This week marked the release of Chōzenshū 1: Story & World Guide, the first in a series of four new guidebooks for the Dragon Ball franchise. They are actually a condensed version of the (originally ten-volume) Daizenshuu series of guidebooks packed with new interviews, information, and more.

We have been working tirelessly since its release on Tuesday to bring you as much as we can. We are kicking things off today with a few great additions to the website:

• Full overview page in our “Databook Guide”
• Translation of “We Asked Akira Toriyama! 2013” Q&A Session
• Miscellaneous Tidbits of Information

Overview Page
Our entry in the “Databook Guide” for the first Chōzenshū is complete! All sections from the book — including those reprinted from Daizenshuu 2: Story Guide and Daizenshuu 4: World Guide — are detailed. Some of the most interesting sections are those with new material in the “New World Guide”, including sections on Episode of Bardock, Neko Majin, and — tying in with the impending release of Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods — a fleshed-out guide to the gods in the franchise.

“We Asked Akira Toriyama! 2013” Q&A Session
It would not be a new book without a short Q&A session with original manga author Akira Toriyama! In this go-around, we learn a little bit about what home life is like with characters such as #18 and Bulma, why there are so many dog-people in the Dragon World, the different types of Neko Majin, and more.

Miscellaneous Tidbits of Information
The “New World Guide” at the front of the book contains a wealth of interesting tidbits. Here are a few of our favorites:

• Planet Earth, where Goku & co. live, is Planet 4032-877, and is part of the “Seventh Universe”. The events that occur on planet Earth, such as the menaces of Freeza, Cell, and Majin Boo, as well as the roles Goku & co. play, are continually watched over from a neutral standpoint by Kaiō and Kaiōshin.
• A note below that shows the layout of the cosmos and the universe. The Kaiōshin oversee both the upper half, or the heavenly realm, and the bottom half, the world of the living. The diagram of the universe shows how it is divided into four quadrants called “galaxies” and how Earth is in the north one.
• The Kaiōshin possess the power of “creation”, which provides stars/planets and life-forms the impetus to be born. The one who possesses the opposing power, and authority, of “destruction”, is the God of Destruction. Through the repetition of destruction of stars/planets continually increasing in numbers, and the birth of new stars/planets, the balance of the entire universe is maintained.
• The name of the God of Destruction who manages earth is “Birusu”. He has awakened from a long slumber of 39 years. The fact that he has awakened means that (a) planet(s) within his jurisdiction will be destroyed, so even Earth is in danger of being destroyed by Birusu.
• Alongside a shot of Super Saiyan Goku and Freeza taken from the manga is a small caption that says the universe that the Earth is part of holds a past where hundreds of planets have been destroyed through Majin Boo, creation of the dark mage Bobbidi, apart from Planet Vegeta, which was destroyed by Freeza.
• “The Menacing Power of the God of Destruction” details more about Birusu. A relationship chart is included that shows Birusu and Uisu not connected to any of the other gods but each other. “Uisu” is listed with the title of “attendant”, exactly the same as Mr. Popo is to Earth’s God and Kibito to Kaiōshin. What sort of connection Birusu has with the Kaiō and Kaiōshin is enveloped in mystery, but it appears he is a being who can strike fear in even the Kaiōshin, beings themselves who possess abilities beyond human comprehension. The overwhelming power of Birusu, God of Destruction, is said to outdo even that of Goku, who has surpassed Super Saiyan. The God of Destruction’s power is in another dimension altogether.
• Birusu sleeps for several years to several decades straight, then awakens in order to destroy planets. While he is awake, tense days for the Kaiōshin continue, as who knows how many planets may be sacrificed.
• An overview of Naho Ooishi’s Episode of Bardock is included, which notes the (heavily implied in the story itself) fact that Chilled — himself designed by Akira Toriyama — is a space pirate and ancestor of Freeza. It is noted that “secrets of Planet Vegeta’s destruction, and his connection of fate with Freeza” become clear.
• On the character relations chart on the second fold-out poster, Kuriza’s relationship to Freeza is a question mark. In the section on Neko Majin, he is called Freeza’s son, same as in the story itself.

Remember that, as a combination of two prior Daizenshuu, the interviews with Akira Toriyama from those two volumes have been reprinted — they can be found over on our “Translations” page.

Stay tuned for even more coverage as the Chōzenshū come out over the next few months!