DRAGON BALL

GENRE: Adventure, Comedy, Martial Arts, Fantasy

MANGA

WRITER: Akira Toriyama
ORIGINAL RUN: November 20, 1984 – May 23, 1995
VOLUMES: 42

ANIME

DIRECTED BY
Minoru Okazaki
Daisuke Nishio

MUSIC BY: Shunsuke Kikuchi
ORIGINAL RUN: February 26, 1986 – April 12, 1989
EPISODES: 153

PLOT

The series begins with a young monkey-tailed boy named Goku befriending a teenage girl named Bulma. Together they go on a quest to find the seven Dragon Balls, which summons the dragon Shenlong to grant the user one wish. The journey leads to a confrontation with the shape-shifting pig Oolong, as well as a desert bandit named Yamucha and his companion Pu'ar, with all later becoming allies; Chi-Chi, whom Goku unknowingly agrees to marry; and Pilaf, an impish man who seeks the Dragon Balls to fulfill his desire to rule the world. After Oolong stops Pilaf from using the Dragon Balls by wishing for a pair of panties, Goku undergoes rigorous training regimes under the martial artist Kame-Sennin in order to fight in the Tenkaichi Budōkai (Strongest Under the Heavens Martial Arts Tournament) that attracts the most powerful fighters in the world. A monk named Kuririn becomes his training partner and rival, but they soon become best friends. After the tournament, Goku sets out on his own to recover the Dragon Ball his grandfather left him and encounters the Red Ribbon Army, whose leader wants to collect the Dragon Balls for himself. He almost single-handedly defeats the army, including their hired assassin Taopaipai, whom he originally lost to, but after training under the hermit Karin, now easily beats. Goku reunites with his friends to defeat the fortuneteller Baba Uranai's fighters and have her locate the last Dragon Ball in order to revive a friend killed by Taopaipai.

They all reunite at the Tenkaichi Budōkai three years later and meet Kame-Sennin's rival and Taopaipai's brother, Tsuru-Sennin, and his students Tenshinhan and Chaozu, who vow to exact revenge. Kuririn is killed after the tournament and Goku tracks and is defeated by his killer, Piccolo Daimao. The samurai Yajirobe takes Goku to Karin, where he receives healing and a power boost. Meanwhile, Piccolo fights Kame-Sennin and Chaozu, leading to both their deaths, and uses the Dragon Balls to regain his youth before destroying Shenlong. As Piccolo Daimao prepares to destroy West City, Tenshinhan attempts to defeat him, but is beaten and nearly killed. Goku arrives in time to save him, then begins his battle with Piccolo Daimao, who, just before dying, spawns his son/reincarnation Piccolo. Karin informs Goku that Kami (God), the original creator of the Dragon Balls, might be able to restore Shenlong so that he can wish his 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 at the Tenkaichi Budōkai. Piccolo Jr. also enters the tournament to avenge his father, leading to the final fight between him and Goku. After Goku narrowly wins, he leaves with Chi-Chi and keeps his promise to marry her.

Watch The First Episode: