Summary
TheDragon Ballfranchise is one of the biggest manga and anime franchises of all time. It has only grown bigger in the past few decades with a lot more than just manga and anime series. What started as a brainchild of much-celebrated manga author Akira Toriyama has turned into a global manga and anime phenomenon over time. TheDragon Ballfranchise’s legacy is only going to get more rich in every way possible. All the media relating to the franchise comprises what is known today as theDragon BallExtended Universe.
TheDragon BallExtended Universe is so massive and full of different kinds of entertainment media that the potential audience that wants to start exploringit is in turmoiland faced with the paradox of where to start. The people who are new to theDragon Ballfranchise and theDragon BallExtended Universe in general have a lot to catch up with while deciding on a decent order pattern to explore it. Do not worry, we have got everything covered. Let’s explore theDragon BallExtended Universe.
Manga and Anime
The basics of theDragon BallExtended Universe or its foundation are theDragon Ballmanga and anime franchise. It all started with theDragon Ballmanga through whichAkira Toriyama introduced the world tohis genius and forever changed the manga and anime industry. Started in December 1984 and serialized in Shueisha’s weekly shōnen jump, theDragon Ballmanga created waves soon enough after its release. It gave the world numerous truly phenomenal things like the Saiyan race, a unique set of characters, and breathtaking action sequences. But most importantly, it introduced the world to one of the most loved and admired shōnen protagonists of all time,the Saiyan warrior Son Goku.
As soon as the manga received an overwhelmingly positive response from its readers, it got an anime adaptation two years after its debut. The anime series followedthe story of kid Gokugoing on an adventure to find the seven Dragon Balls with a teenager Bulma. This was the beginning of what would eventually become theDragon Ballfranchise and theDragon BallExtended Universe in the true sense. The originalDragon Ballseries might seem a bit boring in the beginning, butit gets super exciting with timeand the people who want to start watchingDragon Ballshould start with the originalDragon Ballseries as it gives the entire context of Goku’s story and origin. Afterward, the new audience can move to theDragon Ball Z(DBZ) series which is the highlight of the entire franchise for all the right reasons, it has the best story arcs, characters, and antagonists.
It is followed by the next installment in the franchise,Dragon Ball GT, which is not canon at least in the manga timeline. WhileDragon Ball GThas some of the best character designs like the Super Saiyan 4 style, it is still very much skippable as far as theDragon Ballfranchise is concerned. Things get better afterDragon Ball GTas the franchise gets exciting withtheDragon Ball Super(DBS) serieswhich is based on the manga of the same name written by Akira Toriyama and illustrated by Toyotarou.
It is the ongoing and the latest series in theDragon Ballfranchise that the fans have been enjoying lately because of good story arcs, a new set of unique characters, and incredible fights. However, the truth remains that the originalDragon Ballseries,DBZ,Dragon Ball GT, andDBSare all canon in the anime timeline though this is not true about the manga timeline.Dragon Ball GTandDBSare spin-offs of the originalDragon BallandDBZseries. These series have been super important in shaping the franchise that the fans love and follow across the globe. A new spinoff series calledSuper Dragon Ball Heroesbased on the video game of the same name was released recently while it’s entertaining, it is not canon and can be skipped.
Dragon Ball Movies
There is a trend that almost all big anime franchises follow when their global viewership increases by leaps and bounds which is making feature anime films related to the anime series or franchise. Almost all the big shōnen anime franchises likeDragon Ball,One Piece,Naruto, andHunter X Hunterhave their feature films released in the past years.Dragon Ballfranchise has numerous feature anime films, from non-canon movies likeDBZ: The Return of Cooler, andDragon Ball GT: A Hero’s Legacyto canon films likeDBS: Broly, andDBS: Super Hero. One thing is quite certain aboutthe movies of theDragon Ballfranchisetheir quality has improved a lot as can be observed from its last two movies which have performed very well at the box office and have also been praised by the critics. Even though some of the olderDragon Ballmovies are enjoyable they are still skippable, however, the latest ones are super recommended for the new audience.
Video Games
Althoughvideo games based on theDragon Ballfranchise became a thing with the release ofDragon Ball: Dragon Daihikyōin 1986, it was not until the 2000s that the franchise really elevated and made its mark in the video-game industry as well. This was mainly possible due to the release of a video game based on the franchise which would eventually become a hit videogame series in itself calledDBZ: Budokaiand capture the hearts of its fans. Another hit video game series based on the franchise came in the 2010s known asDragon Ball Xenoverse. Apart from the above-mentioned series,Dragon Ball FighterZ,Super Dragon Ball Heroes: World Mission, andDBZ: Kakarotare some of the most popular titles that gamers and Dragon Ball fans in general worldwide enjoy. All of these video games are super enjoyable and pretty much recommended.
