Dragon Ball (ドラゴンボール) is a Japanese media franchise created by Akira Toriyama. The franchise began as a manga series published in Shueisha's shōnen manga magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump from 1984 to 1995. The manga was adapted into an anime television series produced by Toei Animation that ran from 1986 to 1996. The series has also spawned numerous feature films, video games, and other merchandise.
The story follows the adventures of Son Goku, a young boy who was found as a baby with a monkey tail. Goku is raised by his adoptive grandfather, Gohan, and trains in martial arts. As he grows older, Goku becomes a powerful fighter and defends the Earth from a variety of villains.
The Dragon Ball franchise is one of the most popular and successful anime and manga series of all time. It has been translated into over 40 languages and has sold over 350 million copies worldwide.
Here is a summary of each of the Dragon Ball anime series:
Dragon Ball (ドラゴンボール) (1986-1989)
Episodes: 153
Story: Goku's adventures begin as a child and continue into adulthood. He meets new friends, battles powerful enemies, and searches for the seven Dragon Balls, which can grant any wish.
Dragon Ball Z (ドラゴンボール Z) (1989-1996)
Episodes: 291
Story: Goku's son, Gohan, becomes the main protagonist as the series explores new threats to Earth, including the Saiyans, Frieza, Cell, and Majin Buu.
Dragon Ball GT (ドラゴンボール GT) (1996-1997)
Episodes: 64
Story: After Goku defeats Majin Buu, he is turned into a child and must travel to the past to collect the Black Star Dragon Balls.
Dragon Ball Kai (ドラゴンボール改) (2009-2015)
Episodes: 159
Story: A remastered version of Dragon Ball Z that removes filler episodes and improves the animation.
Dragon Ball Super (ドラゴンボール超) (2015-2018)
Episodes: 131
Story: The series takes place after the events of Dragon Ball Z and explores new threats to the universe, including Beerus, Champa, Goku Black, and Jiren.
Super Dragon Ball Heroes (スーパードラゴンボールヒーローズ) (2018-)
Episodes: 19
Story: A promotional anime based on the Super Dragon Ball Heroes game.
Dragon Ball is a beloved franchise that has captured the hearts of fans around the world. It is a story of friendship, courage, and the power of never giving up.
Here are some additional details about the franchise:
The manga is written and illustrated by Akira Toriyama.
The anime series was directed by Minoru Yamashita, Daisuke Nishio, Yoshihiro Ueda, and Kazuhito Kikuchi.
The voice cast for the English dub of the anime series includes Sean Schemmel as Goku, Christopher Sabat as Vegeta, and Colleen Clinkenbeard as Bulma.
The franchise has spawned numerous video games, including the Dragon Ball Z series of fighting games, the Dragon Ball Xenoverse series of action role-playing games, and the Dragon Ball Super Card Game.
I hope this summary is helpful. Please let me know if you have any other questions.