Gohan first appeared as a child in Dragon Ball Z, the anime adaptation of Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball manga that aired in Japan from 1989 to 1996. As the series continued he grew from a shy, studious boy into a central fighter, which is why his emotional outbursts became so memorable for fans. Short clips of anime voices later spread through forums, video edits and soundboards, where a recognisable character moment could work as a reaction on its own, and Gohan's intense delivery kept this one in regular use.