Dragon Ball

Dragon Ball....now THIS is what I call nostalgia.

Dragon Ball was the first manga I ever read and finished so of course I'm giving it a 10 all the way through.

A long time ago in a little settlement in Sweden far, far away...
There was a kid who is known here as "Skitungen2", when he was 9 years old he got the first three volumes of Dragon Ball for birthday from his brother, he had no idea what manga was and he thought that it was wierd that you read right-to-left and didn't get why, he was a somewhat confused kid.
He also thought that it was awesome that they showed boobs in a book aimed towards boys under 18, and pretty weird that they showed a guys wee-wee in the first chapter, in a book aimed towards boys under 18.

And then 3 years later when he had all the volumes of Dragon Ball he thought for himself: "Äntligen så har jag alla volymerna av Dragon Ball" Translation: "Finally, I have all the volumes of Dragon Ball."
That confused little kid is me.

THE END by Skitungen2


Now the review,
[REMINDER] I will use the names of the characters that I learned from the swedish translation.
MEDIUM/MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD, READ AT YOUR OWN RISK

Dragon Ball starts off pretty simple: One guy and one girl is searching for the so-called "Dragon Balls", which can grant any wish, no matter what it is.
The guy who is also known as "Son-Goku" has one of those Dragon Balls, his Dragon Ball is a memento from his gramps, and the girl who is also known as "Bulma" wants Goku's Dragon Ball, and then the adventure begins.
I'm too lazy to write more.


The artwork in Dragon Ball has aged well, it looks really good to this day.
Then again it's Akira Toriyama, the man who did something different with the art, almost every manga reminded a little of Astro Boy (just like Chenoan said).


The characters in Dragon Ball is what makes it one of a kind, for example Kuririn, the bald monk who doesn't have a nose, but thinks that he has a nose, chapter 36 for example.
Kame-Sennin, the perv who is old as sh*t but still thinks that he can get it on with the younger girls in the series.
Vegeta, the evil saiyan who has come to exterminate the whole planet Earth but turns into a good guy later in the series.


I enjoyed Dragon Ball like I enjoy a plate with 12 pieces of sushi, and that's saying very much.
I've re-read the series countless times and still think that it's the best manga out there, if you haven't read it, give it a chance, and if you have read it you should just read it again.


Overall Dragon Ball is part of my childhood, and is IMO still the best manga out there, it may have had it's ups and downs, but considering how young I was when I read this manga it's not something that I have noticed.


See you all later, maybe...
Puss o kram, alla Barnbarn. Tack för mig!

I read the whole series as a teen, so it may sound or come out different from me than other reviewers. But as it is coming from a "teen", i found this to be extremely enjoyable. There are many flaws and weaknesses in this manga, but i seemed to understand why many called Toriyama, the creator of DragonBall, a genius. DragonBall surpasses all odds in its infinite path of making new friends, fighting new foes, and discovering new powers. In other words, you can call it the perfect raw shounen manga for younger audiences and perhaps teens like myself.

Story 9/10
To me this is both a weakness and a strong point of the series. Different arcs have different stories behind them but they all connect and make sense in the end. Although everything connects however, some parts seem like they lose understanding and basic common sense. Though rare, sometimes, the reader might feel or want to say "Well this makes sense, but why didn't they do this, or why couldn't they have done that before."
I do give the author credit though, for it is not easy to connect everything perfectly clearly with such a long series. I think the author balanced everything to work out pretty well.
However, when the plot gets really good into something you didn't expect, that's when the series really starts to shine. Secrets are uncovered and mysteries you could never imagine occur in this wonderful storyline giving it a solid 9/10.

Art 10/10
This one's quite obvious i think. The action sequences are very nicely drawn with wonderful design of landscapes and characters. Also the way the technology is drawn still amuses me :)

Character 9/10
First thing first, I have to say the way the characters were created and how it applies to them is pure genius. Absolute amazing creativity with variety as well. This series ranges from humans to saiyans to animals to aliens to different aliens to organisms to BUBBLE GUM. I mean BUBBLE GUM. If thats not enough of variety u also got two types (SPOILER* xP). A fat one and an evil looking one.
There is a backside to this though, which is why i rated it a 9 out of 10, and that is the character development. This seems to come out as a fatal flaw in the series. Important characters who were good friends of goku (SPOILER* xP) like Yamcha and Tien have seemed to lost their importance. Bulma who first discovered Goku, seems to have almost no part in his life afterwards. She seems to end up as the casual techno girl and cheerleader for Goku while he's fighting. But, even though there are some characters who seem to become unimportant, some new characters undergo a very nice change in development. For example characters like (SPOILER* xP) Vegeta, Piccolo, the androids, Buu, even Satan, seem to become important and likable characters in the series. Despite it's flaw in the development of some characters, it doesn't do quite much to affect the wonderful variety of characters and enjoyment in DragonBall.

Enjoyment 10/10
Really enjoyed this series. What more to say about it. x)

Overall 10/10
Don't get intimidated by the flaws i posted. (I'm just a mean reviewer :P)
Overall, DragonBall is a wonderful series filled with adventure and excitement. It's just incredible. You can't miss it!

Ever since I was little I was a hardcore fight fan, I loved watching shows where the antagonists had to battle for the survival of all they held dear, even now I hold fondly the anime that had given me my first taste as it aired on my morning cartoon network "Cheese TV." It was a boring morning when I stumbled upon the Dragonball manga and I soon found that morning cheering up as I delightfully relived the story of Goku and his Dragonball adventures.

Story [10/10]
If a manga like Dragonball were to only appear now, I would have probably given it an 8 or 9, though I have chosen to keep its original context in mind.
As I just mentioned; if Dragonball were to be released now, then it wouldn't have been as popular as it is today, this is because when the manga came out it was something new and unbelievable that the world had never really seen. The manga was one of the crucial founders of shounen fighting manga and anime; it set all the stereotypes and the benchmarks. Dragonball was one of the greatest stories of its generation and would leave a legacy on all shounen manga that would follow as the style continues to advance and refine to suit the times. Popular anime and manga like Naruto and Bleach all have roots in Dragonball.
Now, as for the story itself, I would say it's very good on its own terms. It takes an ancient Chinese tale and turns it into something completely different: a wacky adventure of a monkey-tailed jungle boy and a blue-haired tech head heiress of which would later be joined by more and more companions, some with rocky beginnings though all charmed by the protagonist, Goku's, innocence.
Goku's natural strength would always be questioned until later in the manga when his true identity is revealed as an adult (I would expect everyone to know, but I won't spoil it, just in case) which would give him the opportunity to face opponents stronger than he'd ever faced in an intergalactic setting.
Dragonball's sense of romance was kind of vague; the manga would skip large amounts of time, rarely even offering as much as a montage to explain the gap. Most romantic relationships would take place between these times. I felt that this was probably one of the best methods, the concept of lovey-dovey romance happening within Dragonball is shudder-worthy, it would undermine the true focus of the anime and so, as a result, even the cutest pairing were laced with violence, screaming spouses throwing threats at one another, it was the manga's own form of love.

Art [10/10]
The style enjoyed sitting out of the box.
Before Dragonball most anime and manga were similar to Astro Boy or the work of Hayao Miyazaki, but then came Dragonball sporting veined muscles and antagonists like king Piccollo and Frieza.
The settings were unique as well, like an alternate universe to our own world filled with amusing sterotypes from around the world, the terrain ranging from desert to jungles, cities to islands.
The world was made the playground for this manga.

Characters [10/10]
Like any fighting manga or anime, it was very character driven, creating unique and wacky personalities and character designs with very well thought out back story that would always come back to bite them somewhere in the manga, no matter how far forward. In Dragonball especially, the character development was evident, as the characters changed and aged physically and mentally, maturing in all their own chosen occupations.

Enjoyment [10/10]
I will have to say that the reason I enjoyed this manga the most was because of the nostalgia that I felt from reading it, I could remember a time back when I was just four or five years old when I would sit and watch, even though I can't remember much about my childhood, I still hang onto so many memories of watching Goku fight Frieza on planet Namek, of trunks and his father fighting cell among others.

I remember and it feels good to be reminded.

Story:
There's something magical about Dragon Ball. From its starting point searching for the Dragon Ball to the final fight to save the Universe, there's a genuine feel of adventure and progress that is felt while reading this manga. I feel like I've come so far, met so many people, and survived so much despite only reading it on a page. And everything is memorable from the master assassin Taopaipai to the mysterious Android 16, every interaction you observe Goku partake in seems to have some kind of special moment that engrains itself into my memory. I mean, everything was so EXCITING! I had a blast reading chapters of the many Budokai tournaments, the horrifying villains that took solace in murder, and the ridiculous comedic perversions of Kame-sennin.

What's especially amazing is how the manga exponentially increases in quality with each passing arc. Each arc brings something new to the table and culminates with something unique and unpredictable. It's filled with moments that seem boisterous and extravagant but also have a subtle level of intimacy to their characterization. Most notably is the first moment that Goku becomes Super Saiyan. The rising action to this revelation is brilliant and the moment it happens, so much is implied about what Goku is thinking without him uttering a word. In fact, this happens many times within Dragon Ball and it really lends to the creative talent of Akira Toriyama.

However, with a manga as long as this one, it's evident that there would be problems, and that's most recognized with the final arc. Although there's a bit of a balance to how one can look at it, the ending isn't exactly what I would call satisfying as I would say acceptable. The Cell arc precedes the Majin Buu arc and with how the Cell arc ends, it feels as though the world of Dragon Ball is in for a treat with the following one. It even teases this transition with the Great Saiyaman arc, implying that what you might be expecting is actually going to become true. However, upon finishing the Majin Buu arc, you're subjected to a world-class ruse and left feeling a little hollow. Does it truly impact my experience with Dragon Ball? Not as a whole, but as a grade? Yes. It's so detrimental that it's bumped my opinion of Dragon Ball as a whole from a 10/10 to a 9/10 solely for the climax of the Majin Buu arc. It's why I'm eager to see where Dragon Ball is headed with the new movies and hopefully Dragon Ball Super (assuming it has an original arc beyond what we've seen in the new films.)

But, all in all, Dragon Ball's story isn't just an extravagant out-of-this-world martial arts manga, it's a great character narrative where everyone becomes a little more of themselves with each passing page. Although everyone stays largely static, there are subtle changes in everyone that makes for a realistic feel to it. I've come to love Krillin as the most powerful human on Earth. I've come to respect Piccolo as an amazing surrogate father and warrior. I've come to look up to Vegeta and how his determination and pride didn't take over his life in the end. There's so much to love about Dragon Ball, and recognizing its impact on the Manga community isn't enough to do it justice. Reading it and experiencing it for yourself is absolutely recommended.


Art:
Brilliant, amazing art. Although backgrounds become rubble regularly and the art near the end of the manga becomes a little rough, the character designs, worlds, and 'animation' of each page and panel is so excellent I cannot even begin to describe how monumental of an achievement it is. I mean, this is a seriously big deal. For each character to have their own traits, for each world to look have subtle yet recognizable locations, and most importantly, for the pages to look so fluid. Hoooo boy. I mean, You will be falling in love with how the manga reads. Every moment looks like it's truly alive. Every punch, kick, and jump looks like it's coming right out of the page and happening before your eyes. It's incredible.


Character:
Again, I mentioned how each character has such subtle yet realistic growth. Most importantly, it happens over a long, long time. I mean, this manga spans what can be assumed nearly a third of Goku's life. From childhood to a father of two, there's so much growth to not only Goku but those around him. And, anyone who's been alive for a long time knows that change can take a long time. At times, you're left wondering when characters are going to stop with their old habits, or when they're going to finally be strong enough to fight back. All in due time.

Their character designs are also quite impressive, and I have to admit that I've come to love Akira Toriyama's work. I used to find it a little too cartoony for me but now I miss how unique and recognizable it is. I wish more artists would seek to find their own style rather than imitate so many other types of artwork, especially now in this day where so much looks the same (darn you, moe anime!).


Enjoyment:
Man, I had a blast! I'm so sad it's over but I'm SO EXCITED to get into the current content. But also, I'm super excited to experience it all over again in the anime adaptions. Although I'll be a little timid about the DBZ adaption (since it's so long and arduous) I'm real excited to watch DBZ Kai and especially Dragon Ball. I watched DBZ as a child but not so much Dragon Ball. And, while GT is abhorred by many, I'd be interested in watching it solely for more Dragon Ball content (despite it's many, many flaws).

I'm just super hooked on Dragon Ball content, that's all. I want more. But, can you blame me?


((If you liked this review, feel free to check out my others! I review most manga and anime I finish!))

Dragon Ball is one of the most influental manga series, and media series in general, of all time. For better or worse, all of anime was changed by this title, and so talking of it through the modern lense is somewhat unfair. The cliches it has didn't exist until this series. Regardless, I'm going to try to take you through this series, and why it's still good today. (Skip to the endparagraph for a spoiler-free summary).

The first arc of Dragon Ball is an action-comedy not unlike the creator Akira Toriyama's earlier series, Dr. Slump. Goku and his buddies Bulma, Oolong, and Yamcha go on a quest to get the wish-granting Dragon Balls. Honestly, it's pretty flawed. Many of the jokes are very childish and crude, and I don't even think a child would enjoy many of them. Anyone who grew up on Dragon Ball Z will likely feel jaded, as this is nothing like later arcs. The series is a fun adventure with likeable characters, and it can be funny when it's not resorting to low-brow humour. The entire tone is very laid-back. There's dinosaurs, talking animals, and weird capsule machines, and the villains are just these idiots who are kind of pathetic, but kind of competent. The main character has a tail for some reason. All the characters are just like 'Yeah, this is normal', and it's somewhat refreshing in a world where we get series so dedicated to explaining every rule. The arc even ends in a comedic way, and that is something I will get back to. Not bad, but there's much better.

The next arc is where a change starts. Not only is a new character introduced, but the focus shifts more to fighting and personal growth. This wasn't very common at the time. In most action series, the protagonist would already be strong, but Goku has to train here, and this is a constant through the rest of the series. The arc even ends with Goku losing the obligatory tournament that each shonen has. There's still room for him to grow, and this change was reflective of the fact that Dragon Ball wouldn't end anytime soon.

The next arc is a mix of the first and second, with the structure of the first arc, but the tone of the second. A fairly enjoyable story where the side characters contribute enough when they appear, but a problem became apparent. The final villain of the saga, the leader of the Red Ribbon army, is simply a joke. The new Dragon Ball was clashing with the old. The conclusion to this arc has no buildup, and honestly any antagonist presented had a bit of an anticlimax. However, this problem would be fixed in the next tournament arc, and especially the Piccolo arc.

The second tournament arc is really good, as the battles are an improvement, especially the final one. However, this arc was also the introduction of the character Tien. Tien is a serious character compared to previous antagonists. He's not evil, he's just a bit of a jerk. He eventually becomes a good guy, but Goku once again loses the tournament. The subsequent arc expands on this idea of a main villain. Piccolo is just an evil and threatening dude. He isn't a joke (Although the move that initially defeated him did involve a rice cooker), and our heroes will actually die if they lose. He is defeated, but not before he creates a son. This son takes place in the next tournament arc, but not before a timeskip takes place. This is the arc that separates Dragon Ball from Dragon Ball Z. Goku and the new Piccolo's powers are far beyond what we saw in chapter one. In the end, Goku beats Piccolo and is named the Strongest Under the Heavens. He gets the girl, everyone's happy, the end. Well, not exactly. Several years later, the next saga starts, Dragon Ball Z.

In Dragon Ball Z, Goku is a grown man with a family. The world is at peace, but then the Saiyan saga starts. Remember how I mentioned Goku had a tail? That's because he's basically manga Superman. Our new big baddies are of his race, and they far outmatch him. He dies (Temporarily, as the Dragon Balls can even revive people), and Piccolo goes to train his son Gohan. We begin to see more humanity in Piccolo, and he becomes a good person er... Namek. The characters are the strength of Z, and even when the battles and plot degrade, the characters remain great. Our heroes eventually defeat the Saiyans, but Goku spares the most powerful, Vegeta, who goes to meat his boss Freiza. This takes us nicely into the Freiza saga.

Yet again, a problem has sprouted for Dragon Ball. You may have noticed a pattern. Tien, Piccolo, and soon Vegeta are all villains who are redeemed and become good guys, or less bad guys in Vegeta's case. Dragon Ball needed a villain who was irredeemably evil (Until Super, but we're not talking about that). Freiza is just this racist, annoying, arrogant, unlikeable murderer who forced Vegeta to work for him and then destroyed his planet. He had to die, but first we get him rubbing his power in everyone's faces. Vegeta is really good in this arc, and despite the fact that he's not a good person, we actually root for him on several occasions. Vegeta wants to be the best, as his life is defined by that, and it crushes him when Goku becomes super saiyan and defeats Freiza. We get this catharsis for seeing Frieza die. Surely, this is the end, right? No, but maybe it should've ended, because this is where the cracks in Dragon Ball start to show.

Don't get me wrong, I personally love the Cell saga, but there are major flaws here. It starts with the fact that Frieza is apparently alive, and with his Dad, who intends on destroying Earth. Don't worry though, this new Saiyan shows up and kills Frieza. This was really unnecessary. This new saiyan is Vegeta and Bulma's son from the future who came to warn them of an android threat. However, what Trunks doesn't know is that a weird thing called Cell also came to the past to fight the Z fighters and the androids. Are you following? This is where the narrative becomes a lot worse. However, Vegeta and Gohan continue to be great characters, and the androids are all pretty good villains. It ends with Goku dying permanently (hah), and his son being the new Strongest Under the Heavens. Dragon Ball should've ended here. The next and final arc of Dragon Ball is a huge letdown.

Majinn Buu saga is very clumsy in terms of setup. The beginning is very fun, and feels like a redefined Dragon Ball where Gohan is the protagonist. However, it eventually becomes an inferior Z arc that feels stale. Buu is kind of interesting at first, but becomes so basic and lacking that it annoys me. This could've been something new, but we had to have Goku come back and become even more powerful. Now, characters can fuse and have names that shippers come up with. The only thing that justifies this arc is the conclusion to Vegeta's arc, which is admittedly pretty great. The last few chapters kind of tie it up nicely, but regardless, this was a disappointing arc.

There were a few things I never brought up though: First, the laid back world works for original Dragon Ball, but not for Z. We know people can't die, and stuff is clearly made up on the spot and the world eventually becomes convoluted.

There is also a problem with characters becoming obsolete. Oolong, Yamcha, Tien, and even Piccolo eventually just sit on the sides and cheer on Goku. Actually, Yamcha and Oolong just leave the game entirely, along with many others. One character named Launch was even forgotten about by Toriyama. This was a side effect of having one big villain. There should've been smaller enemies for characters to fight, or we could have the characters leave the story in a satisfying way (Too bad no one can die).

Here are the arcs rated from
my favorite to least favorite:
Frieza Saga
Cell Saga (Including androids)
Piccolo Saga
Saiyan Saga
Second Tournament
First Tournament
Red Ribbon Saga
Majinn Buu Saga
Origin Saga

Overall, Dragon Ball has highs and lows. It walked so series like Yu Yu Hakusho and One Piece could run. Great characters and exciting fights are underlayed by weak plots and world, mostly caused by a lack of initial planning, and power levels are pushed to an intangible amount, leaving the last arc to be disappointing. Regardless, the highs are better than the lows. 7/10. Do I recommend you read it? It's hard to recommend someone to read 42 volumes of any manga, honestly, but sure. If you want to, skip to Z, even. If you do read it from the beginning, just stick it through the first arc. It's worth it.

There's something magical about Dragon Ball. From its starting point searching for the Dragon Ball to the final fight to save the Universe, there's a genuine feel of adventure and progress that is felt while reading this manga,everything is memorable from the master assassin Taopaipai to the mysterious Android 16, every interaction you observe Goku partake in seems to have some kind of special moment that engrains itself into the readers memory.


The quality never dips in dragon ball,if anything with each passing arc the quality of the manga increases,Each arc brings something new to the table and culminates with something unique and unpredictableI,theyre filled with moments that seem extravagant but also have a subtle level of intimacy to their characterization,like that time Goku becomes Super Saiyan for the first time,the rising action to this revelation is brilliant and the moment it happens, so much is implied about what Goku is thinking without him saying a word.




Art:
Brilliant art. backgrounds become rubble regularly and the art near the end of the manga becomes a little rough,the page composition and the paneling are next level,not many mangas are able to reach this level of fluidity. every page looks so fluid,youll fall in love with how the manga reads,every moment looks like it's truly alive. Every punch, kick, and jump looks like it's coming right out of the page and happening before your eyes.


Characters (especially goku):

each character has such subtle yet realistic growth. Most importantly it happens over a long time. I mean this manga spans what can be nearly a third of Goku's life. From childhood to a father of two, there's so much growth to not only Goku but those around him.


now for goku:

Goku gets naturally more selfish as the series goes on, and you could assume this is due to the retcon of Goku being a Saiyan. Toriyama most likely started adding traits to this character after the big reveal to attach him more towards his heritage. When we first meet Goku, he preforms very selfless acts, like helping the Sea Turtle get back to his home with no expectation of a reward, helping Lunch (Launch in the dub) while she is getting chased by cops, and reviving Bora with the Dragon Balls he was finding when trying to find his Grandpa's.



He never really starts taking the stereotype of "I love fighting and I'll do anything for it" until the 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai arc when he fights the reborn Piccolo, Ma Junior. After the reveal and retcon of him being an alien comes into play.


you start getting the stereotypical and frankly, at the time, uncharacteristic fetish he seems to have for fighting.

Toriyama said he feels that Goku is a character who cares most about getting stronger than that he may only do good things as a result, but I do not entirely,agree with that. I think the problem with this is that no one ever wants to see the middle ground. They either think that Goku is a selfless superhero who fights for peace and justice or that he is a mentally handicapped selfish martial artist who only cares about fighting and doesn't love his wife or sons. In reality, he isn't one or the other, he is in the middle. but he is most definitely not a typical good guy MC.

Story:

i already talked about arcs a bit before hand but Every arc is great and execution of them even greater from the great emperor pilaf arc to the very last majin buu arc the execution of them is amazing,the story/arcs dont try to be more then what they are nor do they try to be less,a manga as long as dragon obliviously has its flaws but for the most part it achieve what its trying to achieve near perfeclty(same applies to the character writing) and its painfully beautiful.

Toryiamas storytelling is absolutely something else as i personally dont like many battle shonens and it was the same has its flaws but for the most part it achieve what its trying to achieve near perfectly(same applies to the character writing) and its painfully beautiful,Toryiamas storytelling is absolutely something else as i personally dont like many battle shonens and it was the same its truly something else.




Enjoyment:


Ive been a long time dragon ball fan however as much as i enjoyed it i never gave it a high score which is till now,i too was a smooth brain myself who thought dragon ball was nothing but cool fights but the manga proved me wrong so badly the creative writing of toriyama is what makes dragon ball dragon ball,not just some flashly fights and as much as i like the choreography in the fights of dragon ball they are far from the being the best part about it and the people who think dragon ball is just all fights i can guarantee never actually read or watched the series rather watched it on tv twice and formed their shitty opinions from there.




Overall:

Dragon ball is an amazing manga,one of the most inspirational manga of all time if not the most,it achieves what its trying to achieve with its characters/arcs near perfectly.

the writing in dragon ball is absolutely beautiful, toriyama wrote this series on the flow with bare none asspulls, plot convinces or flaws with tons of fore-shadowing of future events and its sad that it constantly gets downplayed with either the nostalgia card or bad stereotypes in the current day, which i blame the dogshit continuations/english dub for, they've completely ruined dragon balls reputation.

the emotional bond you build with this manga while reading it is amazing and leaves you empty when you complete it,Dragon ball is a delight and i would read it again in the future.

10/10.

Bye-Bye Dragon World!

Dragon ball is one of the biggest reasons why anime and manga has become so popular outside of Japan, for so many different reasons that still make it just as appealing today. While many may attribute it's popularity to it being broadcast on American television stations, particularly kid's networks (not the smartest choice for an anime about punching people through mountains), I think a big part of it's popularity came from showing it's American audience what a movie could not do, and what Marvel and DC did not do. It expressed motion. Every panel is linked to another, so that your eyes move across the pages so fast a chapter is done before you realize it. The fights are an elaborate dance that blends graceful movement with unrelenting power. It's almost as if you feel the blows the characters receive, and fall down with them. The characters don't care about the landscape around them, their objective is to defeat their enemy, even if they have to die as well. It brings a level of intensity and gravity to the manga and anime that is hard to find elsewhere. Presentation is a huge part of the atmosphere in Dragon ball, whether it is a giant "Kame-hame-ha" wave, or a brilliant transformation, it never fails to impress and bestow a sense of awe. All while the art style maintains a consistent flavor that is the perfect balance between upbeat and serious, the genius that Akira Toriyama is. If you have not read Dragon Ball, I cannot recommend it enough. In time's where most manga consists of dialogue stretched on for many pages, it is refreshing to see a manga that blends both dialogue and action, to create a wonderful manga that will be remembered for years to come.

just started reading, i mean, reached volume 11, our bookshops have got released on 14 of this comics volumes!!!! will be forced to download next volumes somewhere.... or order from other sourcesXD

looove the story!!!! characters are lovely, sense of humour typically manly,
love the idea of a GIRL genius-Bulma,
and of course *sigh*-Son Goku!! the dream-guy))) having all the best values of a human!) and i love that he's a little dumb sometimes)))))

well before i start writing the review i wanna say that this is my first review,
I fell in love with dragon ball since I was a kid I saw it first on TV that's how i found this master piece It's the true meaning of epicness!!!

The characters are wonderful the fights are epic the story is a master piece honestly dragon ball is something you can't describe in words because it's that epic!!!


a short preview of the story:

The story start with the hero of dragon ball his name is "son goku"
meeting the second human in his life her name is "Bulma" then he became her friend and they went together to find the dragon balls in they're journey to find the dragon balls they made a lot of friends and fought a lot of people
he met master hermit and was trained by him he entered the tournament and fought alot of people.......

and then after a while "goku" became a young man and starting there the story become more interesting chapter after chapter the excitement never ends....

I also liked the idea of the dragon balls you can wish to bring dead people back alive this is what I liked the most In dragon ball It doesn't matter how many times Akira (mangaka) kills his characters the most important thing is an epic fight!!!
because dead characters can be brought back to life with the dragon balls!!!

honestly I wish there was a rating number above 10 that was only for dragon ball (sigh)!!!

I gave it a 10.

Meh :D I read the the whole manga and is awesome :D

Story-

The story is well-developed and does everything to make a kid happy :D Awesome fighting,Training,Aura,comedies and stuffs :D

Art- Well the art is ok but the ears seem a little big to me :P

Character- Aliens and stuffs were good :D The characters were well-developed and have different personalities

Enjoyment- I seriously enjoyed the manga from begining till the end :D

Overall- This is a really good manga that u would want to read :D It is funny and ACTION PACKED!!! You don't wanna miss this old-school manga ;)

Dragon Ball is good.
It's not AS good as people would make you believe, but it's good. I've seen and read much worse, but I've also seen and read much better.

Story: 6 / 10
You all know this story; Dragon Balls, adventure, Shenron, yadda yadda yadda. The concept of the Dragon Balls itself is pretty interesting, but the story itself kind of drags after a while, the Red Ribbon Army arc especially. I made it to the fight against Ninja Murasaki, and gave up because it just didn't engage me anymore.

Art: 8 / 10
Toriyama's drawing style is really good. Shenron looks very majestic and powerful, and the way he's designed looks simply cool. Everything else that isn't a building or a tough fighter is very simplistic, but not in a bad way; the characters still stand out and are very recognizable. Just look at Goku's hair!

Character: 7 / 10
Goku might be one of the most endearing characters in Japanese media, and when I was reading I was always curious as to what he was going to do next. However, every other character is either unlikeable, a pervert, or a simple villain, with a few exceptions of course. Krillin for example manages to become quite a likeable character, and I can relate to Yamcha's unability to ask women out.

Enjoyment: 7 / 10
If I was still the huge Dragon Ball fan I used to be, I would of given this section a 10, but now the manga is a lot less impressive. The techniques used in every fight are remarkable and very well incorporated, but they're not really enough to keep me on the edge of my seat. The humor however is still as effective as always, and every line or drawing gets at least a chuckle out of me.

Overall: 7 / 10
Dragon Ball is still a good read for anyone craving a good adventure with loads and loads of action, but I say it's not as amazing when you look at it objectively. Approach with caution.