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Dragon Ball, Vol. 1 (2008)

by Akira Toriyama(Favorite Author)

4.45 of 5 Votes: 3

ISBN

1421520591 (ISBN13: 9781421520599)

languge

English

genre

Fantasy

publisher

VIZ Media LLC

series

Dragon Ball - Wideban edition

review 1: What an adorable and funny manga! This is one of those classics that you hear about, so I thought I'd finally give it a try (especially after having seen the DBZ Battle of Gods movie...now I'm REALLY on a Dragon Ball kick, and wanted to see where it all started out. This was a great collection! I'm so glad they had these things grouped 3 to a book, or else I would have finished WAY TOO FAST. I can't wait to start up with book 4! (Yay!!)
review 2: The first anime I ever watched in my life was Dragon Ball, specifically Episode 1 on Toonami. I was introduced to Goku, Bulma, Dragon Balls, and the coolness of anime. In 2009, after I was reading manga more starting with Naruto, I found the Viz Big Edition of Dragon Ball in Oahu Hawaii (at a Borders there) and my... more Uncle bought me it and I loved it. I'd seen practically all of Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z but after years of not having see nthe series it was interesting to read the manga.We are introduced to Goku, a short child with a tail and incredible power, who lives in the mountains alone. He meets Bulma, a young girl from the city who is hunting down the Dragon Balls, 7 mystical items that if brought together will give you one wish. Goku happens to be in the possesion of the "Four Star" Dragon Ball and joins Bulma on her quest of finding the rest (she has two already) and journeys the world. Most of the first chapters are comedic since Goku really doesn't know a lot about the outside world or basic things like romance, technology, sex, villains, and the city. Like in the anime I was amazed at the Capsules Bulma has that she throws out and whatever you need appears like a house or vehichles.The cooler parts of the manga are how Goku fights enemies including Oolong the shapeshifting pig, and Yamcha the desert bandit. And Goku and Bulma also run into Master Roshi the turtle hermit who trained Goku's grandpa in martial arts. This is long before we get the critical side of DBZ so we get to see these early characters on adventure and having fun. The chase for the Dragon Balls ends when Goku and friends meet Emperor Pilaf and Oolong wishes for panties so Pilaf can't wish to rule the world and Goku makes his transformation into a "Great Ape" revealing that he killed his own Grandpa after looking at the moon. With the Dragon Balls gone everyone parts ways but the adventure continues with Goku becoming the student of Master Roshi as promised.Once the Dragon Ball search is over the story shifts to a martial arts focus with Roshi training Goku and another student named Krillin in the Turtle School. Another new character introduced is Launch, a woman who changes from a blonde with a bad temper to a blue haired sweet woman every time she sneezes. Once Goku and Krillin are done with training Roshi enters the two into the World martial Arts Tournament (or as commonly reffered to "the Tenkaiichi Budokai!") where Bulma and the rest of the gang reunite. After beating many major opponents Goku and Krillinn make it along with Yamcha to the main tournament facing new opponents to see who can become the new champion.The first three volumes are awesome. The jokes are funny and the humor is good, Goku and all the characters are all pretty likeable. If you are a Dragon Ball fan you'll love the Viz big edition. If you are barely getting into the series I'd probably recommend reading the big version too since it combinds the beginning of Dragon Ball that shapes the rest of the series to come. less

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