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This is the most action-oriented the series has been so far, as Toriyama’s art is in top form with action sequences that are kinetic with an element of humour. You do get another left-field, but hilarious training montage as after climbing up the never-ending Karin Tower, Goku trains with the anthropomorphic cat master Karin after his defeat by Taopaipai. Afterwards, comes Goku’s rematch against the assassin and it’s the best fighting sequence in Dragon Ball so far. No matter what fiendish moves the assassin uses to pummel our young hero, Goku will always get up and be the strongest, proving how bad-ass, as well as heroic he is. Vol. 1: The Monkey King (1985) - I know absolutely nothing about Dragonball going into this. Since I read so much manga now I thought it would be good to introduce myself to some old school popular series and decided to give this a shot. I found this first volume absolutely hilarious and such a fun, compelling story with so much happening. Goku is so cute and naive that I loved him right away and the shots of him without his pants on are a riot because he looks like a toddler, even though he is 14 but soo unworldly. The interaction between him and Bulma is also a riot as he learns the difference between boys and girls. Lots of sexual innuendo but of the pre-adolescent variety that is was all just silly fun. The plot was also fun with all 5 main characters being introduced in this volume and them finding 5 (I think) of the 7 dragonballs. I had no idea what the plot was going to be going into this and was quite amused to get almost a whole quest just from this first volume. I have to say I did not expect to enjoy this as much as I did and am eager to read Vol. 2! (5/5) Opening this volume with Goten and Trunks fighting each other as finalists in the youth division of the 25th Tenka'ichi Budōkai reminds you of the early years of Dragon Ball when Goku and Kuririn were young buddies that were doing the same thing in the tournament years ago. The fight between the two half-Saiyans is cute and funny, but still as impactful as you would expect from Akira Toriyama. This is a nice palette cleanser – especially when the winner Trunks easily takes down the most annoying character, Hercule, in a publicised sparring match – before the next big arc begins. This is when Dragon Ball Z really ramps up. After the arrival of Nappa and Vegeta the remaining Z warriors stand firm against the evils of the aliens.
Whilst the Z fighters are trying to save the universe again, the Tenka'ichi Budōkai is still ongoing as Hercule suggests a battle royal with the remaining fighters to fight each other all at once, including #18 and Mighty Mask, who is actually both Goten and Trunks in disguise. This plays like a fun contrast before we get to one of the most dramatic moments in all of Dragon Ball, in which Vegeta is so frustrated with the situation, from not getting the chance to fight Goku, to Gohan not being able to defeat Dabra, Bobbidi senses the evil within Vegeta and uses it to control him. Carrying with the Majin insignia, Vegeta has returned to the dark side with the desire to kill his archenemy, whilst disregarding the life he has made on Earth. A seminal series from a legendary creator. Dragon Ball, a wry update on the Chinese "Monkey King" myth, introduces us to Son Goku, a young monkey-tailed boy whose quiet life is turned upside-down when he meets Bulma, a girl determined to collect the seven "Dragon Balls." If she gathers them all, an incredibly powerful dragon will appear and grant her one wish. But the precious orbs are scattered all over the world, and to get them she needs the help of a certain super-strong boy... In terms of characterisation, don’t expect much nuance with each character having one or two defining features and runs with it. For instance, Goku may have a monkey tail and super strength, but is rather clueless about certain things of the outside world, such as unable to identify someone’s gender. As for Bulma, she may be a scientific genius who had constructed a radar to detect the exact locations of the Dragon Balls, but she’s a rather shallow teenager who is concerned about her looks and her only wish once she gets the Balls is to get a boyfriend. She's certainly not a role model for female readers, but the banter between her and Goku is a lot of fun. Visual Censorship: Guns turned into Lasers, Mr. Popos lips removed Gotens middle finger becomes a fist Great manga. After watching the show my entire life and finally reading the manga, It does a great job of telling the story in much greater depth. There are a few exchanges between characters where goku uses "americanized terms" that do not seem like it would be used by Toriyama? Then again, my first time reading the mangas, so I cannot say if this version truly is unedited. Regardless, I would recommend getting these mangas for any Dragon Ball fan. Cheap, and a great read.
Customer reviews
La gama de protagonistas es increíble, no tanto por su número (que es algo grande de por sí) sino por sus personalidades tan distintas y marcadas que otorgan un aire fresco a la historia con cada uno de ellos. As Goku, Bulma and Kuririn travel across the world to find the seven Dragon Balls, they have other things to worry about, such as being hunted by General Blue of the Red Ribbon Army, who is also trying to gain the Dragon Balls for what we assume was for world conquest, only to be revealed later that its leader Commander Red wants to wish for something personal and frankly silly, in typical Toriyama comedy form. Obviously, Boo is still around, leaving characters like Goku wondering what to do next. Whilst Gohan is chosen to wield the legendary Zeta Sword, the Z fighters suggests the idea of fusion, in which two people of equal size and power can merge together. As the only two living candidates to fuse are Goten and Trunks, the two half-Saiyans will train to perfect this technique, whilst Bobbidi and his new champion Boo threaten the entire world.
Apart from there being a few different names than the ones that I'm used too, the comic read really well, and it is absolutely hilarious! It's easy to forget that this whole franchise began as a big goof before growing into the massive franchise that it is today. What makes this fight legendary is how big and massive, and how dire it all is, compared to most fights in this series. While the last one was great, this is the one to really hit when it comes to Goku and everyone else's life on the line. Not to mention this is the arrival of the Super Saiyan form, which is legendary in itself. The brutal fight is about to reach it's exciting climax when the volume ends right before the fight. Really annoyed at that. Most of this volume is about the final battle with Freeza being the big baddie that the few heroes that are left on the planet to go up against. This is a fight that is always changing, not just with Freeza’s multiple transformations, but how each character is giving everything they’ve got, from Gohan’s hidden power, Vegeta’s arrogance as thinks he’s the Super Saiyan, to Piccolo merging with Nail so that the former’s power can be greater. With Freeza is becoming stronger with each new transformation and continues to be merciless, it’s also a turning point for Vegeta, who becomes scared and realises his own weakness. Whatever salvation he hopes to achieve is the defeat of Freeza, if not by his own hands, then perhaps Goku.Es bastante gracioso. En particular la mancuerna Son Goku—Bulma, y por supuesto el Maestro Roshi me sacar carcajadas (hablando de forma literal) y eso es poco común en este tipo de productos, así es claro que es un punto a favor. I can't help but be very disappointed with this book. My kids are fans of Dragon Ball Super, I grew up on Dragon Ball Z but never got round to watching the original. After reading the beginning I was glad I missed it. It was not till issue 14 that anything I liked from the series was even shown. Vol. 7: General Blue and the Pirate Treasure: Son Goku, how many ways do I love thee? Heehee. I have so much fun reading Dragon ball, I feel like a kid!! All the usual stuff here: humour, action, battle, escapades. The Red Ribbon Army is still after our friends trying to get their dragon balls and the dragon radar. General Blue goes after them personally here and ends up physically fed up with Goku. The best parts of this volume were the interactions between Blue and our heroes. Not only do our friends retrieve another dragon ball (making 5/7) they stumble upon Pirate Treasure. By the end Goku is separated from the others and off to find the next Dragon Ball on his own. (5/5)
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