Franchise dragon ball he had as many mutations as his main characters had transformations. A story that started with a boy recreating a classic adventure story has evolved into a pure and simple action movie. goku, his friends and villains have become popular references that go beyond anime and manga to blend in with different layers of culture. The latest event related to this narrative is the box office boom. Dragon Ball Super: Superhero.
On my first weekend in the US Dragon Ball Super: Superhero raised over twenty million dollars. It became the best anime premiere in the history of the genre in this country. The numbers make us think that history is still alive, moving the masses and reaching new spaces. A huge universe in which mythology has grown, which even with such dimensions can be recognizable.
This occurs even in the current context in which productions related to dragon ball At the beginning of the story, they morphed into something very different, stories that sometimes emphasized only the combat rather than the inner story. This is understood from a commercial perspective, with a subscriber base and opportunities open to almost any content. But it’s harder to verify when you think about the essence of the story. However, there is no doubt that this is still the modern anime standard.
Origin of Dragon Ball
The story of Goku and his friends began December 3, 1984. On this day the publisher Shueisha published the first issue of the manga. That story, in fact, was based on the classic path of the hero. A character who must go through different situations, evolve along the way and reach the goal. dragon ballfrom the very beginning to the present, it has been shonen tied to the theory of this manga subgenre. Those first parties Akira Toriyamawere the beginning of one of the most important cultural and commercial developments in the history of graphic novels and television.
initial foundation dragon ball closely related to the ancient Chinese novel, journey to the west. It was designed wu chengen and published in the 16th century during the Ming Dynasty. The story eventually became famous as a tale of adventure monkey king. First influenced by this story, Goku’s story was presented as dragon boya few years before 1984. It was about combining the idea of a character going on a journey with the tradition of kung fu, as recalled on the YouTube channel Toffee Díaz.
The connection between both works can be seen in graphic details such as Goku’s tail or the presence of a pig. Wolong. To these symbols, others have been added, such as bulma D yamuchawho have gone through various stages of history. Although the subsequent huge amount of content was not part of Akira Toriyama’s original plans. What happened? The manga was an unexpected success. That had to change for this trip to be something else, along with finding dragon balls. So, the tournament was conceived. Thus, another gap opened up in the story: it ceased to be an adventure and gradually turned into a story of action.
final change
The gradual transformation of the story into an action manga and anime marked a “before” and “after”. He has done so much in the franchise dragon ball like genres. In the 1980s, readers enjoyed Goku’s natural growth. By the end of those years April 26, 1989 premiered Dragon Ball Z. A child who has become an adult had to face various threats. Inside them, in perspective, one of the main villains appeared: frieze.
To do this, dragon ball It stopped being a story focused on the adventures and relationships of the characters. It expanded beyond the earth and human adversaries. This is how extraterrestrial beings or laboratory inventions appeared, such as androids, Cell and then versions majin buu. Through them, Goku began to expand his power levels. It wasn’t enough to win Vegeta, at the first moment. With Frieza, regardless of films, the opportunity super sayin. Thus, another line in the key of action was opened: transformations, successful both graphically and narratively.
However, what was originally a key part of the story, where the Saiyans unlocked the power levels, also led to a distortion of the discourse. Goku became a Super Saiyan due to a traumatic situation (murder krillin, from the hands of Friza). After that, the next great warrior to appear in this form was Trunks. Ever since that turn on what seemed exceptional has become commonplace. It had to be expanded in stages until it reached the third, within Dragon Ball Zand the fourth, in Dragon Ball GT. Then, in subsequent plot additions, other levels were searched for. Farewell to the traditional hero’s journey in favor of an exciting one.
An important detail: this decision could alienate some followers, those who grew up in the early stages (dragon ball, Dragon Ball Z D Dragon Ball GT), but, in turn, brought others closer, clinging to manifestations of strength in subsequent adaptations (Dragon Ball Z Kai D Dragon Ball Super). It all comes together in one idea: expanding and cultivating mythology based on the story of Goku and his friends.
dragon ball: a story for different generations
1980s to present storytelling dragon ball diversified. It went from being just a manga to becoming an anime with movies and long seasons. His growth in that format led to his transfer to other formats. Albums, t-shirts, collectible figurines and just about any entertainment resource. At the same time, he continued to move forward in building his story based on the relationships of the characters, until he came to a spectacular fight.
Meanwhile, Goku occupied more space in everyday spoken language. Like who jokes about star Wars, Game of Thrones or Lord of the Rings. This is relevant. suggests that many people use the same frame of reference based on dragon ball. History lives beyond the pages, television and cinema. This partly explains the success Dragon Ball Super: Superhero. A new piece that revives this universe and makes it a collaborative experience in the cinema.
Globalization of gender
dragon ball It was produced at a time when there was neither the connectivity nor the distribution that we have today. A story that began with the branch’s daily broadcasts in some parts of the world has reached the age of streaming, with all available stories. Manga, perhaps intended for the most dedicated readers or intended exclusively for the most dedicated readers, has reached other milestones via the Internet.
Gradually, the image of Goku grew and began to be presented in boots for professional football players or turned into memes like: “I will tell my children that was Jesus” or some other version of this style. This is influenced by the fact that the current context of the entertainment industry is gradually opening up anime and manga as storytelling formats. In this search, one of the key links is dragon ball. This story has inspired dozens of other stories, starting with naruto before demon slayer have some relationship with dragon ball.
What does this mean? dragon ball, who grew up in a different environment than today, has this fan base and, thanks to the presence of the media, has added new layers of fans. A story that can feed itself to the point that it continues to fill theaters and captivate audiences beyond its narrative meaning, while a significant proportion of viewers and readers continue to recognize and be moved by it.
