For the
Manga Impaired: One of the biggest Japanese manga hits of
all time is, without a doubt, Akira Toriyama's "Dragon
Ball". It originally ran in Shonen Jump magazine from
1984 to 1995; Toriyama's epic simply detonated the circulation
of that weekly mag to amazing heights and launched the successful
anime series of the same name in 1986. "Dragon Ball"
brings us the early, more comedy-based years of Goku and his
friends; the later, heavier action-adventures comprise the
"Dragonball Z" manga and anime, and the anime-only
(and very limited Toriyama involved) "Dragonball GT".
Also worthy of note is that the Viz printings allow you to
read the manga in true Japanese style, that is, from right
to left. It's a cool extra that true fans will appreciate.
The Story
Itself: Continuing the epic action from Volume 4, Number 5
opens with little Goku and Jackie Chun dueling in the "Strongest
Under the Heavens" tournament final. This is equal parts
action and hilarity as everything goes wildly awry. We get
Goku's goofy "monkey attack", lullaby hypnotism,
dinner as Pavlovian morale booster, Goku's "giant monkey
attack", and lunar destruction. And that's all before
the tournament is over.
This entire
sequence nicely encapsulates what "Dragon Ball"
is all about. Frenetic pacing, off-the-wall humor and ridiculous
action blend into an immensely satisfying cocktail. Many times,
the plot remains quietly incidental to all of the incredibly
imaginative visuals that Toriyama hurls at the reader. It's
great consistent fun.
Like other
volumes (notably Volume 2), Volume 5 is evenly divided into
different sequences. The first part deals with the tournament,
while the second half details Goku's resumption of the Dragon
Ball quest and his subsequent clash with the Red Ribbon Army.
The second portion allows Goku to get out on his own and deepen
a bit more as a character. I enjoy little breaks like that;
there are so many characters in the Dragon Ball mythos that
a scene can often seem more crowded than an Osmond family
reunion.
A great
deal of the second arc plays out like a Nintendo game (something
that I'm sure is purely intentional) as the scrappy Goku storms
the Red Ribbon's Muscle Tower, confronting new challenges
on every level. Among these are the overconfident ninja Purple
and immense Full Metal Jacket. The Purple sequence is extremely
entertaining, as his ninja tricks do little against the straight-forward,
unflappable Goku.
"Dragon
Ball" Volume 5 chisels out a worthy place in the Toriyama
pantheon with brisk action and blithe humor. Like the other
volumes, it's good fun and beautifully drawn. There's not
much that's better, kids.
Troy
Brownfield is the Editor-in-Chief of Shotgun Reviews. His
best ninja concealment techniques were employed in junior
high, where very few women noticed him. Email him at psikotyk@aol.com
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