He may not be as invincible¹ as the monkey we see on the traditional version of the classic Journey to the West (《西游记》), but he is the Monkey King audiences across generations have loved watching grow. We’re talking about Japanese manga artist Akira Toriyama’s iconic character Son Goku.

也许他不像名著《西游记》里的美猴王那样天下无敌，但他却是伴随着几代观众一起成长起来的那只“美猴王”。我们说的正是日本漫画大师鸟山明笔下的经典人物——孙悟空。

Almost a decade after Dragon Ball Z (1989-2006) ended, Goku is back again. Dragon Ball Super, a new series that is set to run 100 episodes, recently premiered on Fuji TV in Japan and on Chinese streaming video website iQiyi.

《龙珠Z》（1989-2006）完结已近10年，悟空归来——《龙珠超》设定的剧情长度为100集，近日在日本富士电视台和中国的爱奇艺视频网站上首映。

In this continuation of the Dragon Ball (1986-1989) TV series, Goku, an interstellar migrant and one of the last survivors² of a powerful alien race, has transformed from a playful child into a married father.

《龙珠Z》是《龙珠》（1986-1989）的续集。在这部动画中，星际移民孙悟空——外星战斗种族的最后幸存者，从一个顽皮的孩童成长为一名父亲。

“There’s a simple, infectious charm watching Goku grow up into the person we know him as today before he transitioned into a literal god,” American commentator³ Scott Johnson wrote on US-based website oneofus.net.

“悟空在变为神一样的人物之前，整个成长过程有一种质朴且感人的魅力。”美国评论家在oneofus.net网站上写道。

Over time, the franchise⁴ progressed away from the humor of original TV series Dragon Ball, which depicted⁵ Goku as a boy, to the heavy combat action of Dragon Ball Z, which depicted Goku as a man. Dragon Ball Super is expected to balance humor and fighting, utilizing⁶ the elements that made both of its predecessors⁷ memorable⁸.

随着时间的推移，《龙珠》里幽默搞笑的小男孩悟空，逐渐转变为《龙珠Z》中经历各种激战的男子汉悟空。《龙珠超》则将平衡幽默和激战，使用各种元素，让前几部作品更加难忘。

The new series begins with Goku living the peaceful family life of a farmer. Of course, Goku turns farming into training, which inevitably⁹ makes for a funny but disastrous¹⁰ scene on the farm.

新剧集从悟空恬静的乡下生活开始。当然，悟空没有种地而是跑去练功，不可避免的在农田上留下了十分搞笑却又灾难性的场景。

Meanwhile, an unprecedented¹¹ evil approaches from outer space. Lord Beerus, one of the most powerful villains¹² in the whole series, possesses the power to cut a planet into two halves by playfully tapping one finger. It’s up to Goku to stop Beerus in his tracks.

同时，反派人物也从外太空不期而至。破坏神比鲁斯是全剧中最强大的反派，拥有轻敲手指就能将星球一分为二的强大力量。剧集中，将由悟空来阻止比鲁斯的行径。

“As I read the plot [of the series], my dreams for this begin to expand. An enemy even stronger than Buu or Frieza (powerful villains from previous series) may appear,” Japanese Fuji TV producer Osamu Nozaki told Anime News Network.

“当我读到新作情节时，梦想开始扩大，可能出现甚至比魔人布欧或弗利萨（前作中的强力反派）还要强大的敌人，”日本富士电视台的制片人接受动画新闻网采访时表示。

The Dragon Ball series has earned fans by allowing its characters and style to grow and change alongside its audience. This is what’s made the legacy¹³ of Toriyama’s creation so enduring.

《龙珠》系列的角色和风格跟着观众一起成长，这也让它俘获了大批粉丝。这也是让鸟山明的创作传奇如此长盛不衰的原因所在。