Starting this Saturday, fans (living in Japan) of Dragon Ball They have within walking distance what they always dreamed of: an exclusive anime store. The first in the world.
It is a store that celebrates more than four decades of the popular series of Akira Toriyama that marked a generation and is one of the most popular from that country in Argentina.
The store is located in a shopping center near Tokyo’s main train station.
Created by Toriyama and first published in 1984, Dragon Ball It is one of the best-selling manga franchises in history, with more than 260 million copies sold worldwide.
Over the past four decades, the series spawned popular anime, films, and video games, making characters like Goku, Gohan, Piccolo, Vegeta, Frieza, and Majin Buu part of pop culture fans’ imaginations.
A figure of Goku in the Dragon Ball store in Tokyo. Photo: XFeaturing franchise-themed décor, including a huge reproduction of the Shenlong dragon on the ceiling, the store sells keychains, t-shirts, pins, figures and other exclusive items.
Due to the high demand, the store had to restrict entry, so from Friday, November 14 to Monday, November 24, only those who have made a reservation in advance through LivePocket.
On the occasion of the opening, the store announced that it will give away original items to everyone who buys a product for 2,000 yen ($13) or more.
This is what the store bags look like. Photo: X
Dragon Ball: the animated hit of the 90s
Dragon Ball is one of the strongest cultural phenomena in the recent history of Argentina. Her landing in the mid-90s, first on air channels like Telefe and then on Magic Kids, made her an instant success.
The combination of action, humor, martial arts and charismatic characters made thousands of kids hooked on the story of Gokunot knowing that they were entering a saga that would last decades.
Dragon Ball Store TokioThe boom came with Dragon Ball Z. The afternoons came to a standstill when key episodes such as the arrival of the Saiyans, the battle with Frieza or the Cell saga were broadcast. The figurines, posters and albums became a national fever.
In the 2000s, the phenomenon was amplified with cable and the emergence of the Internet: forums, fansubs, anime events and massive merchandising kept the flame alive. With the premiere of Dragon Ball Super In 2015, Argentina once again led audiences in Latin America and local cinemas sold out shows with films like Battle of the Gods or Broly.
The protagonists of Dragon Ball Z.You can watch Dragon Ball in Argentina through streaming services such as Netflix (Dragon Ball Daima) and HBO Max (Dragon Ball Z Kai and the upcoming arrival of Dragon Ball Daima with Latin dubbing), or in Crunchyroll y Amazon Prime Video (Dragon Ball Z y Dragon Ball Super).
