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Dragon Ball Z
| Dragon Ball Z | |
 | |
| Premiere | Japan: April 18, 1989
US: September 13, 1996 |
| Finale | Japan: January 31, 1996
US: April 7, 2003 |
| Creator | Akira Toriyama |
| Network/Provider | Fuji TV (Japan)
Toonami (US) |
| Style | 30 minute anime action |
| Company | Toei Animation Company |
| Seasons | 7 |
| Episodes | 291 + 13 feature films + 2 specials |
| Origin | Japan |
| Official Site | Dragon Ball Z |
Dragon Ball Z is an action-oriented anime program that continues the story started in Dragon Ball. It follows the adventures of Son Goku, a young warrior with incredible strength who is often called upon to save the Earth from various powerful villains. He is joined by a cadre of strong fighters made up of friends from his earlier adventures, villains he bested and then befriended, and his son Gohan (who has inherited his father's amazing abilities).
Dragon Ball Z is also based on the Dragon Ball manga, which continued publication long after the original Dragon Ball anime ended its run. There is no set delineation in the manga between the stories adapted into the first and the second series, but the later installments placed greater emphasis on science fiction and action, as opposed to the comedic fantasy mix of Goku's early years. As such, Dragon Ball Z is a science fiction show, with heavy use of elements like space travel and extraterrestrial life. Most notably, it is revealed early in the series that Goku is actually an alien from a planet of conquerors, sent here to take over Earth for his homeworld. Fortunately, Goku hit his head upon arrival and contracted amnesia.
The other notable feature of Dragon Ball Z is its pacing. One battle could go on for over a dozen episodes, storylines progressing at a snail's pace. This was a byproduct of the rapid production of the anime series as compared to the manga - new episodes were being animated faster than new manga installments were being published. To keep the anime production on track, storylines were extended, new anime-only storylines were created, and many filler episodes were produced. Other series that have experienced similiar adaptation problems are said to have Dragon Ball Syndrome.
Thirteen theatrical films were produced using elements from the anime but not belonging in regular Dragon Ball continuity. Two television specials were also produced that fleshed out the backstory of two different characters; these are considered in continuity.
Contents |
Cast
Seasons
| Season | Premiere | Finale | # | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fuji TV | ||||||
| Season One | September 13, 1996 | May 24, 1997 | 26 | |||
| Season Two | September 13, 1997 | May 23, 1998 | 27 | |||
| Season Three | September 13, 1999 | May 27, 2000 | 48 | |||
| Season Four | September 1, 2000 | December 29, 2000 | 78 | |||
| Season Five | September 10, 2001 | November 13, 2001 | 43 | |||
| Season Six | September 16, 2002 | November 19, 2002 | 39 | |||
| Season Seven | March 17, 2003 | April 7, 2003 | 15 | |||
Feature Films
| Title | Release Date | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dragon Ball Z: Dead Zone | July 15, 1989 | |||||
| Dragon Ball Z: The World's Strongest | March 10, 1990 | |||||
| Dragon Ball Z: The Tree of Might | July 7, 1990 | |||||
| Dragon Ball Z: Lord Slug | March 19, 1991 | |||||
| Dragon Ball Z: Cooler's Revenge | July 21, 1991 | |||||
| Dragon Ball: Return of Cooler | March 7, 1992 | |||||
| Dragon Ball Z: Super Android 13! | July 11, 1992 | |||||
| Dragon Ball Z: Broly - The Legendary Super Saiyan | March 6, 1993 | |||||
| Dragon Ball Z: Bojack Unbound | July 10, 1993 | |||||
| Dragon Ball Z: Broly - Second Coming | March 12, 1994 | |||||
| Dragon Ball Z: Bio-Broly | July 9, 1994 | |||||
| Dragon Ball Z: Fusion Reborn | March 4, 1995 | |||||
| Dragon Ball Z: Wrath of the Dragon | July 14, 1995 | |||||
Specials/Telefilms
| Title | Network | Airdate | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dragon Ball Z: Bardock - The Father of Goku | Fuji TV/FOX | Octbober 17, 1990 | ||||
| Dragon Ball Z: The History of Trunks | Fuji TV/CBS | February 24, 1993 | ||||
In-Depth
- At a Glance: Additional information about the series
DVD and Blu-ray Releases
DVD
| Title | Release | Discs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season Sets (Region 1) | ||||||
| Season One | February 6, 2007 | purchase | 6 | |||
| Season Two | May 22, 2007 | purchase | 5 | |||
| Season Three | September 18, 2007 | purchase | 6 | |||
| Season Four | February 19, 2008 | purchase | 6 | |||
| Season Five | May 27, 2008 | purchase | 6 | |||
| Season Six | September 16, 2008 | purchase | 6 | |||
| Season Seven | November 11, 2008 | purchase | 6 | |||
| Season Eight | February 10, 2009 | purchase | 6 | |||
| Season Nine | May 19, 2009 | purchase | 6 | |||
| Specials and Feature Films (Region 1) | ||||||
| The History of Trunks / Bardock: Father of Goku | February 19, 2008 | purchase | 1 | |||
| Dead Zone / The World's Strongest | May 27, 2008 | purchase | 2 | |||
| Tree of Might / Lord Slug | September 16, 2008 | purchase | 2 | |||
| Cooler's Revenge / The Return of Cooler | November 11, 2008 | purchase | 2 | |||
| Super Android 13 / Bojack Unbound | February 10, 2009 | purchase | 2 | |||
| Broly: The Legendary Super Saiyan / Broly: Second Coming / Bio Broly | March 31, 2009 | purchase | 2 | |||
| Fusion Reborn / Wrath of the Dragon | May 19, 2009 | purchase | 2 | |||
Blu-ray
| Title | Release | Discs | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Specials and Feature Films (Region A) | ||||||
| The History of Trunks / Bardock: Father of Goku | July 15, 2008 | purchase | 1 | |||
| Dead Zone / The World's Strongest | May 27, 2008 | purchase | 1 | |||
| Tree of Might / Lord Slug | September 16, 2008 | purchase | 1 | |||
| Cooler's Revenge / The Return of Cooler | November 11, 2008 | purchase | 1 | |||
| Super Android 13 / Bojack Unbound | February 10, 2009 | purchase | 2 | |||
| Broly: The Legendary Super Saiyan / Broly: Second Coming / Bio Broly | March 31, 2009 | purchase | 2 | |||
| Fusion Reborn / Wrath of the Dragon | May 19, 2009 | purchase | 2 | |||
