Real-world References in Dragon Ball

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While illustrating Dragon Ball and other series, Akira Toriyama occasionally references real-world brands for vehicles, buildings, and other products. These references serve different purposes in the story, but could imply that Renault, Kawasaki, and other companies exist in the universe of Dragon Ball, alongside fictional counterparts like Capsule Corporation and the Red Ribbon Army. This page catalogs those references.

Brands in the Manga

References to brands and products in the original manga.

Turbo Debut:  Dragon Ball Chapter 1 The "Turbo" car, in reference to the Renault 5 Turbo, is the first vehicle that Bulma is shown to drive in the manga. She nearly hits Son Goku on her way to find the 4-star dragon ball. In real-life, the car was only in limited production primarily for use in rally races.

Kawasaki KR250 Debut:  Dragon Ball Chapter 2 The Kawasaki KR250 is a motorcycle that Bulma drives in chapter two of the manga. Like the "Turbo" car in the prior chapter, this is primarily a racing bike. In the universe of Dragon Ball, it is implied to be a Capsule Corp vehicle.

Jump (ジャンプ) Debut:  Dragon Ball Chapter 18 Pilaf's bookshelves contain an ample supply of Jump (ジャンプ, Janpu) comics, short for Weekly Shonen Jump. This is the publication that featured Dragon Ball and many of Akira Toriyama's other works.

Dragon (Pinball) Debut:  Dragon Ball Chapter 21 Pilaf's castle also appears to contain an Interflip Dragon pinball machine, first manufactured in 1977. This was likely selected as a play on the manga title, and the resemblance to an actual pinball machine may be a coincidence.

Pennzoil Debut:  Dragon Ball Chapter 23 The Turtle Hermit is depicted as lounging in a Pennzoil shirt when Son Goku arrives at Kame House to train after defeating Pilaf. Pennzoil is an American oil and gas company, perhaps best known internationally for sponsoring motorsport events and racing teams.

Anime-only Brands

Air Fix Debut:  Dragon Ball Z Episode 146 A plane labeled "Air Fix" appears on the tarmac at Basil Airport. In real-life, Airfix is a company that produces scale models of vehicles, especially airplanes. One such model kit may have been used for the design of the plane in this episode.

Movie-only Brands

Kedak Debut:  Dragon Ball Z Movie 7 In the department store in Movie 7, a customer can be seen looking over new cameras while carrying a "Kedak" case. This appears to be a reference to Kodak, a real-world camera company.