Dragon Ball fans once again take advantage of May 9 as an excuse to show their love for the emblematic hero, Son Goku. May 9th has become an ‘unofficial’ holiday for fans of Akira Toriyama’s gender-defying manga and anime series, as the date 9/5 can be read in Japanese as “go” (five) and “kyuu” (nine), which almost sounds like the beloved character’s name.
Fans all over the world made both “Goku” and the “goku day” trended across various social media as they shared their favorite moments with the character, fan art, and inspirational messages in the spirit of the optimistic and charismatic Saiyan warrior.
In addition to highlighting their favorite moments and images of the character, many commented on how dragon ball introduced them to the world of anime and manga and reflected the impact the series has had not only on those media, but on video games, movies, and comics around the world. Although the day focuses on Gokumany fans also thanked the artist Akira Toriyama for creating the character.
Son Goku was introduced to the world in the first chapter of Toriyama’s Dragon Ball manga, which first appeared in the pages of Weekly Shonen Jump back in 1984. After landing on Earth, the initially violent Goku is raised by Gohan. , a kind old martial artist, in the forest.
Gifted with immense strength and a natural talent for martial arts, Goku begins to explore the world after meeting her first friend, Bulma, and agreeing to help her find the Dragon balls that grant wishes. The series follows the young martial artist through countless battles and stages of life, including his tutelage under martial arts expert Master Roshi, his marriage to Milk, the birth of their children, and their multiple deaths throughout the series. .
Dragon Ball is the third best-selling manga series of all time, with over 260 million copies in circulation worldwide. The animated adaptations of the series, specifically Dragon Ball Zhave helped establish the popularity of anime worldwide in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Goku’s adventures continue today with the Dragon Ball Super manga, which is still supervised by Toriyama and features art by his protégé, Toyotarō. The franchise will release its new film, titled Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, in Japan on June 11, with the American release scheduled for shortly after.