Dragon Ball Z is everywhere. Action figures, t-shirts and, to my son's delight, Playstation have all joined in the DBZ frenzy. But just what is a dragon ball? And why all the fuss?

Dragon Ball Z, at its core, is a classic good over evil story. Action, a little romance and some off-the-wall humor make this series one of the top Anime titles watched in the States today. Goku, Gohan and the rest of the Z-fighters protect the Earth from villain after villain with their ever-growing power and strength.

This power doesn't come from magic, but rather concentrates the natural energy that surrounds and binds the Universe (who says Anime isn't deep?). And while we all know that the Z-fighters will eventually triumph, it is not without some hardships along the way. As the villains get tougher (and boy, do they ever!), the casualty rate grows. Not to fear, though. Lives can be restored through Shenron, a mystical dragon created by the people of Namek and summoned by collecting the seven dragon balls hidden around the world.

Originally released in Japan in the 1980's, Dragon Ball was the creation of Toriyama Akira and was the beginning of what would become a three part series: Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball GT. The first series, Dragon Ball, begins with our hero, Goku, as a small child. Sent to Earth from his soon-to-be dying planet, Vegeta, Goku is a Saiyan and one of amazing strength. He and the rest of the DB gang roam the lands, looking for the dragon balls and getting into a multitude of battles along the way.

Closely following the manga (that's the Japanese equivalent of a comic book), Dragon Ball is full of strange characters and taboo subjects (parental guidance is suggested). In Dragon Ball Z (my personal fave), Goku is grown and married. He has two sons -- Gohan and Goten -- and his character is truly the epitome of a good guy. You'll see some faces that are familiar as well as some that aren't, and the battles between good and evil continue. Dragon Ball GT (the Grand Tour) throws a twist in the series as Goku is returned to his youth through magical forces.

See the Dragon Ball Z Good Guys
See the Dragon Ball Z Bad Guys

While some are human, some are saiyan and some are well... extraterrestrial, they all have special abilities and powers. Goku for example, can use the "chi" of the planet - that is, the energy force in every living thing - to "power up" and gain strength. Just about all the characters can fly and their quite skilled in martial arts.

Learn more about DBZ's Fighting Techniques

As a result of its popularity, Dragon Ball Z spawned quite a few full-length movies as well as several video games for popular game consoles.

See Dragon Ball Z Movie Reviews
See Dragon Ball Z DVD Reviews

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