Dragon Ball Z is a well-known anime series. The broadcast took place in eighty-one countries worldwide. It is a sequel to Dragon Ball. The plot focuses on the journey of the character “Goku”. While the Dragon Ball series focused on Goku as a child. This one emphasizes him as an adult as well as the journey of his son “Gohan”. Thus, it follows the adventures of the two major characters with their companions. Together they protect Earth and fight against several foes. Yet, there is a further continuation of this series. So far, there has been the release of fifteen movies, a couple of TV specials, and two series. This included Dragon Ball GT and Dragon Ball Super.
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WHAT IS THE FOCUS OF THE STORYLINE?
While there are 291 episodes in total, they have been divided into various sagas. There is the Saiyan Saga, Frieza Saga, Cell Saga, and the Majin Buu Saga. The initial one i.e. the Saiyan Saga begins five years down the line where the Dragon Ball ended. Goku is now an adult and he has a son, Gohan. Raditz a humanoid alien shows up and claims that he is Goku’s elder brother. He goes on to claim that they both are a part of the nearly extinct race of Saiyans. The plot progresses and reveals that the Saiyans had sent Goku as an infant to Earth to conquer it. However, Goku suffered from a head injury and lost all his memory, including his volatile Saiyan nature.
Nevertheless, Goku refuses to join them. As a result, Raditz kidnaps his son Gohan and threatens to kill him if Goku does not massacre at least 100 humans. Subsequently, Goku joins hands with his enemy Piccolo. In the battle that follows Raditz ultimately loses and Gohan is saved. However, the plot proceeds with Piccolo taking charge of Gohan to train him for the upcoming battle. Meanwhile, Goku travels for guidance from the leader of the North Galaxy King Kai. The saga ends with Goku recovering from the next battle that followed. On the other hand, Gohan and other characters leave for Namek. They depart intending to use the Drago Balls for the revival of their friends who lost their lives in the battle.
CHARACTER SKETCH:
Goku:
Starting as a child, Goku is a strong and courageous character with a kind heart. He possesses the ambition to protect Earth from internal as well as external threats. Although he appears to be a human, later there is a revelation about his actual roots. It unfolds that he is a member of an almost extinct alien race. Also, his actual name is Kakarot.
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Gohan:
Goku’s son Gohan is also immensely powerful. Yet one of Goku’s foes kidnaps him and locks him up in a space pod. This enrages him and he bursts out of it. As the series continues, he gets stronger and matured. Eventually, during the Majin Buu, he develops a relationship with Videl. Later, the two bear a daughter Pan.
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Piccolo:
Initially, he is Goku’s enemy. However, later the two parties team up to fight the Saiyans. He also develops attachment with Goku’s son Gohan. Later, he sacrifices his life in the battle to protect him. Thus, the entire series portrays the evolution of his character from evil to a kind version of himself. Piccolo is later revealed to be Nemekian, a green-skinned and four-fingered humanoid who is hairless. He is the one who created the series’ titular Dragon Balls.
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Raditz:
Goku’s elder brother and one of the few remaining Saiyans. He arrives on Earth when his planet Vegeta gets destroyed. Raditz is portrayed as a short-tempered and cold-hearted character. He wishes his brother to join his mission to conquer the Earth. On refusal, he kidnaps his nephew. He shows no mercy to anyone and is driven by his sole ambition.
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REASONS BEHIND POPULARITY:
One of the main reasons behind the widespread popularity of this show is the portrayal of adventure anime and manga. There is a significant display of martial arts forms. Individuals find it fascinating that the series focuses on other planets along with Earth. There are imagination and the feature of different arcs. People who prefer action also like Dragon Ball Z because the show has more elaborate battles. Therefore, it exhibits a lot of power-play among the characters involved. It is not just physical but at a mental level too. Some people believe that anime was introduced in the West through the Dragon Ball Z series. Hence, viewers all over the world liked to watch it. This resulted in the production of merchandise and games related to the theme.
CONCLUSION:
Dragon Ball Z series was one of the most well-known and successful anime shows of the era. The fan following was to a great extent. This led to the release of DVDs and Blue-ray versions. The characters in the show evolved as the storyline continued. It engrossed the viewers about what would happen next. Although, some scenes may be considered violent for younger viewers. However, it continues to be one of the most famous anime shows.
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