After years of training and adventure, Goku has become Earth's ultimate warrior. And his son, Gohan, shows even greater promise. But the stakes are increasing as even deadlier enemies threaten the planet. DRAGON BALL Z is the ultimate science fiction/martial arts manga.
A collection of volumes 19-21!
In the midst of battle with the hideous bio-monster Cell, Son Gohan surpassed his father, Son Goku. Now he is the strongest warrior in the universe! With his newfound might, Gohan manages to beat Cell at his own twisted game. However, Cell does not like to lose. When he realizes he's licked, he decides to self-destruct with a horrible blast that's certain to reduce Earth to a speck of dust. Son Goku has one trick up his sleeve that will thwart Cell's desperate attempt at mass destruction. Sadly, in order to save Earth from incineration, Goku must make the ultimate sacrifice and leave the fate of the planet in the hands of Son Gohan.
Several years go by, and Gohan has made good on his promise to protect Earth from evil. But his mother still insists that he get a good education! When Gohan starts a new high school, all he wants to do is fit in. But how can he keep his Super Saiyan powers under wraps? Just as his classmates become suspicious of Gohan, he comes up with a plan to be a hero and a normal kid at the same time--a superhero disguise! Citizens of Earth, meet The Great Saiyaman!
Akira 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.
Whilst the time skip isn't everyone's cup of tea, I remember loving it when I first read it as a kid, and I still love it now. The World Tournament Saga is a breath of fresh air amongst the worldthreatening foes of DBZ past. It allows for a more fun approach to the smackdowns and predominantly relies on humour rather than power ups to tell the story. Perfectly placed to break up the intensity of the previous arcs, it's got a little bit of everything from the flamboyant action to the introduction of new key players.
I keep thinking it's gonna feel overdone or get burned out as the series goes on, and I'm pleased to find out that's not the case at all. Funny, action packed, very enjoyable! And all of this is pretty much new to me. I didn't get this far in the series as a kid.
This is the first bit of Dragon Ball I've read since the death of Toriyama-sama. Peace be upon him!
Damn, I feel like a fool for not noticing this until now! There's a panel when Shin is explaining Buu's original rampage, where we see a corpse of something resembling Freeza and his father!
It's kind of interesting to realize the fact isn't "Cell needs to absorb 17 and 18 to become Perfect," and more "17 and 18 are like batteries to strengthen Cell." That is, when Cell regenerates from his suicide-bombing, and achieves the Zenkai boost from his Saiyajin DNA, he powers-up straight to Perfect. In theory, he could have absorbed hundred/thousands/millions of humans to reach Perfection, rather than absorb the Jinzōningen twins. Or he could have SUCC'd Bejita or something. Like, he needed the power-levels of the twins more than anything. Not that Gero set some specific components in their bodies to activate Cell's transformations. Put another way, if Cell ate 18 first, he'd still be the same Semi-Perfect form. Put yet another way, if Son Gohan hit him hard enough, Cell could have spat out both twins, reverted to Imperfect, blown himself up as Imperfect, and still regenerated as Perfect. Maybe. Regenerated Perfect Cell approaches SS2 power-level (possibly signified by SS2's characteristic electricity around him?), but I suppose it could be true Semi-Perfect acted as a baseline for his regeneration/Zenkai, and that exploding from Imperfect might not necessarily trigger a jump straight to full Perfect. The lore is a bit iffy here, only really supported by how Goku Black works in Super; at some point, Son Goku and Bejita stop benefitting from Zenkai, but if they never came near death, reached SS1 regardless, then almost died, then recovered, would they unlock SS2 for free? (If I'm remembering correctly, Black did this in the manga.)
Still wish Videl hadn't cut her hair....
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I wonder if Toriyama’s time on Chrono Trigger inspired 1) Tapion’s look and 2) Future Trunks whole story. Seems plausible I’d just have to research publication/project dates. I suppose it would be vice versa anyway since he was character design.
Now that the androids and cell are wrapped up I just wanna take the time to explain what I found most beautiful. Gohan’s transformation occurred after the death of a machine that saw beauty in life. The androids from our time are certainly different, perhaps simply due to their choices, and in the end shown capable of love. Future Trunks tenacity towards his foes and an unyielding will to make sure his horrific experiences never occur again. So much so he blasts Vegeta without hesitation, yet at the same time cares for his pride. I love Trunks. I have an action figure in saiyan uniform during the cell games sitting on my desk as I write.
I can say so much more. I do see how people find these arcs the least appealing. The battles have become a strange power up festival. As a kid I didn’t mind. As I am now I see a lack of creativity. While these things have become somewhat linear there’s still a genius to the work. Although it’s less in the battles and more in the spirit of the fighting. Y’know sacrifice, fighting even when it’s not necessarily YOUR nature, just take a look at android 16 – “I was created to kill you, Son Goku” who gives his son the strength and the most valuable lesson right before demise. The small things can add up and have big impacts. Hercule’s brave in his own right.
Once again the flavor of DBZ changes. We go from machines aiming for perfection not too dissimilar from evolution, to magic and reverting to what’s primal.
I’m just gonna` end up rambling. I love Dragon Ball Z. It is as simple as that.
Confession bear: I've never read or watched the Buu saga, until now.
I never had cable as a kid, and so I got all of my DBZ education from dutifully reading the comics. After the Cell Saga, I kind of tapered off, as most folks do.
Last Sunday, I was working a late-night shift in the Childrens' area and found the vizbig editions of DBZ, specifically volumes 7-9. In other words, the Buu saga in its entirety. Insta-checkout.
Now, something interesting to me is how clear Toriyama's vision, and ultimately *feel* for DBZ was. Frequently, I find myself watching the anime or non-canon films and lamenting all of the filler and powering up. I remembered the manga being much more to-the-point, and the fighting being way more frenetic.
But then again, I was a tweenybopper. What did I know? Maybe those memories were bunk?
Actually no: the manga is JUST as metal as I remember. Not only does the plot move like a speeding bullet, the tension is also heavier, and the combat is a whole other beast. In my video-game-wife, Dragonball Xenoverse, characters fly around the air, punch each other through walls, and end up bleeding and broken pretty quickly, all within a ten-minute fight. The same is true of the manga (this volume has Videl face off with Spopovich and believably almost die), whereas the anime is whack in this element.
Oh, DBZ. In another universe, I was a Naruto kid. Ce la vie.
Better than the last few volumes: more diversity in characters, some resolution to Goku/Vegeta, the torch passed on to the next generation, more of the wider world involved, less formulaic (ohnobadguyeveryonefightsenzubeansgokuwin).
1. Gohan Gets Stronger: After the Cell Games Gohan becomes a lot more powerful. It’s fun to see how much he grows and how he becomes a real hero.
2. Awesome New Characters: This volume introduces cool characters like Trunks and the Supreme Kai of Time. They each bring something new to the story and make things even more interesting.
3. Big Surprises: There are twists you won’t expect like when Goten wins the match These surprises make the story more fun and exciting.
4. Cool Places and Adventures: You’ll see amazing new places and battles. It feels like you’re going on the journey with the characters.
5. The Start of a New Villain: The story begins to show the next big villain Buu You can feel tension rising and it makes you want to keep reading to see what come next.
When Gohan steps up after the Cell Games and Goten surprises everyone in the tournament just like the more you keep reading the more action packed suprises there are.
3.5 The Cell saga wraps up a little too quickly given how long the arc ran, but I guess it’s for the better it moved on. Taking Goku out of the picture is actually a beneficial move because the series gets to take a breather and go back to the low-stakes light comedy of its early days. Gohan is more interesting as a character than Goku, too. That’s not saying a lot, but at least he has more personality than “I like to fight and train to fight”. Also, I don’t think I’ve mentioned it before, but I love the weird spiral-squiggle background Toriyama uses when characters are shocked or confused.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
If I were just rating this volume based off the ending of the Cell Games, it’d be an easy five stars. Unfortunately, this also collects the Great Saiyaman arc, which, while not terrible, is still pretty easily the weakest stretch of at least Z, if not the entire series. It’s nice to see Gohan get to play main character for a little bit, but even binging it in manga form, the story feels like it’s just jogging in place until Shin and Kibito show up to set the Buu Saga proper into motion.
From the end of cell, to the start of the boo saga, this book had a lot and it was honestly maybe the quickest one to read. I read others in less time probably but this one, time seemed to fly by while actually reading it. It was not as intense for the fighting for a lot of the middle but that’s okay. Seeing and reading this stuff is pretty new to me as I never watched this far when I was younger so much of it I’ve only seen it briefly or in videos.
5/5
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
The first volume of this book, Volume 19, encompasses the end of the Cell saga, which is the weakest of the Dragon Ball stories. Gohan gets mad and overpowers Cell, but refuses to obliterate him, as his friends want him to. Gohan hits Cell so hard that 18 is freed, so Cell decides to self-destruct to destroy everyone. Goku saves everyone by sacrificing himself and the Lord of Worlds. Of course, Cell comes back thanks to some stupid plot device, and kills Trunks, which sets off Vegeta. Cell is too much for Vegeta, and Gohan loses the use of his arm saving him. But with Goku's encouragement, Gohan looses one last Kamehameha wave that destroys Cell finally. Hercule claims victory, and the heroes summon the dragon to revive Cell's victims, but Goku must stay dead. Kuririn uses the second wish to remove the bomb from the androids, and it's kind of cute how Android 18 likes Kuririn. Tenshinhan says farewell, and Trunks returns to his future, in the ending to he earlier side story, one of the best parts of the Cell saga. He reunites with his mother and defeats the Androids and Cell, easily. He brings peace.
Volume 20 starts a new chapter. Seven years have passed, and Gohan is now in high school. Toriyama has fun with the tropes of superheroes by turning Gohan into the Great Saiyaman. He is exposed by Videl, a girl from school, Hercule's daughter, and is forced to enter once again the Tenka'ichi Budokai, and most of their friends decide to enter too, including Goku. Gohan trains with Goten, and he learns that Goten, Goku's second son, can already go Super Saiyan, at the age of 7. Vegeta learns the same thing about the 8 year old Trunks. Gohan teaches Videl about Chi and how to fly, and it's clear they're destined for each other. The tournament arrives, and everyone has a great reunion. Master Roshi, Yamcha, Bulma, Oolong, and Pu'ar all come along to watch. Kuririn has a daughter with 18. It's pretty adorable. The tournament announcer is super excited to see Goku and his friends again, and hopes for a grand tournament this year. Piccolo destroys the cameras so Gohan can fight freely. They use a punching machine for the preliminaries, since there are so many competitors. Videl slowly starts to learn more about Gohan.
In Volume 21, the action begins. Trunks and Goten obviously dominate the youth division, and have quite a final match. Hercule, as comic relief, has to play off getting knocked out by Trunks. Finally, the adult division comes around. I love that Toriyama starts to engage with self-referential jokes and more of the humor the series started with, as Kuririn breaks the fourth wall to comment on his first opponent's bluster being an indication of an easy knockout. Kuririn wins his match, and Piccolo forfeits to Shin, a mysterious entrant, who turns out to be the Lord of Lords, above the Great Lord, who is above the four Lords of Worlds, who are above the Gods of individual planets. Videl faces Spopovich, who is animated by some evil force, and nearly beats her to death. Goku fetches a Sensu for her. Gohan has to face Shin's attendant, Kibito, who asks him to go Super Saiyan, and Shin freezes him so Yamu and Spopovich can steal his energy. Shin then asks Goku to come with him, and most of our heroes go along, despite Vegeta's protestations. I actually love the inversion of the standard Dragon Ball narrative, as we all expect this tournament to be the defining element of this saga, but the tournament is just a red herring. Despite the three tournaments featured heavily in the early series being played out to their final conclusions, this one just brings our characters together to facilitate the action. Shin explains the dangers of a djinn called Buu, created by a warlock Bibbidi, whose son Bobbidi is bringing him back to life.
All in all, the end of the Cell saga seems to have rejuvenated Toriyama, as he seems to feel like he can break out of the mold of what came before and once again bring his creativity and humor into the series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
It has a ton of action and I really love action and manga, plus I love Dragon ball Z so I thought I just had to read, and I loved it so I hope they make a lot more manga's .