History

• "Dragonball Z" is the second in a series of three Japanese animation television shows created by Akira Toriyama. It follows the story of Goku as he trains in martial arts and searches for the "Dragonballs," supernatural objects that grant wishes to their captors.
  The series follows Goku's trials on the planet Earth, as he must continually defend it from invading attackers from outer space. "Dragonball Z" is generally divided into "sagas" that focus on one particular enemy, Cell or Frieza, for instance. Much of the show also involves Goku and his loyal companions traveling into the outer reaches of space to save the galaxy from the clutches of powerful villains.
  
  

Features

• "Dragonball Z" is composed of epic storylines and furious fighting sequences, with some stale humor thrown in every now and then. The central character of the story is Goku, the ultimate good guy, determined to save the Earth (and the universe) from any evildoers that may come its way.
  Teaming up with Goku are several of his friends and family members, including Piccolo, Krillin and his son, Gohan. There are several characters in "Dragonball Z" that straddle the line between good and evil, the most notable of which is Vegeta. Even though he comes to destroy the Earth in the first saga of the "Dragonball Z" series, Vegeta eventually aids Goku as the series progresses.
  
  

Size

• The "Dragonball Z" story is divided into fifteen sagas, each of which generally consists of around twenty episodes. The sagas generally revolve around a certain character (most often evil) or event. Here is a list of the sagas, each named for character on which it is centered: Vegeta, Captain Ginyu, Frieza, Garlic Jr., Trunks, Androids, Imperfect Cell, Perfect Cell, Cell Games, Great Saiyaman, World Tournament, Babidi, Majin Buu, Fusion and Kid Buu.
  
  

Significance

• "Dragonball Z," as well as its predecessor "Dragonball," has had a great impact of the world of cartoons, especially in the United States. "Dragonball Z" was one of the first "anime" series to gain a steady following in the US and aired on Cartoon Network up until the past few years. The series has now been remastered and is available for purchase on DVD.
  The series' popularity also prompted its creators to produce standalone movies that have all the elements of the standard "Dragonball Z" saga, only they are compressed into a 90-minute film. These animated films are also available for purchase on DVD.
  
  

Warning

• It should be noted that "Dragonball Z", especially in its uncut format, contains a good amount of animated violence, along with some blood and mild language. The edited version of the show removes all of the blood and language, but the general recommended viewing age is 10+.