Bandai recreates every volume of the Dragon Ball manga in miniature form for series’ 40th anniversary
A new Gashapon range from Bandai will celebrate 40 years of the Dragon Ball manga.
The “DRAGON BALL Comics Charm Collection 01” is a set of charming miniatures, designed to replicate the look and feel of the original manga volumes.
“Dragon Ball” was first serialized in Japan’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine in 1984 and quickly rose to become one of the most influential and successful manga franchises of all time.
Created by Akira Toriyama, the series blends martial arts action, fantasy, sci-fi and humor as it following the adventures of Son Goku as he trains in martial arts and searches for the seven mystical Dragon Balls.
The series has spawned multiple anime adaptations, films, video games, and an expansive merchandise line, captivating generations of fans worldwide
It has also led to a huge number of collaborations with brands that has seen “Dragon Ball” branded crocs, credit cards and eye glasses released.
The “DRAGON BALL Comics Charm Collection 01” features miniature replicas of the first 14 volumes of the “Dragon Ball” manga.
Each charm has been designed to mimic the original comic book cover, with a paper box that even reproduces the texture of the material.
Adding an element of playful interactivity, each charm is a “2-way” design. When the ball chain is removed and the miniature paper box is opened from the bottom, it reveals an acrylic piece featuring the illustrated title page from that volume.
This acrylic piece can then be reattached to the ball chain, allowing it to be used as a separate charm.
Each “DRAGON BALL Comics Charm Collection 01” miniature is priced at 400 yen.
Pre-orders are currently exclusive to Bandai’s Gashapon Online store, with shipment scheduled for late September 2025.
The pre-order window will close on June 22nd at 11:59 PM JST.
Bandai has indicated that these charms will also be sold in physical capsule vending machines in stores across Japan.
Bandai has already outlined plans for subsequent releases to complete the full collection.
The second set, encompassing volumes 15 to 28, is expected to be released to stores in October 2025.
The third set, covering volumes 29 to 42, is currently planned to hit store shelves in November 2025.
Dedicated collectors will find that when all 42 volumes of the miniature charms are collected, their spines will connect to form a continuous image, mirroring the iconic spine art of the original manga volumes.
© Bandai, Bird Studios/Shueisha
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