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Dragon Ball #1
Dragon Ball 3-in-1: Vol. 1-3
Dragonball 3-in-1 Omnibus Ed. [Uncensored]
537 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1984
136 people are currently reading
1488 people want to read
About the author
Akira Toriyama
1,918 books1,729 followersAkira Toriyama (鳥山明) was a Japanese manga artist and character designer. He first achieved mainstream recognition for creating the popular manga series Dr. Slump, before going on to create Dragon Ball (his most famous work) and acting as a character designer for several popular video games such as the Dragon Quest series, Chrono Trigger, and Blue Dragon. Toriyama came to be regarded as one of the most important authors in the history of manga with his works highly influential and popular, particularly Dragon Ball, which many manga artists cite as a source of inspiration.
He earned the 1981 Shogakukan Manga Award for best shōnen/shōjo manga with Dr. Slump, and it went on to sell over 35 million copies in Japan. It was adapted into a successful anime series, with a second anime created in 1997, 13 years after the manga ended.
His next series, Dragon Ball, would become one of the most popular and successful manga in the world. Having sold 260 million copies worldwide, it is one of the best-selling manga series of all time and is considered a key work in increasing manga circulation to its peak in the mid-1980s and mid-1990s. Overseas, Dragon Ball's anime adaptations have been more successful than the manga and are credited with boosting anime's popularity in the Western world. In 2019, Toriyama was decorated a Chevalier of the French Ordre des Arts et des Lettres for his contributions to the arts.
In October 2024, Toriyama was inducted into the Harvey Awards Hall of Fame.
He earned the 1981 Shogakukan Manga Award for best shōnen/shōjo manga with Dr. Slump, and it went on to sell over 35 million copies in Japan. It was adapted into a successful anime series, with a second anime created in 1997, 13 years after the manga ended.
His next series, Dragon Ball, would become one of the most popular and successful manga in the world. Having sold 260 million copies worldwide, it is one of the best-selling manga series of all time and is considered a key work in increasing manga circulation to its peak in the mid-1980s and mid-1990s. Overseas, Dragon Ball's anime adaptations have been more successful than the manga and are credited with boosting anime's popularity in the Western world. In 2019, Toriyama was decorated a Chevalier of the French Ordre des Arts et des Lettres for his contributions to the arts.
In October 2024, Toriyama was inducted into the Harvey Awards Hall of Fame.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 226 reviews
September 14, 2025
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 around 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.
There is more innuendo than action in this book. The story is very slow-moving, and the artwork is great. I like a couple of in "breaking the 4 wall" speech, and in fairness, the books started to get a lot better from around about issue 14. There were still silly parts here but they were fewer after this issue. I am glad I bought the 3 on 1 as I probably would have given up on this if I only had the first volume. Each volume contains 12 issues/episodes. At the back, there is a cover gallery containing 36 covers.
Unless you desperately want to see the first meeting between Goku and some of his (later to be) best friends I would skip most of the first volume. I don't understand why Goku was so small in the book. He is supposed to be 14 but looks like a 6-year-old and is sillier than a 2-year-old. Hope the next volume builds on the fact that the later issues were better and do not decide to go backwards.
There is more innuendo than action in this book. The story is very slow-moving, and the artwork is great. I like a couple of in "breaking the 4 wall" speech, and in fairness, the books started to get a lot better from around about issue 14. There were still silly parts here but they were fewer after this issue. I am glad I bought the 3 on 1 as I probably would have given up on this if I only had the first volume. Each volume contains 12 issues/episodes. At the back, there is a cover gallery containing 36 covers.
Unless you desperately want to see the first meeting between Goku and some of his (later to be) best friends I would skip most of the first volume. I don't understand why Goku was so small in the book. He is supposed to be 14 but looks like a 6-year-old and is sillier than a 2-year-old. Hope the next volume builds on the fact that the later issues were better and do not decide to go backwards.
November 15, 2015
My first manga!! Loved it. I loved watching Dragonball Z as a kid (and admittedly as an adult as well). So obviously I was all over this. Seriously it's just such a great series. Funny, vulgar, full of action.... Just super unique. Can't wait to pick up the next volume.
June 14, 2024
In my youthful years when Cartoon Network was my favourite channel, Dragon Ball Z would be on 5pm every weekday and I watched it constantly as it was a show that comprised of all-powerful martial artists flying, charging and beating whoever the hell was threatening the planet Earth, if not the whole universe. Oh, and occasionally all seven Dragon Balls would be discovered, so that one wish will be granted. However, as the years gone by, my love for DBZ went away, which might be due to watching One-Punch Man, a parody of shōnen anime that basically gave the middle finger to Akira Toriyama’s creation.
Granted that both the manga and anime of DBZ was actually a continuation of Son Goku’s journey who started off as a monkey-tailed boy living in the wilderness, as a late bloomer to reading manga, I felt now is the time to read Toriyama’s story that was originally serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine. When he meets the teenager Bulma – the first girl he has ever seen – Goku is recruited as her bodyguard to travel and find the wish-granting Dragon Balls. From its first chapter, Toriyama sets up the Journey to the West-inspired premise, the two unlikely protagonists and their dynamic that is, let’s say, dysfunctional.
The joy of reading early Dragon Ball was that Toriyama was making it up as he was writing it with the storytelling having an episodic nature with a chapter or two focusing on a situation like, the confrontation against Oolong, a shapeshifting pig that can change into anything, but only for five minutes at a time. The first two-thirds of this volume may be about the search for the Dragon Balls, but it’s really about Toriyama is spontaneous with the world-building where he can introduce characters, big or small, can come and go, with really more of an emphasis on comedy than action.
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.
There is a lot of crude humour, some of which evoke Toriyama’s previous successful series Dr. Slump, but the one character here that really stands out in this case is Kame Sennin (also known as Muten Rōshi), an ancient and wise martial arts master who also happens to be a pervert that frequently flirts with or harasses attractive women. This level of humour can be too much, even if it introduces one of the weirdest creations by Toriyama: Lunch, a girl who changes personalities with just one sneeze. The only time that Roshi works is when he starts to train Goku and Kuririn, who appears later on as the two boys go through Roshi’s hardships that are unusual, compared to typical martial arts training montages. Starting off as rivals, Goku and Kuririn spark a friendship with each other that is quite touching.
If you’re expecting a DBZ level of action, you have to read a number of volumes later for that level of spectacle as Toriyama’s art here has a kiddie sensibility in terms of character and vehicle design. Like I said, there’s more comedy than action, but whatever action there is here, Toriyama knows how to craft those sequences, even if the martial arts depicted feels more parodic despite the author’s stated influences of movies from Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan. As the final few chapters show Goku and Kuririn participating in the fighting tournament known as the 21st Tenka'ichi Budōkai, this is an early sign of Toriyama taking the series more into the realms of a battle manga that will eventually change the way you read (and watch) shōnen storytelling, which is very exciting.
Granted that both the manga and anime of DBZ was actually a continuation of Son Goku’s journey who started off as a monkey-tailed boy living in the wilderness, as a late bloomer to reading manga, I felt now is the time to read Toriyama’s story that was originally serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine. When he meets the teenager Bulma – the first girl he has ever seen – Goku is recruited as her bodyguard to travel and find the wish-granting Dragon Balls. From its first chapter, Toriyama sets up the Journey to the West-inspired premise, the two unlikely protagonists and their dynamic that is, let’s say, dysfunctional.
The joy of reading early Dragon Ball was that Toriyama was making it up as he was writing it with the storytelling having an episodic nature with a chapter or two focusing on a situation like, the confrontation against Oolong, a shapeshifting pig that can change into anything, but only for five minutes at a time. The first two-thirds of this volume may be about the search for the Dragon Balls, but it’s really about Toriyama is spontaneous with the world-building where he can introduce characters, big or small, can come and go, with really more of an emphasis on comedy than action.
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.
There is a lot of crude humour, some of which evoke Toriyama’s previous successful series Dr. Slump, but the one character here that really stands out in this case is Kame Sennin (also known as Muten Rōshi), an ancient and wise martial arts master who also happens to be a pervert that frequently flirts with or harasses attractive women. This level of humour can be too much, even if it introduces one of the weirdest creations by Toriyama: Lunch, a girl who changes personalities with just one sneeze. The only time that Roshi works is when he starts to train Goku and Kuririn, who appears later on as the two boys go through Roshi’s hardships that are unusual, compared to typical martial arts training montages. Starting off as rivals, Goku and Kuririn spark a friendship with each other that is quite touching.
If you’re expecting a DBZ level of action, you have to read a number of volumes later for that level of spectacle as Toriyama’s art here has a kiddie sensibility in terms of character and vehicle design. Like I said, there’s more comedy than action, but whatever action there is here, Toriyama knows how to craft those sequences, even if the martial arts depicted feels more parodic despite the author’s stated influences of movies from Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan. As the final few chapters show Goku and Kuririn participating in the fighting tournament known as the 21st Tenka'ichi Budōkai, this is an early sign of Toriyama taking the series more into the realms of a battle manga that will eventually change the way you read (and watch) shōnen storytelling, which is very exciting.
April 24, 2018
My first manga read and I really enjoyed it. I initially had reservations but eventually entered the world. Great characters and plotting even if pretty simple. Its a little childish at times and even a little perverted ( whats with the panties obsession). Definitely going to continue this one. Its a simple adventure story collecting 7 dragon balls to provide the ultimate one wish.
March 25, 2015
Still good! Simple, shallow fun ( even with this much poop humor or panties ), is something I crave once in a while (especially, while or after reading something heavier).
I would have given it a higher rating, if not for the crappy translation. Well, it wasn't the translation per se....it's just ... when I read Son Goku's opening line, my skin crawled. Does someone that has lived in a forest, his grandfather being the only human being he has known for all his life, go and greet the monkeys with "Hey, bro! Wuzzup?!" ? I wanted to kick myself (unfortunately I already bought on impulse the second volume). Worst-opening-line-ever! Even the translation on Mangafox (on-line) was better. Sometimes the translators think too much. A simple "Hey, there!" or even "Good morning, guys!", would have been more welcomed (or maybe is just me). The nice thing is the format, 3-in-1.... even if I don't get, why the artwork is black and white cover-to-cover, yet other editions contained a number of pages in color.
I would have given it a higher rating, if not for the crappy translation. Well, it wasn't the translation per se....it's just ... when I read Son Goku's opening line, my skin crawled. Does someone that has lived in a forest, his grandfather being the only human being he has known for all his life, go and greet the monkeys with "Hey, bro! Wuzzup?!" ? I wanted to kick myself (unfortunately I already bought on impulse the second volume). Worst-opening-line-ever! Even the translation on Mangafox (on-line) was better. Sometimes the translators think too much. A simple "Hey, there!" or even "Good morning, guys!", would have been more welcomed (or maybe is just me). The nice thing is the format, 3-in-1.... even if I don't get, why the artwork is black and white cover-to-cover, yet other editions contained a number of pages in color.
October 10, 2020
Goku is adorable, and I never thought I would like an action adventure manga but I did! It was also pretty funny
August 25, 2022
10/10 would recommend, very funny!!
August 16, 2013
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)
Vol. 2: Wish Upon a Dragon (1986) - Just what I had hoped for, more of the same. Lots of action, plenty of plot and characters. A few new ones are added who seem to be the type we'll see again in the future. The final dragonballs are found ending our first quest. However that doesn't mean all goes quite as planned leaving only one person pleased when all is said and done. Now they must wait a year for the dragonballs to be ready again so they can search them out and everyone has their own ideas and plans for what they will do. As for Goku, he is off to find The Invincible Old Master to finally start his promised training but he has to bring a treat for the old "pervert". Just as laugh out loud funny and I really enjoy all the main characters but especially Goku and Bulma. The monsters battled to date have all turned out to be quite interesting themselves as well. One more volume to go in this fun collection. (5/5)
Vol. 3: The Training of Kame Sen'in (1986) - Things turn more serious in this volume. But first off the story is light and humorous as Goku searches for a "hottie" for his master. Two new characters are introduced at this point: Kuririn, a fellow apprentice wanting to train with the master and Lunch, a sweet girl who changes personalities when she sneezes. Absolutely love Lunch!! After this fun, the training starts and though of course the book is always full of humour and LOL moments the plot turns serious as they train and the master gives them "Karate Kid" philosophy. By the end they are in the big competition, Tenka'ichi Budokai. There will be six matches with the final two contestants fighting for the championship. The book ends with Goku going against a very gross opponent in the first match. This is totally different from any other manga I've read but I have to say I really enjoyed it. It is full of young male adolescent sexual humour which usually isn't my thing but the characters are so fun and cute I couldn't help but just laugh along. I'm so glad I stepped out of my comfort zone and gave this a whirl. I'm hooked and can't wait for the next volume! (4/5)
Vol. 2: Wish Upon a Dragon (1986) - Just what I had hoped for, more of the same. Lots of action, plenty of plot and characters. A few new ones are added who seem to be the type we'll see again in the future. The final dragonballs are found ending our first quest. However that doesn't mean all goes quite as planned leaving only one person pleased when all is said and done. Now they must wait a year for the dragonballs to be ready again so they can search them out and everyone has their own ideas and plans for what they will do. As for Goku, he is off to find The Invincible Old Master to finally start his promised training but he has to bring a treat for the old "pervert". Just as laugh out loud funny and I really enjoy all the main characters but especially Goku and Bulma. The monsters battled to date have all turned out to be quite interesting themselves as well. One more volume to go in this fun collection. (5/5)
Vol. 3: The Training of Kame Sen'in (1986) - Things turn more serious in this volume. But first off the story is light and humorous as Goku searches for a "hottie" for his master. Two new characters are introduced at this point: Kuririn, a fellow apprentice wanting to train with the master and Lunch, a sweet girl who changes personalities when she sneezes. Absolutely love Lunch!! After this fun, the training starts and though of course the book is always full of humour and LOL moments the plot turns serious as they train and the master gives them "Karate Kid" philosophy. By the end they are in the big competition, Tenka'ichi Budokai. There will be six matches with the final two contestants fighting for the championship. The book ends with Goku going against a very gross opponent in the first match. This is totally different from any other manga I've read but I have to say I really enjoyed it. It is full of young male adolescent sexual humour which usually isn't my thing but the characters are so fun and cute I couldn't help but just laugh along. I'm so glad I stepped out of my comfort zone and gave this a whirl. I'm hooked and can't wait for the next volume! (4/5)
December 20, 2018
Dragon Ball is one of those universes like Star Wars, or LotR, that I just wanted to ditch my own life for and be a part of growing up. It's just a fun world. There are dinosaurs, but there are also futuristic capsules that pop out full size houses and motor bikes. There are flying clouds (that you may ride as long as you're pure of heart). There are staffs that can grow to a distance equal to the moon at Goku's whim. There are martial artists who can focus their dormant energy into a physical energy blast obliterating mountains. There are alien species that transform into giant monkey-monsters at the sight of a full moon. And that's just the first three volumes!
Call it nostalgia but I love Dragon Ball, and if you can get your hands on the series I think you will too.
Call it nostalgia but I love Dragon Ball, and if you can get your hands on the series I think you will too.
March 5, 2017
This was very good, art, story, the dry, absurd and childish humor. I love it!!
(Akira Toriyama must also be a car enthusiast. Damn! The cars Bulma and Yamsha drive in this volume are some very iconic WRC Rally cars: an Abarth Fiat 500, Volkwagen Golf MK 1, Renault 5 turbo,... awesome! Awesome!)
The only complaint I have is that the page format must be different than the original manga. Because on some pages the art is cut off... hmmm... Probably the original artwork didn't leave enough bleed for this format?
The price / quality is very good. You get a very good long story at a very low price.
(Akira Toriyama must also be a car enthusiast. Damn! The cars Bulma and Yamsha drive in this volume are some very iconic WRC Rally cars: an Abarth Fiat 500, Volkwagen Golf MK 1, Renault 5 turbo,... awesome! Awesome!)
The only complaint I have is that the page format must be different than the original manga. Because on some pages the art is cut off... hmmm... Probably the original artwork didn't leave enough bleed for this format?
The price / quality is very good. You get a very good long story at a very low price.
June 15, 2020
Why does it need to have so much sexism and lack of consent? I mean, I (angrily) understand that some men might actually think they're funny (they are not), but they are completely not relevant to the story at all!
Take all that away and I could even give this 5 stars, the actual plot is very fun, and there are some stupid, but still funny, jokes. The way it is, it's closer to a 2,5, I chose to rate it 3 here because I'm actually curious to see where the plot goes.
Take all that away and I could even give this 5 stars, the actual plot is very fun, and there are some stupid, but still funny, jokes. The way it is, it's closer to a 2,5, I chose to rate it 3 here because I'm actually curious to see where the plot goes.
October 13, 2021
Only giving this 4* for some jokes that haven't aged well, but so glad I'm re-reading this! Let's be real some of the puns are golden. I specifically like the full color chapters in the vizbig editions, and I know I said I won't count manga, but I raised my reading goal and this is more than 500 pg, so omnibus manga counts ok
February 26, 2023
I was feeling nostalgic for this series and decided yo reread it - I forgot how much I loved it.
September 15, 2022
I’d love to give this 5 stars, but with all the sexual harassment, I just can’t.
March 1, 2021
Excellent! I loved the anime growing up and decided it was time for me to read the manga. I love the story and the characters. It's very fun to see animals and humans interacting on the same level and competing in kung fu matches. Master Sushi is a pervert but he was exactly the same way in the show. It does bother me much. I also love the play on names, a pig names oolong that can shape shift. Lol. Highly recommend!
February 1, 2014
I love Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z, but 4 stars because of censorship. This is a very worthy edition to own aside from the censorship because of the good price, thick paper, colored pages, and larger pages; however, it is censored and the hardcore fan will find that they are not satisfied with this edition despite its qualities.
July 9, 2022
It was fun to see the origins of some Dragonball Z characters. Sadly this bundle ends during the Tenkaichi Budokai tournament...so now I have to buy the next one too. Damn it :)
Also, I knew Master Roshi had a thing for the ladies. But I didn't know he was a big perv. 😅
Also, I knew Master Roshi had a thing for the ladies. But I didn't know he was a big perv. 😅
November 3, 2020
Goofy as hell and more perverted than I expected. Lots of action and juvenile humor. I enjoyed it a lot more than I expected to.
January 12, 2023
Though some of the comedy is outdated, the story is great. The characters and friendships are wholesome.
April 16, 2023
Great to revisit this awesome series with my son! On to the next volume!
December 29, 2024
Excelente arranque de uma das maiores sagas manga das últimas décadas.
Mal posso esperar por continuar a acompanhar mais e mais das aventuras do Son Goku. 😁
Mal posso esperar por continuar a acompanhar mais e mais das aventuras do Son Goku. 😁
December 29, 2024
I don't know how to feel.
I was not expecting the amount of perverts in this.
I was not expecting the amount of perverts in this.
March 17, 2025
I love Dragon Ball Z so I have a lot of nostalgia for this series. I love how innocent Goku is and how much he learns about the world through the course of the manga. His youthfulness adds a sweet charm to an overall battle heavy series. The world Toriyama created is so interesting and full of great fight scenes, teachings and funny moments - especially as we start to push more into the series. I will say however that this series is extremely vulgar and sexual especially towards women, so I don't believe I could never fully give it 5 stars. Bulma (and other female characters later on) does have more agency than others and often argues about the treatment of her character within the manga itself, but many female characters are often included to work as the butt of jokes. I do think Toriyama paints it off as the male characters being gross and silly, but it is heavily seeped into these first 3 volumes and in Dragon Ball as a whole (less so in DBZ which I will hopefully read right after this).
July 13, 2022
I've been a long time fan of dragon ball, dragon ball Z, GT, and super. But I have never read them until now. Really enjoyed it and it brought back a lot of memories as a kid watching the anime.
May 5, 2025
read this whole thing grinning ear to ear - besides the turtle pervert this was actually a perfect reading experience. I DON’T WANT GOKU TO GROW UPPPP
January 1, 2026
This review is carried by my love of Dragon Ball Z. I intend to read the whole series but I’ll try not be as biased as this first review!
Read
January 13, 2015I enjoyed the hell out of this. Which I guess could be a sorta problem.
Here's the thing. There's some pretty weird, sexist stuff in here. Now, I should be clear. These were originally published in the early 80's, which is when I was a baby, and they were published in Japan. Do old sensibilities excuse racist/sexist material? And what about a foreign sensibility? And what about the combination of both?
I don't know. I honestly don't know. But here's what I did: I took note of it, I wouldn't say I cared for those portions, and then I let myself enjoy reading.
There's a perverted old man, and although he's kinda gross, the other characters ALSO seem to find him kind of gross and outlandish. There's some non-nude-nudity, which it turns out was nude-nudity until it hit the western world, at which point most of it was censored. They also censored some other stuff. I guess the characters have a penchant for flipping the bird, which was edited out.The name "Mr. Satan" was changed to "Hercule." Guns were turned into laser guns, which I guess we're cool with for whatever reason.
I'm actually knee-deep in a book by the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund regarding Manga, book challenges, and where western culture and Manga tend to disagree. I wish I was a little further because I think it would give me much better perspective on the whole thing. From my limited manga reading, I suspect that the old pervert is a not-uncommon manga character, or at least a character that shows up a lot more in manga than does in western counterparts.
Which is kind of interesting, when you think about it. I mean, western comics certainly don't shy away from drawing a scantily-clad woman. I think we'd be lying if we said that this was just some sort of coincidence, that the artists drew them this way without even thinking. But where we've chosen to draw the line is having characters comment on it. Yes, today that's happening more and more, but I'm talking 1984 here. I remember reading the Phoenix Saga, for example, and there was a weird, bodice-bustin' romance-y sequence, but the whole thing felt pretty chaste, even to a young Pete who knew as much about sex as...well, he knew just slightly less than adult Pete.
What I'm saying is, mainstream Western comics were remarkably sexless considering how sexy the drawings were.
Here's another way sex is used in this book. The Goku character is basically a child raised by wolves. He hadn't seen another person his entire life. So he struggles telling the difference between men and women, and he just walks up to characters and pats them on the groin. This is the most surefire method he's come up with so far. Which in the comic, to me, feels very innocent and funny.
Oh, and you know what else? I just thought of this, but the lady nudity has been censored out for the western versions. But you see naked little boys every so often. Full-frontal, naked boys. It's always because the characters are emerging from bathing or about to swim or something like that, but it's definitely in there a few times.
I guess, in writing it out, I do feel like the nudity and the perviness and whatnot are played for humor in the book. That explains, to me, the boy/woman censorship inconsistencies. Male nudity is, in both the west and the east, often played for humor. Whereas lady nudity is seen as a more loaded subject in the west, certainly.
If it's played for humor, I guess that means I have less of a problem with a problematic character or scenario. Maybe I don't find the humor in it, but that amounts to a joke being funny or not more than it does a cultural criticism. Again, I'm only saying that in this specific instance. The world created in this volume is very interesting, very fun, and I have to say, I loved the ride. I think what I'm doing probably sounds like excusing bad behavior, but really what I'm saying is that I want to acknowledge that there's an old pervert in here, say that it will probably turn off some readers, and say that I enjoyed the shit out of this book anyway.
It's a little like dancing to a great song. You're having a great time, you're dancing like crazy, and then you catch the lyrics and realize the song is basically about climaxing on someone's face. Is that problematic on some level? Definitely. Am I going to stop dancing? No. And not just because I'm drunk. Although, if I'm dancing, that certainly plays a part.
Here's the thing. There's some pretty weird, sexist stuff in here. Now, I should be clear. These were originally published in the early 80's, which is when I was a baby, and they were published in Japan. Do old sensibilities excuse racist/sexist material? And what about a foreign sensibility? And what about the combination of both?
I don't know. I honestly don't know. But here's what I did: I took note of it, I wouldn't say I cared for those portions, and then I let myself enjoy reading.
There's a perverted old man, and although he's kinda gross, the other characters ALSO seem to find him kind of gross and outlandish. There's some non-nude-nudity, which it turns out was nude-nudity until it hit the western world, at which point most of it was censored. They also censored some other stuff. I guess the characters have a penchant for flipping the bird, which was edited out.The name "Mr. Satan" was changed to "Hercule." Guns were turned into laser guns, which I guess we're cool with for whatever reason.
I'm actually knee-deep in a book by the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund regarding Manga, book challenges, and where western culture and Manga tend to disagree. I wish I was a little further because I think it would give me much better perspective on the whole thing. From my limited manga reading, I suspect that the old pervert is a not-uncommon manga character, or at least a character that shows up a lot more in manga than does in western counterparts.
Which is kind of interesting, when you think about it. I mean, western comics certainly don't shy away from drawing a scantily-clad woman. I think we'd be lying if we said that this was just some sort of coincidence, that the artists drew them this way without even thinking. But where we've chosen to draw the line is having characters comment on it. Yes, today that's happening more and more, but I'm talking 1984 here. I remember reading the Phoenix Saga, for example, and there was a weird, bodice-bustin' romance-y sequence, but the whole thing felt pretty chaste, even to a young Pete who knew as much about sex as...well, he knew just slightly less than adult Pete.
What I'm saying is, mainstream Western comics were remarkably sexless considering how sexy the drawings were.
Here's another way sex is used in this book. The Goku character is basically a child raised by wolves. He hadn't seen another person his entire life. So he struggles telling the difference between men and women, and he just walks up to characters and pats them on the groin. This is the most surefire method he's come up with so far. Which in the comic, to me, feels very innocent and funny.
Oh, and you know what else? I just thought of this, but the lady nudity has been censored out for the western versions. But you see naked little boys every so often. Full-frontal, naked boys. It's always because the characters are emerging from bathing or about to swim or something like that, but it's definitely in there a few times.
I guess, in writing it out, I do feel like the nudity and the perviness and whatnot are played for humor in the book. That explains, to me, the boy/woman censorship inconsistencies. Male nudity is, in both the west and the east, often played for humor. Whereas lady nudity is seen as a more loaded subject in the west, certainly.
If it's played for humor, I guess that means I have less of a problem with a problematic character or scenario. Maybe I don't find the humor in it, but that amounts to a joke being funny or not more than it does a cultural criticism. Again, I'm only saying that in this specific instance. The world created in this volume is very interesting, very fun, and I have to say, I loved the ride. I think what I'm doing probably sounds like excusing bad behavior, but really what I'm saying is that I want to acknowledge that there's an old pervert in here, say that it will probably turn off some readers, and say that I enjoyed the shit out of this book anyway.
It's a little like dancing to a great song. You're having a great time, you're dancing like crazy, and then you catch the lyrics and realize the song is basically about climaxing on someone's face. Is that problematic on some level? Definitely. Am I going to stop dancing? No. And not just because I'm drunk. Although, if I'm dancing, that certainly plays a part.
March 16, 2024
I LOVE YOU BOTH SO MUCH BABY GOKU AND BULMA
RIP Akira Toriyama ❤️
RIP Akira Toriyama ❤️
Read
June 1, 2025What a lovely bedside companion. Picked this up most nights before bed regardless of how tired I was and it never failed to make me smile. I've been wanting to re-experience early Dragon Ball for some time now but the time commitment of the anime kept me from doing so. I think I'll continue this pattern of reading the manga of anime I want to rewatch because as pure as the original Dragon Ball anime is, the quicker pacing of the manga is what I have time for right now. I am so incredibly happy to own the Tenkaichi arc and will be continuing volume 2 tomorrow night. It's part of my training.
Thank you Toriyama
(🌷)
Thank you Toriyama
(🌷)
March 27, 2020
Un Gran Inicio
"No se lucha por ganar en las artes marciales, sino para no perder contra uno mismo"
La calidad del dibujo es muy buena, creo que incluso es algo superior a otros mangas que he podido ver. Así que no solo es sencillo seguir la trama, sino que es un gusto hacerlo.
La historia es buena, pese a que ya todos la conocemos la verdad me da gusto encontrar detalles que fueron censurados en el ánime.Hay que mencionar que este tipo de publicaciones no serían bien vistas hoy en día, (vamos, que el Manga rompe la cuarta pared y se burla de su propia vulgaridad). Pero yo soy de mente bastante abierta, así que...
Avanza a un ritmo muy bueno, dejando disfrutar de aquellos momentos más relevantes y dando solo un vistazo corto a los que no lo son. Por lo que no tenemos el problema de paginas excedentes, como en muchos otros libros.
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.
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.
Aclaración: En realidad leí los 3 números por separado en sus respectivas ediciones digitales. No obstante, por una cuestión de practicidad voy a reseñarlos en esta edición 3-en-1.
"No se lucha por ganar en las artes marciales, sino para no perder contra uno mismo"
La calidad del dibujo es muy buena, creo que incluso es algo superior a otros mangas que he podido ver. Así que no solo es sencillo seguir la trama, sino que es un gusto hacerlo.
La historia es buena, pese a que ya todos la conocemos la verdad me da gusto encontrar detalles que fueron censurados en el ánime.
Avanza a un ritmo muy bueno, dejando disfrutar de aquellos momentos más relevantes y dando solo un vistazo corto a los que no lo son. Por lo que no tenemos el problema de paginas excedentes, como en muchos otros libros.
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.
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.
Aclaración: En realidad leí los 3 números por separado en sus respectivas ediciones digitales. No obstante, por una cuestión de practicidad voy a reseñarlos en esta edición 3-en-1.
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