retold in the seventh Dragon Ball Z film, which features three of his other creations as antagonists: Androids 13, 14, and 15. Aside from multiple non-canonical licensed video game appearances, the three Androids do not appear in the original manga or anime TV series. In Dragon Ball GT, Doctor Gero creates a replicant copy of Android 17 along with Doctor Myu in the afterlife, who later merges with the original Android 17 to become the villanous Super 17 (超１７号, Chō Jū Nana-Gō). Members of the Red Ribbon Army and the later Red Ribbon Androids have appeared in numerous licensed Dragon Ball video games. A notable original character, created for the 2018 fighting game Dragon Ball FighterZ, is Android 21. Her backstory as a Red Ribbon Army researcher as well as her in-universe connection to both Doctor Gero and Android 16 have been subject to media coverage. Promotion and merchandise The Dragon Ball 30th Anniversary Super History Book, released in 2016, features concept art and sketches for various characters drawn from the series' history. Manga artist Masashi Kishimoto contributed a sketch featuring the Pirate Robot, a minor character from the General Blue Saga arc. Reception Carl Kimlinger of Anime News Network opined that the Red Ribbon army arc represented the Dragon Ball series at its peak in terms of its tone, a pleasant balance between "the frivolity of early Dragon Ball and the ponderous solemnity of Dragon Ball Z". He found the Red Ribbon Army to be effective villains, as it was first time Goku has faced "real bad guys", as opposed to "goofy Team Rocket-esque wannabes" like the Pilaf Gang. Kimlinger noted that the complete defeat of the Red Ribbon Army would have major implications for the franchise's narrative, as it sets the stage for the Android Saga storyline in Dragon Ball Z. Smith commented that the Red Ribbon Army storyline is indicative of a time period that predates the prevalence of the notion of political correctness in popular media, noting that the concept never gained significant traction in Japanese popular culture by contrast. In his view, some of the antiquated writing and character design for the Red Ribbon Army is "less of a light form of entertainment, and more a throwback '80s cultural artifact"; Smith formed the view that while the series never loses its anthropological or historical interest, storylines like the Red Ribbon Army arc may be challenging