Dragon Ball Z

Synopsis

Continues the story of Dragon Ball

Goku Son is a young boy living alone in the wilderness when he meets Bulma, a girl searching for the legendary Dragon Balls. These rare artifacts are said to grant one wish to whoever gathers them all. Bulma wants to collect them to wish for her ideal partner. Goku possesses one of these orbs but refuses to hand it over. Bulma proposes a deal: he can accompany her on her journey if she is allowed to use his Dragon Ball. Thus, their incredible adventure begins. Their path is not lonely; they soon encounter Master Muten-Roshi and his student Kuririn, both of whom Goku trains with to improve his abilities for an upcoming World Martial Arts Tournament. However, the power to grant any wish makes the Dragon Balls a target for those with evil intentions. To stop anyone who might misuse this ancient power, they continue to grow stronger, using their developing skills to protect the people they meet along their travels.

In this installment

Five years following his triumph at the World Martial Arts Tournament, Goku lives a tranquil life with his family until Raditz arrives, revealing himself as Goku's older brother. Raditz explains that Goku is a Saiyan, a member of a once-powerful race nearly wiped out after their home planet was destroyed. Sent to Earth as an infant with a mission to subjugate and ruin the world, Goku's aggressive nature was erased by a head injury that caused amnesia, leading him to grow into someone who uses his strength to defend others. When Raditz fails to recruit Goku, he warns Goku's friends of a looming danger that will soon reach Earth, igniting an interstellar conflict that shakes the universe. The battle for the seven magical Dragon Balls, capable of granting any wish, is about to commence, with only the strongest surviving the coming confrontation.

Background

Adapts chapters 195-519 of Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball manga. The U.S. version is a dubbed alternative version of the original Japanese anime. For example, blood has been removed, beer is called root beer, the afterlife is called "Another Universe," and people emigrate before cities are destroyed. The U.S. version edited and compiled the original for a reduced episode count of 276 instead of the original 291. The proper episode count was later restored on the uncut "Orange Brick" Season Set released by FUNimation Entertainment from 2006 to 2009. Additionally, these sets as well as the Season Set Blu-rays crop the show from its original 4:3 aspect ratio to 16:9. The only complete 4:3 release ever released in English were the Dragon Boxes, which have long since gone out of print.