Dragon Ball (Dragon Ball
鳥山 明 [Akira Toriyama]
Dragon Ball (Dragon Ball
Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide
by 鳥山 明 [Akira Toriyama]
The text is written at a 4th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for teens (ages 13+), and the content has moderate intensity with some emotionally heavy themes.
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About This Book
Goku isn’t just any boy—he’s a super-strong kid with a monkey tail who can take on anything! When Bulma enlists his help to find seven magical Dragon Balls, their adventure explodes into a world of epic battles and incredible powers. What happens when a wish-granting dragon can change everything?
Themes
Quick Assessment
Dragon Ball follows the adventures of Goku, a young boy with extraordinary strength and a monkey tail, as he teams up with Bulma to find seven mystical Dragon Balls that can grant any wish. Suitable for ages 13-18, the graphic novel blends action, fantasy, and humor with some battle scenes that may be intense for younger readers. Parents should be aware of fantasy violence but can expect a story rooted in friendship and adventure.
Why we rated Dragon Ball (Dragon Ball 9MP
Dragon Ball (Dragon Ball is written at a Level 4-5 reading level across 173 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 5.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, Dragon Ball (Dragon Ball works for readers up to grade 6.5.
We rate Dragon Ball (Dragon Ball as 9MP ("Moderate — Physical") because the content sits in the "Moderate" range — moderate conflict that may involve loss, scary scenes, or interpersonal stakes. The strongest signals come from physical peril — these are the dimensions parents should evaluate against their reader's tolerance.
No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the moderate intensity score.
Thematically, Dragon Ball (Dragon Ball explores adventure, fantasy world-building, friendship, humor, and comics & graphic novels — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.
Good fit for
- ✓ Children in the Ages 13+ range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
- ✓ Kids drawn to stories about adventure, fantasy world-building, friendship.
Maybe not for
- ! Readers who get easily upset by emotional or moderately dark scenes — the conflict here is real, not just background flavor.
For Parents
Content Intensity
9MP — Moderate — PhysicalReal stakes and emotional weight. May include sustained danger, loss, or bullying.
Was our "Moderate" content intensity rating accurate for this book?
Reading Insights
Hook Factor
3/10A steady, thoughtful read that rewards patient readers.
Discussion Potential
2/10A lighter read — great for independent enjoyment.
Book DNA
Multi-dimensional content fingerprint
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Details
Book Length
- ISBN
- 9780613863711
- Pages
- 173
- Publisher
- VIZ Media LLC
- Published
- January 2004
- Type
- Fiction