Manga Review: "Dragon Ball" (pt. 1)
Manga: Dragon Ball (1984-1995)
Mangaka: Akira Toriyama
Publisher: Shueisha (42 volumes)
LB Rating: 4/5 (old rating: 8/10)
(Note: This review only covers the first 16 volumes of the Dragon Ball manga, from Emperor Pilaf saga to Piccolo Jr. saga.)
Dragon Ball follows the story of Son Goku as he embarks on a journey to find the legendary Dragon Balls--seven orbs scattered all over the world that, when collected, would summon the wish-granting dragon god Shenron. Along the way, Goku would become involved with numerous predicaments, such as participating in the Tenkai'chi Budokai tournament, overthrowing the evil Red Ribbon army, and fighting the great Demon King Piccolo. Through his journey, Goku would find himself progressively getting stronger until he becomes a formidable martial artist that can protect his friends and even his planet.
When I was a kid, Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z were always in television, airing right after I get home from school. I enjoyed the series a lot; I remember hurrying home every day just to watch Goku kick some ass. Now as a young adult, I have recently heard of Dragon Ball Super which is apparently the continuation of DBZ. I wanted to watch DBS, but at that point, I have forgotten most of the Dragon Ball and DBZ story. So last year, I started reading the Dragon Ball manga. And boy, was it fun to have this old tale refreshed in my memory.
I will be reviewing the first 16 volumes for now, because it's pretty difficult to review the entire 42 volumes. In addition, the tone of the first 16 volumes is different anyway from the following 26 chapters. Whatever I express in this review might not apply to the other 26 chapters. That said, let's talk about the positive and negative points of Dragon Ball:
The Plot Path Shift - Above I mentioned that the first 16 volumes had a different tone with the following 26 chapters, but that tone shift already happened within the first 16 volumes, back when characters started dying. Initially, Dragon Ball felt like a cross between a fantasy action story for children and an adult comedy filled with sexual innuendos. The first volumes dealt with Goku's comic Tarzan-in-the-city naivete and incredible monstrous fighting power. Such combination of qualities resulted in a story without meaningful consequences. Goku would get into all sorts of troubles or unnecessarily help random people, but get away with anything because he can brute force his way out of any problem. The manga came out as a lighthearted youthful comedy-action free from gripping tension.
The whimsical tone of the manga shifted when character death is introduced in the plot. Honestly, it came out of nowhere and was very surprising since the initial tone was so light. However, it did add consequences to the story. While Goku technically is still invincible, apparently his friends are not as tough as he is. Therefore, Goku had to win his battles not only because of his original desire to be the strongest, but also to protect his friends who really can't do much shit. I felt like this was a point of maturity for Goku as he accepted responsibility congruent to his power. Technically, I still know that Goku can fix everything through brute force, but now there is an illusion that there are lives or even the entire planet at stake. The manga at this point shifted from a light manga into a serious shonen action manga.
Why is this important? I'm highlighting this plot path shift because it affected my enjoyment of the series greatly. While I found the initial plot path a sort of wholesome fun, such fun isn't very sustainable. When your characters get away with anything, the story becomes predictable and stale. And so when the tone shifted, I found my enjoyment rekindled as there now reasons for me to care about Goku's inevitable victories. I think that this plot path shift was a good move on Toriyama's part, especially since the latter 26 volume would build heavily on the serious shonen action tone.
Shenron the Reset Mechanic - As you guys know, Shenron is the wish-granting mythical dragon god summoned by collecting all seven Dragon Balls. It would be safe to assume that summoning Shenron is the point and ultimate goal of the protagonists of the story--but no, it isn't. Shenron is actually delegated as a side quest, with the main story lines dedicated for other characters. I don't really have a problem with this, even if the series is named in a way that makes one believe that Shenron is the point of the story. My real problem is how they used Shenron as a reset mechanic. Sure, the antagonists predictably wanted the dragon god so they can wish for unlimited money or world domination yada yada. However, the main characters have no meaningful desires to use the wishes for. After the first wish the went haywire, it's as if the mysticism of Shenron vanished and so the characters cared less about the Dragon Balls. All they're collecting the Dragon Balls for is to (if this is a spoiler to you, I guess you live in a rock or something) revive Krillin. In other words, Shenron resets any consequences resulted from conflict.
I don't like Shenron as the reset mechanic for several reasons. One reasons is that Shenron eliminates some of the major tensions of the manga. I mentioned above that I started to care more about the series because there were lives at stake. With Shenron however, these lives may die because they may be revived later anyway. Therefore, the mythical dragon god makes the manga less enjoyable for me. Another reason is a could-have-been argument. I think Shenron could have been a plot device for the main characters to discover themselves even better, or to unveil new story arcs. Imagine if Goku wished to understand his ancestry. Or if Shenron was actually a dragon god among many other dragon gods. Creativity on a wish-granting character is endless, that's why I am sad that it is merely reserved to erase story consequences.
Character growth through fighting tournaments - An amazing aspect I noticed in Dragon Ball is how it sketches a character's growth through the fighting tournament Tenkai'chi Budokai. What I mean by this is that the progression of the tournament shows the current levels of the characters in the story. For instance, Goku was an obvious deserving winner for the tournament, and yet he didn't win until his third attempt. Goku would lose his first two attempts on very trivial flukes--on the first, because he couldn't finish a sentence, and on the second, because he got hit by a truck--but both losses served important character sketches that show how Goku hasn't outdone himself yet. In addition, it made the third attempt more intense especially with the fact that his final opponent is an alien who can obliterate the planet. In doing so, Goku's victory on the third attempt did not only save the world, but also provides a level of catharsis since Goku finally won after three attempts spanning nearly a decade.
On another perspective, let's look at Master Roshi's participation. On Goku's first attempt, Roshi joined the tournament in secret in showing his students Goku and Krillin a lesson about pride. Goku and Roshi would meet in the finals where they would go toe to toe, but Roshi would win by luck. Compare such participation with Goku's second attempt where Roshi would get knocked off the semifinals by Tien Shinhan, who would then snatch the title away from Goku in the finals. I think that this is a remark on how standard of strength in tournament has been raised. On Goku's third attempt, Roshi wouldn't even participate anymore, a silent concession that everyone else is stronger than he is. We see that all the iterations of the tournament tell stories of growth among all participating characters. That's why when Goku won on his third attempt, it really felt like he was the world's strongest fighter.
I'll dedicate a post regarding this topic. I love how Toriyama used the tournament as a storytelling device, and I would love to break down his technique in detail next time. I'll link the post here when it's done! For now, let me say that I appreciated this innovative storytelling. Other tournament anime I've watched such as HunterxHunter, Flame of Recca, and Yuyu Hakusho never quite caught the simple storytelling genius of Toriyama's tournament structure.
Other comments on consistency and art - Honestly, Dragon Ball's art style is not my cup of tea even if it has a great nostalgic feel and influence in my childhood drawing hobby. However, I appreciate how unique Toriyama's drawing style is; I think it's iconic.
On a different note, I also dislike Toriyama's inconsistent detailing in his stories. For instance, there was a time when Goku's age was changed conveniently in the middle of the series. The Tenkai'chi Budokai tournament was also supposed to come only once every five years, but shortened to three years, I reckon maybe because the tournament saga received very positive ratings. Toriyama even claimed that he writes the story as he draws. I am not a fan of such writing style; I like well-planned and well-structured literature.
Overall, Dragon Ball was a very positive experience to me. If I rated Dragon Ball when I was younger, I would have definitely given a perfect score. Now though, I am aware that while Dragon Ball is still one of the all-time greats, it's not perfect. There are plot holes and wasted opportunities for story improvement. However, even in its worst, Dragon Ball is still a very fun experience. It has this ability to draw a reader in, tap his or her inner child, and play with that child. I'm an adult and yet I found myself still trying to squeeze a Kamehameha out of my hands!
I'll definitely continue reading the rest of the manga and I will be back as soon as I can. I hope this positive experience I had with the first 16 volumes carry on to the latter volumes. For now, I'll leave Dragon Ball with an 4/5.
Mangaka: Akira Toriyama
Publisher: Shueisha (42 volumes)
LB Rating: 4/5 (old rating: 8/10)
(Note: This review only covers the first 16 volumes of the Dragon Ball manga, from Emperor Pilaf saga to Piccolo Jr. saga.)
Dragon Ball follows the story of Son Goku as he embarks on a journey to find the legendary Dragon Balls--seven orbs scattered all over the world that, when collected, would summon the wish-granting dragon god Shenron. Along the way, Goku would become involved with numerous predicaments, such as participating in the Tenkai'chi Budokai tournament, overthrowing the evil Red Ribbon army, and fighting the great Demon King Piccolo. Through his journey, Goku would find himself progressively getting stronger until he becomes a formidable martial artist that can protect his friends and even his planet.
When I was a kid, Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z were always in television, airing right after I get home from school. I enjoyed the series a lot; I remember hurrying home every day just to watch Goku kick some ass. Now as a young adult, I have recently heard of Dragon Ball Super which is apparently the continuation of DBZ. I wanted to watch DBS, but at that point, I have forgotten most of the Dragon Ball and DBZ story. So last year, I started reading the Dragon Ball manga. And boy, was it fun to have this old tale refreshed in my memory.
 |
| Cover of Dragon Ball's volume 1. From here you can get the whiff of the youthfulness of the manga. |
I will be reviewing the first 16 volumes for now, because it's pretty difficult to review the entire 42 volumes. In addition, the tone of the first 16 volumes is different anyway from the following 26 chapters. Whatever I express in this review might not apply to the other 26 chapters. That said, let's talk about the positive and negative points of Dragon Ball:
The Plot Path Shift - Above I mentioned that the first 16 volumes had a different tone with the following 26 chapters, but that tone shift already happened within the first 16 volumes, back when characters started dying. Initially, Dragon Ball felt like a cross between a fantasy action story for children and an adult comedy filled with sexual innuendos. The first volumes dealt with Goku's comic Tarzan-in-the-city naivete and incredible monstrous fighting power. Such combination of qualities resulted in a story without meaningful consequences. Goku would get into all sorts of troubles or unnecessarily help random people, but get away with anything because he can brute force his way out of any problem. The manga came out as a lighthearted youthful comedy-action free from gripping tension.
The whimsical tone of the manga shifted when character death is introduced in the plot. Honestly, it came out of nowhere and was very surprising since the initial tone was so light. However, it did add consequences to the story. While Goku technically is still invincible, apparently his friends are not as tough as he is. Therefore, Goku had to win his battles not only because of his original desire to be the strongest, but also to protect his friends who really can't do much shit. I felt like this was a point of maturity for Goku as he accepted responsibility congruent to his power. Technically, I still know that Goku can fix everything through brute force, but now there is an illusion that there are lives or even the entire planet at stake. The manga at this point shifted from a light manga into a serious shonen action manga.
 |
| A page from chapter 161. At this point, Dragon Ball has transitioned from a fantasy action-comedy manga to a serious shonen-action manga. |
Why is this important? I'm highlighting this plot path shift because it affected my enjoyment of the series greatly. While I found the initial plot path a sort of wholesome fun, such fun isn't very sustainable. When your characters get away with anything, the story becomes predictable and stale. And so when the tone shifted, I found my enjoyment rekindled as there now reasons for me to care about Goku's inevitable victories. I think that this plot path shift was a good move on Toriyama's part, especially since the latter 26 volume would build heavily on the serious shonen action tone.
Shenron the Reset Mechanic - As you guys know, Shenron is the wish-granting mythical dragon god summoned by collecting all seven Dragon Balls. It would be safe to assume that summoning Shenron is the point and ultimate goal of the protagonists of the story--but no, it isn't. Shenron is actually delegated as a side quest, with the main story lines dedicated for other characters. I don't really have a problem with this, even if the series is named in a way that makes one believe that Shenron is the point of the story. My real problem is how they used Shenron as a reset mechanic. Sure, the antagonists predictably wanted the dragon god so they can wish for unlimited money or world domination yada yada. However, the main characters have no meaningful desires to use the wishes for. After the first wish the went haywire, it's as if the mysticism of Shenron vanished and so the characters cared less about the Dragon Balls. All they're collecting the Dragon Balls for is to (if this is a spoiler to you, I guess you live in a rock or something) revive Krillin. In other words, Shenron resets any consequences resulted from conflict.
 | |
| Illustration of Shenron the Dragon God summoned from chapter 1. He gives me the spooks for some reason. |
I don't like Shenron as the reset mechanic for several reasons. One reasons is that Shenron eliminates some of the major tensions of the manga. I mentioned above that I started to care more about the series because there were lives at stake. With Shenron however, these lives may die because they may be revived later anyway. Therefore, the mythical dragon god makes the manga less enjoyable for me. Another reason is a could-have-been argument. I think Shenron could have been a plot device for the main characters to discover themselves even better, or to unveil new story arcs. Imagine if Goku wished to understand his ancestry. Or if Shenron was actually a dragon god among many other dragon gods. Creativity on a wish-granting character is endless, that's why I am sad that it is merely reserved to erase story consequences.
 |
| In chapter 165, Shenron was summoned to reset all the character deaths, making them a bit meaningless. |
Character growth through fighting tournaments - An amazing aspect I noticed in Dragon Ball is how it sketches a character's growth through the fighting tournament Tenkai'chi Budokai. What I mean by this is that the progression of the tournament shows the current levels of the characters in the story. For instance, Goku was an obvious deserving winner for the tournament, and yet he didn't win until his third attempt. Goku would lose his first two attempts on very trivial flukes--on the first, because he couldn't finish a sentence, and on the second, because he got hit by a truck--but both losses served important character sketches that show how Goku hasn't outdone himself yet. In addition, it made the third attempt more intense especially with the fact that his final opponent is an alien who can obliterate the planet. In doing so, Goku's victory on the third attempt did not only save the world, but also provides a level of catharsis since Goku finally won after three attempts spanning nearly a decade.
On another perspective, let's look at Master Roshi's participation. On Goku's first attempt, Roshi joined the tournament in secret in showing his students Goku and Krillin a lesson about pride. Goku and Roshi would meet in the finals where they would go toe to toe, but Roshi would win by luck. Compare such participation with Goku's second attempt where Roshi would get knocked off the semifinals by Tien Shinhan, who would then snatch the title away from Goku in the finals. I think that this is a remark on how standard of strength in tournament has been raised. On Goku's third attempt, Roshi wouldn't even participate anymore, a silent concession that everyone else is stronger than he is. We see that all the iterations of the tournament tell stories of growth among all participating characters. That's why when Goku won on his third attempt, it really felt like he was the world's strongest fighter.
 |
| Chapter 53 reveals the aftermath of Goku's first attempt at the Tenkai'chi Budokai tournament. He lost to Jackie Chun, Master Roshi's character disguise. |
I'll dedicate a post regarding this topic. I love how Toriyama used the tournament as a storytelling device, and I would love to break down his technique in detail next time. I'll link the post here when it's done! For now, let me say that I appreciated this innovative storytelling. Other tournament anime I've watched such as HunterxHunter, Flame of Recca, and Yuyu Hakusho never quite caught the simple storytelling genius of Toriyama's tournament structure.
Other comments on consistency and art - Honestly, Dragon Ball's art style is not my cup of tea even if it has a great nostalgic feel and influence in my childhood drawing hobby. However, I appreciate how unique Toriyama's drawing style is; I think it's iconic.
On a different note, I also dislike Toriyama's inconsistent detailing in his stories. For instance, there was a time when Goku's age was changed conveniently in the middle of the series. The Tenkai'chi Budokai tournament was also supposed to come only once every five years, but shortened to three years, I reckon maybe because the tournament saga received very positive ratings. Toriyama even claimed that he writes the story as he draws. I am not a fan of such writing style; I like well-planned and well-structured literature.
 |
| The seven Dragon Balls, illustrated in chapter 1. Dragon Ball searching became every kid's make believe game at some point. |
Overall, Dragon Ball was a very positive experience to me. If I rated Dragon Ball when I was younger, I would have definitely given a perfect score. Now though, I am aware that while Dragon Ball is still one of the all-time greats, it's not perfect. There are plot holes and wasted opportunities for story improvement. However, even in its worst, Dragon Ball is still a very fun experience. It has this ability to draw a reader in, tap his or her inner child, and play with that child. I'm an adult and yet I found myself still trying to squeeze a Kamehameha out of my hands!
I'll definitely continue reading the rest of the manga and I will be back as soon as I can. I hope this positive experience I had with the first 16 volumes carry on to the latter volumes. For now, I'll leave Dragon Ball with an 4/5.
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