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The story of Dragon Ball unfolded gradually over 11 years of publication. During those years, the tone and the style of the stories gradually changed to reflect the tastes of the readers and the editors of Japanese Shonen Jump.The earlier volumes of the manga (volumes 1-11) are primarily humorous fantasy stories, but containing some minor sci-fi elements. Notable fantasy elements include not only the monkey boy Goku and the balls themselves, but also many talking animal characters, unlikely martial arts techniques, and characters identified as gods and demons. Despite the fantasy elements, the world does contain advanced technology including space-saving capsules which are pocket sized but can store almost any object, including flying cars, and similar "near future" trappings. The overall mood of the earlier volumes is light with very few deaths and an emphasis on adventure and humor.A subtle but significant change in mood began after Goku's best friend Kuririn was killed. This began the Piccolo Daimao- saga (volumes 12-17) in which the manga enters a darker tone compared to its earlier volumes.
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