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Dragon Ball #5
Dragon Ball, Vol. 5
R to L (Japanese Style). The Fearsome Power of PiccoloThe Great Demon King Piccolo is all set for world domination--but first, he needs to gather the seven Dragon Balls to restore his youth and power. Son Goku and his friends pit themselves against this heartless monster, but it's looking more and more grim for the side of good as Piccolo picks them off one by one...Their only hope is a martial arts move known as the Mafu-Ba, a technique that managed to imprison Piccolo many years ago. Unfortunately, the move is so powerful that it killed the last person who used it. That won't deter Kame-Sen'nin and Tenshinhan from trying the killer move though, even if it means forfeiting their own lives in the process!
768 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1987
5 people are currently reading
203 people want to read
About the author
Akira Toriyama
1,917 books1,726 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 - 28 of 28 reviews
February 28, 2023
Same feelings as the last one - watching them grow up is SO SAD. It goes by so fast and I already miss the first books and their out of pocket chaos. The action in this book though is insane and I especially love Goku’s growth after his insane training arc.
February 8, 2018
As I was reading this, I was simultaneously drafting an absurdly long review in my head, but now that I'm here, I'm too lazy to write one. Regardless, I love this volume, and in re-reading this material I must admit to myself that I can never not love Dragon Ball as a series. Maybe stuff gets wonky in Z, I don't know, I haven't yet begun re-reading those chapters. But in America, at least, we do have the manga divided into pre-Saiyans and post-Saiyans series, being separate entities, and indeed volume 16 in this compilation ends in a strong enough conclusion that we could (if we so desired) ignore the existence of Z (though I'm pretty sure the original Japanese publication included the last couple Piccolo, Jr. arc chapters in the tankobon that kicked off the Saiyan arc).
Anyway, this is great. Old, wrinkly King Piccolo looks kinda too silly to be as menacing as he's set up, but everything smooths out alongside the man's wrinkles after he makes his wish on the balls. I completely forgot Piccolo successfully killed Shenlong, which is kind of an "oh shit" moment at this point in the series, but ends up seeming dumb in hindsight, after having seen/read the Z stuff, since Freeza never planned on killing Porunga after wishing on the Namekian balls (or at least I don't think so), nor does any other villain think of killing a Dragon God in order to negate the usefulness of the balls. But regardless young-ish King Piccolo really rocks his Namekian body with its weird lines and pink/purple parts. Very unconventional for a demon king, a bit more conventional for a space alien, and it isn't so bad that God and the Devil in OG Dragon Ball end up being aliens some few volumes later.
Goku takes a much needed break from being such an airhead earlier in the series to become incredibly badass versus King Piccolo. First you have the "You took away a lot that I really cared about... You won't get away with it!" lines after jumping in and kicking his ass a little. Then shit really gets crazy when Goku fucks Piccolo up with that little elastic Kamehameha, angrily telling Piccolo to stop being a little pussy with his "Get up! It couldn'ta hurt that bad! That was just a bluff Kamehameha anyway!," to which Piccolo, the fucking Demon King who not too long ago hijacked the world throne away from the previous king, responds by calling Goku a monster. It does well to foreshadow the ferocity of a Saiyan's anger, particularly Gohan's rage against Cell's destruction of Android 16, prompting the SSJ2 transformation and the ensuing beatdown of Cell's bitchass.
Also, Chi-chi was kawaii as fuck back in the day. Actually, I recall being attracted to milf!Chi-chi in the beginning of Z as like a 6-year-old, but 23rd-Budokai!Chi-chi is veritable waifu material. I need to get back into Super Dragon Ball Z, since her inclusion among the playable cast, and her use of Goku's Nyoibo and the magic fan, makes her a very fun character (though of course Krillin is still my nigga).
When I first received this volume and the previous VIZBIG in the mail, I flipped through the last few pages of this volume, for no reason in particular. I am not ashamed to admit I choked up a little when Goku fed Piccolo, Jr. a senzu bean so that he might regain his strength, train further, and become a great new rival to test Goku's power. Though of course it is a shame that I know it wouldn't take too long before Vegeta would become Goku's real rival, Piccolo only sharing enough screentime with Goku to give himself a good reason to kill Goku along with Raditz during the beginning of Z (he gets a lot of screentime before Goku and Vegeta become bros, but most of this is spent either with Goku dead and training with Kaio-sama, or otherwise hanging around Namek while Goku rejuvenates aboard his spaceship).
Postscript. With the advent of Dragon Ball Super and Goku's reception of "God ki," it's pretty funny that Goku would refuse Kami-sama's offer to cede his dominion over Earth to newlyweds Goku and Chi-chi. Why rule over Earth as god and goddess when he can just get godlike power for free without ever having to fuck his bitch wife again? (Doesn't Super also reveal that Goku's never kissed his wife, despite having fucked her at least twice? Is the implication that Chi-chi jacked him off in his sleep and rubbed the seed into herself? Shit's weird, man.)
Anyway, this is great. Old, wrinkly King Piccolo looks kinda too silly to be as menacing as he's set up, but everything smooths out alongside the man's wrinkles after he makes his wish on the balls. I completely forgot Piccolo successfully killed Shenlong, which is kind of an "oh shit" moment at this point in the series, but ends up seeming dumb in hindsight, after having seen/read the Z stuff, since Freeza never planned on killing Porunga after wishing on the Namekian balls (or at least I don't think so), nor does any other villain think of killing a Dragon God in order to negate the usefulness of the balls. But regardless young-ish King Piccolo really rocks his Namekian body with its weird lines and pink/purple parts. Very unconventional for a demon king, a bit more conventional for a space alien, and it isn't so bad that God and the Devil in OG Dragon Ball end up being aliens some few volumes later.
Goku takes a much needed break from being such an airhead earlier in the series to become incredibly badass versus King Piccolo. First you have the "You took away a lot that I really cared about... You won't get away with it!" lines after jumping in and kicking his ass a little. Then shit really gets crazy when Goku fucks Piccolo up with that little elastic Kamehameha, angrily telling Piccolo to stop being a little pussy with his "Get up! It couldn'ta hurt that bad! That was just a bluff Kamehameha anyway!," to which Piccolo, the fucking Demon King who not too long ago hijacked the world throne away from the previous king, responds by calling Goku a monster. It does well to foreshadow the ferocity of a Saiyan's anger, particularly Gohan's rage against Cell's destruction of Android 16, prompting the SSJ2 transformation and the ensuing beatdown of Cell's bitchass.
Also, Chi-chi was kawaii as fuck back in the day. Actually, I recall being attracted to milf!Chi-chi in the beginning of Z as like a 6-year-old, but 23rd-Budokai!Chi-chi is veritable waifu material. I need to get back into Super Dragon Ball Z, since her inclusion among the playable cast, and her use of Goku's Nyoibo and the magic fan, makes her a very fun character (though of course Krillin is still my nigga).
When I first received this volume and the previous VIZBIG in the mail, I flipped through the last few pages of this volume, for no reason in particular. I am not ashamed to admit I choked up a little when Goku fed Piccolo, Jr. a senzu bean so that he might regain his strength, train further, and become a great new rival to test Goku's power. Though of course it is a shame that I know it wouldn't take too long before Vegeta would become Goku's real rival, Piccolo only sharing enough screentime with Goku to give himself a good reason to kill Goku along with Raditz during the beginning of Z (he gets a lot of screentime before Goku and Vegeta become bros, but most of this is spent either with Goku dead and training with Kaio-sama, or otherwise hanging around Namek while Goku rejuvenates aboard his spaceship).
Postscript. With the advent of Dragon Ball Super and Goku's reception of "God ki," it's pretty funny that Goku would refuse Kami-sama's offer to cede his dominion over Earth to newlyweds Goku and Chi-chi. Why rule over Earth as god and goddess when he can just get godlike power for free without ever having to fuck his bitch wife again? (Doesn't Super also reveal that Goku's never kissed his wife, despite having fucked her at least twice? Is the implication that Chi-chi jacked him off in his sleep and rubbed the seed into herself? Shit's weird, man.)
June 16, 2020
A solid ending to a great series. As I've mentioned in the other reviews, having been intimately familiar with Dragon Ball Z, it's been great to discover the earlier adventures captured in Dragon Ball. The final book deals with Piccolo and the third and final tournament. It's the most action packed book, crammed with flashy fights, chapter long bouts, and the most violence in the series yet.
This is a mixed bag. On the one hand - the art has gotten really crisp and the action is handled really well. The fights are quick and exciting and some have clever and interesting twists within them. On the other hand - they have sacrificed almost all of the adventure and comedy. There's no real content other than straight up fighting. Almost no adventuring, searching, or running into wacky new characters. And there are hardly any gags in this gigantic volume that captures the last bits of Dragon Ball. Yajorobe and the Mafu Ba attack give a small glimpse of the zaniness that the earlier books delighted in.
It's fitting I suppose that as it transitions into Dragon Ball - it sheds it's gag/comedy elements and fits more snugly into it's trappings of a shonen action/battle manga. I think a lot of people enjoyed that and still enjoy that about Dragon Ball Z. As a teen, Dragon Ball Z's harder edge, focus on action and fights, and it's penchant for violence were the main draws for me.
As an adult, I definitely prefer the more silly, carefree adventure of the earlier stuff. This is still a very good chunk of Dragon Ball. The fights with Piccolo are really excited and fun. It's neat to see Tien, Chazu, Roshi and Krillin still have some part in the proceedings, although they get more and more relegated to the side lines. And it still has moments of lightness that keep it fun.
Overall for Dragonball I'd give it a 7 or 8 out of 10 or a 4/5. I enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone looking for a fun action adventure manga. It may just be the very best one.
This is a mixed bag. On the one hand - the art has gotten really crisp and the action is handled really well. The fights are quick and exciting and some have clever and interesting twists within them. On the other hand - they have sacrificed almost all of the adventure and comedy. There's no real content other than straight up fighting. Almost no adventuring, searching, or running into wacky new characters. And there are hardly any gags in this gigantic volume that captures the last bits of Dragon Ball. Yajorobe and the Mafu Ba attack give a small glimpse of the zaniness that the earlier books delighted in.
It's fitting I suppose that as it transitions into Dragon Ball - it sheds it's gag/comedy elements and fits more snugly into it's trappings of a shonen action/battle manga. I think a lot of people enjoyed that and still enjoy that about Dragon Ball Z. As a teen, Dragon Ball Z's harder edge, focus on action and fights, and it's penchant for violence were the main draws for me.
As an adult, I definitely prefer the more silly, carefree adventure of the earlier stuff. This is still a very good chunk of Dragon Ball. The fights with Piccolo are really excited and fun. It's neat to see Tien, Chazu, Roshi and Krillin still have some part in the proceedings, although they get more and more relegated to the side lines. And it still has moments of lightness that keep it fun.
Overall for Dragonball I'd give it a 7 or 8 out of 10 or a 4/5. I enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone looking for a fun action adventure manga. It may just be the very best one.
March 5, 2017
This series was definitely a great series to read. I know it's not over by a long shot. I never really got into watching or reading Dragon Ball as a kid... seemed a little boring since I knew about Dragon Ball Z already and the awesome action in that. I am glad to finally have read the series and understand the whole story so far.
February 25, 2025
A glorious, and gloriously massive, end to the original manga. The art is stupendous and crisp and the evolution of the characters is strong and evocative. Love the “round-topia” world building in the first half and the bits of whimsy.
Still, at the end of this series which was such a galloping and cheerful adventure yarn, you can see here where the book first starts with a big cataclysmic battle, and then the second half is a big tournament - the issues of the “always fighting” narrative that Dragon Ball Z quickly falls into. But that’s Z’s problem! This has many charms and Im looking forward to tracking down the other VIZ Big editions of this run.
Still, at the end of this series which was such a galloping and cheerful adventure yarn, you can see here where the book first starts with a big cataclysmic battle, and then the second half is a big tournament - the issues of the “always fighting” narrative that Dragon Ball Z quickly falls into. But that’s Z’s problem! This has many charms and Im looking forward to tracking down the other VIZ Big editions of this run.
Read
January 1, 2021yes
April 9, 2022
Absolutely amazing series. I'm glad I read it before I move onto dragonball z. Very well done.
March 16, 2024
Pleasantly surprised with how much I enjoyed this!! I only caught glimpses of mainly DBZ growing up, and wanted to give this a try in Toriyama’s memory
It’s no wonder he is so revered to this day, his imagination, art and action are in unparalleled and it’s clear his work has influenced (and continues to) stories today
It’s fun, fast paced, and raises its own scale with every fight
I won’t lie I’m wary about going onto DBZ … but in the very least, I’m very happy to have read this
It’s no wonder he is so revered to this day, his imagination, art and action are in unparalleled and it’s clear his work has influenced (and continues to) stories today
It’s fun, fast paced, and raises its own scale with every fight
I won’t lie I’m wary about going onto DBZ … but in the very least, I’m very happy to have read this
July 24, 2019
Okay. Since I decided to read this whole series in such quick succession, I decided to just do a single review for it all. Simply put: I loved it! I didn't think I would. I thought it would be a strictly 3 star series, since I think I only rated Dragon Ball Z 4 stars across the board. I watched both Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z religiously as a child. I've seen every season so many times that I've lost count. And every time, Dragon Ball Z was my favourite. I thought that opinion would probably transfer to the manga, but it didn't. Dragon Ball was so much more than I ever expected it to be. Some of my favourite plots from the show didn't make an appearance at all, but I still loved it to pieces. It was so funny, and there were a lot of little gags thrown in there too. The plot moved along swiftly, and even some of the characters (such as Yajirobe and Master Roshi/Kame Sen'nin) that I thought for certain would irritate me didn't. They were just as much fun to read about as all of the others. Perhaps the next time I'm in the mood for some Dragon Ball, I'll just re-read this series rather than watch it. It takes less time and was far more enjoyable.
November 21, 2020
Honestly, these are great. Perfect light-hearted distraction from all the shit going on around us. It's been decades since I watched the series as a kid, so either I didn't watch it all, or I forgot the details, or they're slightly different from the anime series. Either way, I am thoroughly enjoying these.
August 7, 2019
If you have read this far into the Dragonball series, you will not be disappointed by its conclusion. We see Goku go from child to young adult, only to take on the fearsome demon-king Piccolo. Toriyama's art has always intrigued me, and this book takes his work to another level.
February 4, 2025
And with that, my first ever journey through OG Dragon Ball is complete! To be completely honest, for as big of a Dragon Ball fan as I am, I never really felt the desire to watch the OG Dragon Ball anime, but I’m so happy that experiencing the story this way for the first time has opened my eyes to how much of a true genius Toriyama was, both as an artist and as a storyteller. In my opinion, the one-two punch of King Piccolo and the 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai is where Toriyama really starts to reach peak Dragon Ball status, and it’s the best finish to the series you could possibly ask for! And the insane part is that it’s only the beginning of the best hot streak not only in the franchise, but quite possibly in all of manga! I can’t wait to jump straight into reading the DBZ manga for the first time!
May 1, 2021
It's rad to see the first DBZ-ish arc/fight/ending happen in the King Piccolo saga - you can really see Toriyama laying the groundwork for the formula going forward, and it's a good one, with dire stakes and a thrilling final battle. I'm less hot on the Piccolo Jr. arc that follows; the tournament has great booking but the boss fight feels more like a prelude to DBZ than a real conclusion of its own. To be fair, it isn't - in the manga, there's no distinction between Dragon Ball and DBZ, so it's just one arc of many rather than the final word of the manga. But because of its proximity to the bigger scale of Z, its the only example in the "original" run where knowing what happens later on flattens the drama. Still, it's Dragon Ball, which means it basically rules no matter what.
March 4, 2023
Changing my reading goal since I flew through this series and I don’t actually know how I feel about it’s reflection on my page count.
Anyways, the art was spectacular with the increase in combat. I was a bit thrown off by the chaos of the plot, but some of the elements were just too cool. Training with God? Bet. The character growth was also interesting. It gets you rooting for people like Ten who don’t stand a chance. I don’t know how I feel about the invincibility of Son Goku, but I guess that means just getting bigger and stronger enemies. I don’t know how that will evolve the fighting considering they are already insane. Can’t wait to pick up Dragon Ball Z in the future!
Anyways, the art was spectacular with the increase in combat. I was a bit thrown off by the chaos of the plot, but some of the elements were just too cool. Training with God? Bet. The character growth was also interesting. It gets you rooting for people like Ten who don’t stand a chance. I don’t know how I feel about the invincibility of Son Goku, but I guess that means just getting bigger and stronger enemies. I don’t know how that will evolve the fighting considering they are already insane. Can’t wait to pick up Dragon Ball Z in the future!
November 14, 2023
This series. I love it. On to DBZ!!!
Goku as a character has grown in ways I seriously didn’t expect. I hate to see him grow up, but I love the friendships and the loyalties in this series. I love the fights, I love the humor, and I love the fact that everything - and I mean EVERYTHING - can be fixed by a tournament. So great.
Goku as a character has grown in ways I seriously didn’t expect. I hate to see him grow up, but I love the friendships and the loyalties in this series. I love the fights, I love the humor, and I love the fact that everything - and I mean EVERYTHING - can be fixed by a tournament. So great.
February 14, 2024
I have always been more of a comic fan over manga but after finishing Dragon Ball, admittedly my first manga, I have to say I’m hooked. This read was so enjoyable, funny, lighthearted, and stocked with lovable characters. Growing up on the shows, this was a nostalgia rush that I couldn’t put down. Can’t recommend highly enough!
June 29, 2025
The best compilation yet! The stakes were huge and finally finishing up dragon ball felt like a big accomplishment, the characters, story, etc. were all amazing. I can’t wait to start Z, but seriously this was the best book in my opinion, it had everything the other ones had plus more! A great wrap up to the life of goku as a younger saiyan.
5/5
5/5
July 18, 2019
I absolutely loved it.
March 18, 2020
It is over. The Dragonball saga is finished. While not as good as the previous collection, this is still fun ride and satisfying finish. I may even look into Dragonball Z.
Read
October 10, 2021This was a fun series. I've been back and forth about whether I want to keep going and pick up Dragonball Z but with that ending, I think I have to. Maybe just not right away.
May 31, 2024
Damn, what a journey. I'm so happy right now, there is a reason this story lives on. also the fact most people haven't read the early sixteen volumes, crazy it's honestly so good
July 25, 2024
The reading dates are 100% wrong, but the book is 100% awesome.
September 5, 2024
the best
August 3, 2015
This volume definitely marks a transition from the Comedic Adventure manga that the series started out as to more of an action/fighting manga. And the fights and sense of scale in this volume are more grounded; true absurdity is still some ways off.
Volume 12 might be the most scattered; in the aftermath of the last tournament and Kuririn's murder, the Great Demon King Piccolo is trying to take over the world. The Muten Roshi and Tenshinhan attempt to get the Dragon Balls together to wish Piccolo's death, but Piccolo outsmarts them. Kame'sennin fails at the Mafu Ba, and he dies. Piccolo then kills Chaozu as well and is granted eternal youth, and kills Shenlong. Piccolo takes over the world by invading the King's capital. Meanwhile, Yajirobe takes Goku to Master Karin, who gives him the Super Water of the Gods to bring out his true strength. Goku is the first to survive drinking this water. Karin gives him a new Kinto'un, and he flies off to confront Piccolo, as Tenshinhan also does. Tenshinhan is nearly defeated by a demon called Drum, but Goku arrives just in time to defeat it, and challenges Piccolo.
Goku and Piccolo's battle lasts many chapters, into the next volume, and it is vicious. Piccolo is purely evil, and Goku is angry enough to stop him, eventually powering through by boosting with a one-handed kamehameha and plowing through Piccolo's chest. Piccolo managed to spit out one last egg, though. The rest of the volume is setting things rights. Yajirobe takes Goku back to Karin, and Karin gives him the idea of going to visit God to bring Shenlong back to life. He needs to use the Nyoibo to rise to Kami-sama's sanctuary, but Goku left it behind. He goes back to the battle site, and then to visit the All-Seeing Crone who tells him it's at the Turtle House. Goku goes and rides the Nyoibo to Heaven, and is tested by Mr. Popo, who is on another level that Goku can't touch. Kami-sama comes out and explains his history with Piccolo, revives Shenlong, and has Shenlong revive everyone Piccolo killed. Everyone trains, until the next tournament, where a reunion is held, and most of our heroes easily make it through, with the exception of Chaozu, who is defeated by Taopaipai, and Yajirobe in disguise, who is beaten by Shen.
Volume 15 starts the tournament. Cyborg Taopaipai fights Tenshinhan, and manages to scar him, before Tenshinhan one punches him and gives him back to the Crane Master. Chi-Chi fights Goku, who agrees to marry her, in a rather comic chapter. Demon Junior fights Kuririn, who gets some licks in, but is easily defeated. Yamcha faces Shen, who we find out is actually Kami-Sama in disguise. It's a bit funny at first, and Yamcha breaks out some good moves, but he's no match for God. Next, Goku and Tenshinhan fight, and Tenshinhan has upped his game, but he has to really work to even make Goku break a sweat. Goku takes off his weighted training clothes, and Tenshinhan responds by splitting into four of himself, to try and trap Goku. Goku sees through it, however, and is able to dispatch each Tenshinhan, because 4 of them means they each only have a quarter of his power. After that, Shen reveals to Goku that he is really Kami-Sama, and fights Demon Junior.
Volume 16 opens in this match. They fight, but Piccolo is stronger. Shen attempts the Mafu-Ba, but Piccolo reverses it and traps Kami-Sama. So this leads to the final match, after our heroes can talk, and this fight lasts for a whole volume. Goku has a stubborn insistence on winning the match fair and square; he's wanted to win the tournament for 6 years. Piccolo tries to destroy the crowd a couple of times, and when he is revealed, the crowd runs away, leaving Kame'Sennin, Kuririn, Tenshinhan, Yamcha, Chi-Chi, Bulma, Lunch, Oolong, Puar, and the referee to watch Goku and Piccolo. It's very fitting to have our cast altogether. Piccolo grows to giant size, and Goku goes inside him to rescue Kami-Sama from his bottle. Goku then insists that Kami-sama does not join the fight. Goku knocks Piccolo down hard, but lets his guard down as the referee counts and has a blast go through his shoulder. Piccolo breaks his other arm and legs, and then is about to destroy him, when Goku uses Buku-Jutsu to knock Piccolo out of bounds and win the tournament. Then Yajirobe shows up with Senzu beans to revive Goku, and Goku stops Kame from killing Piccolo, and Master Roshi gives an inspiring speech about the Dragon Balls and the heroes. Goku gives Piccolo a bean, turns down an offer to be God, and flies off with Chi-Chi. It's all a rather sweet ending, and a great finish to the volume.
Volume 12 might be the most scattered; in the aftermath of the last tournament and Kuririn's murder, the Great Demon King Piccolo is trying to take over the world. The Muten Roshi and Tenshinhan attempt to get the Dragon Balls together to wish Piccolo's death, but Piccolo outsmarts them. Kame'sennin fails at the Mafu Ba, and he dies. Piccolo then kills Chaozu as well and is granted eternal youth, and kills Shenlong. Piccolo takes over the world by invading the King's capital. Meanwhile, Yajirobe takes Goku to Master Karin, who gives him the Super Water of the Gods to bring out his true strength. Goku is the first to survive drinking this water. Karin gives him a new Kinto'un, and he flies off to confront Piccolo, as Tenshinhan also does. Tenshinhan is nearly defeated by a demon called Drum, but Goku arrives just in time to defeat it, and challenges Piccolo.
Goku and Piccolo's battle lasts many chapters, into the next volume, and it is vicious. Piccolo is purely evil, and Goku is angry enough to stop him, eventually powering through by boosting with a one-handed kamehameha and plowing through Piccolo's chest. Piccolo managed to spit out one last egg, though. The rest of the volume is setting things rights. Yajirobe takes Goku back to Karin, and Karin gives him the idea of going to visit God to bring Shenlong back to life. He needs to use the Nyoibo to rise to Kami-sama's sanctuary, but Goku left it behind. He goes back to the battle site, and then to visit the All-Seeing Crone who tells him it's at the Turtle House. Goku goes and rides the Nyoibo to Heaven, and is tested by Mr. Popo, who is on another level that Goku can't touch. Kami-sama comes out and explains his history with Piccolo, revives Shenlong, and has Shenlong revive everyone Piccolo killed. Everyone trains, until the next tournament, where a reunion is held, and most of our heroes easily make it through, with the exception of Chaozu, who is defeated by Taopaipai, and Yajirobe in disguise, who is beaten by Shen.
Volume 15 starts the tournament. Cyborg Taopaipai fights Tenshinhan, and manages to scar him, before Tenshinhan one punches him and gives him back to the Crane Master. Chi-Chi fights Goku, who agrees to marry her, in a rather comic chapter. Demon Junior fights Kuririn, who gets some licks in, but is easily defeated. Yamcha faces Shen, who we find out is actually Kami-Sama in disguise. It's a bit funny at first, and Yamcha breaks out some good moves, but he's no match for God. Next, Goku and Tenshinhan fight, and Tenshinhan has upped his game, but he has to really work to even make Goku break a sweat. Goku takes off his weighted training clothes, and Tenshinhan responds by splitting into four of himself, to try and trap Goku. Goku sees through it, however, and is able to dispatch each Tenshinhan, because 4 of them means they each only have a quarter of his power. After that, Shen reveals to Goku that he is really Kami-Sama, and fights Demon Junior.
Volume 16 opens in this match. They fight, but Piccolo is stronger. Shen attempts the Mafu-Ba, but Piccolo reverses it and traps Kami-Sama. So this leads to the final match, after our heroes can talk, and this fight lasts for a whole volume. Goku has a stubborn insistence on winning the match fair and square; he's wanted to win the tournament for 6 years. Piccolo tries to destroy the crowd a couple of times, and when he is revealed, the crowd runs away, leaving Kame'Sennin, Kuririn, Tenshinhan, Yamcha, Chi-Chi, Bulma, Lunch, Oolong, Puar, and the referee to watch Goku and Piccolo. It's very fitting to have our cast altogether. Piccolo grows to giant size, and Goku goes inside him to rescue Kami-Sama from his bottle. Goku then insists that Kami-sama does not join the fight. Goku knocks Piccolo down hard, but lets his guard down as the referee counts and has a blast go through his shoulder. Piccolo breaks his other arm and legs, and then is about to destroy him, when Goku uses Buku-Jutsu to knock Piccolo out of bounds and win the tournament. Then Yajirobe shows up with Senzu beans to revive Goku, and Goku stops Kame from killing Piccolo, and Master Roshi gives an inspiring speech about the Dragon Balls and the heroes. Goku gives Piccolo a bean, turns down an offer to be God, and flies off with Chi-Chi. It's all a rather sweet ending, and a great finish to the volume.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 1, 2022
Truly one of the best manga ever created.
"You are also the one who made it possible to defeat Piccolo. Without the dragon balls you created, Goku would never have become what he is. None of these heroes would have. From just one dragon ball, this saga was saved, and so the world began." ~Kame-Sen'nin (The Turtle Hermit)
This is probably one of the cutest, most fun, beautifully written, hilarious, dramatic, suspenseful, lovely, and anything else-ly manga series I've ever read in my entire life. The only manga I've read all the way through is Doubt, so I can't say I've read a lot. But I know for sure that once I finish collecting the entire Dragon Ball Z series, I'm going to read those and probably laugh, scream, cry, cheer, and sing my ass off. I loved this entire series from the beginning. I love being able to look over the five years of Son Goku's life, and being able to feel like I'm with him as he grows, becomes more pure, and finds even more ways to strengthen himself to a more powerful human being. (I just really hope Piccolo doesn't get in the way in Dragon Ball Z.)
"You are also the one who made it possible to defeat Piccolo. Without the dragon balls you created, Goku would never have become what he is. None of these heroes would have. From just one dragon ball, this saga was saved, and so the world began." ~Kame-Sen'nin (The Turtle Hermit)
This is probably one of the cutest, most fun, beautifully written, hilarious, dramatic, suspenseful, lovely, and anything else-ly manga series I've ever read in my entire life. The only manga I've read all the way through is Doubt, so I can't say I've read a lot. But I know for sure that once I finish collecting the entire Dragon Ball Z series, I'm going to read those and probably laugh, scream, cry, cheer, and sing my ass off. I loved this entire series from the beginning. I love being able to look over the five years of Son Goku's life, and being able to feel like I'm with him as he grows, becomes more pure, and finds even more ways to strengthen himself to a more powerful human being. (I just really hope Piccolo doesn't get in the way in Dragon Ball Z.)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 22, 2010
Fighting Piccolo Forever. The series falls into a comfortable rhythm of achieving strength, showing off, then wanting to become even stronger when met by a more powerful adversary. Onward. Into infinity. As the major corner stone of the action genre coming out of the 80s, Dragon Ball still does it best.
January 20, 2013
This seems to have gotten less intentionally silly as it gets more into the adult storyline.
December 26, 2014
Loved the ending, can't wait to get the DBZ collection.
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