The new year is here, and the world is feeling out the vibe of 2024. In just a few days, a number of tragedies and milestones have already come to pass. Before long, the Chinese New Year will come around, and 2024 marks the year of the wood dragon. So to celebrate, the Bilibili New Year’s Gala paid tribute to Dragon Ball, and its viral stage play is the wildest thing we may see all year.
No, seriously – it is that crazy. You can check out the stage play below and see for yourself.
Videos by ComicBook.com
The stage play went down in China on New Year’s Day, and it would put things lightly to call is a spectacle. Bilibili, one of the largest social media sites in China, gathered thousands for the event. It was there a Dragon Ball Stage Play went live to usher in the Year of the Dragon, and we’re sure Son Goku never saw this spotlight coming.
After all, the epic stage show features a ton of musical numbers, and we get to see Son Goku break out some crazy dance moves. From Vegeta to Tien, the whole gang can be found here. There is no telling how legit this stage show is from a licensing standpoint, but there is no denying its shonen flair. Honestly, no wilder adaptation of Dragon Ball exists compared to this stage play, and we’re very familiar with Hollywood’s botched adaptation years ago.
Of course, Dragon Ball is long tied to China. Akira Toriyama’s manga was loosely inspired by Journey to the West, a classic tale penned by Wu Cheng’en in the late 1500s. Over the decades, Dragon Ball has gone on to popularize the Chinese folk tale and its various characters. Now, Bilibili is going viral for its take on Dragon Ball and honestly? We’re kind of obsessed with it too.
What do you think about this wild Dragon Ball stage event? Let us know what you think in the comments below as well as on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!