Manga References

Research, Annotation, and English Translation: Julian Grybowski (Daizenshuu EX)

Some parts by: SilverPlaqueVII

Created by Akira Toriyama serialized in the weekly anthology magazine, Weekly Shonen Jump,  Dragon Ball (ドラゴンボール)  was published from 1984 to 1995 and originally collected into 42 individual books called tankobon. In 2004, the manga was re-released in a 34 volume collection (called kanzenban) which included a slightly rewritten ending, all new original covers, and original color artwork from its Weekly Jump run. The manga cost per volume was ¥390.

In the US, the manga was first released as two American-style comic books: Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z starting in 2000. (The split corresponds to the two different anime series, though the original Japanese manga does not distinguish between them. See below.) This style of release was unsuccessful due to its large size and expensive cost ($2.95 for an issue of 2, later 3, chapters), and both series were cancelled in 2002. The Dragon Ball Z comic was transitioned into a launch title for the new US edition of the Shonen Jump anthology, starting in January 2003. In parallel to these releases, Viz is in the process of releasing the 42 volumes (nearly matching the first Japanese set) in English. Viz titles the second part of the manga Dragon Ball Z to reduce confusion for American audiences.

The story of Dragon Ball follows the life of Son Goku, a monkey-tailed boy loosely based on the traditional Chinese folk tale Journey to the West (西遊記), from his life and adventures as a child all the way up to being a grandfather. During his life, he fights many battles and eventually becomes (arguably) the strongest martial-artist in the universe. He is not without help, however: the comic boasts a large ensemble cast of martial-artist heroes and villains which provide the conflict that drives the story.

Dragon Ball GT was a project started by Toei Animation to continue the story from where Z left off and is not part of the original manga. As such, its canonicity is frequently a topic of debate among fans.

Tankobon Volumes