzenshuu.com


******Yes I know we have a thread for this but I was given the go ahead to recreate one.

ALSO NO OPEN SPOILERS!!
Use Spoiler tags to take about current or recent Super events.
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