Dragon Ball Z, Vol. 7: The Ginyu Force

Dragon Ball [ドラゴンボール] #23

by Akira Toriyama

Trapped on war-torn Planet Namek, Earth's heroes Gohan, Kuririn and Bulma struggle to keep the Dragon Balls out of the hands of both Vegeta and the planet-destroying Emperor Freeza. But even a power-up courtesy of the Great Elder of Namek may not be enough to save them from Freeza's reinforcements: the Ginyu Force, the five strongest fighters in outer space, led by the supervillain Captain Ginyu! Desperate times call for desperate measures, and Gohan and Kuririn find themselves with an unlikely ally as their theatrical enemies ro-sham-bo for the honor of who gets to kill them first!

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

192 pages, Paperback

First published October 8, 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

[Rachel (TheShadesofOrange) · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best volumes so far because Vegeta is so central to the storyline.

[Lashaan Balasingam · Rating 4 out of 5]

The stupidly weird yet powerful Ginyu Force make their debut in this volume and things start to get heated on Namek with the dragon balls being the center of attention in a three-way race to gather them all.

[Subham · Rating 3 out of 5]

Krillin meets with the Grand Elder who somehow augments his powers and gives him a dragon ball, Vegeta vs Freeza and somehow he takes his dragon balls with him and then hides them but also senses Krillins Ki but Gohan takes the one that he had hidden in the water swamps and so he doesn't exactly have all 7 balls and so its a game of hide and seek but then ultimately things happen and the Ginyu force is here and so they have to team u to fight them but somehow they are able to intercept Vegeta's path and its a battle between them. The first is Guldo and the fight between him and Vegeta was too good and next up: Recoome! But he won't go down so easily! Things are becoming interesting as Goku has arrived almost! Fun volume and focuses on how things aka stake are rising meanwhile the quest for the dragon balls continue! And the art and fight sequences just gets better and better!

[Ola G · Rating 2 out of 5]

5/10 stars

There's a constant dragon balls shell game going on, between Freeza, Vegeta, Kuririn and Gohan, and I enjoyed how difficult it was to gather all seven with so many players invested in getting them all/not allowing others to collect them - that was delightful.

But the Ginyu Force was a major letdown for me, even if I shoul've expected a twist from Toriyama; they are so over the top like the worst wrestler figures you've ever seen - put Hulk Hogan in their armor and you wouldn't know the difference. I wish there was less of them and more of Goku, but that's in the next volume - so no time to waste!

[Juho Pohjalainen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everyone in this arc is powering up all the time, but it never has any real story significance to it. They'll get their asses kicked by the next foe just as easily. Poor Krillin.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A battle for the universes survival is being waged on Planet Namek! Earth's heroes are trying as they might to get the Dragon Balls together without letting Vegeta or the newest threat Emperor Freeza acquire them! This volume has some awesome twists and turns...and as always a high level of art and story combined to make it another extra awesome volume. Some unimaginable team-ups take place in this volume as well. Even with all the intense action, Akira Toriyama finds places to add his patented humor. This series is not only impressive, but is created to last generations. Picking it up now is just as enjoyable as it was decades ago.

[Matthew · Rating 5 out of 5]

To find all my reviews: http://dancinginth3dark.blogspot.com

Previously on Dragon Ball Z

(I) Kuririn and Dende went to go visit the Elder of the Namekian's to seek out the final dragon ball.

(II) Goku is on a spaceship heading to planet Namek to help out his friends and at the same time training inside the ship to become a better fighter.

(III) Vegeta fought with Zarbon but was no match for him and he almost died. Luckily Zarbon needs Vegeta for Freeza so he takes him to Freeza's spaceship to recover (Big mistake).

That is what you missed on Dragon Ball Z!

In this volume we get to witness plenty of chaos and action but I believe this volume is just an introduction to what we are going to witness in the upcoming volumes. Goku still hasn't arrived on planet Namek but thanks to the training equipment that he has onboard, he has become a stronger fighter that has never been seen before for the Saiyan race and mankind.

Kuririn is able to retrieve the dragon ball from the elder and learns that he has hidden power locked inside of him which the elder is willingly able to release it and Kuririn gets the idea that he needs to bring Gohan to the elder to unlock his powers and become a powerful individual to fight out Vegeta, Freeza, and anything else evil while Goku is away.

Vegeta on the other hand wakes up from his recuperating chambers and discovers that he is on Freeza's ship and they haven't killed him. Since he is a saiyan, every time that he survives a battle, his strength increases and after going through hell with Zarbon he will now be able to open a can of whoop ass and destroy him. While avoiding confrontation, Vegeta was able to trick Freeza and Zarbon and escape the spaceship with 5 of the Dragon Balls.

While all of this drama is going on, Gohan decides that he needs to retrieve the Dragon Balls that Freeza has stolen and discovers the missing dragon ball that Vegeta hid when he attacked a namekian village in the previous volumes.

Gohan and Kuririn encounter Vegeta several times and at first they were reluctant to work with him because they believed that the Dragon Balls only grant one wish but because these dragon balls are enormous and extremely powerful it can grant three wishes. Vegeta originally stoled a dragon ball from Kuririn but now they need to retrieve the final one before the Ginyu Force arrives.

Unfortunately they arrived on time but they are faster and end up at Vegeta's hideout of the Dragon Balls and steals all seven to take to Freeza. Now the gang has to fight the Ginyu force and they are not easy opponents. The leader of the group, Captain Ginyu, is the one who leaves the group to return the dragon balls to Freeza.

So now we get to see this Ginyu Force (who look like an evil pathetic version of Power Rangers without the mask) in action and one of fighters named Gurd died thanks to Vegeta. But the next fighter named Reacoom is too powerful for the entire gang and starts beating the living daylights out of every one of them. Will they be able to defeat the gang before Goku arrives or die in vain? Stay tuned until next time on Dragon Ball Z...

I really enjoyed this volume and I love how we are starting to witness a change with Vegeta. I know what happens to his character later on but I really loved how while he is still selfish and evil, he has now been forced to work with the good guys because he cannot let a bigger evil force ruin his plans and defeat him since he believes he is the greatest saiyan warrior ever. I do not know if the Anime differs from the manga but I am not certain if Vegeta becomes a good guy like Goku or simply accepts that Goku is the supreme super saiyan.

I am losing my patience that Goku hasn't arrived yet and I need to end asap. I remember the whole Freeza storyline vividly and reading it in manga form is utterly epic. I need them to fight already and for Goku to show a glimpse of this new ability that he has possessed thanks to his training.

[Drew Canole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally getting back to this series. Here we're still on Planet Namek. Goku finally gets there in this volume after being on a space ship training for days and days. Vegeta is forced to team up with the boys when Freeza invites the Ginyu Force to help him out.

[Travis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vegeta gets defeated by Zarbon and brought back to Frieza's spaceship to answer questions. However Vegeta recovers and takes Frieza by surprise and steals back the Dragon Balls. That is very short lived though because the Ginyu Force arrives. Vegeta, Krillin, and Gohan team up to stall the Ginyu Force until Goku arrives!!!

[Sam Quixote · Rating 4 out of 5]

Man, Akira Toriyama knows how to milk the suspense, doesn’t he? Son Goku STILL hasn’t arrived on Namek yet but his training has taken him to a new height - somewhere beyond anyone’s powers. Can’t wait to see him land and take on Freeza and co.

So, meanwhile: everyone’s playing silly buggers with the Dragon Balls. Freeza’s got 5 then he doesn’t. Vegeta thinks he’s got 7 but he’s got 6. Then Kuririn and Gohan swap Dragon Balls. Then Freeza has all 7! And so on. The swapping and changing was fun for a while but I’m kinda wishing we could get past it now - we have had 3 books of this!

Vegeta awakens in Freeza’s infirmary, freshly healed from his wounds against Zarbon, only to take him on again in Round 2. And here’s the thing: the Saiyans get stronger after a fight they lose - they are literally the embodiment of the phrase “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger”! - so Zarbon’s really in for it in this rematch!

The reinforcements Freeza called for have arrived in the form of the Ginyu Force: five theatrically campy warriors who’re all supposedly the equal - even the better - of Vegeta! They’re essentially still more hurdles for Goku and co. to overcome before facing Freeza. The good news is Goku is on the brink of appearing on Namek and both Kuririn and Gohan levelled up thanks to the Grand Elder of Namek, so I think they’re gonna do alright against this bunch!

I was surprised to see that in a supposedly “All Ages” book there was a very visual decapitation scene, but there we go. I guess kids these days are desensitized to that sorta thing?

Even without Goku though, volume 7 has a lot of great stuff happening and you’ll find yourself unexpectedly rooting for Vegeta in some of the fights, despite his evilness! The enemy of my enemy and so on.

The volume ends with Goku about to take the stage - hopefully now Toriyama won’t spend another book keeping him back to tease the readers still further!

[Sharon Mariampillai · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual Rating: 4.40

This was a great read. This series continues to get better and better. This is an absolute thrilling ride. I really enjoyed the action and battles. In this volume, the Ginyu force arrives on Earth and plans to help Freeza with his plans. Also, I got to see Vegeta side with Gohan and Kuririn and it is interesting because I know that they will all become allies in the future. I really hope it happens soon. I know that Freeza storyline is a major part of the manga and anime. I am just excited to see the fight with Freeza. I can't wait for Volume 8. Overall, another enjoyable read.

[Chelsea · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a misleading cover because Goku still hasn't arrived on Namek and Freeza is still a puppet master in this volume. This was a rather goofy go around as Freeza/Zarbon heal Vegeta in order to interrogate him about where he hid his dragon ball; but he dupes them and steals their dragonballs. Then there is this stupid chasing dragon balls around as Gohan steals Vegeta's hidden ball, but Vegeta steals the ball from Kuririn. The Great Elder Guru does unlock Kuririn and Gohan's potential and really raises their chi. Freeza, realizing all three of his henchmen have been taken out, calls in reinforcements of the Ginyu Force. Basically it's five "warriors" that pose in ridiculous manners while screaming their names. But after a rather graphic fight with psychic Gurd, it's Reacoon vs. Vegeta and it's quite the fight. Volume ends with the announcement Goku is (finally) about to land on Namek.

This just isn't my favorite arc even without all the extra BS the anime adds. Wait for Goku to save the day gets old fast. The Ginyu Force is supposed to be scary but they're just silly. I don't think the pay off of this arc is worth all this build up. Only a few more volumes of Freeza though!

[rion · Rating 4 out of 5]

i feel so bad for young gohan bros partically being forced to fight jus cuz his friends are all dying and hes still getting clapped fromt the giynu force but goku entrance was fire tho and vegeta glazing goku is so funny bru

[Justin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love how over the top the Ginyu force is. Make me smile every panel they are in.

[Casper Paaske · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one plays out like a game of chess, our heroes Kuririn and Gohan tries their best to outmanoeuvre enemies they know they cannot defeat, while our enemies try to outmanoeuvre each other, it makes for very fascinating a tense pages!

[Nikhil Math]

I always wonderred if the Ginyu force was all sayians or what.
I did not realize how powerful they were...

[Mr. Cody · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Death of Zarbon. The Death of Guldo. PEAK ENTERTAINMENT

[Stijn Coppens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ginyu!!

[rico · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's about this guy named Goku who is a sayian for earth. Goku Arrives on this namekian planet for his friends who got killed by these overbearing powers from the sayians. The sayian names were Vegeta and Nappa. I give this book a rating of five because it shows the strategies what a friend would do to save the world and the z fighters. Near the end son Goku vs. The Ginyu Force and he kicks all their butts. My advice of reading this book is it easier than a chapter book and you can understand it.

[Adriana · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Ginyu Force has arrived and even Vegeta is worried. What I loved most about this series was that Vegeta finally had to team up with the good guys. That doesn't mean he is a good guy though. I just want the fight with Freeza to happen already...

[Jaime Ramos · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like the book I read because I think is action like fighting like good people vs the bad guys

[Angie · Rating 5 out of 5]

And so Vegeta becomes a reluctant ally.

[Yoyomaus Die Büchereule · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nachdem Kuririn den Oberältesten der Namekianer aufgesucht hat, erfährt dieser mehr über den Hintergrund Piccolos und wie dieser zur Erde kam. Außerdem stärkt der Oberälteste die Kräfte von Kuririn, damit dieser im Kampf gegen die Schergen von Freezer bestehen kann und übergibt ihm den letzten verbliebenen Dragon Ball, um sich und sein Volk zu schützen. Währenddessen wurde Vegeta von Zarbon besiegt und wurde in die Basis von seinem Boss Freezer gebracht, um ihn zu heilen und ihn nach dem Verbleib des Dragon Balls auszufragen. Doch so leicht macht es Vegeta dem Finsterling nicht und verfolgt seine ganz eigenen Ziele, indem er die Dragon Balls wieder aus dem Besitz von Freezer verschwinden lässt. Zwischen Vegeta und den Freunden entbrennt ein Wettlauf um die Dragon Balls, während sich Son Goku noch immer auf dem Weg nach Namek befindet. Als das fünfköpfige Ginyu-Sonderkommando auftaucht, um sich um die Freunde und Vegeta zu kümmern, müssen diese gezwungener Maßen erkennen, dass es wohl besser wäre, wenn sie von nun an zusammen arbeiten.

Wieder einmal präsentiert Akira Toriyama ein Meisterwerk. Nicht nur die Landschaft und die Charaktere sind wieder sehr gut ausgearbeitet, auch spiel Akira diesmal mit den Seiten von Gut und Böse. Besonders Vegeta wird in diesem Teil zu einem grauen Charakter. Man weiß nicht, ob man ihn bemitleiden oder hassen soll. Scheinbar macht Vegeta eine Wandlung seines Charakters durch und man sieht, dass der Kerl vielleicht doch nicht so schlecht ist, wie man dachte. Trotzdem betrachtet der Leser den Charakter weiterhin argwöhnisch. Das ganze hin und her zwischen den Dragon Balls ist zeitweise doch recht verwirrend, aber doch spannend gestaltet. Und dann kommt der Supergau. Die Dragon Balls auf Namek können nicht nur einen Wunsch erfüllen, sondern gleich drei auf einmal. Bleibt abzuwarten, was die Freunde nun noch erwartet und vor allem, in welcher Hinsicht die Freunde ihre Wünsche verwenden werden, wenn sie den neuen Drachen endlich beschwören können. Außerdem bleibt es spannend bis zur Ankunft von Son Goku, der wird sicher erst wieder auftauchen, wenn es scheinbar keine Hoffnung mehr gibt. Ich denke, Toriyama wird uns noch die eine oder andere Überraschung liefern, mit der wir absolut nicht rechnen. Ich freue mich schon auf den nächsten Band.


Taschenbuch: 192 Seiten
Verlag: Carlsen; Auflage: 7. (15. Februar 2001)
Sprache: Deutsch
ISBN-10: 3551735638
ISBN-13: 978-3551735638
Vom Hersteller empfohlenes Alter: 10 - 12 Jahre
Größe und/oder Gewicht: 11,6 x 2 x 17,6 cm

[isaac · Rating 5 out of 5]

At first I was worried that maybe the series will have peaked with volume 4, and no other DBZ books will come close in quality, but then only 3 volumes later I read another contender.

The three characters at the focus of the book all sit comfortably in the series’ top 5 atp (Krillin, Vegeta, and Gohan) so obviously the events here involving them are super great to read through.

The art also featured consistently great compositions within its panels. It’s very rare that I would find bad panelling within this series, but (and I’m not even sure what it is) something about the art in volume 7 exceeded my already very high expectations on DBZ visuals.

On a similar note, Vegeta’s presents some surprisingly graphic violence that exceeds so much of what has become the norm for the series. Panels focused on blood dripping on the floor, or a battle decapitation being given a half-page panel. As evil as he is, Vegeta is just so cool…

The Ginyu force arrive about half way through this book, and I’m in love page 1. Completely over the top ridiculous while simultaneously a really effective vehicle for tension, even before they appear. And once they are on the page the show is stolen. I love flamboyant villains, and in many ways the Ginyu Force feels like the absolute peak of that.

Overall I think the biggest strength of this volume is how incredibly well it balances its humor with the time-bomb tension. Moments of lighthearted and comical approaches to tricking the bad guy succeed, but also end with a child being violently hit in the stomach.

Also it’s really impressive how efficiently Toryiama is able to team up the bad guys with the good guys when the circumstances call for it. We saw it with Piccolo and now Vegeta - usually this would feel out of character and lazy writing to build hype, but in DBZ these team ups absolutely feel believable and create easily the most interesting dynamics present among the wide cast.

Tonight I was only planning to read a couple chapters before bed because I realised I hadn’t read any the past 2 days and needed something to cool down with. I read the whole book without a second thought, genuinely couldn’t put it down. The addiction is back and I couldn’t be more excited.

[Brandon · Rating 4 out of 5]

So much of this arc really boils down to showing bigger and bigger threats, and telling us that they still can't even hope to compare to Freeza himself. Vegeta is strong! Here are some enemies that are supposed to match or surpass him in power, but he can still take them! Even the ones stronger than him, he's still growing more powerful and finding ways to surpass them! And he's got so much ego he's even letting himself get a bit careless around Krillin and Gohan... though the important part is he still admits that even if they teamed up they would be no match for Freeza. Freeza is that scary that these mountian-destroying strikes mean nothing in the face of his power. Our heroes would certainly be done for if not for that the fact that, well, Freeza also has an ego and wants other people to do his dirty work for him instead of wandering around one-shotting everything by himself. He toys with his food a bit too much!

Oh and we got the Ginyu Force, arriving before Goku can, as a new threat. We're done with Vegeta, Gohan, and Krillin sneaking around trying to avoid Freeza's notice- his special elite fighting force is arriving and ready to destroy them. Like when Vegeta and Nappa arrive on Namek, it's time once again for everyone to fight just to stay alive so Goku can get there in time. Is it a pattern that is concerning? Yeah, but... the Ginyu Force are fun. They have so much style. They're so goofy. I love them, I'm glad they get a bit of time to show themselves off. We get some goofy battles and weird powers sandwhiched in-between the subterfuge and, what is surely to come, the destructive battle against Freeza.

[Logan Payne · Rating 4 out of 5]

The carnage on Planet Namek finally begins. Vegeta has the upper hand, and all hope is lost until a new group of warriors joins the fray, each one mightier than the last. Vegeta has no choice but to team up with our heroes for the time being and fight fire with fire.

I love Vegeta’s characterization in this one. At first we think he’s a selfish egomaniac hell-bent on immortality like Freeza. But we learn that he only wants to live in a world without Freeza’s tyranny, and the only way to do that is to outclass him. There’s a small moment where Vegeta demands Kuririn to destroy one of the dragon balls so Freeza can’t get a hold of it, and I love that moment. Without hesitation, Vegeta is willing to sacrifice his dreams and saiyan pride by grouping with Earthlings as long as it means Freeza is gone.

How could I ignore the Ginyu Force? You might be telling yourself, “But Logan. You wrote that Zarbon’s transformation is stupid. Why does he outclass Vegeta by so much? You said the scaling is out-of-wack! So how is the Ginyu Force any better? Each one of them is miraculously stronger than Vegeta, this astounding anomaly of a warrior.”

And while you’re right, the scaling is absurd, the Ginyu Force has something that Zarbon and Dodoria never dreamed of having: charm. Even though the “fight” between Vegeta and Reacoom is one-sided and uninteresting, Reacoom’s character makes it so damn memorable.

[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.

[Drew · Rating 5 out of 5]

This volume reveals how great of a character Vegeta can actually be. And that is really where this saga sets itself apart. The semi light tone makes all the difference. Because you could take the entire storyline and put it in an incredibly dark tone and it just wouldn't be as powerful... It would probably be too much.

Having Goku be so incurably optimistic and joyful makes the moments where he is humble bragging and quietly assessing the situation so much more powerful. See the next volume for a perfect example of that.

Back to Vegeta. I wanted very badly for the heroes to finish him off when he was dying on earth. Goku stopped them, and it made me mad. But Toriyama plays the long game. And these volumes are where you get all that pay off. Vegeta is the perfect foil for the heroes. And yes, I know where his character arc goes, but pretend you don't for now. These stories are magnificent.

[Hafeez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Volume 23: Chapter 265-276
Arc 13: Frieza Saga - Namek Arc

Krillin got the Dragon Ball and Saichoro increase his power potential. Gohan found the Dragon Ball that Vegeta hides. Vegeta was healed in Frieza's ship. He then steal all the Dragon Balls. Vegeta faced Krillin and take the Dragon Ball from him. Now he have 6 Dragon Balls. Krillin and Gohan go to see the Saichoro again. Gohan managed to unleash his power potential.

Goku already conquered the 100G gravity training. He will arrive in Planet Namek in one day. Suddenly, the Ginyu Force arrive at Planet Namek. They have 5 people (Recoome, Burter, Jeice, Guldo and Ginyu) which is one of them have power greater than Vegeta. Krillin and Gohan agree to help Vegeta summon the dragon as the Dragon Ball can grant 3 wishes.

Gohan and Krillin fight Guldo and Vegeta killed him. Vegeta then fights Recoome.

[Bryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this volume we get our first glimpse of the character that Vegeta will eventually become. 'The enemy of my enemy is my friend' comes to mind. Kuririn, Gohan, and Vegeta must work together to have any chance of defeating the Ginyu Force.

There are some interesting tidbits of information on the Saiyan race in this volume as well, which I either forgot outright or aren't in the show. Apparently, every time a Saiyan fights and loses (whether on the brink of death or just a failure to win the fight), they get even stronger after they recover. Which explains why Vegeta is so much stronger after his loss on Earth, and why Goku gets stronger after each time he is defeated (the Piccolo fight comes to mind, as does the Vegeta fight). Pretty cool.