For
the culturally comatose: One of the biggest Japanese manga
hits of all time has been Akira Toriyama's "Dragon Ball."
Originally appearing in Shonen Jump magazine, Toriyama's tales
boosted the circulation of that weekly periodical to stunning
heights and launched the successful anime. "Dragon Ball"
relates the early years of Goku and his friends; their later
adventures comprise the "Dragonball Z" manga and
anime, and the anime-only "Dragonball GT."
The
graphic novel division of Viz produces translated "Dragon
Ball" manga for America, and they've been doing a bang-up
job. One cool feature with these volumes is that Viz has retained
the original right-to-left reading order of the Japanese editions.
I find it fun to make the effort to actually read the tale
in the opposite direction that we're taught in America. It's
simultaneously cultural edification and entertainment.
The Story
Itself: Everything follows from this. Monkey-tailed youngster
Goku encounters the super-intelligent (and often annoying)
Bulma in the jungle. Bulma's on a quest for the magical Dragon
Balls, seven spheres that when assembled can grant their user
any one wish. Bulma selfishly wants to find the balls to wish
for a boyfriend (which should tell you all you need to know
about her personality). The equally strong and naïve
Goku, already in possession of the one of the balls, agrees
to accompany Bulma on her journey.
Astute
observers of history may note that the set-up for this story
is similar to "Journey to the West." That epic also
features a monkey-tailed character. However, Toriyama goes
far afield from his source material early on, creating a fantastic
world of wild imagination and unbridled humor.
The first
volume lays Toriyama's groundwork. His sharp, kinetic art
perfectly plays off of his heavy action and ribald wit. He
brings in several important characters early on, such as shape-shifter
Oolong, bandit Yamcha, the Ox King, and Chi-Chi (Goku's future
wife).
Fans of
"Dragonball Z" may be shocked to discover that these
early stories mainly play the characters and situations for
laughs. For every fight scene, there's a goofy payoff, and
it's all great fun. Some bits might be a little much for younger
fans (like the pervasive references to Bulma's breasts), but
the junior high crowd on up should go nuts for it.
"Dragon
Ball" almost emerges fully-formed in its initial installment.
With some creators, you might sense a "finding of the
way." Not so with Toriyama; his story brims with immediate
confidence as he blazes ahead, carrying us along for an entertaining
ride. I highly recommend "Dragon Ball"; it's an
important work in pop culture history and frankly, it's funny
as hell. Get in where it started.
Troy
Brownfield is the Editor-in-Chief of Shotgun Reviews. He'd
rather see Amy Yip in a towel than Bulma. Email him at psikotyk@aol.com
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