In 2024, a new series of the cult anime will be released with Dragon Ball DAIMA. It’s a good reason to recall a few facts about Son Goku and his friends.
Dragon Ball is a manga and anime series that began in 1984 in the Weekly Shonen Jump magazine. The franchise is still very popular, which is why we have compiled 5 facts about Son Goku and Co. that you might not know yet.
Fans can already look forward to the new series, Dragon Ball DAIMA:
1. May 9th is Goku Day
Dragon Ball has such a cult status in Japan that it is honored with a special day. Toei Animation had May 9th registered and certified by the Japanese Anniversary Association.
The date was chosen because the number 5 can be read as “Go” and the 9 as “Ku” in Japanese. Since in Japan, the date is written the other way around, as 5/9, it had to be this day for the perfect pun (via Dragon Ball Official).
There is probably no better occasion to celebrate Dragon Ball than with a pun. After all, the creator of the series, Akira Toriyama, has named many of his characters after vegetables or even underwear.
2. Goku has officially died only twice
Dragon Ball is famous for characters passing away, only to be brought back to life. Especially in the case of Goku’s friend Krillin, his repeated deaths have become somewhat of a running gag.
Given the 187 battles that took place from Dragon Ball up to the end of Dragon Ball Z, one might easily assume that Son Goku himself must have died more frequently. Canonically, however, the hero has only been transported to the afterlife twice.
- Once in a fight against his brother Raditz
- And a second time in a fight against the android Cell
In both cases, Goku sacrificed himself. Thus, no opponent has managed to kill him. Additionally, there are moments in the anime adaptations where Son Goku can be considered temporarily dead. However, these do not occur in the manga (via We Got This Covered).
3. Akira Toriyama forgot one or two things
With Dragon Ball, Akira Toriyama created a vast universe inhabited by numerous characters, who also 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 in Dragon Ball Z anymore. Toriyama temporarily forgot that she existed. When he remembered the character, he felt she resembled the overpowering Super Saiyan too much, and she was written out (via Comicbook).
Even the second level of Super Saiyan later played no major role anymore, as Toriyama simply seems to have forgotten about it.
4. A voice actor lost consciousness when he became Super Saiyan
When characters in Dragon Ball undergo the transformation into a Super Saiyan, they usually get a spiky blond hairstyle and increase their fighting power many times over.
This process often involves a lot of shouting. Sean Schimmel, the English voice of Son Goku at Funimation, once ran out of breath during this. In an interview in 2013, he admitted to fainting during a transformation in Dragon Ball GT.
He said he had been working non-stop and was very tired, Schimmel reported. During the recordings, 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
Besides Krillin’s death, probably the most iconic meme that Dragon Ball has produced is a legendary quote from Vegeta: “It’s over 9,000!” The statement referred to Son Goku’s fighting power after he returned to face Vegeta and Nappa.
In the manga, Son Goku’s fighting power was only a comparatively meager 8,000. This detail was changed for the 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 turn 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
