https://www.cbr.com Read up on the latest Dragon Ball franchise News, Reviews and Features from the team at CBR. Fri, 22 Sep 2023 15:40:20 GMT en-US hourly 60 Anime is full of unique characters, narratives, and settings, but despite this level of diversity, there are still some common tropes that appear across the medium. One well-known cliché that is repeatedly used in a variety of genres is timeskips, which often completely change the tone of their respective series.

]]> Fri, 22 Sep 2023 15:40:20 GMT https://www.cbr.com/game-changing-anime-time-skips/ Some special Dragon Ball busts were recently put up for sale and have already sold out.

]]> Thu, 21 Sep 2023 22:01:17 GMT https://www.cbr.com/dragon-ball-busts-gogeta-vegito/ The antagonists of Dragon Ball have fallen into a sameness. They may come in different forms and come from various places, but there's one thing they all have in common. They all have the same kinds of interactions with Goku and his friends. It's a near-endless cycle of unfamiliarity, condescension, surprise, and anger. In this sense, the fighters coming from beyond Earth work against them. They can't get to know the Z-Fighters without battling them, so all their reactions are variations of one another's.

]]> Thu, 21 Sep 2023 19:00:22 GMT https://www.cbr.com/dbz-androids-best-villain-hero-dynamic/ Anime embrace many different genres and extremes, but some of the medium's most popular series are those that are dense in combat. Fight sequences may be crucial to many anime, especially the shonen genre. However, there's still a lot of room for interpretation when it comes to the depiction of this combat. Heightened anime series like Demon Slayer or Chainsaw Man transform fight sequences into grandiose spectacles that defy reality.

]]> Thu, 21 Sep 2023 16:30:21 GMT https://www.cbr.com/most-realistic-martial-arts-anime-manga/ In anime, a villain's depravity was usually intended to make the hero look better in comparison. Though sometimes given sympathetic qualities, they're meant to represent forces fundamentally opposed to the beliefs of the hero and audience. In this regard, a villain was almost as responsible for making a protagonist likable as the hero themselves.

]]> Wed, 20 Sep 2023 17:40:23 GMT https://www.cbr.com/most-evil-anime-villains-ever-ranked/ Dragon Ball is one of the most recognizable anime series of all time. Its characters are well-known by many, and their most iconic moments have essentially become clichés for the shonen manga genre due to the widespread inspiration they've had on other series.

]]> Wed, 20 Sep 2023 00:01:17 GMT https://www.cbr.com/memorable-dragon-ball-scenes/ Anime history is full of memorable deaths, with many shows using a sudden passing to raise the stakes or change the cast's dynamics. Fans rarely forget a well-timed and well-executed death, with many famous ones getting referenced or talked about years after their initial airing.

]]> Tue, 19 Sep 2023 18:30:40 GMT https://www.cbr.com/avoidable-anime-deaths/ Groundbreaking anime comes around every decade, and it’s interesting to examine the different changes that accompany these contrasting time periods. There are still plenty of modern anime that subvert expectations and redefine the medium, like Wonder Egg Priority, Lycoris Recoil, or Jujutsu Kaisen, but it’s also important to not overlook the past and the important series that have helped anime get where it is today.

]]> Tue, 19 Sep 2023 12:00:21 GMT https://www.cbr.com/anime-important-80s-ranked/ Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball has been a consistent source of entertainment for anime and manga fans for more than 35 years and this has led to a strong synergy between Dragon Ball’s audience and its creator. Dragon Ball understands how to embrace certain shonen storytelling tropes and patterns while also subverting these conventions in ways that continue to surprise the dedicated fans.

]]> Mon, 18 Sep 2023 15:40:18 GMT https://www.cbr.com/db-fan-therories-better-than-canon/ Through the years, the anime medium has spawned a wide variety of beloved series; however, none are more popular than Dragon Ball Z. The adventures of Goku and the Z Fighters have taken them across galaxies, universes, and even different timelines, and along the way, they've uttered a quite a few memorable quotes.

]]> Mon, 18 Sep 2023 00:00:20 GMT https://www.cbr.com/fan-favorite-dbz-quotes-original-english-dub-ranked/ The announcement of a teaser trailer debuting at Dragon Ball's New York Comic Con panel on the 12th of October ignited a new wave of speculation regarding its potential contents. Given that several of Dragon Ball's official licensees have been hyping up the event, many fans have been hopeful that the teaser in question will finally bring an end to Dragon Ball's half-decade hiatus in the anime realm by announcing a new series. While many remain hopeful that the event will reveal a televised continuation of Dragon Ball Super, others have posited alternative possibilities—with one gaining traction being a remake of the original Dragon Ball anime. Given that the manga will be celebrating its fortieth anniversary in 2024, could now be the perfect time for Toei Animation to revisit the source material?

]]> Sun, 17 Sep 2023 18:00:18 GMT https://www.cbr.com/does-dragon-ball-need-remake/ For anime fans today, much of Dragon Ball's most shocking moments are nothing out of the ordinary. That's because the very standard of shonen anime today was dictated by what Dragon Ball pulled off during its heyday.

]]> Sat, 16 Sep 2023 22:16:16 GMT https://www.cbr.com/dragon-ball-most-surprising-scenes-ranked/ The shonen genre, more than any other anime demographic, is very in tune with the ever-changing demands of its audiences. Even if some genre-defining things tend to stay the same, trends in shonen anime come and go depending on what's popular at the moment. The dynamic nature of the shonen genre gives shows from different generations their own distinctive identities.

]]> Sat, 16 Sep 2023 20:30:22 GMT https://www.cbr.com/what-modern-shonen-anime-does-better-than-classic/ Dragon Ball fans are well aware of the franchise's core series, but Super Dragon Ball Heroes is an oddity that's eluded much of the fandom. Created in 2018, Super Dragon Ball Heroes is a promotional ONA series for the corresponding card and video game, Dragon Ball Heroes.

]]> Sat, 16 Sep 2023 19:11:16 GMT https://www.cbr.com/super-dragon-ball-heroes-exciting-scenes-ranked/ Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball is one of the most successful shonen series ever made, and it's kept its fans entertained with nearly four decades of exciting action content. Dragon Ball has hundreds of episodes and manga chapters to pull from that tell an ever-evolving story that's matured alongside its audience.

]]> Sat, 16 Sep 2023 12:00:21 GMT https://www.cbr.com/dragon-ball-forgotten-details/ Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball has endured for nearly four decades because of its satisfying storytelling and heightened battle sequences, but none of these theatrics mean anything without compelling characters to back them up. Dragon Ball has a celebrated cast of characters that includes Goku, Vegeta, Piccolo, and Beerus.

]]> Fri, 15 Sep 2023 17:40:18 GMT https://www.cbr.com/abandoned-dragon-ball-characters/ Despite its age, the Dragon Ball franchise continues to play a major role in the shonen genre, and with the release of blockbuster films like Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, the series is showing no signs of slowing down. Almost forty years after their debut, the Z Fighters are still among the most popular characters in anime history, including their iconic antihero, Vegeta.

]]> Fri, 15 Sep 2023 00:00:20 GMT https://www.cbr.com/vegeta-dragon-ball-super-quotes/ A major reason for anime's explosive growth over the past two decades is the presence of iconic franchises like Dragon Ball, which follows the adventures of the all-powerful Saiyan known as Son Goku.

]]> Thu, 14 Sep 2023 13:31:16 GMT https://www.cbr.com/anime-characters-today-vs-goku/ Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball has kept audiences entertained for more than 35 years and the superpowered exploits of Goku, Vegeta, and company are more popular than ever. Fans continue to turn to Dragon Ball because of its colorful characters, serialized storytelling, and action-packed fight sequences.

]]> Thu, 14 Sep 2023 00:01:18 GMT https://www.cbr.com/dragon-ball-scenes-that-impacted-shonen-anime/ Dragon Ball is a franchise that extends far beyond Super Saiyans, power levels, and villains whose ashes literally need to be obliterated from existence for them to actually die. Any series that's run as long as Dragon Ball has gone through several phases. Although the original manga was simply titled Dragon Ball, Toei Animation chose to split their adaptations up.

]]> Wed, 13 Sep 2023 14:20:18 GMT https://www.cbr.com/dragon-ball-series-chronological-order/ When it comes to battle shonen anime, most fans of a given series will want to know which characters are the strongest. There are many ways to judge how powerful any given character is. At first, it will be about known feats of strength, speed, durability, etc. If those concepts become vague, fans can rely on how much they can destroy (buildings, mountains, planets, etc.). Of course, the most common way to judge which characters are the best is to see how they fare against each other in a straight fight. Unfortunately, writers sometimes leave the outcomes of these fights open to interpretation; this allows fans to believe their favorite character could win, depending on the circumstances. However, it's a monkey wrench for power scalers who want a straight answer.

]]> Wed, 13 Sep 2023 13:01:18 GMT https://www.cbr.com/anime-sweat-scaling-acuracy/ Dragon Ball gets praise for its grandiose fight sequences, inspirational transformations, and an eclectic cast of superpowered heroes and villains. One element that Dragon Ball typically doesn’t get singled out for is its approach to romance and more heartwarming moments.

]]> Tue, 12 Sep 2023 22:16:18 GMT https://www.cbr.com/heartwarming-dragon-ball-scenes/ Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods is set to return to theaters in October to celebrate the movie's 10th anniversary.

]]> Tue, 12 Sep 2023 19:34:45 GMT https://www.cbr.com/dragon-ball-z-battle-of-the-gods-trailer/ Anime is well-known for its exceptionally long series that seem to have no end in sight. These titles are often intimidating for newcomers due to high episode counts that make it feel impossible to catch up. However, despite their length, many of the longest anime series are surprisingly easy to get through.

]]> Tue, 12 Sep 2023 17:40:19 GMT https://www.cbr.com/binge-worthy-long-anime/ Ever since the release and global popularity of Genshin Impact, mobile games — and more specifically, gacha games — have come into the spotlight like never before. A wide audience of players realized that gacha games can be far more than just low-quality cash grabs. Similarly, studios and developers learned just how lucrative live-service games that continually offer new and powerful units can be.

]]> Tue, 12 Sep 2023 14:50:17 GMT https://www.cbr.com/highest-grossing-gacha-games/ Some people believe that everyone should get a second chance, and some offered that hand may deserve it. With so many anime series out there with large casts of characters that are good, bad, and everything in between, tons of characters sometimes need that chance to redeem themselves or take up the spotlight once again. However, not every character gets to do so.

]]> Mon, 11 Sep 2023 00:00:19 GMT https://www.cbr.com/anime-characters-never-got-second-chance/ Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball has passed the test of time, and more than 35 years after its debut, it's more popular than ever. Audiences continue to return to Dragon Ball because of its bold battles, surprising storytelling, and terrific transformations. However, Dragon Ball also has a memorable cast of characters, particularly Goku and Vegeta, who have become shonen anime icons.

]]> Sun, 10 Sep 2023 20:30:23 GMT https://www.cbr.com/dragon-ball-why-goku-wont-ever-beat-vegeta/ Akira Toriyama has told Dragon Ball's story through anime episodes, manga chapters, and feature films, which frequently cover comparable events in diverse ways that complement their respective mediums. For years, Dragon Ball movies were non-canonical stories that weren't covered in its manga and anime. However, Dragon Ball has broken this trend, and its most recent movie, Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, not only connects with the anime but has also been adapted into the manga's latest story arc.

]]> Fri, 08 Sep 2023 22:16:18 GMT https://www.cbr.com/dbs-super-hero-movie-vs-manga/ The anime medium's growth over the past few decades is nothing short of astronomical, and thanks to the continued production of a wide variety of beloved series, it is showing no signs of slowing down. Each year brings forth a new batch of anime series that appeal to fans around world, slowly increasing the medium's mainstream appeal.

]]> Fri, 08 Sep 2023 17:40:18 GMT https://www.cbr.com/famous-anime-characters/ It would be downright impossible to talk about legendary anime without mentioning the masterpiece that is Dragon Ball. Dragon Ball is filled with everything one might expect from an action-packed shonen series, whether that's heart-pounding action, endearing characters, or amazing transformations that help individuals achieve new heights of power.

]]> Fri, 08 Sep 2023 14:20:18 GMT https://www.cbr.com/dragon-ball-super-strongest-characters/ Over the past several decades, anime has become one of the most popular forms of media in the entire world, due in large part to the success of iconic series like Dragon Ball Z. The shonen anime picks up where its prequel, Dragon Ball, left off, following Goku's journey to become the strongest fighter on planet Earth.

]]> Fri, 08 Sep 2023 13:30:21 GMT https://www.cbr.com/best-dbz-fight-scenes/ Dragon Ball Super builds upon the epic fights and heightened storytelling of Akira Toriyama’s celebrated shonen series and manages to take these spectacles to even greater places. Dragon Ball Super begins in familiar territory, but goes on to introduce new celestial deities, the return of old friends and foes, and a whole multiverse of obstacles.

]]> Fri, 08 Sep 2023 00:01:16 GMT https://www.cbr.com/exciting-dragon-ball-super-moments/ Unlike Toriyama's previous Dragon Ball series, the Dragon Ball Super anime ran simultaneously with its corresponding manga, rather than the anime beginning much later in the manga's run. Fans of the Dragon Ball Super anime have still had occasional feature films to satiate their need for more content, but the best place to get new Dragon Ball Super stories is in the manga.

]]> Thu, 07 Sep 2023 16:40:19 GMT https://www.cbr.com/dragon-ball-super-new-chapters-release-date/ Waiting for a new anime episode can be awful, that's why fans prefer to binge-watch their favorite series, so they can find out what happens next right away. This is the perfect tactic to avoid the pain of waiting, however, some anime episodes don't need to be set aside for later – they're so good they can be enjoyed by themselves.

]]> Thu, 07 Sep 2023 15:30:18 GMT https://www.cbr.com/standalone-anime-episodes/ Dragon Ball has never been particularly known as a dark series by any means. Its action has always been larger than life and its threats were always precarious, but even then, Dragon Ball always managed to maintain its lighthearted spirit. However, there have been some points throughout the Dragon Ball franchise where all the positivity and optimism that Goku's personality would usually bring seemed entirely absent from the equation.

]]> Thu, 07 Sep 2023 00:00:20 GMT https://www.cbr.com/dragon-ball-darkest-moments/ Despite having become such a central part to the Dragon Ball Universe, the Super Saiyan transformation is in many ways just as mysterious and enigmatic as it was when Goku first reached it against Frieza in Dragon Ball Z. At that time, the excitement of Goku's god-like power was enough to push questions off to a further date, but as time went by, not much more has been definitively explained about it.

]]> Wed, 06 Sep 2023 15:00:21 GMT https://www.cbr.com/dragon-ball-super-saiyan-nonsense/ Filler is often viewed as a necessary evil in long-running anime series and even franchises like Dragon Ball Super aren’t immune to these anime-exclusive extraneous installments. Dragon Ball Super is a unique case that differs from its predecessors that followed the events of their accompanying manga for story inspiration. Dragon Ball Super’s manga ran in tandem with its anime and they ultimately tell the same story, even if there are minor differences when it comes to the specifics.

]]> Tue, 05 Sep 2023 22:16:21 GMT https://www.cbr.com/dragon-ball-super-filler-list-dbz/ Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball Super is a satisfying sequel series to his groundbreaking battle shonen franchise. Dragon Ball Super continues to tell the heightened stories of Goku, Vegeta, Gohan, and the rest of the world’s strongest fighters, albeit with new transformations, villains, and a whole multiverse of obstacles to consider. Dragon Ball Super has produced 131 episodes, two feature films, and its ongoing manga is still going strong.

]]> Tue, 05 Sep 2023 15:30:18 GMT https://www.cbr.com/best-dragon-ball-super-goku-quotes/ Dragon Ball Super is the latest installment in Akira Toriyama's long-running battle shonen series that follows Goku's adventures against malevolent forces. Goku has made incredible progress since his humble roots as a reclusive boy; he's gone on to acquire the power of gods and is still growing stronger.

]]> Mon, 04 Sep 2023 00:00:19 GMT https://www.cbr.com/dbs-characters-potentially-stronger-than-goku/ Vegeta has consistently come in second place to Goku in terms of power throughout the Dragon Ball series. Despite that, he has never simply gotten used to being second best or accepted his position as weaker, instead always striving to grow as a fighter in order to one day surpass his rival.

]]> Sun, 03 Sep 2023 23:00:19 GMT https://www.cbr.com/what-vegeta-does-better-than-goku/ Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball Super excels in many arenas, but it's an anime series that truly understands how to create a compelling villain. Frieza gets introduced relatively early in Dragon Ball Z's run, only to become the series' unofficial primary antagonist. Frieza has had more opportunities to cause trouble than any other villain, and he's even returned, stronger than ever, in Dragon Ball Super's manga.

]]> Sun, 03 Sep 2023 21:41:15 GMT https://www.cbr.com/dbs-why-frieza-shouldnt-ever-get-redemption/ Dragon Ball Super is the latest entry in Akira Toriyama's long-running signature shonen series, which doesn't struggle when it comes to new transformations, villains, and tournaments. Dragon Ball Super's Tournament of Power combines all of these elements into an epic multiversal battle royale where the cost of failure is complete erasure by Omni-King Zeno. Martial arts competitions are nothing new for Dragon Ball, but the Tournament of Power lasts 35 episodes, taking up nearly a quarter of Dragon Ball Super's 131 installments.

]]> Sun, 03 Sep 2023 21:05:18 GMT https://www.cbr.com/dbs-tournament-of-power-characters-need-to-come-back/ Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball has endured for nearly four decades, and one of the biggest reasons that it's more popular than ever is the vicious villains who threaten the universe. An anime is often only as good as its antagonists, and when it comes to Dragon Ball, it's hard to top the tyrannical terror Frieza. Frieza first gains notoriety during the heroes' trip to Planet Namek to collect its Dragon Balls, but he remains a pivotal player in the franchise long after his initial death.

]]> Sun, 03 Sep 2023 18:46:18 GMT https://www.cbr.com/dragon-ball-frieza-evilest-actions-ranked/ Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball Super has produced 131 episodes, two feature films, and close to 100 manga chapters, which have covered a lot of ground since the sequel series' debut. Past Dragon Ball series can be somewhat repetitive in nature and Dragon Ball Super carefully combines original ideas with soothing nostalgia and familiar faces.

]]> Sun, 03 Sep 2023 17:40:19 GMT https://www.cbr.com/dbs-every-anime-manga-movie-arc-ranked/ When two Japanese anime characters form a duo, those characters either complete one another or challenge each other, and there is always a sense of co-dependency. In a trio, however, there are ongoing tensions, a strong sense of competition, and rivalry that can also become jealousy, making the whole group much more interesting.

]]> Sun, 03 Sep 2023 14:21:17 GMT https://www.cbr.com/anime-best-trios-all-time-ranked/ Dragon Ball is one of the biggest anime series of all time, and even after nearly 40 years, it's still telling new stories and keeping fans entertained. Dragon Ball has remained such a pop culture phenomenon because of the diverse cast of characters that populate its heightened, superpowered world. Goten and Trunks are later additions to the franchise, and yet they go on to become crucial characters, particularly in their fused form, Gotenks.

]]> Sun, 03 Sep 2023 00:00:17 GMT https://www.cbr.com/dragon-ball-gotenks-greatest-moments-ranked/ Many anime and manga have become evergreen classics, but Akira Toriyama's original Dragon Ball series has entertained audiences for four decades and is still as strong as ever. Toriyama's Dragon Ball manga started in '84, and it establishes an excellent foundation that's gone on to influence some of the biggest anime of the next generation. It's easy for audiences to prioritize the sequel series Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball Super over their predecessor.

]]> Sat, 02 Sep 2023 15:30:18 GMT https://www.cbr.com/why-fans-love-dragon-ball-after-40-years/ Dragon Ball Z is filled with fearsome foes, but few can compare to Majin Buu's ancient evil. Majin Buu is the last major villain that's faced in Dragon Ball Z and, in many ways, this antagonist feels like the culmination of the series' previous threats. Majin Buu cycles through various transformations like Evil Buu, Super Buu, and Kid Buu. However, Buu also experiences several absorption-based upgrades that reward him with all of his victims' powers.

]]> Sat, 02 Sep 2023 15:00:20 GMT https://www.cbr.com/dragon-ball-underused-majin-buu-powers/ Dragon Ball is easily one of the most successful and influential anime series of all time. It has remained a centerpiece for shonen anime since it first came out in 1986 and has only gained in popularity since then. Dragon Ball created a game-winning formula that has come to define the shonen battle genre — to the point that every shonen series that came after it has automatically been influenced by it, whether directly or by association. However, that same game-changing formula it created and reinvented with Dragon Ball Z has gone largely unchanged with its most recent series, Dragon Ball Super.

]]> Sat, 02 Sep 2023 13:00:20 GMT https://www.cbr.com/why-dragon-ball-needs-future-trunks-spinoff/ Trading card games, or TCGs, have been around for decades and have amassed a huge following of both players and collectors over the years. These games have produced countless cards, some of which have become incredibly rare and sought after by collectors all over the world. Some of these cards are so scarce that some of them have fetched prices in the thousands or even millions of dollars.

]]> Fri, 01 Sep 2023 16:30:19 GMT https://www.cbr.com/rare-tcg-cards/ One of the biggest problems Dragon Ball fans have with the franchise is how little death matters. This is mainly because the Dragon Balls can be used to wish anyone who met an untimely demise back to life. There used to be limits on who could be brought back and how many times someone could be resurrected, but those limits have been removed. Even the Super Dragon Balls can be used to restore universes that have been erased from existence. All of these problems are compounded in Dragon Ball Super; since it's a midquel, nobody in the main cast who shows up alive at either the end of Dragon Ball Z (or somewhere in Dragon Ball GT) can be left dead by the end of it. In these regards, death has no consequences or meaning.

]]> Fri, 01 Sep 2023 15:51:19 GMT https://www.cbr.com/dragon-ball-super-make-death-matter/ The Dragon Ball franchise is currently experiencing a significant transformation with the departure of Akio Iyoku, a key figure in the series' development.

]]> Fri, 01 Sep 2023 14:47:26 GMT https://www.cbr.com/dragon-ball-akira-toriyamas-capsule-corporation-tokyo/ Dragon Ball's transformations are as iconic as they are weird. At least part of the big draw of Goku's original Super Saiyan form was just how drastic of a change it was to see him go from his normal, black haired look to the spiky blonde one that fans know and love. That weirdness is to be expected from Dragon Ball, but some of the series' transformations move beyond weirdness into the realm of the nonsensical.

]]> Wed, 30 Aug 2023 19:11:18 GMT https://www.cbr.com/dragon-ball-weirdest-nonsense-transformations/ For decades, it's been a staple in many comedy anime for a character to get a nosebleed when they see an attractive person. It's almost as old as the genre itself. Those who grew up watching anime in the '90s and early '00s have probably seen it happen at least once, especially when watching shows with a lot of fan service. But why do anime characters get nose bleeds when they encounter someone they find attractive or catch a peek at a scantily clad member of the opposite sex?

]]> Wed, 30 Aug 2023 18:00:19 GMT https://www.cbr.com/anime-aroused-nosebleed-origin-science/ Shonen is easily one of the biggest and most popular anime demographics of all time. Many of the greatest titles come from this vast category, some of which have influenced anime as a whole in ways no other series could. Shonen anime have influenced just about every genre out there, setting the standard for anime over the years.

]]> Wed, 30 Aug 2023 15:30:19 GMT https://www.cbr.com/influential-shonen-anime/ Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball has established a totemic legacy that’s lasted nearly four decades and is more popular than ever because of the anime’s evergreen nature. Dragon Ball, as a franchise, understands how to successfully invoke nostalgia and build upon its past to keep older audiences and new fans alike satisfied.

]]> Wed, 30 Aug 2023 12:01:16 GMT https://www.cbr.com/rewatchable-dragon-ball-episodes/ There are endless anime series to explore today, which is an exciting prospect, but it can also become quite time comsuming. It’s easy to give revered anime like Cowboy Bebop, Parasyte, or Steins;Gate a chance when they’re only around two-dozen episodes long. However, there are some highly-discussed anime that clear 100 episodes, some of which even reach the quadruple digits in their episode totals.

]]> Tue, 29 Aug 2023 22:15:16 GMT https://www.cbr.com/popular-anime-with-over-100-episodes/ Anime is known for having ridiculously long fight sequences that can last an entire episode. Shonen series in particular can often have fights that last for even longer, with legendary sequences like Goku's fight with Frieza pushing close to 20 episodes. As epic as these fights are, the manga often tells a different story.

]]> Tue, 29 Aug 2023 15:00:16 GMT https://www.cbr.com/anime-fights-vs-manga-fights/ Fan service is a hot-button topic in the anime fandom, frequently sparking heated debates and vicious arguments. While some people adore it and can't get enough of it, even a hint is enough to put others off a show for good. For older anime series, fan service was much more common, with it cropping up in the most unexpected shows. Fan service has a long and fascinating history.

]]> Tue, 29 Aug 2023 13:00:18 GMT https://www.cbr.com/fan-service-classic-anime/ Yamcha has been a punching bag throughout the Dragon Ball franchise. He may have been like this since the original series, but the problem has compounded. Before, he was a respectable fighter (even though he always lost), a love interest for Bulma, and a trusted friend. Now, he's a single loser who cheats on women and is left out of big fights. His misfortune in the romance department was especially undeserved. It started with him being popular with other girls and Bulma growing jealous, but this misunderstanding was eventually retconned into precisely what Bulma expected. However, Yamcha began as an honest and loyal soul. He deserves to find the same romantic fulfillment as the rest of his friends.

]]> Sun, 27 Aug 2023 22:35:19 GMT https://www.cbr.com/dragon-ball-will-yamcha-find-love/ There have been many video games based on anime TV series. When playing a game based on their favorite anime, fans look for something that replicates the experience of watching their favorite show. Dragon Ball has had many video games dating back to the 1980s. While some have utterly failed to capture the fast-paced martial arts spectacle of the series, several have managed to recreate the feeling viewers get.

]]> Sat, 26 Aug 2023 22:11:15 GMT https://www.cbr.com/dragon-ball-games-feel-like-playing-the-anime/ Dragon Ball is one of the most popular anime series of this generation and even those who aren’t well-versed in the animated medium are still familiar with Goku, Vegeta, and Gohan’s valiant efforts to stop evil. Dragon Ball has a lot to offer audiences, but it can be an intimidating franchise to indoctrinate due to its many series, movies, video games, and manga.

]]> Sat, 26 Aug 2023 21:45:13 GMT https://www.cbr.com/dragon-ball-most-important-lore-info-new-fans/ A lot of important anime and manga permanently change their industries through their bold storytelling, but Dragon Ball has established an impressive legacy that's still going strong after four decades. Dragon Ball is frequently cited as one of the biggest battle shonen series, and it's gone on to influence other shonen hits like One Piece, Naruto, and My Hero Academia. Dragon Ball's story begins in a fairly grounded place with its hero, Goku, but it slowly evolves into an epic battle between good and evil where entire universes are on the line.

]]> Sat, 26 Aug 2023 17:20:15 GMT https://www.cbr.com/how-where-to-watch-dragon-ball/ Dragon Ball isn't exactly known for its consistent storyline. The series has plenty of plot holes and discrepancies, but its main draw has always been its intense action and likable characters anyway. That being the case, a dropped plot thread here or there has never been something that was make-or-break for the franchise. Still, that doesn't mean it does everything wrong. In fact, Dragon Ball Z happened to pull off one of the most complicated concepts in science fiction: time travel.

]]> Fri, 25 Aug 2023 21:30:13 GMT https://www.cbr.com/dbz-trunks-android-cell-sagas-sci-fi-time-travel/ Heroes and villains have been clashing since the dawn of time. The moral struggles between good and evil are central to many stories and shows, especially anime. There are innumerable villain and hero duos from which to choose, but a select few have separated themselves as the most iconic.

]]> Fri, 25 Aug 2023 15:31:12 GMT https://www.cbr.com/anime-hero-villain-rivals/ Dragon Ball fans have memorized their favorite characters’ signature attacks, transformations, and battles across the franchise’s hundreds of episodes, but there’s also plenty of more obscure information that’s eluded casual viewers. There are some truly revelatory Dragon Ball details that will surprise and delight the franchise’s biggest fans.

]]> Fri, 25 Aug 2023 00:00:14 GMT https://www.cbr.com/db-secrets-hardcore-fans-know/ Goku's Super Saiyan transformation is one of the most significant moments in Dragon Ball and one of the most iconic moments in manga and anime history. This transformation has been discussed, referenced, copied, and parodied hundreds of times since. In fact, the form is likely one of the most famous anime visuals of all time, with even non-anime fans being familiar with the sight of the powerful and imposing golden-haired Goku.

]]> Thu, 24 Aug 2023 17:20:12 GMT https://www.cbr.com/goku-first-super-saiyan-dbz-episode/ Anime, just like any piece of media, is subject to a lot of opinions from its viewers and with those opinions come critiques that not everyone may necessarily agree with. These "hot takes" can sometimes be more rooted in bias or personal opinion rather than actual fact, which is why many of them can be unpopular. Despite their unpopularity, some can make a decent point.

]]> Wed, 23 Aug 2023 15:04:12 GMT https://www.cbr.com/anime-hot-takes-that-make-sense/ Dragon Ball is one of the biggest franchises on the planet. It is a widely beloved manga and anime, and it has had several spin-offs, stand-alone movies, and cross-overs. Even people who don't watch anime are aware of Dragon Ball and its Saiyan protagonist Goku. Just as the franchise has spawned several different series and movies, it has also spawned tons of games. While most fans are well aware of the countless Dragon Ball video games, the series has had several tabletop games as well.

]]> Wed, 23 Aug 2023 15:03:39 GMT https://www.cbr.com/dragon-ball-super-card-game-new-player-guide/ Most characters in Japanese anime follow some basic rules about balance and power scaling to make each combat scene tense, exciting, and meaningful. Protagonists will start off weak and use training and experience to get gradually stronger, while the villains start off powerful, but not so much that the hero stands no chance. Then, there are overpowered anime characters who break all the rules.

]]> Wed, 23 Aug 2023 14:21:12 GMT https://www.cbr.com/strongest-op-anime-characters-ranked/ The antagonistic Androids are most commonly associated with Dragon Ball Z, but their origins go all the way back to the original Dragon Ball. Androids 17 and 18, as well as Cell, are essential characters in the sequel series, but Android warriors were first introduced in the Red Ribbon Army saga. Androids disappeared for a lengthy hiatus following the original series and were pretty much forgotten until their apocalyptic return in Dragon Ball Z.

]]> Tue, 22 Aug 2023 17:01:20 GMT https://www.cbr.com/dragon-ball-androids-ranked/ It's easy to see why anime video games are so popular. They give fans new content from their favorite franchises while allowing fans to directly control the action, letting them immerse themselves in the world and get a fresh perspective on the characters. Of course, the transition from one medium to another is often tricky, and nowhere is this better seen than with anime game boss fights.

]]> Tue, 22 Aug 2023 15:30:18 GMT https://www.cbr.com/most-difficult-anime-game-bosses/ Anime has been an exponentially increasing market since its inception. With the help of streaming and network distribution, anime also became a worldwide phenomenon. A billion-dollar industry that doesn't show any signs of stopping, anime is probably Japan's largest and most influential cultural export.

]]> Tue, 22 Aug 2023 14:20:18 GMT https://www.cbr.com/highest-grossing-anime-franchises/ Anime, especially shonen battle anime, has always prided itself on its creative approach to combat. From the complex supernatural ability systems of the Fate series’ Servants to the David-and-Goliath-type showdowns of Attack on Titan, the anime medium adores coming up with unorthodox, over-the-top combat techniques and power scales. However, the series that come to mind first when thinking of the most mesmerizing face-offs in anime are usually much more grounded and reliant on skill over sheer strength.

]]> Mon, 21 Aug 2023 15:31:14 GMT https://www.cbr.com/best-martial-arts-anime/ Any fan of shonen anime knows that the famed Dragon Ball franchise helped inspire the "Big Three" of the late 1990s and 2000s, those being Masashi Kishimoto's Naruto, Eiichiro Oda's One Piece, and Tite Kubo's Bleach. These pillars of shonen anime all took cues from Dragon Ball Z, such as giving heroes power-ups and new forms like going Super Saiyan, and they also tend to have lovable himbo action stars like Goku himself.

]]> Sun, 20 Aug 2023 21:15:13 GMT https://www.cbr.com/which-shonen-big-three-hero-most-like-goku-naruto-ichigo-luffy/ Goku and Vegeta have the most iconic rivalry in anime, yet somehow Vegeta always ends up on the losing end of things. While he has brief moments of triumph in finally having caught up to Goku, it always comes crashing down as Goku reaches some impressive new level of power that no one could've seen coming. If the Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero movie is any indication, though, things may finally be turning around in Vegeta's favor.

]]> Sun, 20 Aug 2023 20:33:13 GMT https://www.cbr.com/dbs-super-hero-proves-vegeta-canonically-stronger-than-goku/ Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball has dozens of compelling characters in its core cast, but it's always hard for the series to get some distance from Goku. Goku has been Dragon Ball's guiding light for more than three decades, and the franchise continues to largely position him as the central protagonist. Goku's strength is rarely in question, but there's a certain juvenile innocence that the character has retained that's led some to believe that he hasn't grown much and truly changed.

]]> Sat, 19 Aug 2023 18:32:14 GMT https://www.cbr.com/dragon-ball-goku-secretly-has-biggest-character-development/ The latest Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot DLC is a nice throwback to the original Dragon Ball anime. It covers the final battle with Demon King Piccolo and the events of the Piccolo Jr. Saga, specifically the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament. It's the most work the English voice cast has done on Dragon Ball material before Dragon Ball Z since 2010. This game also marks the most work the newer English cast members who never worked on the original anime have done for this part of the series. In this sense, it invites the idea of the modern voice cast redubbing the rest of the original anime.

]]> Sat, 19 Aug 2023 15:30:17 GMT https://www.cbr.com/original-dragon-ball-needs-redub/ Transformations have become an integral part of the Dragon Ball franchise ever since Goku first turned Super Saiyan in DBZ. Over the years, as Goku progressively grew stronger, his hairstyles seemed to grow progressively longer, spikier and more colorful in the process.

]]> Sat, 19 Aug 2023 13:30:14 GMT https://www.cbr.com/dbs-ultra-instinct-goku-facts/ Dragon Ball is one of the most famous franchises in history, having a massive fanbase in both America and Japan. However, over the years, the show has attracted lots of criticism and controversy, with many saying that the franchise's writing isn't as good as it's made out to be. But this is far from the truth, as Dragon Ball is very well written, provided fans stick to the manga and avoid the anime.

]]> Fri, 18 Aug 2023 22:30:03 GMT https://www.cbr.com/dragon-ball-is-well-written-if-fans-read-manga/ Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball quickly established a compelling competitive rivalry between Goku and Vegeta that carries on to this day. These two Saiyans are constantly on the quest to become stronger and are used to copying each other's Super Saiyan milestones. Goku and Vegeta have plenty in common when it comes to Saiyan strength, but they’re also both husbands and fathers, an idea Dragon Ball has explored in unique ways.

]]> Fri, 18 Aug 2023 19:20:01 GMT https://www.cbr.com/dbz-vegeta-really-better-dad-goku-debate/ Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball is a beloved shonen anime for many reasons, but the franchise’s powerful Super Saiyans are still one of its most popular ideas. Some of Dragon Ball’s most important moments are punctuated by totemic transformations that push characters to new heights. Dragon Ball’s relationship with Super Saiyan transformations continues to change and it’s shifted from a rare privilege to a foregone conclusion.

]]> Fri, 18 Aug 2023 16:55:14 GMT https://www.cbr.com/db-super-saiyan-difficulty/ Dragon Ball Super’s final episode aired in 2018, but the anime’s manga counterpart is still going strong more than five years later. The first 42 chapters of Dragon Ball Super’s manga cover the anime’s events in loving detail with some curious additions and deviations from its source material. The anime’s grand finale is the Tournament of Power, but at 96 chapters, Dragon Ball Super’s manga treats the anime’s conclusion as its midway point. Audiences were excited to see what happens following the Tournament of Power’s conclusion and Dragon Ball Super’s manga has introduced many new villains and powerful transformations

]]> Fri, 18 Aug 2023 15:30:19 GMT https://www.cbr.com/dbs-manga-slowing-down/ Dragon Ball Super is the latest installment in Akira Toriyama’s long-running signature shonen series and recently certain elements are hinting at a possible endgame or, at the least, a semi-retirement for some of Dragon Ball’s most important characters. The ongoing rivalry between Vegeta and Goku remains one of Dragon Ball’s most entertaining dynamics that’s pushed both Saiyans to unprecedented heights.

]]> Thu, 17 Aug 2023 20:30:22 GMT https://www.cbr.com/dbs-theory-vegeta-stronger-than-goku/ Dragon Ball fans love to ask one type of question — who is the strongest? The answer generally changes as the characters gain new power-ups or meet powerful new enemies. As such, the strongest character constantly changes as the story progresses. Saiyans, for example, have commonly been weighed against each other based on who has attained the highest level of Super Saiyan. However, if two Saiyans have achieved the same level, this assessment doesn't matter. When figuring out which Saiyan is stronger, it would be best to measure their performance when they're in the same form, like Super Saiyan.

]]> Thu, 17 Aug 2023 18:30:20 GMT https://www.cbr.com/dragon-ball-strongest-super-saiyan/ Dragon Ball has received plenty of fantastic video games in the past few years, but many fans still consider Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3 to be the pinnacle of the franchise's fighting games. The Budokai Tenkaichi series aimed to emulate the look and feel of Dragon Ball's iconic battles through fights that proved as energetic and explosive as the anime. Furthermore, the inclusion of a whopping 98 playable fighters (not counting unique transformations) made Budokai Tenkaichi 3 the perfect game for diehard Dragon Ball fans. Because of this, it's no surprise that many gamers are excited about the upcoming Budokai Tenkaichi 4.

]]> Thu, 17 Aug 2023 15:50:14 GMT https://www.cbr.com/dragon-ball-z-budokai-tenkaichi-4-division/ Dragon Ball fans used to make jokes about Dragon Ball GT all the time. They recognized it as a soulless cash grab and a cheap follow-up to Dragon Ball Z. They rightfully bashed everything about it, including the story, the characters, and the art. It was a poor continuation of the Dragon Ball franchise in every respect imaginable. However, the franchise was eventually graced with a new series: Dragon Ball Super. This new sequel to DBZ made fans reevaluate how they felt about GT.

]]> Thu, 17 Aug 2023 12:00:14 GMT https://www.cbr.com/dragon-ball-super-gt-good-standards-anime/ Anime husbandos come in numerous designs and character traits. Many are ruggedly charming while others exude beauty and grace. Characters from spoiled princes to charming warriors can be found among the plethora of husbandos. Most of these husbandos are extremely intelligent, but some come across as a tad spacey.

]]> Wed, 16 Aug 2023 23:35:18 GMT https://www.cbr.com/gullible-anime-husbandos/ Dragon Ball has built an impressive legacy that’s lasted more than three decades with there still being no end in sight. What makes this anime series so special and beloved is that its characters continue to grow older and aren't confined to stasis. Characters like Goku experience full lives over the course of the franchise, and Dragon Ball’s lengthy timeline allows for considerable changes and character development.

]]> Wed, 16 Aug 2023 19:52:13 GMT https://www.cbr.com/dragon-ball-super-changed-characters-ranked/ The Saiyans of the Dragon Ball franchise aren't exactly known for their intelligence. Part of this is because they lead simple lives as battle-hungry warriors. It's also because the Saiyan main character, Song Goku, is a naive clown who makes a lot of dumb mistakes. Other Saiyans aren't much better; Vegeta spent his life fighting, Broly is practically a caveman, and Goten and Trunks are still children. Gohan can be pretty smart, but he's also made some foolish mistakes even in his adult life. No Saiyan is without fault.

]]> Wed, 16 Aug 2023 15:32:13 GMT https://www.cbr.com/dragon-ball-saiyan-smartest-anime/ Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball has continued to tell powerful stories across more than 600 episodes between its many series. Dragon Ball Z, the franchise’s first sequel, tends to receive the most attention due to its more adult storytelling, longer length, and greater focus on action. However, Dragon Ball Z doesn’t just wipe the slate clean and begin anew. All of the series’ developments are a careful response to what’s already been established in the original Dragon Ball.

]]> Wed, 16 Aug 2023 13:31:12 GMT https://www.cbr.com/dragon-ball-characters-that-changed-the-most-in-dbz/ Super Saiyan is one of the most significant things to come out of the Dragon Ball franchise. It was already awe-inspiring when Goku realized the legend in his climactic battle with Frieza in Dragon Ball Z. However, once the Cell Saga opened up the idea of new levels of Super Saiyan, that started a trend nobody could have expected. Super Saiyans 2 and 3 are remembered as the primary forms to come out of that ideology, but they were only scratching the surface.

]]> Tue, 15 Aug 2023 17:45:14 GMT https://www.cbr.com/dragon-ball-super-saiyan-forms-explained-anime/ There have been Dragon Ball video games for nearly as long as Akira Toriyama has been working on the manga and anime series, but Dragon Ball FighterZ from 2018 helped set a new standard that’s been difficult to top. Primarily a multiplayer fighting game, Dragon Ball FighterZ covers a wide spectrum of the franchise and benefits from next-gen graphics and hardware that effortlessly translate the series’ trademark heightened combat into a comfortable fighting experience. Dragon Ball FighterZ’s praise is warranted, but it’s also led to certain gaming relics of the past becoming forgotten.

]]> Tue, 15 Aug 2023 14:55:13 GMT https://www.cbr.com/dbz-fighterz-budokai-3-video-games/ Dragon Ball Z is not only one of the most popular anime and manga series of all time, but it’s also left an impressive mark on the video game industry through dozens of passionate fighting and action experiences. Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot, a robust action RPG that covers the entirety of the series, has become a high mark for the franchise ever since its release in 2020. However, with news of Kakarot’s final DLC packs on the way, fans are beginning to look towards the future of Dragon Ball Z video games.

]]> Sat, 12 Aug 2023 18:41:17 GMT https://www.cbr.com/dragon-ball-z-game-budokai-4-kakarot-2/ Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball franchise has largely been about the coming of age of its main protagonist, Goku. The story has seen him go from being all alone in the world to starting a family of his own while making new friends along the way, usually in the form of former rivals. Although there's an official timeline for Dragon Ball, fans still get confused about Goku's exact age.

]]> Sat, 12 Aug 2023 12:00:16 GMT https://www.cbr.com/dragon-ball-how-old-goku-anime/ Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball Z has been at the top of the shonen game for over three decades, and it has inspired some entertaining video games based on the franchise. The latest of these games, Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot, distills the entire series into a passionate open-world action RPG experience. First released in 2020, the game has since released five DLC expansions over the past three years. This wealth of new material fills in certain corners of the Dragon Ball Z universe, and includes its TV specials and Dragon Ball Super's introductory movies.

]]> Sat, 12 Aug 2023 11:30:18 GMT https://www.cbr.com/dragon-ball-z-kakarot-dlc-goku/ Robert Kirkman's Invincible franchise takes a more realistic and harder look at various superhero concepts and archetypes. One way it accomplishes this is by using cliché hero imagery like Superman for visceral action. Beyond the Man of Steel, however, there's another pop culture landmark that definitely had a hand in shaping the series.

]]> Fri, 11 Aug 2023 17:50:16 GMT https://www.cbr.com/invincibles-viltrumites-inspiration-dragon-ball/ Ninjas, mutants, demons, cyborgs, and aliens battle across anime with sword strokes powerful enough to slice through steel and energy blasts that can level mountains. There are many powerful characters in Japanese anime, so it's hard to determine exactly which characters are the strongest of all time.

]]> Fri, 11 Aug 2023 16:00:15 GMT https://www.cbr.com/strongest-anime-characters/ It's no secret that the Dragon Ball series is based on the magical, wish-granting objects of the same name. Yet somehow, the Dragon Balls themselves have mostly taken a backseat in the greater narrative of the series throughout the years. Given the power the Dragon Balls grant their user, fans can't help but wonder if the Z Fighters have been using them to their fullest capacity.

]]> Mon, 07 Aug 2023 14:41:19 GMT https://www.cbr.com/why-db-characters-dont-wish-villains-away/ Dragon Ball's Goku and God of War's Kratos couldn’t seem like two more different characters. However, one thing connects them between the gaming and anime fandoms: power. Both Kratos and Goku are two of the strongest protagonists in popular fiction, and that being the case, it was only a matter of time before they fought it out to test the limits of one another’s strength.

]]> Sun, 06 Aug 2023 20:15:16 GMT https://www.cbr.com/goku-kratos-stronger/