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It needed a fresh perspective, though. That’s where our buddy Jeff came in. Whereas I had read the whole thing front-to-back, Julian had read the whole thing front-to-back in English AND in Japanese, and Meri had read a bunch but was primarily familiar with the anime...well, the only thing we were missing was someone who had never read it before. Enter Jeff.
Through Jeff’s eyes, we saw and learned things we never noticed. When you are so intimately familiar with material like this, you tend to miss the obvious things. Why did so-and-so just do that? Wait, where are they going? Who is that again?
We’re already fans. We already know the series is great. The podcast gave us an excuse (as if we needed one!), however, to revisit the original comic with a more critical eye. With the knowledge we could now bring to the table, seeing events that are either purposefully or inadvertently foreshadowing future events would bring a whole new understanding to Toriyama’s writing style.
Perhaps the biggest payoff for the entire review was the quiz at the end. Fans of the series have so much—let’s face it, trivial—knowledge packed away that it can be hard to divorce ourselves from our own history with the franchise. What happens when someone who’s clearly enjoyed the series, but done so somewhat casually over a four year period, is presented with ten questions covering all 42 volumes?
The best thing about the manga review is that, like the actual comic itself, it will always be there. Any time you want to dive back into the source material and have some friendly commentary provided for you, it’s just a click away! It took us a little longer than anticipated to actually complete the darn thing, but thankfully it’s not going anywhere!
Manga Review Mini-Segments
As you listen through the archive, some of the recurring mini-segments you will hear include:
· “Viz-isms”
Adaptations made in Viz’s English translation of the manga include name changes, speaking patterns, etc.
· TV/Anime Comparisons
Beyond traditional “filler” material added to pad the TV series, how are certain scenes adapted differently from the manga to the anime?
· Predictions
As a fresh reader becomes familiar with Toriyama’s writing style, is it possible to predict what will happen next? How accurate are those predictions?!
How can I listen to the podcast?
Despite its name, you do not need an iPod (wait, does anyone even use those anymore...?!) to listen to a podcast!
A “podcast” is simply an audio program delivered over the Internet. Files are traditionally distributed as MP3s, but can also be encoded into alternate formats or even produced as video. At Kanzenshuu, we produce a (usually!) weekly audio show as an MP3 that you can listen to directly on our website, download to your computer or phone, or—most importantly—subscribe to so you automatically receive new episodes as soon as they are released.
Our show opens with the week’s big news, transitions into an in-depth topical discussion or review, and wraps up with a recap on any upcoming releases and comments from the audience.
Listen to the entire “Manga Review of Awesomeness” archive on our website at: www.kanzenshuu.com/podcast/reviews/
Now if only we could get back on track with that “Dragon Ball GT Review of Awesomeness”...
MIKE (“VegettoEX”) is one of the co-founders of Kanzenshuu and is the main podcast host.
Cover Project
The evolution of Dragon Ball manga volume covers
The name up top is always the same, but the image representing it has slowly changed over time. Here’s a quick look at the three main types of covers the Dragon Ball manga has received over the years in Japan.
By Mike LaBrie
In 2009, the collected volumes of the manga received a facelift. While the actual artwork itself remained the same, the surrounding title and borders went through an overhaul. The full “Dragon Ball” title was replaced by neon green “D” and “B” letters on each side, while the Jump brand and Akira Toriyama’s name jumped up top.
As a part of the new revival for Dragon Ball, 2002-2004 saw the release of the kanzenban—the “complete” or “perfect” edition—of the manga. Akira Toriyama created all-new artwork for both the front and back covers of the series, which was condensed from 42 down to 34 total volumes. No content was cut from the series, but rather more chapters were combined into fewer volumes.
The kanzenban was printed on much higher-quality paper and sized up from 17cm tall to 21cm tall. No other print release of the manga has come close to this premium edition!
MIKE (“VegettoEX”) is one of the co-founders of Kanzenshuu. He has a lot of manga.
Tale of the One-Shots
Foundations for more than you think can be found in Toriyama’s pre-Dragon Ball stories.
By Julian Grybowski
While there are many obvious similarities between Dragon Ball and Dr. Slump, how much do you know about Toriyama’s one-shot comics? The one-off stories he produced in the years leading up to Dragon Ball’s debut were fertile ground for Toriyama to play with concepts that resurfaced in early (and sometimes not-so-early) Dragon Ball, especially as he started experimenting with ideas for a new series starting in 1983. Don’t believe me? Why don’t we take a look?
POLA & ROID
· Released: 24 March 1981
· In: Weekly Shonen Jump 1981 #17
· Summary: Roid, an interplanetary taxi driver starved for adventure and women, is hired by Pola, a teenage girl fighting the evil Gagambo Empire on Planet Kongaragatta. Through a series of mishaps, the pair save the planet and depart for Earth, meeting some familiar faces from Dr. Slump along the way.
· Other notes: This was Toriyama’s first entry in the Jump Readers’ Award competition, where the 10 most popular authors in Jump each drew a one-shot and readers selected their favorite. Toriyama won first place, netting a free trip to Europe. It’s also drawn entirely in felt-tip pen, rather than Toriyama’s usual “G-Pen” nib.
PINK: THE RAIN JACK STORY
· Released: 23 October 1982
· In: Fresh Jump December 1982 issue
· Summary: Pink is a young girl living on her own in the middle of a long drought. She survives (and bathes) by stealing water from the corrupt Silver Company, which sells its mysteriously-obtained H2O at outrageous prices. When the company head calls in local sheriff Cobalt Blue to investigate this recent spate of robberies, the lawman befriends Pink, and she develops a youthful crush. Together, the two end up rescuing the imprisoned Thunder God from the company’s clutches, bringing rain back to the world.
· Other notes: This story was later adapted as an animated feature shown alongside Dragon Ball Z Movie 3 in July 1990.
DRAGON BOY (Parts 1 & 2)
· Released: 23 June 1983 (Part 1), 22 September 1983 (Part 2)
· In: Fresh Jump August 1983 issue (Part 1), Fresh Jump October 1983 issue (Part 2)
· Summary: Tangtong (唐童 tanton / tángtóng), a young martial-artist in the “Sage Country” (仙の国 sen no kuni), is assigned to escort the princess of the “Flower Country” (華の国 ka no kuni) back to her homeland. Together, the unusually strong boy and the sheltered girl must learn to work together and overcome the many obstacles in their path. Oh, and they’ve got something called a “Dragon Jewel” (竜宝 ronpao / lóngbǎo), which does... not a whole lot.
· Other notes: Toriyama wrote this pair of one-shots in direct response to his editor, Kazuhiko Torishima, telling him to “draw a kung-fu comic” after learning that he liked the movies of Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan. Reader response was favorable, which helped determine the path of his next series.
THE ADVENTURE OF TONGPOO
· Released: 29 November 1983
· In: Weekly Shonen Jump 1983 #52
· Summary: Tongpoo, a young cyborg, crash-lands on an unfamiliar planet after his ship self-destructs. There, he encounters Plamo, the last remaining survivor after her ship was shot down and the other crewmemb
ers murdered by a marauding alien. In order to escape the planet and return to Earth, the two must defeat the alien bandit who killed Plamo’s crewmates and find a ship...
· Other notes: This was Toriyama’s last one-shot before he began Dragon Ball. While it takes place in a futuristic outer-space setting rather than an ersatz ancient China, it retains some of Dragon Boy’s kung-fu elements, and also introduces a vital piece of technology essential to the Dragon World.
JULIAN (“SaiyaJedi”) lives in Japan and provides translations for Kanzenshuu. He’s purchased Toriyama’s various manga more times than he would like to admit.
Dr. Dragon Slump
Akira Toriyama Revisits Ideas and Plot Points from Dr. Slump in Dragon Ball
By Julian Grybowski
Toriyama may be no stranger to reusing the concepts he’d first played with in one-shots, but he also borrowed more than a little from his previous smash hit, Dr. Slump. Let’s take a look at some of the concepts, characters, and even gags that resurfaced in Dragon Ball!
Spy Robots and Androids, Oh My!
Frustrated with the main character constantly destroying his creations, an evil mad scientist closely observes said main character with the use of spy robots, in order to create the perfect fighting machine....
Dr. Gero? No, I mean Dr. Mashirito, the evil inventor (and caricature of Toriyama’s first editor, Kazuhiko Torishima) who wants to use his robotic creations to take over the world. Unfortunately, his luck is about the same, as the “artificial human” result of these efforts is not only unimpeachably good, but actually falls for Arale and becomes a member of the main cast. A.I. is a crapshoot, indeed.
Mighty Majin
The dastardly Bisuna of the Chakabo Kingdom has kidnapped the Nanaba Kingdom’s Princess Cusmat as he prepares to invade. When Cusmat escapes, he pursues her to Penguin Village and accidentally “recaptures” her doppelgänger Akane Kimidori instead. Faced with the might of both Arale and an angry Tsun Tsukutsun, he attempts to secure his exit by threatening to unleash a malevolent spirit from a teapot. When Tsukutsun releases the creature anyway, it’s a...wait, have we met before? The no-holds-barred battle that ensues, including destruction of a decent chunk of the globe (as a gag) and even biting, may feel a tad bit familiar.
This creature is even referred to in supplemental materials as a “Teapot Genie” (茶瓶魔人 chabin majin), and certain elements of this story feel quite similar to the story arc surrounding Majin Buu, another “genie” you may have heard of. Of course, that is because they (along with Mr. Popo) draw on some of the same sources for inspiration. Its clothes, too, are less Buu’s in particular than the generic “Middle Eastern” style Toriyama also used with Bulma during the end of the first Dragon Ball hunt. But the similarities are there.
God
An old man with a long beard, who carries a familiar-looking staff, and has a penchant for porn. Kame-sen’nin, is that you...? Actually, it’s none other than God. No, not the green one. This is the God of Dr. Slump, who originally intends to “cleanse” the earth of humanity and start over, but has an inadvertent change of heart thanks to Senbe & co.
So what is he doing in the guise of an old martial-arts master in Dragon Ball? In his “Ask-Me-Anything” corner for tankobon volume 3, Akira Toriyama reveals that he liked the character a lot, so he reused him in Dragon Ball, simply sticking sunglasses on him. Thus Kame-sen’nin was born. (The similarity is even more obvious in his guise as Jackie Chun, where he’s not wearing the shades.) The former character’s penchant for puns, however, ended up being removed, and was later transferred to Kaio.
It doesn’t stop there, though: the animated version actually takes the connection one step further. Not only does Kame-sen’nin share the same character design as the God of Dr. Slump, he also shares the same voice actor! Kohei Miyauchi, who had previously voiced God in the Dr. Slump - Arale-chan anime, was also cast as the voice of Kame-sen’nin.
You’re So Punny
In Dragon Ball chapter 210, Goku’s first test is to make Kaio laugh, which is no easy task considering his penchant for lame puns. However, Goku comes through with the joke, “Futon ga futtonda!” (“My futon blew away!”)
Believe it or not, this is actually not new...or Toriyama’s invention. It was first used in Dr. Slump chapter 216, “Unidentified Flying Object,” where a “Dr. Umashika” uses it to disarm the “UFO” terrorizing Penguin Village (actually just an invisible kid with a hard candy). It’s also not Toriyama’s; when he uses it in Dr. Slump, he specifically credits the “really dumb gag” to fellow cartoonist Masakazu Katsura.
As stated previously, the character of God in Dr. Slump is also big on these old-man puns, and this trait is passed on to Kaio himself in Dragon Ball. Perhaps there’s just something about divinity that brings out a love for silly wordplay...?
Flushed Away
Toriyama has always been one for toilet humor... and there’s one gag in particular involving a toilet that he actually repeats. Would-be space pirate King Nikochan the Great is searching for a way back to his own planet, when he happens upon Senbe’s toilet and assumes it is a device that can send him back home. Meanwhile, Kame-Sen’nin’s attempt at perverted antics with Bulma’s Microband backfire badly, as he gets flushed away. Both of them emerge from the nearby septic tank, distinctly malodorous and decidedly nonplussed.
Familiar Cars
Oh hey, look! Taro and Peasuke are taking Bulma’s Renault 5 Turbo out for a spin. And Senbe’s hard at work on the Pilaf Gang’s Autobianchi A112. And Arale is driving Yamcha’s Fiat-Abarth 695...? What...?
You know how there’s the phrase, “write what you know”? Toriyama’s motto might as well be “draw what you like.” It started when he was a kid, where he would draw things that he wanted until he either got them or lost interest, and his body of work as an adult shows that this never changed. His interests (in this case, cars) are reflected as-is in the pages of his manga, and he happens to like these three models quite a bit indeed. He even had an A112 of his own, detailed with “STUDIO UCCELLO” (“Bird Studio” in Italian) on the side!
JULIAN (“SaiyaJedi”) is one of the translators for Kanzenshuu. He lives with his family in Japan.
Dragon Ball in Jump
Exploring history’s “rough draft” of Akira Toriyama’s magnum opus: Weekly Jump issues
By Julian Grybowski
I have a confession to make: despite having lived in Japan for years now, and despite being a regular reader of Weekly Shonen Jump when it comes to current series, I had little interest in looking up Dragon Ball in issues of yore. This largely came down to practicality—where does one put 517 issues of a phonebook-sized magazine?—and probably a bit of fan-snobbery, as well. After all, we already had the entire series in pristine quality thanks to the kanzenban, right? One needn’t look any further. But perhaps one should.
I have Peking Duck to thank for my change of heart. When Japan’s #1 Dragon Ball collector made it known that he had the entire series’ run at his disposal, he also did something else unprecedented: he made Toriyama’s weekly comments from each issue available to the public, at first on Twitter, and later in book form, printed at his own expense. These comments are a window into Toriyama’s world, and collected together, they tie a decade of seemingly meaningless observations into the outline of an individual: his habits, his likes and dislikes, and the things that shape his work, laid out in plain sight week by week. Sometimes they’re relevant to the series, and sometimes not, but they are the kind of knowledge we at Kanzenshuu ache to share with the world’s fans. With his permission, we made translating them a top priority.
I visited Peking Duck’s house outright in 2013 to help prepare for the HokoTate auditions, and my experience there motivated me further to seek out the magazines the only place I knew at the time: the library. These helped me fill in the gaps in data that Heath had been collecting over years, but the hours spent there also impressed upon me both the value of the magazine as a source of
information (including things that never made it into the guidebooks, like Bulma’s birthday or the backstories of Coola’s minions), and the uniqueness of the series when viewed in Jump itself.
It’s not just that the series is still in motion from week to week with possibilities not yet realized, but each chapter itself is still in-progress, so to speak: extra text hypes current contests or encourages the reader to check out the latest episode of the TV show. Toriyama’s own color art is embellished with extra splashes supplied by Shueisha. And, most intriguingly, sometimes things are different from the collected release. Characters get misnamed, like General White (“General Silver” in chapters 63 and 64) or Videl (“Devil” in Chapter 425), and there is the occasional typo. And then there are the things that never needed correcting.
Until I’d seen Dragon Ball firsthand in Weekly Jump, I had thought that the kanzenban was truly “perfection” for the series. While I still agree that it’s by far the best release in any language, my opinion of it is less favorable than it once was. First, there’s the art. While considerable effort is spent to make the series look really good (high-quality paper, great contrast, intact color chapters), it sometimes goes too far.
I’m not just talking about taking away the taglines from the title pages: much more troubling is its tendency to try and “fix” things. Shuu’s name is changed to “Soba” in Chapter 110, matching his first appearance, but orphaning Mai’s name pun. The date of the Cell Games is changed to Dragon Ball Z’s “May 26th” rather than the manga’s original (and perplexing) “M. 17th”. Art errors early on, such as a stray “Turtle” emblem on Kuririn’s monk robes in Chapter 53, and Goku in his training clothes before he changes into them in Chapter 24, are carefully “corrected.” And title pages for which the color originals were seemingly lost, such as for chapters 5 and 86, are redrawn digitally rather than scanned from an extant copy of the magazine itself.