Shinji Kubota

Kubota contributed ink and paint work to 25 episodes of the original Dragon Ball series, applying color to animated key frames across the Emperor Pilaf, Tournament, Red Ribbon Army, General Blue, and Commander Red sagas. His specific episodes spanned from Goku's early adventures through his progression toward martial arts mastery. He also painted Dragon Ball: Curse of the Blood Rubies, the franchise's first theatrical release, ensuring visual continuity between episodic and film work.

As a traditional cel painter in the 1980s, Kubota worked in an era before digital coloring, requiring meticulous hand-applied colors and precise paint consistency across cels for animation sequences. His work on Dragon Ball represents a foundational layer of the franchise's visual presentation, translating monochrome animation into the bright, expressive colors that define the series' aesthetic identity.