A new cult anime series, Dragon Ball DAIMA, is scheduled to appear in 2024. Reason enough to remember a few facts about Son Goku and his companions.
Dragon Ball is a manga and anime series that began in 1984 in Weekly Shonen Jump magazine. The franchise is still very popular, which is why we have put together 5 facts about Son Goku and Co. that you may not have known yet.
Fans can already look forward to the new series, Dragon Ball DAIMA:
In Dragon Ball DAIMA, Son Goku and his friends shrink
More videos
1. May 9th is Goku Day
Dragon Ball enjoys such a cult status in Japan that it is honored with a special day in Japan. Toei Animation dropped May 9th. register and certify with the Japanese Anniversary Association.
This date was chosen because in Japanese the number 5 can be read as “Go” and the 9 as “Ku”. Since in Japan the date is written the other way around, i.e. 5/9, it obviously had to be this day for the perfect pun (via Dragon Ball Official).
There’s probably no better way to celebrate Dragon Ball than with a pun. After all, the creator of the series, Akira Toriyama, named many of his characters after vegetables or even underwear.
2. Goku officially only died twice
Dragon Ball is famous for characters dying only to be brought back to life. Especially in the case of Goku’s buddy Krillin, his repeated demise is something of a running gag.
Considering the 187 fights that took place from Dragon Ball to the end of Dragon Ball Z alone, one could easily assume that Son Goku himself must have died more often. Canonically, however, the hero has only been transported to the afterlife twice.
In both cases, however, Goku sacrificed himself. An opponent has not yet managed to kill him. Additionally, there are moments in the anime adaptations where Son Goku can be temporarily considered dead. However, these do not appear in the manga (via We Got This Covered).
3. Akira Toriyama forgot a thing or two
With Dragon Ball, Akira Toriyama created a large universe populated by numerous characters who then continue to receive new abilities. It can happen that something is introduced and then simply forgotten.
This fate befell the character Launch, for example. She appeared in the original Dragon Ball, but did not appear again in Dragon Ball Z. Toriyama had momentarily forgotten that she existed. When he remembered the character, he felt it looked too much like the super-powerful Super Saiyans and it was written out (via Comicbook).
The second level of Super Saiyan no longer played a major role later on, as Toriyama had probably simply forgotten about it.
4. A voice actor lost consciousness when he went Super Saiyan
When characters in Dragon Ball undergo the transformation to Super Saiyan, they usually get spiky blonde hair and increase their combat power many times over.
This process often involves a lot of screaming. Sean Schimmel, the English voice of Son Goku on Funimation, once ran out of breath. In a 2013 interview, he admitted to fainting during a transformation in Dragon Ball GT.
According to Schimmel, he worked non-stop and was very tired. During the recording, he underestimated how much air he would need for the scene and ultimately lost consciousness (via CBR).
5. “It’s over 9,000” is actually 8,000
Aside from Krillin’s demise, the most iconic meme that Dragon Ball has spawned is a legendary saying from Vegeta: “It’s over 9,000!” The statement referred to Son Goku’s fighting prowess after he returned to join Vegeta and Nappa place.
In the manga, Son Goku’s combat power was only a comparatively paltry 8,000. The detail was changed for English localization. In German, however, the original 8,000 can be heard (via YouTube).
In the upcoming series Dragon Ball DAIMA, Son Goku and his friends transform into smaller versions of themselves through a wish. This transformation could mean that DAIMA is aimed more at children. You can read more about it here:
Dragon Ball: New series of the cult anime starts in 2024 and lets Son Goku and Vegeta shrink again