29/09/2025
Dragon Ball Z, multiculturalism and Globalization [Essay]
When people think of Dragon Ball Z they think of screaming power ups, planet destroying energy blasts and...Mr. Popo, but what's been on my mind lately is how Dragon Ball Z and anime in general has been one of the most prominent factors in globalization.
For those not familiar, globalization is a subsystem within macroeconomics that deals with the interdependence and exchange of cultures and economies on a global scale.
The global impact of anime is undoubtedly one of the important socio economic cultural shifts to occur in the 21st century. And for the past 25 years no other franchise has been as pivotal to the global market as Dragon Ball. But why? What is it about Dragon Ball that has made it one of the most culturally and economically impactful franchises of all time?
In my opinion, what makes Dragon Ball such a ripe franchise for global exposure and popularity is the fact that it is undeniably multicultural.
While the franchise is a Japanese production, Dragon Ball Z thrives on global pop culture and historical homage, with things such like the Vegeta Saga being inspired by Superman II [Vegeta is literally based on General Zod and Nappa is Non] and the Cell Saga being inspired by Terminator II [Trunks is based on John Connor and No. 16 is based on Arnold Schwarzenegger ]
Dragon Ball is also based on the Chinese folk tale "Journey to the West" with Goku being based on Sun Wukong aka the Daoist Monkey Warrior King. Other characters like Chiaotzu are based on the Chinese Jiangshi aka the hopping vampire and the character Mr. Popo is based on the Islamic deity known as "Jinns"...and not a minstrel show character.
Unlike other anime brands from Japan like Gundam and Macross that rely more on Japanese nationalism, Dragon Ball Z and many of the anime shows that are influenced by DBZ that have had great success globally all share a common throughline...they all appeal to modernized capitalist cultures....specifically American capitalist cultures. Anime shows like Naruto, Cowboy Bebop and Pokémon all exist as aesthetically American Japanese shows that have had significant global appeal and popularity, especially in the US.
While not often mentioned as being a major factor in Globalization, nerd culture is one of the primary subcultures that helps it to thrive. From things like video games, action figures, model kits, posters, and manga etc.
1999 would be one of the most important years for anime and globalization, in that year we would see Toonami start to focus on more anime shows in its afternoon lineup. Originally in 1997 Toonami featured American shows like Johnny Quest and Thundercats and in 1999 would transition into anime like Dragon Ball Z, Gundam Wing and Sailor Moon.
In 1999 we would also see the World Trade Organization Ministerial conference of 1999, this meeting would focus on improving global trade conditions and while things like anime and manga were not the focus of the meeting I do think it was that both the Japanese expansion of Toonami and a major world trade meeting occurred around the same time.
The idea that the end of Dragon Ball would have a negative effect on the economy is not a far fetched notion. The sad reality is that due to the exhaustive and exploitative nature of capitalism, a show like Dragon Ball which regardless if you are a fan or not is one of the greatest and most impactful television shows of all time, will have to extend its shelf life with subpar series continuations that add little to the franchise all so people who are rich can get richer while not creating anything innovative themselves.
I'm looking forward to when they make Goku turn Super Saiyan Rainbow [not really] Damn shame
