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Dragon Ball [ドラゴンボール] #1
Dragon Ball 01 孫悟空と仲間たち [Dragon Ball 1: Son Gokū to Nakama-tachi]
山奥に住む怪力で、メチャクチャ元気な孫悟空。ある日悟空は、七つ揃うとどんな願いも叶うという、ドラゴンボールを探すブルマに出会う。彼女とともに、悟空もハラハラドキドキの旅へ出発する!
192 pages, Paperback
First published September 9, 1985
983 people are currently reading
15878 people want to read
About the author
Akira Toriyama
1,909 books1,725 followersAkira 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,023 reviews
June 4, 2016
I guess a big part of the title's immense popular success is the fact that it knows its target audience: Dragon Ball Vol.1 reads as if it had been spontaneously cooked up by a bunch of dudes on the verge of adolescence and on a sugar rush who are into fighting games but kinda scared of girls. Which may not sound very appealing but turns out just fine, as the story is refreshingly unapologetic about its lack of sophistication and never pretends to be anything but a fast-paced, light-hearted adventure with an enjoyable anything-goes attitude. Now, if Toriyama could just get that old panty fetish under control... :)
July 10, 2014
I’m gonna say Dragon Ball was the first comic I ever came across in my life - that’s probably wrong but it’s definitely the earliest one I can remember. The copies I had were in Japanese as I lived briefly in Japan as a kid so I couldn’t read them but I still remember paging through them, back to front of course, trying to figure out from the characters’ faces and body language what was happening in the scenes and making up my own dialogue.
Later on I saw a few episodes of the TV show, then even later I saw a bit of the awful American Dragon Ball film (I changed the channel after about 20 minutes - it was unwatchable). But while I was aware of Dragon Ball as this massive franchise, I’d never actually read a Dragon Ball comic - until this week when I decided to remedy that and pick up the very first book. And it was really good - totally worth rediscovering the comic with words I could actually read!
Dragon Ball is based on the classic 16th century Chinese novel, Journey to the West, and Son Goku’s character is inspired by the novel’s protagonist Sun Wukong aka the Monkey King. In this first book (also subtitled The Monkey King) we’re introduced to Son Goku, a young boy who lives alone with his “grandpa” (a Dragon Ball) practicing martial arts in the wild, and living off the land. He’s not lonely, he’s a happy-go-lucky kid… who also has a monkey tail!
Then a teenage girl called Bulma crosses his path - she’s looking for the seven mystical Dragon Balls on her summer holiday from school. The legend goes that if you put all seven balls together, the Dragon God will appear and grant you one wish. Together, Son Goku and Bulma set out to collect all of the Dragon Balls and have adventures along the way!
Dragon Ball is the first place to start if you want to go from the beginning of this saga - Dragon Ball Z is the second phase of the series where the hero, Son Goku, has grown up. Son Goku, by the way, is one of my favourite comic book characters ever! I love his innocence coupled with his good heart and spirit, and he can kick ass like nobody’s business. And I know it’s way in the future but shooting fireballs from his hands, flying, going super-saiyan… forget Superman, this guy is AWESOME!
It’s easy to see why Akira Toriyama’s series was such a success. The loose framework of the plot allows him to create anything he wants - in a world where capsules can become cars and houses, and magical wishes, mystical dragon balls, and an unstoppable fighting machine kid with a tail are all real? Game on then, because there are no limits! The world of Dragon Ball is so deliriously wonderful and crazy, how can you not fall in love with it? At one point a flying cloud appears that only allows the pure of heart to fly on it (only Goku is able to) and then a dinosaur randomly stumbles into the comic! Amazing.
However, I was surprised with how unexpectedly pervy this book turned out to be! Bulma tries to sway Goku into giving her his Dragon Ball by flashing her underwear but Goku’s too innocent and doesn’t understand “girl parts” or things like sex. Bulma does the same thing later on with Kame-Sennin, the Turtle Hermit, to get his Dragon Ball, and later on when they encounter the shapeshifting pig Oolong, the character - true to his nature - ends up drugging her so he can attempt to rape her!! Bulma’s no great female role model either, dressing up as a Playboy bunny (just because) and using her looks at every opportunity to get ahead. I assume there are “kid friendly” versions of Dragon Ball with those scenes edited out because that stuff is just disappointing to see in a book so many kids will read.
That was the only low point though - everything else from the art to the writing to the storytelling is absolutely delightful. Dragon Ball Volume 1 is thoroughly enjoyable with a great sense of humour and high level of invention. This first book is really excellent and only whets the appetite for more Son Goku and his mysterious world, and I definitely don’t intend to wait decades until picking up the next one either!
Later on I saw a few episodes of the TV show, then even later I saw a bit of the awful American Dragon Ball film (I changed the channel after about 20 minutes - it was unwatchable). But while I was aware of Dragon Ball as this massive franchise, I’d never actually read a Dragon Ball comic - until this week when I decided to remedy that and pick up the very first book. And it was really good - totally worth rediscovering the comic with words I could actually read!
Dragon Ball is based on the classic 16th century Chinese novel, Journey to the West, and Son Goku’s character is inspired by the novel’s protagonist Sun Wukong aka the Monkey King. In this first book (also subtitled The Monkey King) we’re introduced to Son Goku, a young boy who lives alone with his “grandpa” (a Dragon Ball) practicing martial arts in the wild, and living off the land. He’s not lonely, he’s a happy-go-lucky kid… who also has a monkey tail!
Then a teenage girl called Bulma crosses his path - she’s looking for the seven mystical Dragon Balls on her summer holiday from school. The legend goes that if you put all seven balls together, the Dragon God will appear and grant you one wish. Together, Son Goku and Bulma set out to collect all of the Dragon Balls and have adventures along the way!
Dragon Ball is the first place to start if you want to go from the beginning of this saga - Dragon Ball Z is the second phase of the series where the hero, Son Goku, has grown up. Son Goku, by the way, is one of my favourite comic book characters ever! I love his innocence coupled with his good heart and spirit, and he can kick ass like nobody’s business. And I know it’s way in the future but shooting fireballs from his hands, flying, going super-saiyan… forget Superman, this guy is AWESOME!
It’s easy to see why Akira Toriyama’s series was such a success. The loose framework of the plot allows him to create anything he wants - in a world where capsules can become cars and houses, and magical wishes, mystical dragon balls, and an unstoppable fighting machine kid with a tail are all real? Game on then, because there are no limits! The world of Dragon Ball is so deliriously wonderful and crazy, how can you not fall in love with it? At one point a flying cloud appears that only allows the pure of heart to fly on it (only Goku is able to) and then a dinosaur randomly stumbles into the comic! Amazing.
However, I was surprised with how unexpectedly pervy this book turned out to be! Bulma tries to sway Goku into giving her his Dragon Ball by flashing her underwear but Goku’s too innocent and doesn’t understand “girl parts” or things like sex. Bulma does the same thing later on with Kame-Sennin, the Turtle Hermit, to get his Dragon Ball, and later on when they encounter the shapeshifting pig Oolong, the character - true to his nature - ends up drugging her so he can attempt to rape her!! Bulma’s no great female role model either, dressing up as a Playboy bunny (just because) and using her looks at every opportunity to get ahead. I assume there are “kid friendly” versions of Dragon Ball with those scenes edited out because that stuff is just disappointing to see in a book so many kids will read.
That was the only low point though - everything else from the art to the writing to the storytelling is absolutely delightful. Dragon Ball Volume 1 is thoroughly enjoyable with a great sense of humour and high level of invention. This first book is really excellent and only whets the appetite for more Son Goku and his mysterious world, and I definitely don’t intend to wait decades until picking up the next one either!
February 14, 2023
Besides for the awkward sexualization of a 16 year old... this is an excellent comic.
In just a few pages we get fully into the hunt for the Dragon Balls. Son Goku is hilarious. Bulma is great. I also loved meeting Oolong and other characters. So much creativity.
In just a few pages we get fully into the hunt for the Dragon Balls. Son Goku is hilarious. Bulma is great. I also loved meeting Oolong and other characters. So much creativity.
July 4, 2011
A classic of my childhood Dragon Ball is one of the best shows I've ever watched and, Gods forbid, if I ever have children I will be making them watch it.
With that in mind while shopping recently I came across the first two volumes of the manga. I've never bought any manga before so I thought why not.
With no real difference to the show (I have the uncensored, uncut DVDs) there was nothing new but it was good to go back to the start again and see how it originally came out.
A fun, funny and heartwarming tale I highly recommend either the manga or the show to everyone.
With that in mind while shopping recently I came across the first two volumes of the manga. I've never bought any manga before so I thought why not.
With no real difference to the show (I have the uncensored, uncut DVDs) there was nothing new but it was good to go back to the start again and see how it originally came out.
A fun, funny and heartwarming tale I highly recommend either the manga or the show to everyone.
September 13, 2009
The original Dragon Ball is silly fun, with an almost stream-of-consciousness plot. The simple quest for seven mystical dragon balls serves as a loose framework for disparate adventures in a world whose characters and locales are a mish-mash of futuristic, mythological, prehistoric, and cinematic.
The hero is a small monkey boy named Son Goku with a strong appetite for fighting. He is discovered in the jungle wilderness by a girl using advanced technology to find the dragon balls, and they continue the quest together. Along the way, they battle conversant monsters, mischievous shape-shifters, and a painfully shy desert bandit.
Much of the humor is earthy, and plays off Goku's inherent innocence. When the girl, Bulma, tries to win him over by flashing him, Goku grimaces over the sight of her "dirty butt".
A typical stock character of manga is here, the deviant old man lusting after young girls' panties. A small pig transforms himself into a monster in order to extort young girls from terrified villagers. But in the end, Goku's virtue is rewarded with the gift of a magic cloud that can be ridden only by the pure -- so of course, no one but him can resist falling straight through.
Volume 1 ends in a cliffhanger, as Bulma in a bunny suit is threatened by the monstrous Ox King at the foot of a flaming castle that holds the sixth dragon ball.
The hero is a small monkey boy named Son Goku with a strong appetite for fighting. He is discovered in the jungle wilderness by a girl using advanced technology to find the dragon balls, and they continue the quest together. Along the way, they battle conversant monsters, mischievous shape-shifters, and a painfully shy desert bandit.
Much of the humor is earthy, and plays off Goku's inherent innocence. When the girl, Bulma, tries to win him over by flashing him, Goku grimaces over the sight of her "dirty butt".
A typical stock character of manga is here, the deviant old man lusting after young girls' panties. A small pig transforms himself into a monster in order to extort young girls from terrified villagers. But in the end, Goku's virtue is rewarded with the gift of a magic cloud that can be ridden only by the pure -- so of course, no one but him can resist falling straight through.
Volume 1 ends in a cliffhanger, as Bulma in a bunny suit is threatened by the monstrous Ox King at the foot of a flaming castle that holds the sixth dragon ball.
April 6, 2024
Excited to reread Dragon Ball from the beginning, in honor of the late Toriyama-san!
This first book from way back in 1984 has a very dated sense of humor. It's not quite a deal-breaker, but it is weird to read. In particular, the old martial arts master being a pervert is just such a cliché. That said, it's very imaginative and also so different from how the iconic Dragon Ball Z later developed.
It's a quirky silly story of naive child Goku and Bulma going on a quest. No world-building, it's just a fun fantasy land with talking animals and no explanations. A couple other characters we will later recognize show up. In the very beginning, there aren't even really any villains as the joke of an emperor Pilaf comes in at volume two.
The aliens and threats against the planet (and later the universe) come much later. For now, it was simply a comedy adventure manga that was making it up as it went along and no one knew how it would all turn out...
This first book from way back in 1984 has a very dated sense of humor. It's not quite a deal-breaker, but it is weird to read. In particular, the old martial arts master being a pervert is just such a cliché. That said, it's very imaginative and also so different from how the iconic Dragon Ball Z later developed.
It's a quirky silly story of naive child Goku and Bulma going on a quest. No world-building, it's just a fun fantasy land with talking animals and no explanations. A couple other characters we will later recognize show up. In the very beginning, there aren't even really any villains as the joke of an emperor Pilaf comes in at volume two.
The aliens and threats against the planet (and later the universe) come much later. For now, it was simply a comedy adventure manga that was making it up as it went along and no one knew how it would all turn out...
December 8, 2021
All of the “Best Manga/Anime” lists failed to mention how preoccupied the male characters would be with groping women and coercing them into getting naked. I know it’s a somewhat common trope but this was excessive—to the point where it was the majority of the volume.
Continuing with the series because there has to be a reason for the series’ longevity outside of general perviness, right? Right?????
Continuing with the series because there has to be a reason for the series’ longevity outside of general perviness, right? Right?????
August 2, 2015
I loved the animated series and I was worried this would be like watching the cartoon, but it's very different and gives a lot of background into the characters which I never knew about.
Some nice little stories and an ongoing theme throughout the story.
I think I could enjoy reading the whole series.
Some nice little stories and an ongoing theme throughout the story.
I think I could enjoy reading the whole series.
October 18, 2022
Okay, how come no one told me this series was so hilarious?
Like, even the pervy stuff is just funny rather than kinky. They really don't make manga like this any more!
I love how quickly everything came together, and how easily everyone was introduced. Battles don't last a billion pages, the action is easy to follow, and Goku's innocence just makes everything so much funnier.
Honestly loved this. I get the hype.
Like, even the pervy stuff is just funny rather than kinky. They really don't make manga like this any more!
I love how quickly everything came together, and how easily everyone was introduced. Battles don't last a billion pages, the action is easy to follow, and Goku's innocence just makes everything so much funnier.
Honestly loved this. I get the hype.
December 8, 2018
While I wait for the library to get a copy of the just-released sixth installment of those food dungeon comics that I enjoy so much, I figured it was time to read some history.
Dragon Ball has a lot in common with real-world history: it did a bunch of embarrassing things that have been largely ignored due of the wild success it now enjoys as a foundational text. It started as another twist on Journey to the West and has become a Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade balloon this year.
It, along with my personal favorite Sailor Moon and the soon-to-Netflix Evangelion are the genesis of 90s western anime aesthetic.
But the thing about history is that when you access the unabridged version, it tends to be pretty gross. Dragon Ball opens with Bulma—a teenaged girl—shooting Goku—the monkey-alien-turned-parade-balloon—in the face. With a gun. Didn’t really expect that but ok.
It’s the scene where the shape-shifting pig doses Bulma and tries to (his words) “feel her up” which is—it’s not good. At all. You can “Times were different back then,” or “The pig is a bad guy so he’s showing you what not to do,” all you want, but there’s no excuse for attempted rape in a kid’s book. Or anywhere.
Pervy I get, even if I’m not super into it. Innocent feral-child Goku stealing Bulma’s underpants for innocuous reasons so that when she bribes an old man with a flashy little peep and later is mortified to realize she gave him the whole business is funny in a “kids say the darnedest things” way. Plus Bulma rules and shouldn't be vilified for doing what she wants with her own body.
But unless you’re prepared to do some whitewashing of history it is an impossible to avoid that there is a panel of someone lifting the sheets off an unconscious person. Which makes it impossible to recommend this particular volume to anyone. C’mon.
Dragon Ball has a lot in common with real-world history: it did a bunch of embarrassing things that have been largely ignored due of the wild success it now enjoys as a foundational text. It started as another twist on Journey to the West and has become a Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade balloon this year.
It, along with my personal favorite Sailor Moon and the soon-to-Netflix Evangelion are the genesis of 90s western anime aesthetic.
But the thing about history is that when you access the unabridged version, it tends to be pretty gross. Dragon Ball opens with Bulma—a teenaged girl—shooting Goku—the monkey-alien-turned-parade-balloon—in the face. With a gun. Didn’t really expect that but ok.
It’s the scene where the shape-shifting pig doses Bulma and tries to (his words) “feel her up” which is—it’s not good. At all. You can “Times were different back then,” or “The pig is a bad guy so he’s showing you what not to do,” all you want, but there’s no excuse for attempted rape in a kid’s book. Or anywhere.
Pervy I get, even if I’m not super into it. Innocent feral-child Goku stealing Bulma’s underpants for innocuous reasons so that when she bribes an old man with a flashy little peep and later is mortified to realize she gave him the whole business is funny in a “kids say the darnedest things” way. Plus Bulma rules and shouldn't be vilified for doing what she wants with her own body.
But unless you’re prepared to do some whitewashing of history it is an impossible to avoid that there is a panel of someone lifting the sheets off an unconscious person. Which makes it impossible to recommend this particular volume to anyone. C’mon.
August 6, 2019
-- This review covers all of Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z (all 42 volumes in Japanese) --
Phew! Talk about epic! I used to scoff when people said that this was their favourite manga, and for the at least the first few volumes, I didn't think much of it. It followed the traditional route of gag manga, which while funny, really wasn't my cup of tea.
Then Akira Toriyama changed pace in the Dragon Ball Z portions of the story (when the protagonist, Goku, has grown up significantly). Suddenly, there was a lot more excitement. The crew are fighting ever-harder enemies, and overcoming harder and harder challenges alongside heaps and heaps of power-ups, constant improvements, and newer techniques which are a staple of shounen manga nowadays. But Toriyama still had a lot of throw-backs and references to the first portion of the series, and being able to recall those references so recently made it lots of fun to read.
This is definitely a series to be read, if you're at all keen on reading one of the best manga series around. And it's also a little shorter than Bleach or One Piece. lol
Phew! Talk about epic! I used to scoff when people said that this was their favourite manga, and for the at least the first few volumes, I didn't think much of it. It followed the traditional route of gag manga, which while funny, really wasn't my cup of tea.
Then Akira Toriyama changed pace in the Dragon Ball Z portions of the story (when the protagonist, Goku, has grown up significantly). Suddenly, there was a lot more excitement. The crew are fighting ever-harder enemies, and overcoming harder and harder challenges alongside heaps and heaps of power-ups, constant improvements, and newer techniques which are a staple of shounen manga nowadays. But Toriyama still had a lot of throw-backs and references to the first portion of the series, and being able to recall those references so recently made it lots of fun to read.
This is definitely a series to be read, if you're at all keen on reading one of the best manga series around. And it's also a little shorter than Bleach or One Piece. lol
May 18, 2024
I have known Dragon Ball since I was a child. Even though I was born in the 90s, this manga has been published since the 80s.
Since I was young, I followed several of its anime series and collected action figures, but now I have forgotten and don't understand the storyline anymore.
Therefore, I am trying to start reading it again from the beginning.
To my surprise, it turns out that the first volume had already been adapted into a live-action movie by Taiwan titled "Dragon Ball: The Magic Begins," which was quite a sensation when I was a child. I remember we watched this movie together with whatever facilities we had at the time, but we were very happy back then. The same goes for the action figures from this franchise. We never stopped playing with them.
Ahh, good old days. I think this happiness is something that is hard to find for kids nowadays.
Since I was young, I followed several of its anime series and collected action figures, but now I have forgotten and don't understand the storyline anymore.
Therefore, I am trying to start reading it again from the beginning.
To my surprise, it turns out that the first volume had already been adapted into a live-action movie by Taiwan titled "Dragon Ball: The Magic Begins," which was quite a sensation when I was a child. I remember we watched this movie together with whatever facilities we had at the time, but we were very happy back then. The same goes for the action figures from this franchise. We never stopped playing with them.
Ahh, good old days. I think this happiness is something that is hard to find for kids nowadays.
March 21, 2024
My sister loves this manga. Is very funny and full of adventures. A perfect introduction to the Dragon Ball series. This book improved my mood while reading. Just judge it yourself :)
August 26, 2019
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.
January 4, 2021
Flash back to year 2003. Dragon Ball Z's been running on television for a couple years now, I think, and I was probably not the only kid humming Rock The Dragon under my breath at school. I thought it pretty slow even back then, but I loved it anyway.
And that's when the manga dropped. It was among the first manga published in Finland - I know Akira had come out earlier, but I'm pretty sure I hadn't yet read it at the time - and it offered me and the other young fans new insight to the characters and the world and story pacing... and a nasty culture shock to the insular northern Finland, opened to unexpected revelations of the 80s Japan's popular culture and its propensity for crass sex comedy and nudity. It got into some hot water for it for a while. Some of this stuff would definitely not fly today.
Even so, it's a classic for a reason. The story beats flow well and there's a lot of good humour and action, the characters are still a bit bare-bones but nonetheless distinct and memorable, and Yamcha makes for a moderately threatening recurring villain for these early bits (it's a shame how the story would continue to treat him after this). Definitely worth going back to if you haven't read it in a while.
And that's when the manga dropped. It was among the first manga published in Finland - I know Akira had come out earlier, but I'm pretty sure I hadn't yet read it at the time - and it offered me and the other young fans new insight to the characters and the world and story pacing... and a nasty culture shock to the insular northern Finland, opened to unexpected revelations of the 80s Japan's popular culture and its propensity for crass sex comedy and nudity. It got into some hot water for it for a while. Some of this stuff would definitely not fly today.
Even so, it's a classic for a reason. The story beats flow well and there's a lot of good humour and action, the characters are still a bit bare-bones but nonetheless distinct and memorable, and Yamcha makes for a moderately threatening recurring villain for these early bits (it's a shame how the story would continue to treat him after this). Definitely worth going back to if you haven't read it in a while.
March 29, 2021
I watched Dragon Ball (and am partway through Z) with my boyfriend, and I ended up really enjoying what Dragon Ball became. However, this first volume of the manga reminded me of why I didn't love it right away - constant sexualization of the female characters & weird pervy jokes. I didn't like Muten Roshi in the anime and I sure as hell don't like him here either!!
Since I know the plot improves after this first arc, I will keep reading, but I am definitely looking forward to moving past these pretty crappy first chapters. The only reason for 2 stars is that Goku's character (outside of the "pat pat" nonsense) is pretty great.
Since I know the plot improves after this first arc, I will keep reading, but I am definitely looking forward to moving past these pretty crappy first chapters. The only reason for 2 stars is that Goku's character (outside of the "pat pat" nonsense) is pretty great.
March 5, 2010
Comienzo divertidísimo y casi impecable para una serie épica por donde se la mire. Lindos dibujos, excelente narrativa, chistes muy graciosos. Muchos de los elementos que harían esta serie el clásico que es ya están en este incipiente comienzo. Uno de los mejores araanques de serie que haya leído en manga en particular y en comics de donde sean en general.
May 1, 2015
My childhood pearl
June 12, 2024
Va beh! è Dragon Ball, che altro si potrebbe dire?
Una storia sempre simpatica, al limite del goliardico e essendo il primo volume, si inizia a conoscere i protagonisti, uno più strambo dell'altro XD
Un tuffo nel passato!
Una storia sempre simpatica, al limite del goliardico e essendo il primo volume, si inizia a conoscere i protagonisti, uno più strambo dell'altro XD
Un tuffo nel passato!
June 28, 2022
Dragon Ball is an anime/manga that is generally popular nowadays for all the Super Saiyan transformations and never ending power up scenes. Having watched the anime as a kid, I only vaguely remembered how it was initially, and this manga helped me dive back into the memory lane.
It is fair to say that the first volume of Dragon Ball is very different from what the general perspective of the series is nowadays. It feels incipient and innocent (despite the many adult jokes) as compared to the later entries.
The legendary status of the manga is something that cannot be understated. And despite the flaws of the first volume, I know that the last forward is definitively going to be a beautiful one.
It is fair to say that the first volume of Dragon Ball is very different from what the general perspective of the series is nowadays. It feels incipient and innocent (despite the many adult jokes) as compared to the later entries.
The legendary status of the manga is something that cannot be understated. And despite the flaws of the first volume, I know that the last forward is definitively going to be a beautiful one.
July 14, 2015
Tenía que darle una oportunidad a Dragon Ball dado que:
1) Es la biblia de los mangas/animes.
2) La gran insistencia de mi hermano.
3) Porque el señor Kishimoto (creador de mi anime favorito) es ultra fan y se inspiro de esta historia.
Me gustó mucho, es muy cómica y los personajes son muy tiernos y agradables, salvo Bulma que es insoportable pero supongo que va a madurar. Goku es tan inocente que va a ser nostálgico verlo crecer.
1) Es la biblia de los mangas/animes.
2) La gran insistencia de mi hermano.
3) Porque el señor Kishimoto (creador de mi anime favorito) es ultra fan y se inspiro de esta historia.
Me gustó mucho, es muy cómica y los personajes son muy tiernos y agradables, salvo Bulma que es insoportable pero supongo que va a madurar. Goku es tan inocente que va a ser nostálgico verlo crecer.
August 24, 2025
Dragon Gachapon
Snatched in a charity box, I liked its drawing style for the landscapes, reminiscent of traditional Chinese landscape paintings, liked the absurd/mythical (mythically absurd) setting with Son Goku, the part-human part-monkey tiny hero, the magic staff, the magic cloud Kinto'un, the changelings Oolong and Pu-erh (and their names!), the ultra-convenient miniaturizing capsules, the road-trip vibes and the stark contrast between futurism and mythical material partly inspired by 16th century Chinese novel Journey to the West - so I'm told. Note to self, next stop: Chinese classics? On the other hand, while I get the long-lasting popularity of this classical in the shonen department, I am not receptive to the art style for the characters and the almost constant pervy jokes and asides get old very quickly. 2,5/5.
Back to the charity box I guess :)
Snatched in a charity box, I liked its drawing style for the landscapes, reminiscent of traditional Chinese landscape paintings, liked the absurd/mythical (mythically absurd) setting with Son Goku, the part-human part-monkey tiny hero, the magic staff, the magic cloud Kinto'un, the changelings Oolong and Pu-erh (and their names!), the ultra-convenient miniaturizing capsules, the road-trip vibes and the stark contrast between futurism and mythical material partly inspired by 16th century Chinese novel Journey to the West - so I'm told. Note to self, next stop: Chinese classics? On the other hand, while I get the long-lasting popularity of this classical in the shonen department, I am not receptive to the art style for the characters and the almost constant pervy jokes and asides get old very quickly. 2,5/5.
Back to the charity box I guess :)
August 11, 2017
This review is for the Dragonball manga as a whole.
One of the first manga I can remember reading. I loved watching the americanized version of this TV show after school on Cartoon Network. I was exposed to anime very young through my dad, but it wasn't until Dragonball and Dragonball Z that I found manga. For that reason Dragonball and Dragonball Z will always be important and unique for me.
Growing up I preferred DBZ, the villains looked cooler (although King Piccolo is a badass in Dragonball), and the anime was longer and full of more powerful characters. But looking back now, Dragonball is closer to my heart, and I appreciate it more as a manga. The battles seem more tactics oriented- rather than power level oriented as with DBZ. There is also an element of character progression for Goku that just isn't there to the same extent in DBZ. Dragonball was also my first exposure to tournaments in shounen- which are super awesome!
I love you Dragonball, and I love you Akira Toriyama!
One of the first manga I can remember reading. I loved watching the americanized version of this TV show after school on Cartoon Network. I was exposed to anime very young through my dad, but it wasn't until Dragonball and Dragonball Z that I found manga. For that reason Dragonball and Dragonball Z will always be important and unique for me.
Growing up I preferred DBZ, the villains looked cooler (although King Piccolo is a badass in Dragonball), and the anime was longer and full of more powerful characters. But looking back now, Dragonball is closer to my heart, and I appreciate it more as a manga. The battles seem more tactics oriented- rather than power level oriented as with DBZ. There is also an element of character progression for Goku that just isn't there to the same extent in DBZ. Dragonball was also my first exposure to tournaments in shounen- which are super awesome!
I love you Dragonball, and I love you Akira Toriyama!
August 16, 2019
It's okay, I promised to learn more about the series that all my friends seem to love.
April 20, 2016
I remember Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z vividly as a child. When I was a little boy, my parents did not have cable television but instead we had an antenna that would get some of the local channels. I remember one early morning I woke up around 5 AM while my parents were asleep and I simply got out of bed and walked to the television and turned it on. Whatever channel my parents had left it on previously had appear and with it came Dragon Ball Z and Sailor Moon. I did not know the plot, the characters, or the storyline and yet I was entranced by the animation and the whole aspect of this iconic series. Even though my parents got extremely upset I was oblivious of it all and became an early fan of animation.
While I worship and praise Sailor Moon and Dragon Ball Z, growing up as a kid I remember being addicted to Dragon Ball Z because they would play marathons of it on Cartoon Network and I always wanted the ability to become a Super Saiyan and looking back now I realized that whenever I was watching a major arc in this series, I would always missed the final two episodes and never get to see how it got resolved or the introduction to a new villain. I didn't care at the time but now it is driving me nuts and partly why I am reading the manga now.
I borrowed Dragon Ball Z from the Library and never read it because at the time I didn't know that there was a difference between Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z. I didn't understand Dragon Ball Z and felt discouraged until now when I was looking up some famous Mangas, I came across this again and discovered the difference and I am extremely glad that I am reading this from the very beginning because already in this first volume we are introduced to many characters that will become important later on.
Dragon Ball was written first and it deals primarily about Goku as a kid and how he is introduced to the Dragon Balls. Dragon Ball Z deals with Goku as an adult with kids and dealing with so many villains and deadly battles.
Dragon Ball, Vol. 1: The Monkey King, introduces us into this world similar to Earth but instead we got all paranormal, supernatural, aliens, and other weird creatures that inhabits the land with Humans. We are then immediately introduced to a boy name Goku whose an orphan since his parents disappear and his grandfather passed away. He lives in the wild and has never been raised on modern technology so naturally he hunts for his food, catches leaves to make his bed and other wildlife activities. While he is a young boy in fact he is not ordinarily for you see he has a tail attached to his butt and he has super strength with kung fu training. One day while hunting for food, he witness a car almost running him over and thinking that it is a demon he attacks and destroys the car. Then a girl pops out of the car and causes a fuss but finds it weird how this boy destroyed the car, has a tail, and has never seen a human being before let alone a girl and tells Goku that her name is Bulma.
His grandfather taught Goku that if he is ever in the presence of a female that he must be nice to them. So as a warming introduction he brings her to his house and she goes crazy when she sees a dragon ball which Goku calls it grandpa. After a stressful encounter over the dragon ball, Bulma shows Goku two extra dragon balls that she has in her possession and tells him the whole Chinese folk tale of the Dragon Ball. Apparently there are these 7 Dragon Balls that are very shining and has stars on each one of them (1-7) and if you capture all 7 dragon balls then a Dragon will appear and will grant one wish to your hearts desire. Goku loves the idea of the story and really wants to witness a dragon so he tags alone with Bulma as she tracks and captures the other dragon balls (but he refuses to give away his grandfather's dragon ball).
One thing that Bulma left out is it has been over hundreds of years since the dragon balls have been found and once you grant the wish, all the dragon balls get scrambled all over the world and then it becomes an impossible mission to retrieve them all over again. So now that they are working together, they are off on an adventure quest to retrieve all the 7 Dragon Balls. Through the course of the book we get to meet characters who do not seem important at the moment but will later appear in the series and in fact become a vital part into the Dragon Ball Z series.
The illustrations are phenomenal and the storyline is amazing. I was surprised how quick they have captured so many dragon balls in the course of the first volume but now I am curious how these series will pan out before we are dived into Dragon Ball Z. I remember the show being funny between the sarcasm and the jokes among the characters and in the manga it was absolutely hilarious because Goku is oblivious and innocent when it comes to girls and technology and you can see how frustrating it is for Bulma to deal with him and I love their chemistry even though Bulma can be annoying at times. I am definitely onboard towards continuing this manga series and maybe I will rewatch the anime show at the same time.
While I worship and praise Sailor Moon and Dragon Ball Z, growing up as a kid I remember being addicted to Dragon Ball Z because they would play marathons of it on Cartoon Network and I always wanted the ability to become a Super Saiyan and looking back now I realized that whenever I was watching a major arc in this series, I would always missed the final two episodes and never get to see how it got resolved or the introduction to a new villain. I didn't care at the time but now it is driving me nuts and partly why I am reading the manga now.
I borrowed Dragon Ball Z from the Library and never read it because at the time I didn't know that there was a difference between Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z. I didn't understand Dragon Ball Z and felt discouraged until now when I was looking up some famous Mangas, I came across this again and discovered the difference and I am extremely glad that I am reading this from the very beginning because already in this first volume we are introduced to many characters that will become important later on.
Dragon Ball was written first and it deals primarily about Goku as a kid and how he is introduced to the Dragon Balls. Dragon Ball Z deals with Goku as an adult with kids and dealing with so many villains and deadly battles.
Dragon Ball, Vol. 1: The Monkey King, introduces us into this world similar to Earth but instead we got all paranormal, supernatural, aliens, and other weird creatures that inhabits the land with Humans. We are then immediately introduced to a boy name Goku whose an orphan since his parents disappear and his grandfather passed away. He lives in the wild and has never been raised on modern technology so naturally he hunts for his food, catches leaves to make his bed and other wildlife activities. While he is a young boy in fact he is not ordinarily for you see he has a tail attached to his butt and he has super strength with kung fu training. One day while hunting for food, he witness a car almost running him over and thinking that it is a demon he attacks and destroys the car. Then a girl pops out of the car and causes a fuss but finds it weird how this boy destroyed the car, has a tail, and has never seen a human being before let alone a girl and tells Goku that her name is Bulma.
His grandfather taught Goku that if he is ever in the presence of a female that he must be nice to them. So as a warming introduction he brings her to his house and she goes crazy when she sees a dragon ball which Goku calls it grandpa. After a stressful encounter over the dragon ball, Bulma shows Goku two extra dragon balls that she has in her possession and tells him the whole Chinese folk tale of the Dragon Ball. Apparently there are these 7 Dragon Balls that are very shining and has stars on each one of them (1-7) and if you capture all 7 dragon balls then a Dragon will appear and will grant one wish to your hearts desire. Goku loves the idea of the story and really wants to witness a dragon so he tags alone with Bulma as she tracks and captures the other dragon balls (but he refuses to give away his grandfather's dragon ball).
One thing that Bulma left out is it has been over hundreds of years since the dragon balls have been found and once you grant the wish, all the dragon balls get scrambled all over the world and then it becomes an impossible mission to retrieve them all over again. So now that they are working together, they are off on an adventure quest to retrieve all the 7 Dragon Balls. Through the course of the book we get to meet characters who do not seem important at the moment but will later appear in the series and in fact become a vital part into the Dragon Ball Z series.
The illustrations are phenomenal and the storyline is amazing. I was surprised how quick they have captured so many dragon balls in the course of the first volume but now I am curious how these series will pan out before we are dived into Dragon Ball Z. I remember the show being funny between the sarcasm and the jokes among the characters and in the manga it was absolutely hilarious because Goku is oblivious and innocent when it comes to girls and technology and you can see how frustrating it is for Bulma to deal with him and I love their chemistry even though Bulma can be annoying at times. I am definitely onboard towards continuing this manga series and maybe I will rewatch the anime show at the same time.
October 21, 2022
7.5/10
An uncivilised kid with Herculean strength and a monkey tail meets a genius teenage girl. The former seems to come out of a Chinese folk tale (he is a reimagining of the Monkey King, indeed), the latter rather out of a sci-fi parody. Together, the two embark on a quest for some magical items, which will give them access to a magical dragon, who will grant them a magical wish. Every fourteen pages - the length of a single chapter, as serialisation back in 1984 - the kid and the girl encounter someone, foe or friend. Could be a talking dinosaur trying to eat them. Could be an old wise perv. Could be a pig wearing a uniform of the Chinese Communist Party.
Whimsical, picaresque, unapologetically dumb in its humour. This manga is, at least in its early incarnation, a cornerstone of 20th century popular culture.
Years later the series will unfortunately evolve into a dull battle manga for teenagers, featuring fighters with God-like powers. But before that, and for a number of years, Dragon Ball was pick pop literature: a non-sequitur of magic, far East fantasy, sci-fi visuals, martial art parody and childish (sometimes a bit dirty) humour. Toriyama was pulling the story out of his ass week after week, and he was doing it well.
The art style is round and friendly, in perfect tuning with the subject matter.
The storytelling pace feels fresh to this day. Toriyama was also great in panel compositions when showcasing martial art sequences, although that is not yet much at display in this first volume.
An uncivilised kid with Herculean strength and a monkey tail meets a genius teenage girl. The former seems to come out of a Chinese folk tale (he is a reimagining of the Monkey King, indeed), the latter rather out of a sci-fi parody. Together, the two embark on a quest for some magical items, which will give them access to a magical dragon, who will grant them a magical wish. Every fourteen pages - the length of a single chapter, as serialisation back in 1984 - the kid and the girl encounter someone, foe or friend. Could be a talking dinosaur trying to eat them. Could be an old wise perv. Could be a pig wearing a uniform of the Chinese Communist Party.
Whimsical, picaresque, unapologetically dumb in its humour. This manga is, at least in its early incarnation, a cornerstone of 20th century popular culture.
Years later the series will unfortunately evolve into a dull battle manga for teenagers, featuring fighters with God-like powers. But before that, and for a number of years, Dragon Ball was pick pop literature: a non-sequitur of magic, far East fantasy, sci-fi visuals, martial art parody and childish (sometimes a bit dirty) humour. Toriyama was pulling the story out of his ass week after week, and he was doing it well.
The art style is round and friendly, in perfect tuning with the subject matter.
The storytelling pace feels fresh to this day. Toriyama was also great in panel compositions when showcasing martial art sequences, although that is not yet much at display in this first volume.
August 21, 2015
Eh, not my cuppa, but I appreciate that it laid/strengthened the foundation for shounen action titles as far as including plenty of funny side characters and battles. Akira Toriyqma's art is also lovely, imaginative and fun. It makes me a little bit sad that Toriyama has been ill, and unable to match this quality of art in his series Hunter X Hunter, which I enjoy very much.
The fact that the original run started in 1984, in conjunction with the fact that this is supposed to be a comedic title for teen boys, explains most of the things that I didn't really enjoy. It's no one's fault but my own that I didn't enjoy this too much, since I know that I don't typically enjoy episodic adventures (versus over-arching), fart jokes, panty shots, pervert men and/or anthropomorphic animals, and physical humor. Because of all those things that I don't like, though, I can see why others find this title such a riot.
(Just, ugh, Bulma. I know that she's *supposed* to be lame, and that's supposed to be funny, but she vain, shallow, spoiled, and constantly willing to use her body to get ahead. She's also less appealing not in color.)
The fact that the original run started in 1984, in conjunction with the fact that this is supposed to be a comedic title for teen boys, explains most of the things that I didn't really enjoy. It's no one's fault but my own that I didn't enjoy this too much, since I know that I don't typically enjoy episodic adventures (versus over-arching), fart jokes, panty shots, pervert men and/or anthropomorphic animals, and physical humor. Because of all those things that I don't like, though, I can see why others find this title such a riot.
(Just, ugh, Bulma. I know that she's *supposed* to be lame, and that's supposed to be funny, but she vain, shallow, spoiled, and constantly willing to use her body to get ahead. She's also less appealing not in color.)
July 7, 2019
Berbat bir kitap!
Gerçekten çizimlerini ve hikayesini beğendiğim ve merak ettiğim bir seriydi. Baştan sona bitirme planıyla başladım ama hiç beklemediğim şeylerle karşılaştım daha ilk ciltten: Gereksiz müstehcen sahneler. "Müstehcen" kelimesi hafif kalır aslında. Çıplak karakterler, havalarda uçuşan iç çamaşırları, küçük kızları kaçıran ama nasıl olduysa bir anda baş karakterlerden biri olan sapıklar... En kötüsü de son bahsettiğim karakterin 16 yaşındaki kıza uyku ilacı verip tecavüz etmeye kalkmasıydı. Benim için bardağı taşıran son damla oldu ve kitabı bıraktım. Daha ilk cildin yarısında bunlar olduysa gerisini düşünemiyorum bile.
Gerçekten çizimlerini ve hikayesini beğendiğim ve merak ettiğim bir seriydi. Baştan sona bitirme planıyla başladım ama hiç beklemediğim şeylerle karşılaştım daha ilk ciltten: Gereksiz müstehcen sahneler. "Müstehcen" kelimesi hafif kalır aslında. Çıplak karakterler, havalarda uçuşan iç çamaşırları, küçük kızları kaçıran ama nasıl olduysa bir anda baş karakterlerden biri olan sapıklar... En kötüsü de son bahsettiğim karakterin 16 yaşındaki kıza uyku ilacı verip tecavüz etmeye kalkmasıydı. Benim için bardağı taşıran son damla oldu ve kitabı bıraktım. Daha ilk cildin yarısında bunlar olduysa gerisini düşünemiyorum bile.
February 27, 2020
Meet a naive young monkey-tailed boy named Goku, whose quiet life changes when he meets Bulma, a girl who is on a quest to collect seven "Dragon Balls." If she gathers them all, an incredibly powerful dragon will appear and grant her one wish. But the precious orbs are scattered all over the world, and Bulma needs Goku's help (and his super-strength)! With a magic staff for a weapon and a flying cloud for a ride, Goku sets out on the adventure of a lifetime...
I love dragon Ball and if your a fan of dragon Ball z you have to watch dragon Ball then dragon ball z because it goes like that in the story of the show.
I love dragon Ball and if your a fan of dragon Ball z you have to watch dragon Ball then dragon ball z because it goes like that in the story of the show.
May 2, 2025
PT Há muito tempo que queria revisitar a série de TV dos anos 90.
Agora que descobri o gosto pela leitura de manga, que melhor forma de regressar a esta história do que lendo o manga original que inspirou o anime?
Foi um prazer reencontrar estas personagens.
O Son Goku encarna verdadeiramente o melhor da humanidade.
--
EN I’ve been wanting to revisit the ’90s TV show for a long time.
Now that I’ve discovered a love for reading manga, what better way to return to this story than by diving into the original manga that inspired the anime?
It was a joy to reconnect with these characters.
Son Goku truly embodies the best of humanity.
Agora que descobri o gosto pela leitura de manga, que melhor forma de regressar a esta história do que lendo o manga original que inspirou o anime?
Foi um prazer reencontrar estas personagens.
O Son Goku encarna verdadeiramente o melhor da humanidade.
--
EN I’ve been wanting to revisit the ’90s TV show for a long time.
Now that I’ve discovered a love for reading manga, what better way to return to this story than by diving into the original manga that inspired the anime?
It was a joy to reconnect with these characters.
Son Goku truly embodies the best of humanity.
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