In the world of anime, there are countless quantities of varied series. As an American, it becomes somewhat difficult to see as much anime as desired, because it mainly is created in Japan. The word anime is Japanese for animation. This type of cartoon became attractive at a young age, and therefore I will examine one of the most popular anime series to date, Dragon Ball Z. Firstly, this television series had three versions, Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, and Dragon Ball GT. Dragon Ball involved the main character at a young age, was light-hearted and more appropriate for younger views as well as adults. Dragon Ball Z was focused on the adulthood of the protagonist, was darker and increasingly violent, and thus aggrandized my interest. The last, Dragon Ball GT, although somewhat unfamiliar to me, had many of the characteristics of Dragon Ball Z, but had the original protagonist’s offspring as the focus, although many of the traditional characters made appearances. One of the reasons that Dragon Ball Z had so much popularity was that it moved away from the innocence of its prior series Dragon Ball. The predominant character in both series is Goku, who is an extraterrestrial being with astounding abilities. He comes from a race that is called the Saiyan. In the Dragon Ball series, Goku is a child and has many adventures, which introduce many pivotal figures in the series. I always felt that Dragon Ball was too childish for my taste, but was informative and introduced many important themes and character histories that were somewhat intriguing. When Dragon Ball Z started, Goku had become an adult and honed his talents to become one of the greatest fighters on the earth. By utilizing teachings in the Dragon Ball series he can fight at super speed, fly, release energy, and other incredible feats. Additionally, he has married his wife, Chi-Chi and has produced a son, Gohan. When the series begins, some of its best qualities are immediately noticed. This television program does not hesitate on the action, and fights are prompt, lengthy, and violent. The viewers are quickly introduced to Piccolo, who is a Namek, a race that has the qualities of green skin and antennae, many of the traditional elements of the original alien. He too has amazing abilities and becomes Goku’s rival. They eventually have conflicts, and Piccolo becomes a secretive and interesting character, due to his incredible intelligence and discipline. Eventually, more Saiyans arrive, and Goku and Piccolo become allies as they try to save the Earth from its demise. From here on Piccolo becomes a friend and a secondary protagonist. This is where we see the true beauty of the show. Although many of the characters find themselves at odds with one another, they forge allies quickly, especially when they are in danger. It is difficult to gauge when one is a foe or a friend. Vegeta is then introduced, who is also a Sayian and although is defeated by Piccolo and Goku, remains on earth, astounded by Goku’s power and his kind nature. Vegeta is the prince of the Saiyans, arrogant, power-hungry, and opposite to Goku. Although he becomes an ally, he never really is well-liked by the group of characters. Goku also has allies who are from planet earth, but they tend to be rather weak in terms of fighting abilities and are usually relied on for comic relief or as the reason for Goku to protect the earth. The most prevalent human characters are Krillin and Yamcha, as well as Bulma. There also is Tien and Chiaotzu, who are extra-terrestrials and make many appearances as well. Although many of these characters have back-stories in Dragon Ball, the main focus is on the characters Vegeta, Goku, and Gohan up to this point, being that they are the strongest and most pivotal to the protection of the earth. One of the most curious elements of the whole show is that Goku is the most talented and strongest warrior, but he uses his powers for good, rather than evil. This question is prevalently asked by Vegeta, who finds it flooring that another of his race is staying on earth for its protection rather than its take over. Furthermore, the relationship between Vegeta and Goku is very amusing. Vegeta wants to be the strongest in the universe and works as hard as he can to attain that goal. However, Goku who is more laid back always seems to be ahead of him, which Vegeta finds deplorable. As the series progresses, we are introduced to other various characters such as Vegeta’s future son Trunks. However, the real main antagonists of the show are the villains. As aforementioned some of the villains became allies, but after Vegeta most of the villains that are seen are so evil that it comes down to killing or being killed. Dragon Ball Z does a great job of introducing new and intimidating evildoers that makes the viewer worried about the characters they have grown to love. “(Dragon Ball Z characters) You do care about them, and want to get to know more about them.” (AnimeReview). Moreover, there is a theme of love that is hidden in the series. In one of the sagas, Goku reaches an amazing power level because he has to protect those who have become close to him. This ability is called Super Sayian, and although on the outside it seems like just another remarkable talent, it can only be achieved by letting everything go, which is eventually realized by Vegeta. Dragon Ball Z is a multi-faceted show that primarily seems like another violent male-dominated show but brings up important themes that are prevalent in everyday life as well as asking the most extreme in inquiry. Would you sacrifice yourself for the betterment of the human race or your loved ones?
Reference
AnimeReview. (2006) Dragon Ball Z.