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The U.S. has Superman, brought to the Earth by a destroyed alien civilization and granted super powers based on the color of our sun, but he’s a perpetual bachelor. Japan has Dragon Ball, a manga-and-anime series about an alien superhero named Goku, and eventually his extended family. Superman never had kids, let alone those that could kick his butt.

Story Intro

(Dragon Ball) In an Earth with both science gadgets and dinosaurs, there was a young boy named Son-Goku (later just Goku) who lived alone in the forest. Hunting with his staff and fishing (with his tail) were his favorite things to while away the days, until he met a loud demon racing through the forest. This “demon” turned out to be a girl named Bulma on a motorcycle, searching for something called Dragon Balls — looking for such a strange part of dragon anatomy only served to convince Goku of her weirdness — so Goku brought her home to visit “Grandpa” and help her find them. “Grandpa” was not the old man who raised him in the forest, but a small sphere that was left to his care: a Dragon Ball.

By collecting all seven Dragon Balls, a dragon can be summoned to grant any wish, so the pair up to find the rest of the balls, meeting all sorts of creatures and dastardly humans along the way.

(Dragon Ball Z) Years later, Goku has a son of his own, Son-Gohan (Gohan), but learns that he’s an alien that was sent to Earth as an infant to destroy this world. Losing his memory of this in a childhood accident, he instead became a hero to us.

Other aliens from his world appear, including Vegeta, prince of the alien race. But Vegeta isn’t the only one after power; an alien named Freeza, who destroyed Vegeta and Goku’s home planet, is also after them. Another mysterious man appears with the same alien powers, defeating Freeza quite easily; this man named Trunks claims to have come from the future and warns of Goku’s imminent death.

Many story arcs and both earthly and afterlife (and back again) battles ensue.

(Dragon Ball GT) Years later, Gohan now has a daughter of his own, “Pan”, and a dastardly group uses the Dragon Balls to turn Goku into a child again. Now it’s up to a child-like Goku, his granddaughter Pan (who appears older), and their friend Trunks, to save the world yet again.

Other Notes

Names and other silliness — a horde of in-jokes are scattered along the way in both the manga series (which correspond nearly episode-to-episode to only the first two anime series) and the anime. A small sample of name-related jokes are listed here.

• The “Z Fighters”, most of whom are also in the original series, are almost all foods — Goku’s original name was Kakarot (carrot), then we have Vegeta (vegetable), Gohan (rice), Krillin (chestnut), Yamcha (dim sum), Tien (a desert), Chiaotzu (dumpling), and the animals Oolong (tea) and Puar (tea). Radditz (radish) was Goku’s brother, but an enemy.
• One story arc features enemies named Cold and his sons Cooler and Freeza (freezer). Among other enemies are Salt, Spice, Mustard, and Vinegar.
• “Bulma” is an alternate transliteration of the word “buruma”, or bloomers, the gym shorts that school-girls wear in Japan. Her father’s name is Dr. Briefs, and her son is Trunks. Late in Z and throughout GT, Bulma also has a daughter, Bra.
• In a late story arc in the “Z” series, we learn of the lineage of an enemy named “Majin Buu”: his creater was “Babidi”. His father’s name was “Bibidi”. So, we have an homage to Disney’s Cinderella: Bibidi, Babidi, Buu.

Alternate worlds — While the manga and TV anime roughly follow one long chronology, the TV specials and Movies are best seen as alternate realities, as many of them conflict with occurrences in the normal series. Two examples are History of Trunks, a TV special that showed what Trunks’ world was like before he went back in time to help folks out — at best a side-plot, but one of my favorites of the whole series — and Return My Gohan (released here in the US as Dead Zone), where Gohan is kidnapped by an entirely different fellow than the TV storyline.

• Main storyline:
  • Dragon Ball (1986-89 TV, 153-episodes, 16-volume manga)
  • Dragon Ball Z (1989-96 TV, 291-episodes, 26-volume manga)
  • Dragon Ball GT (1996-97 TV, 64-episodes)
• TV Specials (alternate storylines):
  • DBZ: A Final Solitary Battle! The Z Warrior Son Goku’s Father Challenges Freeza (TV Special, aka Bardock: Father of Goku)
  • DBZ: Resist Despair! The Surviving Fighters Gohan and Trunks (1993 TV Special, aka History of Trunks)
  • DBGT: Goku’s Sidestory! The Proof of His Courage is the Four-Star Ball (1997 TV Special, aka A Hero’s Legacy)
• Theatrical Movies (alternate storylines):
  • DB: The Legend of Shenlon (1986 Movie, aka Curse of the Blood Rubies)
  • DB: Sleeping Princess in Devil’s Castle (1987 Movie, aka The Princess in Devil’s Castle)
  • DB: Mystical Adventure (1988 Movie)
  • DB: The Way to Become the Strongest (1996 Movie, aka The Path the Power)
  • DBZ: Return My Gohan (1989 Movie, aka Dead Zone)
  • DBZ: The World’s Strongest Man (1990 Movie)
  • DBZ: Ultimate Decisive Battle for Earth (1990 Movie, aka Tree of Might)
  • DBZ: Super Saiya-jin Goku (1991 Movie, aka Lord Slug)
  • DBZ: The Best of Strongest Vs. Strongest (1991 Movie, aka Cooler’s Revenge)
  • DBZ: Clash!! 10,000,000,000 Power Warriors (1992 Movie, aka The Return of Cooler)
  • DBZ: Utmost Limits of Battle!! The Three Super Saiya-jin (1992 Movie, aka Super Android 13)
  • DBZ: Burn Your Spirits to the Max! Close Battle, Violent Battle, Super Bloody Battle (1993 Movie, aka The Legendary Super Saiyan)
  • DBZ: The Galaxy’s in Danger! The Super Awesome Guy! (1993 Movie, aka Brojack Unbound)
  • DBZ: Dangerous Partners! Super Warriors Never Rest (1994 Movie, aka Broly Second Coming)
  • DBZ: Crushing Super Warrior!! I am the Winner (1994 Movie, aka Bio-Broly)
  • DBZ: The Rebirth of Fusion! Goku and Vegeta Janemba Crisis (1995 Movie, aka Fusion Reborn)
  • DBZ: Dragon Fist Explosion!! If Goku Can’t, Who Can? (1995 Movie)
  • Live-Action: Dragonball: The Magic Begins (2007 Movie, unlicensed adaptation)
  • Live-Action: Dragonball: Evolution (2009 Movie)
• OVAs
  • DBZ: Plan to Destroy the Saiyans (1993 OVA)
  • DBZ: Yo! The Return of Son Goku and Friends! (2008 OVA)