DBZ

Anime fans use the acronym DBZ to refer to Dragon Ball Z. This action-adventure series, which was released in Japan in 1989 and in the US in 1996, stars the super-powered martial artist Son Goku and his allies, as they battle against increasingly powerful threats to Earth.

DBZ is the sequel to the original Dragon Ball series, and it picks up five years after that series's end. In DBZ, Goku discovers he is not human, but rather a member of an alien warrior race known as the Saiyans. Using this knowledge, Goku and his son Gohan level up to defeat Vegeta, Frieza, Cell, and Majin Buu.

Because of its over-the-top action, wild plot twists, and likable characters, DBZ proved incredibly popular worldwide, especially in the United States. The Dragon Ball franchise continues to receive sequels, adaptations, and cross-media tie-ins today, and while trawling the Internet, you're still likely to encounter DBZ-related memes and catchphrases (such as "it's over 9000" and "take my energy").