DragonBall Z

Dragon Ball Z is the long-running sequel to the manga and anime Dragon Ball released in Japan and Hong Kong. more...

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The series is a close adaptation of the second (and far longer) portion of the Dragon Ball manga written and drawn by Akira Toriyama (in the United States, the manga's second portion is also titled Dragon Ball Z to prevent confusion). The 'Z' was originally added to the title by Toriyama to signify it as being the ending portion of the Dragon Ball series.

The series follows the adventures of the adult Goku who, along with his companions, defend the Earth and many other planets against various villains. While the original Dragon Ball anime followed Goku through childhood into adulthood, Dragon Ball Z is a continuation of his adulthood life, but at the same time parallels the maturation of his son, Gohan. The separation between the series is also significant as the latter series takes on a more dramatic and serious tone.

The anime first premiered in Japan and Hong Kong on April 18, 1989 (on Fuji TV) at 7:00 p.m. and ended on January 31, 1996. It was also later broadcast across Japan by the anime television network, Animax. In Hong Kong (independent from China), it was the second country to release the full seasons of Dragonball Z, due to close ties between Bird Studios Hong Kong and Japan. In the U.S., the series ran between 1996 and 2003, though not always on the same networks or with continuity of dubbing. It aired in the UK, albeit with the same dubbing problem, on Cartoon Network, premiering on March 6, 2000 and running until 2002, with the final few episodes being shown on CNX starting from October 14, 2002 and finishing on February 28, 2003. The channel then relaunched as Toonami, on which it was repeated daily.

After Dragon Ball Z, the story of Goku and his friends continues in the anime-only series Dragon Ball GT. This series is not based on a manga by Akira Toriyama.

Toriyama's humor/parody manga Neko Majin Z features several concepts introduced in Dragon Ball Z (several Dragon Ball Z characters even make various appearances), but that manga is designed as a parody and not a true continuation of the series.

Themes

Throughout the series, there is a strong theme that young people can accomplish many of the same feats as adults. One example is during the Cell saga, in which eleven-year-old Gohan is given the responsibility of defeating the villainous Cell, which he does after unlocking his inner strength. In addition, Goku starts out young in the series, and accomplishes much despite his young age.

Another theme is the turning of fortunes in a battle through desperation or righteous anger. Many battles proceed almost to defeat for the heroes, finally to be reversed through a desperate act to defend their home or loved ones. Characters who have used this to their advantage include Goku, Gohan and even Vegeta. This theme is found in almost every battle.

Read more at Wikipedia.org