Although Dragon Ball Z fans would probably love some LEGO figures of their favorite characters from that anime series, there haven't been any officially-licensed DBZ LEGO figures made available yet.
However, Bandai does have plans to release some figures that look similar to LEGO ones from the much-beloved anime, including many of the series' main characters, such as Goku and Vegeta.
Called "Figmes," the collection of small figures will first include Goku, Super Saiyan Goku, Vegeta, Super Saiyan Vegeta, Piccolo, Krillin, Frieza and Perfect Cell.
This first group of figures hits stores in Japan in March and will cost 500 yen each (about $4). It's likely that, if these figures do well, other characters from the anime will start showing up in stores. Expect them to turn up on eBay, though, for those who would like to purchase them from countries other than Japan, as there's no word on whether they will become available outside of that country anytime soon.
Of course, this isn't exactly the same as having actual LEGO Dragon Ball Z characters, and it's not clear if these will work with any existing LEGO sets (although fans with imagination are likely to make it work).
Dragon Ball Z first aired on Japanese television in 1989, but the series gained worldwide popularity later on, particularly in the U.S. after being picked up by Cartoon Network. The series follows the adventures of Goku and his friends, who get tasked to defend the Earth from those who would harm it. Goku's childhood story began in Dragon Ball, but Dragon Ball Z follows his life as an adult.
The anime series eventually became inspiration for over 50 video game titles, too, including several arcade games.
Dragon Ball Z was listed in Wizard Magazine's Top 100 Greatest Cartoons, as well as ranked #6 on the Wizard Anime's Top 50 Anime Released in North America list. Dragon Ball Z merchandise also sells well, not just in Japan, but also in the U.S. and other countries.
Recently, characters from the series started turning up in some rather bizarre video advertisements for Ford, including an ad where Goten and Trunks turn into a car. Those ads feature the voices of the original voice actors who brought the characters to life in the English language dub of the anime.
