French-Saudi ‘Dragon Ball’ theme park puzzles Japanese manga fans

Fans of Dragon Ball, the iconic Japanese manga series, are accustomed to characters merging in the heat of battle to magnify their skills and strength. Few would have anticipated France teaming up with Saudi Arabia to write a new chapter in one of the most successful media franchises of all time. As the gaming website Polygon put it, “this is one pairing we didn’t see coming”. The French presidency has announced plans to build three theme parks near Paris under a €6 billion ($7 billion) deal agreed with Saudi Arabia. The “colossal” development is expected to include a manga-themed park, which President Emmanuel Macron’s entourage said would be inspired by the Dragon Ball franchise. Read moreSaudi Arabia to invest €6 billion in theme parks near Paris, Macron says “You know my interest for manga,” Macron – who owns an original Dragon Ball drawing among other gifts related to the manga – wrote in a post on X last week, hailing an investment not seen “since Disneyland Paris”. The announcement capped a two-day state visit to France by Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, which saw the two leaders attend the Esports World Cup final. An aide to Macron said the project stemmed ...