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Dragon Ball



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Mon Apr 17, 2017 4:16 am
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Lumi says...



Dragon Ball is an anime and manga that, by its quirky and break-the-rules spirit, has captured minds, hearts, and imaginations across generations. Its creator, Akira Toriyama, has at several points considered stopping the series (and did at several junctures), but loyal to his fans, the Tori-bot cranked out more content that continues to sate our appetite to this day.

However, this week, we're going to start by talking about the original series that started it all. Not Z, not GT, not Super: we're talking Dragon Ball.

Chronicling the adventures of young Son Goku and Bulma Briefs as they search for the mythical seven dragon balls that are fabled to grant one wish when collected, the story is littered with misadventure and fortune alike as they make timeless friends and allies, as well as deadly foes in Pilaf, The Red Ribbon Army, and ultimately Piccolo, the misnomered "Demon King."

What I love so much about the original series is its nature to be unashamed. So adamant to be unique, it may resort to dirtier humor or cheesier fights, but they are memorable and enjoyable. And don't worry, I have some discussion questions!

Code: Select all
[b]1. Who was your favorite character in the original Dragon Ball?[/b]

[b]2. Do you think Toriyama did a nice job writing in characters that would return in later series?[/b]

[b]3. How much more amazing was Yamcha in this series than any other? I exclude Tien  Shinhan for his role in Super.[/b]

[b]4. Have you seen all of Dragon Ball, if any? Do you have any interest?[/b]
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Mon Apr 17, 2017 1:53 pm
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Lightsong says...



It's been a while since I watched the anime, but it's still imprinted in my poor memory.

1. Who was your favorite character in the original Dragon Ball?

Kuririn. He's just funny, sneaky, and I like how he shows his rivalry with Goku. He's also not perfect, and added with his bald head, I think he'd be an interesting person to have with.

2. Do you think Toriyama did a nice job writing in characters that would return in later series?

I don't watch much of Dragon Ball; I watched it whenever it was screened in the television, so I can't really say my opinion is on behalf of the Dragon Ball's entire series. I think he has knacks of making interesting, likeable characters, and that by itself helps him return them back, so yes.

3. How much more amazing was Yamcha in this series than any other? I exclude Tien Shinhan for his role in Super.

I don't really like Yamcha at the beginning of the series. He's so annoying! He tries to be perfect, etc., but I guess at the end he's not bad character, just my least favourite one, so I don't know how amazing he is. xD

4. Have you seen all of Dragon Ball, if any? Do you have any interest?

Bits of it here and there. I remember Goku participating his first tournament, some part of his quest to get the balls, and my most favourite part of the Dragon Ball would be the fusion he made with another guy I don't remember his name, and also the attempted one made by his son and the other guy's son. That one's awesome. xD
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Thu Apr 20, 2017 11:00 am
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TinkerTwaggy says...



@Lumi Did you just started a Discussion about Dragon Ball? Ay, Lemme put some Makafushi Adventure as I take a seat and participate in this, then!

1. Who was your favorite character in the original Dragon Ball?

I hesitate between Tao Pai Pai - or Mercenary Tao - and General Blue. In Blue's case, it's because he's a character that first appears as one of the countless enemies the Red Ribbon Army throws as Goku - and also appears kind of wacky, having an Oujosama laugh and all;
Spoiler! :
phpBB [media]


But not only does he has a quite interesting psychic ability, he just keeps surviving and surviving, thus showing himself as a lot more than just a "villain of the day" but more like a recurring rival type of guy, since Goku literally can't look at him in the eyes without getting paralyzed. It's also fun that the guy's totally cartoony, but can get back to being serious in an instant, kinda like he can execute a soldier on the spot because he was picking his nose.

As for Tao Pai Pai, well, not only is he the badass who killed Blue like it was nothing - and the dude had already be established as a guy not to mess with, so that just adds to the "mind-blown" factor - he... He wears a pink clothing with "KILL YOU" written in the back, and the first thing he does to get to Goku is ride a freaking stone pillar - also pink - and just stands there 'til he arrives. Then he basically kills or almost kills everyone and leaves. I just love how masterful the guy is. Well, that and... Pillar riding.
Spoiler! :
phpBB [media]
(you can turn on subtitles via Youtube, not that you really need them)


It's just so absurdly cool.


2. Do you think Toriyama did a nice job writing in characters that would return in later series?

Well, Toriyama has a notoriously difficult time with side characters, so to me, not really. I mean, most of the human characters of Dragon Ball were kind of overshadowed by anything else that came by - and also vastly overpowered - but at least, I think he did a very good job with the likes of Piccolo, or should I say Piccolo Jr. The fact that the guy turned from "son of the devil's incarnation" to training his sworn enemy's son and becoming a father figure to him... That's pretty good stuff. That, and I still enjoy how Krillin, despite being underpowered, created one of the deadliest moves in Dragon Ball history - Destructo Disk, or Kienzan - and survived quite a lot despite dying a few times. He's also making a great comeback for himself in Dragon Ball Super, currently, which I've been enjoying as well.

Oh, and Tien Shinhan has Shin Kikoho, AKA Neo Tri-Beam. 'Nuff said.


3. How much more amazing was Yamcha in this series than any other? I exclude Tien Shinhan for his role in Super.

That sounds like a very biased question XD But actually, I enjoyed Yamcha's development as a martial artist throughout the series, but I DESPISE the fact that he was always put in battles he counldn't win.
First Tournament: *gets Muten Roshi as first opponent, AKA the strongest character of the arc*
Second Tournament: *gets Tien Shinhan as his first opponent, the strongest character of that arc, proven stronger than Muten Roshi and about as good as Goku*
Third Tournament: *gets GOD - albeit in disguise - as his first opponent.*
The guy got a lot to show for, but he has a historical issue with first matches.


4. Have you seen all of Dragon Ball, if any? Do you have any interest?

I've watched all the series, yes, and played a handful of games from the DB universe. As for my interest, well, it's quite a big one, but mostly for the deeper meanings hidden here and there in the saga, the character development work, and the lore expansion Dragon Ball Super brought to the table. AKA I like the world, but not just for the fighting.
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And why did I spend my life savings on sunglasses for a whale?
I shall find the answers... to these questions."
  





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Tue Apr 03, 2018 9:45 am
appedology says...



Dragon ball is really super addictive series with moral characters like goko, master roshi and the lord vegita and even freeza with his amazing powers.
  





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Wed Apr 11, 2018 12:01 am
TopKeks says...



I never got round to finishing Z, but in a lot of ways I prefer the original series. I've only watched the anime, never read the manga, so from that perspective, the pacing is a little too slow at times, such as muscle tower, but generally the fights are all pretty good, even if some are padded with silly gags and the like. The humour in general is pretty good, but at times, particularly during fights, it can devalue the impact of the situation and/or what the characters are meant to represent. Z lost all this, but gained a more tense and serious tone.

I've heard from unconfirmed sources that Dragon Ball was intended to end as early as the first encounter with the eternal dragon, and, with the nature of how manga series' are often published, Akira Toriama being encouraged to continue the series despite the wishes of the author, is very believable. I think this theory becomes even more believable as some characters are just written off, completely forgotten, or just become irrelevant/redundant, not just in Z, but even later on in Dragon Ball, which is kind of sad since I feel a lot of the characters compliment each other very well.

Dragon Ball's mix of child-friendly demeanor and occasionally more perverse/adult humour is quite a unique and unexpected blend which occasionally gets it very right. One of my favourite misdirects in the series is the fight between Yamcha and Tien in the 2nd tournament. One episode is called "Yamcha's big break", alluding to the common expression of getting a 'big break' in which an individual finally receives the victory they presumably deserve, however this episode title literally refers to a break, in Yamcha's leg being broken by Tien. When it happened I was in awe, I didn't see it coming at all, given the apparent child-like nature of the show. As the show continues, these darker more realistic themes continue, and they definitely add to the severity of the upcoming struggles the characters face, making it a continuously thrilling watch. Combined with the lovable characters which grow over time and truly make you feel like you know them like old friends, and you've got a pretty solid story and series. With Z, I feel there's a bit of a disconnect in these areas, but it does improve on the original Dragon Ball in areas it fails to inherit.
  








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