So they decided to divide the series in two...

Well, if you read my review on Dragonball (if you haven't, you should...he he he), I explained a bit about the whole Dragonball/Dragonball Z issue.

In Japan, the animated series was divided into Dragonball and Dragonball Z. From late Dragonball to early Dragonball Z, there was a gradual change in tone for the series. Dragonball was more silly adventures and dirty humor while Dragonball Z became more "I'm a superhero, so let's save the universe!" in tone. The style of humor and silliness was still there, but to a lesser degree.

The comics (or the manga, if you prefer) was never divided. From volume 1 all the way to 42, the series was called Dragonball.

I assume that whatever publisher is responsible for this translation of Dragonball decided to incorporate the Z so there would be no confusion when they released both series at the same time. (Let's get all of the Dragonball stuff out there while it's still in demand!)

I would prefer it if the comics were released in order so that readers could sort of grow up to love the characters, but oh well...

All that aside, Dragonball Z begins where Dragonball left off about 5 years earlier. Dragonball started with Son Gokou meeting new friends and getting into adventures or trouble. He was about 11 or 12 at the time when he first meets a teenage city girl named Bulma who was on an adventure to find the 7 Dragonballs to grant a wish. Gokou had one his Grandfather left him, but knew nothing of its origin. Bulma asks Gokou to tag along for fun (just to bring the Dragonball along, of course). And so begins the adventure!

The first adventure takes about 1 or 2 volumes, I believe...From there, Gokou is on a mission to become stronger, so he visits the legendary turtle hermit. Then comes the tournaments, the organization bent on world domination, more tournaments, deaths of friends, wishing back of friends, evil demon lords, lusty old men, true friends, reunions, etc etc etc...and in no particular order. Through all of this, Gokou remains good and pure...and usually completely clueless.

Dragonball ends with one of the World Martial Arts Tournaments where Gokou beats Piccolo (the reincarnation of the demon king he defeated 3 years prior) and marries Chi Chi (a girl who made a brief appearance early in the series). This is about volume 15 or 16.

The next conflict begins 5 years after the last tournament. Gokou and Chi Chi have a son named Son Gohan (named after Gokou's grandfather). Piccolo is still alive (Gokou does not kill his opponents when he doesn't have to. Besides...who would he fight later on?) and going about his loner ways when suddenly he senses a power greater than his. He is paralyzed by fear until the holder of that power just flies away saying that Piccolo is not the one he is looking for.

He finds what he is looking for in Gokou, who is visiting his friends on the turtle hermit's island to introduce them to Gohan. When the powerful force arrives on the island, he introduces himself as Raditz, Gokou's older brother! (Bum Bum BUM!!!)

From what we would gather from READING THE COMICS IN ORDER!!!, Gokou does not have a brother, so this is quite the cliche'd melodramatic twist! But does it matter?!?!

And that's where I stop. If you've never read this series, I hope that my review helped spark an interest into Akira Toriyama's world. I'd like it if many people could read this instead of watching the series on TV with all its boring and slow subplots and excessive exposition. The series is quicker, leaner, and livelier. The show just gets repetitive...I still watch it of course...

This series holds a special place in my heart because I saw the early episodes of the series when I was very young and only read all 42 comics when I was in junior high. I'm in college now, but I would love to have all of these.

And it's not the action. Action gets repetitive. Looking back on it now, it's the characters and their relationship with one another. This is probably the nostalgia talking, and it'll sound as cheesy as hell, but I don't care.

Excuse me...I have something in my eye...

UPDATE: 3/13/02
I just read on imdb.com that 20th Century Fox wants to produce live-action films of this series.

So this is what it's like...when fans cry!

My God, have these idiots no decency!?!? With Dragonball, the drawings are more than 50% of the charm! The way Dragonball is drawn, the characters that I love are meant to remain 2D creations. One can see this in the silly action figures based on the series. Gokou and company just do not make for good looking action figures. Maybe if the companies that create those extremely detailed models for Akira, Spawn, Reservoir Dogs, and etc did it, some justice would be done, but I just have doubts about 3D Dragonall.

And worst of all, I wanted to direct the animated features of Dragonball! Waah!

Nothing good can come if this crap is greenlit. I've never had such a gut reaction to stuff like this before.

Hells Bells! This is the perfect news to get on my birthday...


UPDATE: 3/28/2004

A little more than 2 years after I heard about plans to produce a Hollywood live-action version of Dragonball, I finally read rumors that such plans have been quashed!

Oh joy!!

No one could ever know how happy this makes me.

I just hope it's not a mere rumor...