Editing Dragon Ball (manga) (section)

==Reception==
===Sales===
{{See also|Weekly Shōnen Jump#Circulation figures{{!}}''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' 
§ Circulation figures}}
''Dragon Ball'' is one of the most popular manga series of all time. It is credited as one of the main reasons manga circulation was at its highest between the mid-1980s and mid-1990s.<ref name="IbarakiInterview">{{cite web|url=http://comipress.com/article/2008/03/31/3452|title=The Reminiscence of My 25 Years with Shonen Jump|last=Ibaraki|first=Masahiko|date=March 31, 2008|others=Ohara, T. (trans)|work=ComiPress|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150912001524/http://comipress.com/article/2008/03/31/3452|archive-date=September 12, 2015}}</ref><ref name="comipress-jump">{{cite web|url=http://comipress.com/article/2007/05/06/1923|title=The Rise and Fall of Weekly Shonen Jump: A Look at the Circulation of Weekly Jump|date=May 8, 2007|work=ComiPress|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170306083429/http://comipress.com/article/2007/05/06/1923|archive-date=March 6, 2017}}</ref> During ''Dragon Ball''{{'}}s initial run in ''[[Weekly Shōnen Jump]]'', the [[manga magazine]] reached an average circulation of 6.53{{nbsp}}million weekly sales, the highest in its history.<ref name="IbarakiInterview"/><ref name="TimeMag">{{cite magazine|last=Garger|first=Ilya|date=February 17, 2003|title=Look, Up in the Sky!|magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]|issn=0040-781X|url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,423567,00.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081024163537/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,423567,00.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=October 24, 2008|access-date=July 7, 2008}}</ref><ref name="comipress-jump"/> During ''Dragon Ball''{{'}}s serialization between 1984 and 1995, ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' magazine had a total circulation of over 2.9{{nbsp}}billion copies.<ref name="exlight">{{cite news|script-title=ja:週刊少年ジャンプの発行部数（最高653万部）|url=http://exlight.net/doc/business/jump/index.html|work=exlight.net|date=2006-07-26|access-date=February 8, 2019|archive-date=September 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200903173256/http://exlight.net/doc/business/jump/index.html|url-status=live}}</ref>{{efn|See ''{{Section link|Weekly Shōnen Jump|Circulation figures}}''}}

The collected volumes of ''Dragon Ball'' have sold in record numbers. By 2000, more than 126{{nbsp}}million {{Transliteration|ja|tankōbon}} copies had been sold in Japan.<ref name="LittleBoy">{{cite book|title=Little Boy: The Art of Japan's Exploding Subculture|first=Takashi|last=Murakami|others=Linda Hoaglund (translator)|publisher=[[Yale University Press]], Japan Society|date=May 15, 2005|isbn=0-300-10285-2|chapter=Earth in My Window|pages=[https://archive.org/details/littleboyartsofj0000unse/page/105 105–106]|chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/littleboyartsofj0000unse/page/105}}</ref> By 2008, it had over 150{{nbsp}}million copies in circulation and was the [[List of best-selling manga|best-selling manga]] ever at the time.<ref name="Comipress">{{cite web|title=Top Manga Properties in 2008 – Rankings and Circulation Data|url=http://comipress.com/article/2008/12/31/3733|publisher=Comipress|date=December 31, 2008|access-date=November 28, 2013|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120629000255/http://comipress.com/article/2008/12/31/3733|archive-date=June 29, 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> In 2012, Shueisha announced that ''Dragon Ball'' volume sales had grown to more than 156{{nbsp}}million, making it the second best-selling ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' manga of all time, behind ''[[One Piece]]''.<ref name="156mil">{{cite web|url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2012-10-23/top-10-shonen-jump-manga-by-all-time-volume-sales|title=Top 10 Shonen Jump Manga by All-Time Volume Sales|access-date=November 17, 2012|archive-date=October 8, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161008192850/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2012-10-23/top-10-shonen-jump-manga-by-all-time-volume-sales|url-status=live}}</ref> Two years later, this number had grown to 159.5{{nbsp}}million copies.<ref name="jump2014">{{cite web|title=Shueisha Media Guide 2014 少年コミック誌・青年コミック誌|trans-title=Boy's & Men's Comic Magazines|url=http://adnavi.shueisha.co.jp/mediaguide/2014/pdf/boys.pdf|publisher=[[Shueisha]]|access-date=2017-04-22|page=2|language=ja|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140430025858/http://adnavi.shueisha.co.jp/mediaguide/2014/pdf/boys.pdf|archive-date=2014-04-30}}</ref> By November 2015, the manga had over 230{{nbsp}}million copies in circulation worldwide, including 140{{nbsp}}million {{Transliteration|ja|tankōbon}} volumes and 20{{nbsp}}million {{Transliteration|ja|kanzenban}} volumes in Japan.<ref>{{cite book|script-title=ja:30th ANNIVERSARY ドラゴンボール超史集 -SUPER HISTORY BOOK-|chapter=Dragon Ball Comics & Book Data|publisher=[[Shueisha]]|date=January 21, 2016|isbn=978-4-08-792505-0|pages=210–211}}</ref> The total number of ''Dragon Ball'' volumes sold reached 260{{nbsp}}million copies worldwide by 2022.<ref name="Toei-press-22061"/>

===Popularity===
The manga is popular overseas, having been translated and released in over 40{{nbsp}}countries worldwide.<ref>{{cite news|script-title=ja:（熱血！マンガ学）ＤＲＡＧＯＮ ＢＡＬＬ 悟空の「成長物語」一大産業に 【大阪】|url=http://book.asahi.com/reviews/column/2011072800053.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170807233512/http://book.asahi.com/reviews/column/2011072800053.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 7, 2017|access-date=August 7, 2017|work=[[Asahi Shimbun]]|date=May 13, 2008}}</ref> For the 10th anniversary of the [[Japan Media Arts Festival]] in 2006, close to 79,000 Japanese fans voted ''Dragon Ball'' the third greatest manga of all time.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2006-10-04/top-10-anime-and-manga-at-japan-media-arts-festival|title=Top 10 Anime and Manga at Japan Media Arts Festival|date=October 4, 2006|work=[[Anime News Network]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161009073304/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2006-10-04/top-10-anime-and-manga-at-japan-media-arts-festival|archive-date=October 9, 2016}}</ref> In a 2007 survey of one-thousand people conducted by [[Oricon]], Goku ranked in first place as the "Strongest Manga Character of All Time".<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.oricon.co.jp/news/45750/full/|script-title=ja:1000人が選んだ!漫画史上"最強"キャラクターランキング!|date=June 22, 2007|website=[[Oricon]]|language=ja|trans-title=1000 people chose! "Strongest" character ranking in manga history!|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151101033011/http://www.oricon.co.jp/news/45750/full/|archive-date=November 1, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> Coinciding with the [[2012 Summer Olympics]], Oricon conducted a survey at the international [[World Cosplay Summit]] on which manga and anime series attendees considered world class works. ''Dragon Ball'' was overwhelmingly in first place.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.oricon.co.jp/special/145/#rk|script-title=ja:世界に通用しているマンガ＆アニメランキング『日本が世界に誇る！傑作マンガ＆アニメの頂点は？』|date=August 3, 2012|website=Oricon|language=ja|trans-title=Manga & animation ranking which is accepted to the world "Japan is proud of in the world! What is the summit of masterpiece manga & animation?"|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170106013355/http://www.oricon.co.jp/special/145/|archive-date=January 6, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> In November 2014, readers of ''[[Da Vinci (magazine)|Da Vinci]]'' magazine voted ''Dragon Ball'' the greatest ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' manga series of all time.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2014/11/13-1/da-vinci-magazine-asks-japanese-readers-to-name-greatest-shonen-jump-manga|title="Da Vinci" Magazine Asks Japanese Readers to Name Greatest "Shonen Jump" Manga|website=[[Crunchyroll]]|date=2014-11-13|access-date=2020-09-19|archive-date=October 10, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171010182152/http://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2014/11/13-1/da-vinci-magazine-asks-japanese-readers-to-name-greatest-shonen-jump-manga|url-status=live}}</ref> The Portuguese edition of ''Dragon Ball'' won the 2001 [[Troféu HQ Mix]] for Best Serial.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.universohq.com/quadrinhos/n13092001_05.cfm|title=Equipe do Universo HQ ganha dois troféus HQ Mix|date=September 13, 2001|work=[[Universo HQ]]|language=pt|trans-title=The HQ Universe Team wins two HQ Mix Trophies|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061102180645/http://www.universohq.com/quadrinhos/n13092001_05.cfm|archive-date=November 2, 2006|url-status=dead}}</ref> On [[TV Asahi]]'s Manga Sōsenkyo 2021 poll, in which 150,000 people voted for their top 100 manga series, ''Dragon Ball'' ranked fifth.<ref>{{cite web|script-title=ja:テレビ朝日『国民15万人がガチで投票!漫画総選挙』ランキング結果まとめ！ 栄えある1位に輝く漫画は!?|url=https://www.animatetimes.com/news/details.php?id=1609599746|website=Animate Times|publisher=[[Animate (retailer)|Animate]]|access-date=January 3, 2021|archive-url=https://archive.today/20210103023119/https://www.animatetimes.com/news/details.php?id=1609599746|archive-date=January 3, 2021|language=ja|date=January 3, 2021|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2011, manga critic and editor of Viz's editions of the series [[Jason Thompson (writer)|Jason Thompson]] said that: "''Dragon Ball'' is by far the most influential shonen manga of the last 30 years, and today, almost every ''Shōnen Jump'' artist lists it as one of their favorites and lifts from it in various ways."<ref name="ANNJT" /> Explaining its basic formula of "lots of martial arts, lots of training sequences, [and] a few jokes" became the model for other {{Transliteration|ja|shōnen}} series, such as ''[[Naruto]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://io9.com/5201656/what-is-dragon-ball|title=What is Dragon Ball?|date=April 8, 2009|author=Thompson, Jason|work=[[io9]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150929052535/http://io9.com/5201656/what-is-dragon-ball|archive-date=September 29, 2015}}</ref> Thompson cited the artwork as influential, pointing out that popular {{Transliteration|ja|shōnen}} manga of the late 1980s and early 1990s had "[[Masculinity|manly]]" heroes, such as ''[[City Hunter]]'' and ''[[Fist of the North Star]]'', whereas ''Dragon Ball'' had the cartoonish and small Goku, thus starting a trend that he says still continues.<ref name="ANNJT" /> Commenting on ''Dragon Ball''{{'}}s global success nearly two decades after it ended, Toriyama said, "Frankly, I don't quite understand why it happened. While the manga was being serialized, the only thing I wanted as I kept drawing was to make Japanese boys happy. The role of my manga is to be a work of entertainment through and through. I dare say I don't care even if [my works] have left nothing behind, as long as they have entertained their readers."<ref name="AsahiInterview">{{cite news|url=http://ajw.asahi.com/article/cool_japan/culture/AJ201303270032|title=Dragon Ball artist: 'I just wanted to make boys happy'|last=Iwamoto|first=Tetsuo|date=March 27, 2013|newspaper=[[Asahi Shimbun]]|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130401232100/http://ajw.asahi.com/article/cool_japan/culture/AJ201303270032|archive-date=April 1, 2013|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

===Critical reception===
The manga has received a mostly positive reception from critics. Jason Thompson commented that ''Dragon Ball'' "turns from a gag/adventure manga to a nearly-pure fighting manga".<ref name="ANNJT">{{cite news|author=Thompson, Jason|url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/house-of-1000-manga/2011-03-10|title=Jason Thompson's House of 1000 Manga - Dragon Ball|work=[[Anime News Network]]|date=March 10, 2011|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160916075738/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/house-of-1000-manga/2011-03-10|archive-date=September 16, 2016}}</ref> James S. Yadao, author of ''The Rough Guide to Manga'', explains that the first several chapters "play out much like ''Saiyuki'' (''Journey to the West'') with ''Dr. Slump''-like humour built in" and that ''Dr. Slump'', Toriyama's previous manga, has a clear early influence on the series. He feels the series "established its unique identity" after the first time Goku's group disbands and he trains under Kame-Sen'nin. On the second half of the manga, he commented that it developed "a far more action-packed, sinister tone" with "wilder" battles and aerial and spiritual elements with an increased death count.<ref name="Yadao116117"/> David Brothers for [[ComicsAlliance]] wrote that: "Like [[Osamu Tezuka]] and [[Jack Kirby]] before him, Toriyama created a story with his own two hands that seeped deep into the hearts of his readers, creating a love for both the cast and the medium at the same time." He said that while the author has "a sublime combination of ''[[Looney Tunes]]''-style classic humor and dirty jokes," the best part of ''Dragon Ball'' is the fight scenes. Brothers explained that while Western superhero comics "would focus on a series of cool poses or impact shots" with the reader having to fill in the blanks between [[Panel (comics)|panels]], ''Dragon Ball'' has a panel dedicated to one action and the next panel features the very next maneuver, making them incredibly easy to follow.<ref>{{cite web|author=Brothers, David|url=http://comicsalliance.com/akira-toriyamas-dragon-ball-is-full-of-laughs-and-action-that/|title=Akira Toriyama's 'Dragon Ball' Has Flawless Action That Puts Super-Hero Books to Shame|work=[[ComicsAlliance]]|date=September 7, 2011|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161010101706/http://comicsalliance.com/akira-toriyamas-dragon-ball-is-full-of-laughs-and-action-that/|archive-date=October 10, 2016|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

[[Fusanosuke Natsume]] says that the theme of disaster and growth in the manga is a reference to "post-War Japanese manga" that Osamu Tezuka began in the mid 1940s. He also comments that the violence in the manga has context that children can understand, and is not just there at random.<ref>{{Cite magazine|last=Fusanosuke, Natsume|year=2003|title=Japanese manga: Its expression and popularity|url=http://www.accu.or.jp/appreb/09/pdf34-1/34-1P003-005.pdf|volume=34|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160330200020/http://www.accu.or.jp/appreb/09/pdf34-1/34-1P003-005.pdf|archive-date=March 30, 2016|journal=ABD On-Line Magazine|number=1|page=4}}</ref> While Toriyama has said that ''[[Journey to the West]]'' was an influence on the manga, Xavier Mínguez-López comments that it is a [[parody]] of the Chinese novel, since the stories are similar. He notes that Toriyama uses [[Chinese mythology]] and [[Japanese folktales]], the dragon Shenlong who is summoned from the Dragon Balls, as well as characters who are able to come back to life as examples of similarities.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Mínguez-López|first1=Xavier|title=Folktales and Other References in Toriyama's Dragon Ball|journal=Animation|date=March 2014|volume=9|issue=1|pages=27–46|doi=10.1177/1746847713519386|hdl=10550/44043|s2cid=35435730|hdl-access=free}}</ref> Rachel Cantrell says that the manga parodies martial arts very well, and mentions how Toriyama uses panels to a full extent. She notes that the manga has a [[coming-of-age]] theme due to how the story captures Goku from a child to an adult.<ref>{{cite book|last=Cantrell|first=Rachel|title=Critical Survey of Graphic Novels : Manga|date=May 2013|publisher=Salem Press|isbn=978-1-58765-955-3|location=Ipswich, Mass.|pages=93–97|chapter=Dragon Ball}}</ref> Dr. Frédéric Ducarme compared Goku's backstory to that of [[Superman]], with whom the character has often been compared, but wrote that Goku remains a sportsman throughout the manga, not an avenger or vigilante.<ref name="Ducarme">{{cite journal|last1=Ducarme|first1=Frederic|date=2018|title=Are nekketsu shōnen manga sports manga? The example of Dragon Ball|url=https://journals.openedition.org/comicalites/3194|journal=Comicalites|doi=10.4000/comicalites.3194|s2cid=248758349|doi-access=free|access-date=September 19, 2020|archive-date=November 1, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201101124905/https://journals.openedition.org/comicalites/3194|url-status=live}}</ref>

Carlo Santos of the [[Anime News Network]] described ''Dragon Ball''{{'}}s setting as "a melting pot of sci-fi, fantasy, and folklore". Santos praised its quick development of new characters and storylines, and claimed that the series' crowning achievement is in its dynamic fight scenes. However, he did not enjoy the cliché training and tournament segments, nor its crude humor.<ref>{{cite news|author=Santos, Carlo|url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/dragon-ball-3-in-1-edition/gn-1|title=Dragon Ball [3-in-1 Edition] GN 1 - Review|work=[[Anime News Network]]|date=August 11, 2013|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160506115853/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/dragon-ball-3-in-1-edition/gn-1|archive-date=May 6, 2016}}</ref> His colleague Allen Divers praised the manga's story and humor as being very good at conveying all the characters' personalities. Divers also called Viz's translation one of the best of all the English editions of the series due to its faithfulness to the original Japanese.<ref>{{cite news|author=Divers, Allen|url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/dragon-ball-gn-5|title=Dragon Ball GN 5 -Review|work=[[Anime News Network]]|date=November 18, 2001|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160506190050/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/dragon-ball-gn-5|archive-date=May 6, 2016}}</ref> ''[[Animerica]]'' felt the series had "worldwide appeal," using dramatic pacing and over-the-top martial arts action to "maintain tension levels and keep a crippler crossface hold on the audience's attention spans".<ref name="Animerica">{{cite journal|date=March 2001|title=Anime Radar: News|journal=[[Animerica]]|volume=9|issue=2|page=36|publisher=[[Viz Media]]|location=San Francisco, California|issn=1067-0831|oclc=27130932}}</ref> Comic Book Bin's Leroy Douresseaux described Toriyama as a "super-cartoonist," a blend of [[Carl Barks]], Jack Kirby, and [[Peyo]]. He gave ''Dragon Ball'' a perfect rating and called it one of the best manga and comic books he has ever read.<ref>{{cite web|author=Douresseaux, Leroy|url=http://www.comicbookbin.com/dragonballthreeinone001.html|title=Dragon Ball 3-in-1: Volume 1 manga review|work=Comic Book Bin|date=August 30, 2013|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161010124041/http://www.comicbookbin.com/dragonballthreeinone001.html|archive-date=October 10, 2016}}</ref> Ridwan Khan of Animefringe.com commented that the manga had a "chubby" art style, but as the series continued the characters became more refined, leaner, and more muscular. He cited one slight problem in Viz's release; the translation uses informal language to capture Goku's country accent, but it ends up feeling "forced and odd". Khan prefers the manga over the slow pacing of the anime adaptations.<ref>{{cite web|author=Khan, Ridwan|url=http://www.animefringe.com/magazine/2003/07/reviews/08/|title=Dragon Ball Vol.1 review|work=Animefringe.com|date=July 2003|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081211064603/http://www.animefringe.com/magazine/2003/07/reviews/08/|archive-date=December 11, 2008}}</ref> Including it on a list of "10 Essential Manga That Should Belong in Every Comic Collection", Matthew Meylikhov of ''[[Paste (magazine)|Paste]]'' also praised the manga over the anime as an entirely different and more "involved experience." He wrote that "You come to know and care for the characters more intimately, and the joy and wonder of watching them fight, learn and grow throughout the series improves tenfold."<ref>{{cite web|author=Meylikhov, Matthew|url=https://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2015/06/10-essential-manga-that-belong-in-every-comic-coll.html|title=10 Essential Manga That Should Belong in Every Comic Collection|work=[[Paste (magazine)|Paste]]|date=June 5, 2015|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160501213216/http://www.pastemagazine.com/articles/2015/06/10-essential-manga-that-belong-in-every-comic-coll.html|archive-date=May 1, 2016|access-date=July 29, 2018}}</ref> Manga author [[Nobuhiro Watsuki]] commented that there was a shift in the traditional portrayal of protagonists and their adversaries engaging in killings in {{transliteration|ja|shōnen}} manga after ''Dragon Ball'' started a trend of bringing characters back to life.<ref>{{cite web|script-title=ja:和月伸宏インタビュー 『るろうに剣心 最終章』に至る、実写と漫画が歩んだ10年|url=https://kai-you.net/article/80090/page/3|website=Kai-You|access-date=December 27, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221208225659/https://kai-you.net/article/80090/page/3|archive-date=December 8, 2022|language=ja|date=April 23, 2021|url-status=live}}</ref>