Toyzinger
In 1986 a role-playing video game called “Dragon Quest” was released in Japan, this video game initially developed for the NES video game console became a sales success. Created by Yuji Horii and featuring character designs by Akira Toriyama, “Dragon Quest” has evolved and left an indelible mark on Japanese and global pop culture.
Since then, “Dragon Quest” has become a series of Japanese role-playing games that have sold millions of copies worldwide. His first game marked a milestone by laying the foundations of JRPGs (Japanese role-playing games), featuring elements of narrative, exploration, and turn-based battles that would influence the entire video game industry.
The game also introduced the iconic Slime, a spherical, grinning creature that has become the franchise’s mascot.
So much is the success of “Dragon Quest” that dozens of sequels and re-releases have been released for all kinds of platforms.
The success of “Dragon Quest” is not limited to video games. The franchise has inspired adaptations in a variety of media, including manga, anime and movies. One of the most prominent examples is “Dragon Quest: The Adventures of Fly” (known as “Dragon Quest: Dai no Daibouken” in Japanese), which focused on the character of Fly (Dai in Japanese), a young boy who dreams of becoming a hero and confronting the evil demon Hadlar.
“Dragon Quest: The Adventures of Fly” debuted as a manga in 1989, written by Riku Sanjo and illustrated by Koji Inada. The manga was published in the popular “Weekly Shonen Jump” magazine and quickly gained a following thanks to its exciting storytelling, charismatic characters and epic battles.
It was inspired by the early “Dragon Quest” games, incorporating familiar elements such as monsters, spells and magic items into its story.
The manga ended in 1996 and consists of 37 volumes, being one of the best-selling manga in Japan, with approximately 50 million copies and consists of various publications, reprints and formats.
As of March 2021 a prequel manga is being published in the monthly magazine “V-Jump”, this prequel called “Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai: Hero Avan and the Demon King of Hellfire” deals with the story of Dai’s master, Avan and his confrontation with the demon king Hadlar, several years before the story of Fly and his friends.
The first animated adaptation of “The Adventures of Fly” aired in 1991 and lasted until 1992, consisting of 46 episodes. The series captured the essence of the manga and brought the story of Fly and his friends to a wider audience. Unfortunately, the anime was cancelled and would never explain the end of the story.
In 2020 a new animated adaptation of the series was announced and this time it would go all the way to the end of the story in 2023 with a total of 100 episodes. Along with the success of the new animated series, a video game was also released under the name “Dragon Quest: The Adventures of Fly – Infinity Strash”.
Like any successful franchise, a lot of merchandising and action figures have been released, a lot about the video game saga, but mainly about the manga and anime of “The Adventures of Fly”.
One line of figures stands out from all the others and that is the Battle Action Series, this line was sold all over the world and, although it had few characters, many children of the 80’s and 90’s remember it fondly.
Other lines such as the Brave Collection had a larger number of pieces, but its sale was more limited to Japanese territory.
Nowadays, the company Figma gives us new pieces of the anime of great quality and very articulated with its line Action Figure Series
“Dragon Quest: The Adventures of Fly” is not only remembered for its faithfulness to the original source material, but also for its ability to appeal to both fans of the franchise and new viewers.
The series helped further cement the “Dragon Quest” brand in popular culture, creating a generation of fans who embraced both the video games and the manga and anime adaptations. The character design of Akira Toriyama, known for his work in “Dragon Ball“, also contributed to the franchise’s appeal.
In short, “Dragon Quest” is a franchise that has left an indelible mark on the video game industry and popular culture in general. His ability to expand through successful adaptations such as “The Adventures of Fly” is a testament to the quality and timelessness of his world and characters. As we continue to explore new installments of “Dragon Quest,” we remember and celebrate the lasting impact of this franchise on the hearts of fans around the world.
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