Brand new Dragon Ball merchandise is now available through Gashapon machines in Japan. These are Bandai capsule collectibles that come from hand-cranked vending machines—a very popular way to buy small, tabletop-sized toys that are often of relatively high quality despite their often low prices.
Images of these new items can be seen on the official Dragon Ball website. There are six new gashapon toys in total, each of which is reminiscent of some of the earliest days of the series. This includes the iconic four-star Dragon Ball placed on a pillow, similar to how it was first seen in chapter one of the original manga. There's also a piece of classic Saiyan battle armor, along with a Saiyan scout suit that comes in a special box—a relic from the “Saiyan Invasion” and early “Namek Saga” of Dragon Ball Z. Two different versions of Shenron are also available—a regular version and a version meant to represent an empowered Shenron. The latter version grows in darkness, which may encourage some fans to keep trying their luck to get it.
Dragon Ball's New Gashapon Toys Are a Reminiscence of the Series' Most Iconic Moments
The final item is perhaps the most interesting addition, a set of six seeds that fans can use to grow their own Saibamen. Planted in the ground, Saibamen have proven to be a dangerous (albeit short-lived) threat to the Z-Warriors with their self-destruct abilities—infamously catching Yamcha by surprise. While it’s doubtful that these toy seeds can actually grow anything—let alone fully-fledged green aliens native to Planet Vegeta—the concept alone is unique enough that fans will want to see the supposed results for themselves. At just 400 yen (about $2.70) per attempt, this is a pretty cheap way to try to gain power over one of Dragon Ball’s rarest aliens.
Dragon Ball
Dragon Ball tells the story of a young warrior named Son Goku, a strange boy with a tail, who embarks on a journey to become stronger and learns of the Dragon Balls, which, upon collecting all 7 Dragon Balls, can grant any wish.
Created by Akira Toriyama
First movie Dragon Ball: Curse of the Blood Ruby
Latest movies Dragon Ball Super: Super Heroes
First TV show Dragon Ball
Upcoming TV Shows Dragon Ball DAIMA
First episode air date April 26, 1989
Cast Sean Schemmel, Laura Bailey, Brian Drummond, Christopher Sabat, Scott McNeil
Summary
Dragon Ball is a manga series created by author/illustrator Akira Toriyama, beginning with Dragon Ball in 1984. The series originally began as a serialized manga in Weekly Shonen Jump for nearly a decade before expanding into the most popular anime series today. Dragon Ball has since been adapted into two anime series, one of which is Dragon Ball Z, the most popular series in the entire Dragon Ball series. The series has continued to expand the lore through films, video games, and subsequent television series, such as Dragon Ball Super and the more recent Dragon Ball Super Heroes. Dragon Ball primarily revolves around Son Goku, a being known as a Saiyan, and his friends as they face intergalactic threats and search for the Dragon Balls. When all seven of these balls are collected, they can be used to summon a legendary dragon that can grant wishes to anyone who collects them. The Dragon Ball series continues to be one of the most popular and beloved anime series of all time, with over forty different countries broadcasting it and having had a huge impact on Western culture as a whole.
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Source: Gashapon via Dragon Ball official website
