Dragon Ball Z, Vol. 5: Dragon Ball in Space

Dragon Ball [ドラゴンボール] #21

by Akira Toriyama

In the aftermath of his battle with Goku, Vegeta retreats from Earth, vowing revenge. In search of a way to resurrect their dead friends, Kuririn, Gohan, and Bulma go into space in search of Namek--Piccolo's home planet where the Dragon Balls were originally made. But Namek has become a battleground, where evil emperor Freeza and his minions are slaughtering the peaceful Namekians to fulfill Freeza's wish for immortality! Stranded on a planet full of enemies, the three astronauts radio back to Earth...but "help" comes from an unexpected source as Vegeta turns against his former master Freeza in order to get the Dragon Balls for himself!

Genres: Manga, Fantasy, Comics, Graphic Novels, Fiction, Adventure, Science Fiction

192 pages, Paperback

First published April 10, 1990

About the author

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.

Reviews

[Ola G · Rating 4 out of 5]

8/10 stars

A very apt title, even if Goku spends most of the time in a hospital bed, allowing Kame Sen'nin a little bit of his usual pervy behaviour, but this time very self-aware and ironic. Yajirobe plays a part, too, and it's nice to see there are some constants in Dragon Ball - he's his usual grumpy self ;).

It's a very sweet volume, comparatively slow-paced compared to the previous ones, but revealing a bit more about the motivations and characters of the secondary (or not so secondary) protagonists such as Bulma, Gohan, and Kuririn - and Vegeta. We also get to see Namek for the first time, and meet Freeza, who's a villain we all love to hate.

The game is afoot!

[Drew Canole · Rating 4 out of 5]

So Goku and co manage to beat up Vegeta but Goku lets him go. It's unclear really if it's just Goku's kindness (ala when he allowed Piccolo to live) versus an ego thing (Goku wants to beat Vegeta in a fair one-on-one fight).

Now Dragon Ball goes to space! Earth was getting too small for this series. Kuririn, Gohan, and Bulma go to Namek to use their Dragon Balls. But Freeza, the leader of Vegeta's gang of world killers, knows about the Dragon Balls now so goes there too.

I thought Dragon Ball Z was epic enough and the stakes just keep getting bigger and bigger.

[Lashaan Balasingam · Rating 4 out of 5]

A much necessary story arc to slow down the pace and introduce an even bigger villain to the franchise: Freeza. The adventures lead some of the gang to space in search of a planet where resides Namekians, praying that they can find a way to get their friends back from the dead.

Tension, however, rises rapidly as the hunt for dragon balls draws the attention of many parties and things are clearly going to get heated very soon, very fast.

[Sam Quixote · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s the aftermath of the epic battle between Vegeta and Goku, Gohan, Kuririn and Yajirobe (the latter playing a minor, but pivotal, role), and all are severely hurt. Vegeta slinks off back to the Saiyan’s off-world base to recover (those guys seem more and more like the Green Lantern Corps but evil) while the others go off to hospital. Goku’s injuries are so bad - broken legs/arms/ribs and more - he’s in a bed for the entire book!

But with the Dragon Balls destroyed, Piccolo and God both dead, along with Shenlong the Dragon God, will the characters who died remain dead? Nope, because Kuririn remembers hearing that Piccolo was a Namekian - not a demon but an alien from another world. And if there are more aliens like him, there are more who can create more Dragon Balls!

Bulma, Kuririn and Gohan take an alien ship to Namek on a mission to bring their friends back to life. But Vegeta’s boss, Freeza, has found out about the Dragon Balls himself and is after them to gain immortal life - and so in Vegeta. As all points converge on Namek, will Bulma, Kuririn and Gohan have what it takes to get the Dragon Balls before Freeza and the other Saiyans?

For a book that’s very light on Son Goku, it holds up really well. Akira Toriyama’s done a great job of building up the other characters so you care about them, and not just the series hero. That said, the book does suffer without Goku and I wasn’t as invested in Bulma’s journey or the other subplots as I would had Goku been a part of them.

But here’s an unexpected surprise - the more we learn about Vegeta, the more interesting he becomes! Up til now he’s basically been a very bare-bones character, being the villain and nothing else. Once he returns to the Saiyan base, we start to learn more about their culture, about his rivalry with a character called Kiwi, and his attempted rebellion against Freeza, his commander. His storyline of trying to get the Dragon Balls before Freeza is quite exciting not least because it inadvertently puts him on the side of Bulma and co. I also like that it’s another thread in this story that makes it harder to predict what’s going to happen to them all.

It’s also worth noting that though we’ve had the Saiyans in the Dragon Ball Z books since the series began, this is the first real step towards introducing a sci-fi angle to the formerly martial arts/mythological fantasy flavour of the title. It’s a bold move by Toriyama but I think it’s working so far and certainly broadens the scope of where the series can go from here on out.

So volume 5 is essentially a coda to the first Saiyan storyline and the setup of the next one. It’s still a lot of fun to read though it’s not as urgent as the other volumes have been. And with Goku now on his way to Namek, I’ve a feeling the next couple books are really going to ramp up the awesomeness!

[Logan Payne · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one frustrates me.

It frustrates me that everyone can suddenly control their chi like masters at whim, when the first time Goku was ever able to sense chi was after drinking Karin’s divine water.

It frustrates me that Gohan, a 5 year old who has only had a few months of training, is able to fight Kuririn with his mind?! Why are either of them able to do that?! How can Goku speak with his mind like Kaio-Sama? How can they detect chi levels without scouters, and why are scouters therefore useless? You can tell that it was convenient for them to do this, so now they can do it.

Kiwi is such a non character, he exists for the sole purpose of exposition and it pisses me off. A rival for Vegeta could be something, but he gets pissed away in two chapters.

It’s cool seeing all of them go to space and the drip from everyone goes crazy, but this volume is just a palette cleanser.

[Sharon Mariampillai · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual Rating: 4.30

This was a great read. This series is a fast-paced adventure. I am really enjoying it. In this volume, Vegeta was defeated. We got to see Planet Freeza and Namek. I am really to see Freeza and all of the craziness that comes with his character. I also can't wait for the battle between him and the other characters. Freeza is a creepy character. He has an eerie quality to him. It really creeps me out. I can't wait to read Volume 6. Overall, an enjoyable read.

[Juho Pohjalainen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gotta wonder just how Vegeta's ego - as seen in the previous volume - managed to swell as big as it did, when it now turns out he's lived all his life among monsters that'd make him look like an insect. You'd think he would have grown up quite humble, instead.

Saiyans are weird like that I guess.

[Gustavo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Después de la locura de la gran pelea entre Goku y Vegeta, este tomo se siente un poco lento. Eso no es necesariamente algo malo, las aventuras en el espacio de Bulma, Krillin y Gohan sacan el foco de Goku y le dan un poco de variedad a la trama. Me gusta la historia en el planeta Namek, y que se sepa un poco más sobre el origen de Kami-sama y Piccolo.

[Travis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was quite a boring read for me. This one is pretty much setting up the Frieza Arc and introducing all the new players. Low action, and a lot of plot setting. However we have introduced probably my all time favorite Dragon Ball villain, Frieza. I always have a hard time picking between him and Cell.

[Mr. Cody · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some of my favorite characters debut in this volume. Zarbon & Dodoria 4 lyfe!!!

[Atharva Shah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dragon Ball Manga was inked very much good, the story of course the best one. Its fantasy meeting Shonen and Goku is a the most imaginably cool and cute and funny charachter. Charachter reminds me that there's just about a hundred charachters here, distributed in thirty one volumes some frail, weak, some strong like hell and some just wierd and funny and humbug. The story goes:- Goku is the main protagonist of the series and he is approached by a girl named Bulma who's in search for the dragon balls on their way they meet an old man who tries to gets seduced, Kame Sama. And theres Krulin, a young monk fighter and also oolong and yamcha. The villian for the first half of the volumes is the blue empereor and the Red Ribbon Gang. Along the way, the droagon is summoned and can grant you any wish. Any at all. But what happens when the power falls in dark hands? Then theres goku and the gang coming in! For the rescue of course. They difeat the coloured rangers and ninjas and robotic machines, giant snakes and all is well in the end. Piccolo also appears later at the Bodukai Tournament. It is held about seven times in the whole series and it just amazes me. Truly great stuff. Piccolo somehow is defeated and sealed away while he also sends down his son Kid Picollo to get his revenge upon Goku. There's a great fight but in the end Picollo is just defeated by Goku and gets mad. The second half of the volumes namely Dragon Ball Z portrayes a race of saiyans who want to capture the earth. These volumes go deep in the history of planets around the earth, Namek especially and in Goku's history and his past. Here are the worlds greatest villians like Frieza and Vegeta and also Buu and The ANDROids. Each one anothers boss. Then theres the plo where Goku and Vegeta have kids and they can transform themselves into super saiyans form and get the whole power. Just a great series that i have admired and read. Truly readable. Recommended to this whole GALAXYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY.

[Queens Love Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I can only think it’s the Saiyan blood… he doesn’t want to save them… but part of him just loves going up against powerful opponents.”



Date Read: 2024.04.27

[Adriana · Rating 4 out of 5]

from one battle to another. There is no break for any of these characters and Goku is always racing to save the day! When I read Planet Freeza, I couldn't help get excited. Freeza and Vegeta are at odds and I feel like maybe this will be a turning point for Vegeta. He might need Gohan and Kuririn. I know Freeza is crazy strong and I can just hear the show's voice of him menacingly in my head. I need to pick up the next book right away.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

For kids that love "anime" themed things, this will be a great story for them.

[Yoyomaus Die Büchereule · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nachdem Son-Goku den fiesen Schurken Vegeta besiegt hat, lässt dieser ihn in seiner Raumkapsel entkommen, da er sich sicher ist, dass er den Sayajin immer und immer wieder besiegen kann, wenn er denn nur hart genug trainiert. Die Freunde kommen dem schwer verletzten Son-Goku schließlich zu Hilfe und holen ihn aus dem Plateau ab, in dem er gegen Vegeta gekämpft hat. Da die magischen Bohnen jedoch noch ein paar Tage brauchen, um nachwachsen zu können, muss Son-Goku sich wohl oder übel ins Krankenhaus begeben, in dem er und seine Freunde schließlich von Popo, dem Diener Gottes aufgesucht werden. Zwar ist mit Piccolos Tod auch Gott verschwunden und somit die Dragon Balls, jedoch gibt es wieder Grund zur Hoffnung. Denn bei Piccolo/Gott handelt es sich ebenfalls um ein Wesen aus dem All, welches durch Vegeta als Namekianer bezeichnet wurde. Mit Hilfe von Meister Kaio können die Freunde den Planeten lokalisieren und durch Popo gelangt das technische Genie Bulma in den Besitz des Raumschiffes von Gott. Schnell ist für die Freunde klar, dass sie sich auf die Reise nach Namek begeben werden, um durch andere Dragon Balls die Geschehnisse auf der Erde rückgängig zu machen. Jedoch ist Son-Goku zu schwach, um die Reise antreten zu können. So brechen Son-Gohan, Kuririn und Bulma allein auf. Was sie jedoch nicht wissen: auch Vegeta hat sich auf den Weg nach Namek gemacht, um die Dragon Balls zu suchen. Doch auch er scheint nicht allein von den Dragon Balls zu wissen...

Dieser Teil der Dragon Ball Reihe hat dem Ganzen wieder einmal die Krone aufgesetzt und gezeigt, welch umfassende Ideen Toriyama in diesen Manga hat einfließen lassen. Während der erste Teil des Mangas noch auf der Erde spielt, folgt im zweiten Teil schließlich die Reise durch das All und die Ankunft auf Namek. Dabei schreckte Toriyama nicht zurück den Charakteren ein erneutes Neudesign zu verschaffen und sich in der Darstellung der neuen Welt wirklich richtig auszutoben. Wir haben verrückte Raumschiffe und noch verrücktere Wesen, welche sich auf Namek tummeln. Obwohl der Manga nun scheinbar immer ernster wird, baut Toriyama noch immer witzige Szenen ein, die den Leser schmunzeln lassen. So ist die Rolle der Chichi zur Übermutter avanciert, die sich nur noch um Son Gohan sorgt, anstatt auch einmal nach Son-Goku zu sehen, was ihm aber scheinbar auch recht wenig ausmacht. Bulma indess muss viel Mut zeigen, indem sie sich mit Popo auf die Reise begibt und sich immer wieder durch technische Wunder überrollen lassen - das dabei lustige Szenen nicht ausbleiben, lockert den Manga ungemein auf. Die ersten Szenen auf Namek versprechen jedenfalls eine völlig neue und spannende Wendung der Geschichte, denn scheinbar ist Vegeta nicht das Schlimmste, auf was die Freunde stoßen können. Es bleibt abzuwarten, ob Son-Goku seinen Freunden rechtzeitig folgen kann. Scheinbar wird Son Gohan in dieser Episode wieder eine tragende Rolle einnehmen, stark genug ist der kleine Kerl ja. Einzig sein Design finde ich zum heulen schlimm. Was sich Toriyama nur dabei gedacht hat?

Empfehlen möchte ich den Manga weiterhin allen, die die Reihe mögen und keine Probleme mit vielen und langatmigen Kampfszenen haben. Wer sich auf den Manga einlässt, den erwartet eine wunderbare Welt voller Wunder und jede Menge Spannung.


Taschenbuch: 192 Seiten
Verlag: Carlsen (15. Februar 2001)
Sprache: Deutsch
ISBN-10: 3551735611
ISBN-13: 978-3551735614
Vom Hersteller empfohlenes Alter: 10 - 12 Jahre
Größe und/oder Gewicht: 11,3 x 1,7 x 17,5 cm

[isaac · Rating 3 out of 5]

DBZ has been very tonally different from the original run. Since the start of the Saiyan Saga, there has been a huge increase in scale and stakes. This has come with something sorely missing compared to the og adventures, fun settings for fights. As a result of absurd power increase, the urban landscapes that acted as much of the backdrop of previous battles have been replaced with large empty lands that don’t offer much interesting in terms of visuals or variety. This is something that has been on my mind for a lot of this arc and an area that I did feel was lesser than the series’ predecessor, even if it’s done out of necessity. And while I do somewhat feel this way, there is something really effective about seeing Goku’s injured body laying helpless on the rocky ground - his muscular body blending in with the debris of battle. It makes for some really strong comparison imagery.

In the final volume of OG Dragon Ball, Goku spared Piccolo both for the thrill of getting stronger, but also out of necessity to save Kami. Here, Goku asks Krillin not to finish off Vegeta when he had the chance too. While similar circumstances, the context of these scenes are hardly. He asks for Vegeta to be spared as a selfish act, a plead that comes from his Saiyan pride. This feels like a really interesting way to end the Saiyan Saga as our protagonist starts to grow more and more familiar with his heritage’s perspective. Overall this is proving to be actually pretty great development for Goku, and development that I see having major ramifications over the remainder of the series.

Page 20 has one of my favourite panels of the entire series. After Kuririn is talked out of killing Vegeta and lets him go, he looks up at the sky where Vegeta’s spaceship fled too. The panel goes off the page with the vast majority of it consisting of empty space, as the clouds only reach about half the height. Up above him is power he never knew existed, and Kuririn looks so small."

While the book starts with a greatly satisfying resolution to the first story arc, the rest of these collected chapters feel kind of dull in comparison. With Goku having to remain in the hospital for 3 months to recover from the battle, he passes the protagonist torch to Bulma for the start of this next adventure. Listen, I love Bulma as a side character (T3 in OG DB, and T10 in DBZ so far), but unfortunately, I don’t feel like she works as a protagonist, especially with how large the scale of story currently is. This next arc acts as a direct continuation of Vegeta’s story as well as Frieza’s introduction. These are both INCREDIBALLY powerful antagonists and next to them it feels problematic that our protagonist can’t really do much to progress the story. That being said, this volume seems a lot more focused on exposition.

By far my favourite aspect of the second part of this volume is Vegeta’s apparent hatred towards Frieza. Here we learn the Saiyan actually works under the new central villain, however he expresses strong dislike for Frieza and I look forward to seeing where this goes in the story.
But overall, volume 5 rounds out to just about decent. It’s pretty easily the weakest volume of this sequel series so far and I hope that the Frieza saga starts to pick up soon. That being said, there are a lot of things starting to be set up, and some of it looks pretty promising.

Krillin is dripped tf out. He and Gohan have great chemistry as well and I need lots more of them.

[Chelsea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Volume 5 is the beginning of season 2 of the anime. Picking up from the end of the Saiyan saga, Goku pleads an act of mercy from Kuririn to not kill Vegeta...letting the beaten warrior drag his broken body into the ship. The family is reunited and when Korin admits there are no senzu beans they must recuperate at a hospital. Goku's wounds are serious, keeping him in a full body cast. What's even more grave is there are no Dragon Balls to revive their fallen friends. Until Kuririn remembers that Planet Namek houses their own dragon balls, except they don't have a spaceship that can get them there in under four thousand years. Mr. Popo to the rescue though as he somehow procures Kami's old spaceship from years ago. It'll only be a month to the other planet. Bulma, Kuririn, and Gohan travel and are met with a surprise...Vegeta has arrived on Namek as well! But he's not the only baddie out for the balls...a mysterious alien named Freeza is there with some goons...and they already have 5 of the balls! They don't play fair either, beating up the Namekian elders and threatening to kill their children to obtain their prize.

This is one of my least favorite arcs in the series; the anime drags it out for so long with the filler and power-ups that the narrative loses its purpose rather early on. However, the manga has so far been decently paced and I think it'll make for a smoother telling than it's animated partner.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Review of Volumes 19-21*
That fight with Vegeta was fire! Why is Goku so determined to die? I don't think he's gonna die permanently, but his son has a high chance of succeeding him as next main character. Bulma is back being a pain again. Too bad she's so smart and indispensable. Freeza seems like another Vegeta I've decided to stop here for now because I've become kind of tired of all the fight scenes. Yes, I do find the fight scenes to be very well done and well drawn, but the plot seems to be repeating the same general idea over and over. There are little moments of good character development, but it is very slow development. I prefer character development over action. I don't mind any of the characters, but the interactions are pretty standard and the humor is atrociously sleazy. I've enjoyed seeing Goku's family dynamic, but that's a small portion of the manga. Even the battle scenes I know there's very low chance of Goku dying because of the plot. So, the big appeal of what's gonna happen after the battle is nonexistent. I mean even in the current arc, I can pretty confidently say that Goku is gonna win against Freeza. Then, another villain is gonna show up and Goku is gonna beat him up. Plot wise, I've lost interest. But I'm definitely come back later for the cool fight scenes.

[Natalie]

Despite myself not interested in Dragon Ball Z I do have a large amount of respect for the franchise.

As I said before in my review of Dragon Ball, this kickstarted the trends for later Shonen manga and that's something to admire about the entire Dragon Ball series. Shonen manga series have taken elements from the Dragon Ball series and use it for inspiration for their own work like battles, art, character design, and plot. I feel like I was a bit too old when I was first introduced to the starters of Shounen and Shojo. Dragon Ball and Sailor Moon were introduced to me a bit too late after I had started reading & watching series like InuYasha, Ouran High School Host Club, Death Note, Fullmetal Alchemist, and Code Geass.

Again, I still think it's an admirable franchise despite my personal feelings towards it. (I don't hate it but I didn't love it either) It's extremely popular worldwide and for the anime to still be watched and loved to this very day I think that says a lot about it. There are many things to like and admire about it because of the legacy that it brought with its creation.

While I don't love Dragon Ball Z, it has done a lot for a very popular art form and will continue to be great and loved for years to come.

[Urbon Adamsson · Rating 5 out of 5]

EN The battle is finally over. Vegeta escapes Earth after his defeat.

Now, with their fallen comrades gone and the Dragon Balls on Earth no longer an option, our heroes must seek another way.

Krillin, Son Gohan, and Bulma travel to Namek in hopes of resurrecting their friends who died defending Earth from Vegeta.

Unfortunately, they aren’t the only ones searching for the Namekian Dragon Balls. Vegeta has also arrived, fully recovered, and a powerful new enemy is on the hunt as well.

Completely outmatched, our heroes will have to do their best with the little they have.

--

PT A batalha terminou finalmente. Vegeta escapa da Terra após a sua derrota.

Agora, com os seus companheiros caídos e as Esferas do Dragão da Terra fora de alcance, os nossos heróis têm de procurar outra solução.

Krillin, Son Gohan e Bulma viajam até Namek com a esperança de ressuscitar os amigos que morreram a defender a Terra de Vegeta.

Infelizmente, não são os únicos à procura das Esferas do Dragão de Namek. Vegeta também chegou, totalmente recuperado, e um novo inimigo poderoso está igualmente em busca das esferas.

Completamente em desvantagem, os nossos heróis terão de dar o seu melhor com os poucos recursos de que dispõem.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Things slow down a bit in this one - it's mostly a set up for the next arc - so you get more time to look around and notice things. And, uh, some things aren't great. Is it worth taking a martial arts manga aimed at teen boys to task for its treatment of its female characters? Almost certainly not, but let's do it anyway :D

Chi-Chi, Goku's wife, is basically set up as the comic relief nag/helicopter parent. I feel so bad for her since her husband died and her kid got abducted - no wonder she's pissed off with everyone when she finally sees them both again and finds out her FIVE YEAR OLD got dragged into a fight to the death. Maybe I'm getting old but I really don't think she's as unreasonable as she's made out to be... Oh, and Mr Roshi gropes a nurse and it's played as a joke - fun. At least we have Bulma, I guess!

DBZ works best in its fight scenes and in the tense build up to fight scenes. Obviously there has to be context for these scenarios, and that's what this volume is for. It does the job!

[Brandon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dragon Ball has had world-spanning adventures, they've gone to different countries and continents and even the afterlife... so now let's go to SPACE. Step 1: find a spaceship. Step 2: try to starve off the boredom of intergalactic travel. Step 3: oh my god who is that short guy why is he so strong we're all going to die ahhhhh

I like that we're getting different factions here. We've got our Earth heroes, then there's Vegeta returning to the story so quickly, then there's the Namekians... and now Freeza! Everyone wants the dragon balls, but with Goku so far behind it's not like the Earthlines are a real contender, right?

I love the opening to this volume, where everyone is scrambling to figure out how to actually get to Namek, no one is in fighting shape and so all they can do is bicker (with some great reactions to each others' snark and ideas). And when we do get to space? Hell yeah, the world of Dragon Ball is already weird enough with their machines and dinosaurs and mythical creatures, now we get an actual other-world!

[Agung Wicaksono · Rating 4 out of 5]

Untuk mendapatkan kembali bola naga yang sudah hilang di Bumi akibat kematian Piccolo/Kami-sama, Goku dkk. memutuskan untuk pergi ke Planet Namek. Namun, karena Goku masih dalam perawatan medis setelah bertarung dengan Vegeta, maka diputuskan bahwa yang pergi adalah Bulma, Krilin, dan Gohan. Chichi yang mengetahui Gohan akan pergi lagi, sempat tidak setuju; tapi setelah diberi tahu bahwa ia dan lainnya pergi untuk menyelamatkan Bumi, Chichi pun akhirnya paham dan setuju.

Bulma, Krilin, dan Gohan menuju Planet Namek menggunakan pesawat milik Kami-sama. Pesawat tersebut ditemukan oleh Mr. Popo dan ia menjelaskan tentang latar belakang Kami-sama kenapa ia bisa berada di Bumi.

Setelah itu, mereka bertiga berangkat dan menghabiskan waktu selama sebulan untuk sampai di Planet Namek. Namun, sesampainya di sana, mereka malah menemukan fakta bahwa Vegeta dan komplotannya juga ikut memburu bola naga.

[Hafeez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Volume 21: Chapter 241-252
Arc 12: Saiyan Saga - Vegeta Arc
Arc 13: Frieza Saga - Namek Arc

Krillin is going to kill Vegeta but Goku stop him and let Vegeta go. Now, Kami is dead and the Dragon Balls are don't exist anymore. They have solution which is to go to Planet Namek where Piccolo and Kami origin place. Mr. Popo found a spaceship which is supposedly used to send Kami to Earth when he was a child.

Bulma, Krillin and Gohan go to planet Namek and arrrived there after 37 days of journey. After Vegeta was defeated, he went to Planet Frieza 79 to get be treated. He learns that Frieze went to Planet Namek for Dragon Balls. He arrived at Planet Namek followed by Kiwi. Frieza already collecting 4 Dragon Balls which the size is bigger.

Frieza send two of his henchmen to kill Krillin, Gohan and Bulma but they were easily defeated. Vegeta fights Kiwi and easily kill him. Goku was healed and will head to Planet Namek using the spaceship that built by Bulma's father.

[Bryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Strong volume that begins in the wake of Vegeta and Goku's fight. It was actually nice to have a bit of a slow down here, and a break from the fighting. Toriyama's manga moves very quickly compared to the show (which had lots and lots of filler so as not to overtake the manga) and while that is absolutely a good thing it can also be nice to slow down for a minute now and again.

Bulma, Kuririn, and Gohan's travels to Namek were a joy to watch, as it reminded me of Bulma, Kuririn, and Goku's travels when they were all much younger. Speaking of Namek, Toryiama expands the world of DBZ once again with the introduction of Namek and the fighting force loyal to Freeza (which up until very recently included Vegeta). Freeza is perhaps the most iconic villain in Dragon Ball Z, and I was excited to see him show up.

[Caleb M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

While not as action packed and emotional as the last 2 volumes, this was still a solid entry into the Dragon Ball Z pantheon. I got to meet Frieza for the first time (spelled Freeza in here) as well as meet some other new characters.

I used to scoff at people that would say Goku would win in a fight against Superman. The more of this that I read, the more I realize that I understand why there are fans that do that imaginary fight. Goku is a beast and I love how innocent and good he is as well.

I was happy that we got a little bit more Bulma screen time in this volume. I always liked and appreciated her character in Dragon Ball and this is the first volume where she got to shine a little bit.

Overall a pleasant entry and a nice reprieve from the constant battling and destruction in the last two volumes.

[Subham · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun volume, after defeating Vegeta and all they are recovering and learn of Planet Namek and how they must still have the dragon balls so its upto Bulma, Krillin and Gohan to go there and get them balls but they are intercepted first by Vegeta then by Frieza and his army there, so its a challenge and most of the volume just shows us how powerful Frieza's army is and the danger he possesses as he is willing to kill Namekians left and right to get them balls and obtain his wish of Eternal life. Meanwhile Goku has recovered and is on his way and seems like a massive fight is gonna brawl out any second now! This volume was awesome and just showed whats at stake and the danger the Z-Warriors are in and the art is good, lots of plot here all just to set up the big fight soon to come.

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The final blows are dealt and the Goku vs. Vegeta battle concludes! After the battle for Earth is concluded...this volume has the gang heading off planet earth....into OUTTER SPACE!!! The adventures continue as Bulma, Gohan and Krillian search for a way to revive those lost in the Battle with Nappa and Vegeta. Also...a new more sinister threat makes itself known....FREEZA! This book is the slowest of the 5 Dragon Ball Z books so far, but that is a good thing...because even in this book, there are some cool fights. More aliens and characters are introduced and you can see that they will be playing a big part in this new story arc. Great art, great story, great vision!

[Rangga Sukmawijaya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vegeta yang mengalami kekalahan pergi dari Bumi dan berniat pergi ke planet Namek, kampung halaman Piccolo, untuk mencari bola naga lalu meminta kehidupan abadi. Bos Vegeta yang bernama Freeza ternyata sudah duluan pergi ke planet itu dengan tujuan yang sama. Sementara itu, Bulma, Son Gohan, dan Kuririn juga pergi ke planet Namek dalam usaha mereka menghidupkan kembali teman-teman mereka yang mati akibat bertempur dengan Vegeta dkk. Sementara itu, Son Goku masih terkapar di rumah sakit. Tampaknya planet Namek akan menjadi arena pertarungan selanjutnya.

[Paulette · Rating 4 out of 5]

I never hated Chi Chi, but I did always see her as an overbearing mother. Imagine still my surprise at how tame a mother she’s depicted in the manga!! Her reactions are quite appropriate!!

She!
Listens!
To!
Her!
Son!

Imagine letting YOUR FIVE-YEAR-OLD child go to outer space with your husband’s ride-or-dies, after not seeing them for a year??? She’s stronger than me!

In related news, I will always support Bulma’s right or wrongs, because, while she may be rude, those calculations and observations will always be on point.