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Dragon Ball [ドラゴンボール] #14
Dragon Ball, Vol. 14: Heaven and Earth
Goku is the world's only hope--the only being on Earth capable of fighting Piccolo, the Great Demon King! But the city-demolishing battle ends with Piccolo birthing a younger, even tougher version of himself, who will return in three years time to finish the destruction wrought by his father! In search of a way to defeat the new Piccolo, Goku's gaze turns skyward--to the heavenly realm of Kami-sama, creator of the Dragon Balls, deity of the Dragon Ball world. But Piccolo and Kami-sama share a shocking secret...
192 pages, Paperback
First published August 10, 1988
126 people are currently reading
917 people want to read
About the author
Akira Toriyama
1,901 books1,732 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 - 30 of 114 reviews
June 22, 2025
EN Another spectacular volume of Dragon Ball!
At this point in the story, we witness the conclusion of the epic battle against Demon King Piccolo. After the fight, Son Goku must find a way to bring back the friends he lost during the battle — which leads him on a new quest: to restore the dragon Shenron, who had been destroyed by Piccolo.
The volume ends with the introduction of a new Tenkaichi Budokai (World Martial Arts Tournament), bringing new foes and characters who promise to shake things up even more.
It's been fantastic to revisit this series and rediscover moments I had completely forgotten — a true nostalgic journey!
--
PT Mais um volume espectacular de Dragon Ball!
Neste ponto da história, assistimos ao desfecho da épica batalha contra o Rei Demónio Piccolo. Após o confronto, Son Goku vê-se obrigado a encontrar uma forma de ressuscitar os amigos que perdeu durante a luta — o que o leva a embarcar numa nova missão: restaurar o dragão Shenlong, destruído por Piccolo.
O volume termina com a introdução ao novo Torneio dos Mais Fortes debaixo do Céu, trazendo consigo novos adversários e personagens que prometem agitar ainda mais a história.
Tem sido fantástico revisitar esta série e redescobrir momentos que já nem me lembrava — uma verdadeira viagem nostálgica!
At this point in the story, we witness the conclusion of the epic battle against Demon King Piccolo. After the fight, Son Goku must find a way to bring back the friends he lost during the battle — which leads him on a new quest: to restore the dragon Shenron, who had been destroyed by Piccolo.
The volume ends with the introduction of a new Tenkaichi Budokai (World Martial Arts Tournament), bringing new foes and characters who promise to shake things up even more.
It's been fantastic to revisit this series and rediscover moments I had completely forgotten — a true nostalgic journey!
--
PT Mais um volume espectacular de Dragon Ball!
Neste ponto da história, assistimos ao desfecho da épica batalha contra o Rei Demónio Piccolo. Após o confronto, Son Goku vê-se obrigado a encontrar uma forma de ressuscitar os amigos que perdeu durante a luta — o que o leva a embarcar numa nova missão: restaurar o dragão Shenlong, destruído por Piccolo.
O volume termina com a introdução ao novo Torneio dos Mais Fortes debaixo do Céu, trazendo consigo novos adversários e personagens que prometem agitar ainda mais a história.
Tem sido fantástico revisitar esta série e redescobrir momentos que já nem me lembrava — uma verdadeira viagem nostálgica!
September 5, 2014
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH TOO GOOD!!!
I was tempted to just leave it at that - it’s succinct but accurate enough!
The epic final battle between Son Goku and the Demon King Piccolo, that already began in the final pages of the last book, kicks off this volume at a blistering pace. And it is EPIC - Piccolo is after all a dude who can fire nuke-sized explosions from his hands!
Both characters go all out against each other but, even though he’s been superpowered, Goku nearly dies defeating Piccolo. No, that’s not a spoiler, the whole damn series is about Goku, he was never going to die! And of course it’s no surprise that the characters who died in the last few books are brought back to life once Piccolo is vanquished. It’s a predictable next move - they all appear in Dragon Ball Z - but still great to see happen.
All through the Piccolo storyline I’ve been wondering how Akira Toriyama’s going to make Piccolo good (in terms of his alignment), because that’s the way I’ve known the character to be prior to reading these books for the first time. I know Piccolo eventually joins the good guys - but how and why? And in the final moments of their fight, the Demon King reveals exactly how the Piccolo I was expecting came to be. At least, physically - we’ve yet to see him become good.
I said in the last review that I wouldn’t be surprised by anything else Akira Toriyama throws at me; and then God enters the book! Goku doesn’t die but he decides to take his training to the next level, goes to Heaven(!), and trains with God(!!!). Amazing. It’s kind of God and it kind of isn’t - but the reveal of who God is is pretty damn surprising.
As Goku begins training, Toriyama once again jumps the story ahead 3 years like he did before - and now I get it. The 3 year bumps are what gets Dragon Ball/kid Son Goku to Dragon Ball Z/adult Son Goku, with the Strongest Under the Heavens tournament acting as markers for a new stage in the story. I didn’t realise that before but that’s an ingenious way to show characters’ development in a martial arts story, especially as it seems so obvious! Here they are at the next level of their abilities - let’s see how they’ve changed.
Adult Son Goku finally makes his appearance in this volume, so the scene with Goku training in Heaven was the last we’ll see of that delightful scamp. It’s exciting and sad at the same time - I loved that lil guy but I’m really looking forward to the adventures an even more superpowered adult Goku is going to have!
Heaven and Earth is an amazing 14th volume in the Dragon Ball series. It’s got fantastic art as usual, stunning fights, and the story keeps getting better and better. Astonishingly, I haven’t read a bad book in this series yet and it’s easy to see why this series has done as well as it has. So, in summary:
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH TOO GOOD!!!
I was tempted to just leave it at that - it’s succinct but accurate enough!
The epic final battle between Son Goku and the Demon King Piccolo, that already began in the final pages of the last book, kicks off this volume at a blistering pace. And it is EPIC - Piccolo is after all a dude who can fire nuke-sized explosions from his hands!
Both characters go all out against each other but, even though he’s been superpowered, Goku nearly dies defeating Piccolo. No, that’s not a spoiler, the whole damn series is about Goku, he was never going to die! And of course it’s no surprise that the characters who died in the last few books are brought back to life once Piccolo is vanquished. It’s a predictable next move - they all appear in Dragon Ball Z - but still great to see happen.
All through the Piccolo storyline I’ve been wondering how Akira Toriyama’s going to make Piccolo good (in terms of his alignment), because that’s the way I’ve known the character to be prior to reading these books for the first time. I know Piccolo eventually joins the good guys - but how and why? And in the final moments of their fight, the Demon King reveals exactly how the Piccolo I was expecting came to be. At least, physically - we’ve yet to see him become good.
I said in the last review that I wouldn’t be surprised by anything else Akira Toriyama throws at me; and then God enters the book! Goku doesn’t die but he decides to take his training to the next level, goes to Heaven(!), and trains with God(!!!). Amazing. It’s kind of God and it kind of isn’t - but the reveal of who God is is pretty damn surprising.
As Goku begins training, Toriyama once again jumps the story ahead 3 years like he did before - and now I get it. The 3 year bumps are what gets Dragon Ball/kid Son Goku to Dragon Ball Z/adult Son Goku, with the Strongest Under the Heavens tournament acting as markers for a new stage in the story. I didn’t realise that before but that’s an ingenious way to show characters’ development in a martial arts story, especially as it seems so obvious! Here they are at the next level of their abilities - let’s see how they’ve changed.
Adult Son Goku finally makes his appearance in this volume, so the scene with Goku training in Heaven was the last we’ll see of that delightful scamp. It’s exciting and sad at the same time - I loved that lil guy but I’m really looking forward to the adventures an even more superpowered adult Goku is going to have!
Heaven and Earth is an amazing 14th volume in the Dragon Ball series. It’s got fantastic art as usual, stunning fights, and the story keeps getting better and better. Astonishingly, I haven’t read a bad book in this series yet and it’s easy to see why this series has done as well as it has. So, in summary:
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH TOO GOOD!!!
June 17, 2021
I think this is the very final time in the series where Goku's training actually consists of some genuine lessons and good advice and mystical teaching, rather than simply gravity training or unlocking hidden potential. It's a bit of a shame like that, especially when it never ends up coming up that much: it would've been nice if he could have defeated Piccolo - and later, Raditz and Vegeta and Frieza and others - by applying all this stuff about chi, enlightenment, and actually reading your opponent. It does come up from time to time, but not nearly as much as I'd like: mostly it just comes down to who is stronger.
Shame, that.
Still, that's what's coming later, so it has little bearing to this particular volume: if anything, Kami's training is a very good thing to read about. And the final battle against Demon King Piccolo was some tense exciting stuff. And it's nice to see Goku finally all grown-up.
Shame, that.
Still, that's what's coming later, so it has little bearing to this particular volume: if anything, Kami's training is a very good thing to read about. And the final battle against Demon King Piccolo was some tense exciting stuff. And it's nice to see Goku finally all grown-up.
May 5, 2024
Goku trains in heaven under Kami-sama and Mr. Popo, further expanding the Dragon Ball mythos, and then epically defeats Demon King Piccolo. Then, the time skip with grownup Goku at last and the introduction of Piccolo Jr. for the final tournament. We are in the endgame, before it officially becomes Dragon Ball Z, and what a journey it has been.
July 27, 2022
The ultimate battle between Piccolo and Goku takes place in this volume as we get some of the most exciting and beautiful panels of the series so far. The story then paves the way to introducing God and Goku's new path toward becoming the strongest. The volume ends with another Tenka'ichi Budôkai (accompanied by the inevitable three-year leap) that gives us a new look for Goku!
December 9, 2024
这是一本好的书。孙悟空厉害人但是还是训练。
仍在阅读该书的翻译版本。
仍在阅读该书的翻译版本。
May 11, 2022
This series is truly becoming amazing. Goku is a delight and I love the emphasis on martial arts fights/training mixed in with the crazier aspects!
September 15, 2015
Previously on Dragon Ball, Piccolo is King of the World and is going to destroy it one piece at a time, Goku is with Yajirobe to seek Master Karin's guidance, and the rest of the gang is either dead or recuperating from Piccolo's encounter.
Goku and Yajirobe finally arrive at the top of the tower of Karin Sanctuary and Master Karin is quickly able to heal Goku and restore him as the epic fighter we all know and love. Goku asks Master Karin if there is any training he can do to become stronger and Master Karin replies that Goku has received all the training he can get and offers a drastic solution that can kill him. There is this sacred holy water that is toxic and whoever drinks it and survives will discover their hidden powers and become stronger. The only exception is every person who has drunk the liquid before Goku have all died trying but luckily Goku has the strength and the perseverance never been witness and survives 6 hours of crucial pain. After that torture he official becomes a saiyan and can feel the evil presence of Piccolo. He immediately heads off to Piccolo's location so he can fight and destroy him once and for all.
Meanwhile Tenshinhan desperately tries to create the Mafuba so that way he can kill Piccolo and does not care if he has to die in the process. He successful creates it and hops on a plane to immediately attack Piccolo. When he arrives to the castle, he discovers that the rice cooker is cracked and all hope is doomed but it doesn't stop him from attacking Piccolo with everything he's got. Sadly Piccolo beats him and he did it without using his full strength but Tenshinhan is saved when Goku arrives. He is shocked that Goku is still alive and is flabbergasted when he witness how Goku is a completely different person since the last time they saw each other.
He doesn't understand how Goku has become powerful and how he's reached another level of martial arts that could destroy Tenshinhan. Goku and Piccolo fight to the death and honestly it was one of the best fighting scenes in this entire manga. I can completely relate to Tenshinhan when he tries to recap what he saw to others about that fight and at the end he simply says that you had to be there and I completely agree. Piccolo was no match for Goku and even after he beats every single muscle in Goku's body; Goku was able with a single punch destroy Piccolo from the inside and out.
What the others didn't see is that Piccolo wasn't going to die without a fight and right before he exploded, he took the essence of himself and throw up an egg that would be his son who would become the next Piccolo but 10x stronger than the original. He would go into hiding preparing for the day he would attack and kill Goku and seek havoc in the world. The whole gang in the process was trying to get closer to Tenshinhan to help him and they were shocked that Goku saved mankind even though the Psychic Crone told them that Goku would and I believe in that moment is when they discovered that Goku is something out of this world.
Since Shenlong was destroyed, that means that the dragon balls were destroyed and Goku cannot bring back his friends except for the fact that Karin forgot a certain loophole. The only option to resurrect Shenlong is to meet with its creator which is God. Yajirobe is an atheist and doesn't believe in God, and Goku is clueless the religious significance of who is this God guy but nonetheless since he is pure, humble, and has pure intentions, he is lucky enough to reach the Heavens which is located above Karin Tower where the only way of reaching it is with Goku's magical stick.
Goku arrives at heaven, goes through an instructive lesson with God's fighter, and finally meets God except he looks exactly like Piccolo. Piccolo and God were one being and every God has a time frame of living before they die and they need to appoint someone to replace them. God kept saying no to Piccolo and out of his anger came out this evil. Goku impressed God that he destroyed Piccolo but warns him that Piccolo Jr. is still alive and will battle Goku in three years time at the Tenkaichi Budokai tournament. God promises Goku that he will summon the dragon if Goku will stay in Heaven and train with Goku. Goku says yes and everyone comes back alive and they are speechless that Goku is training with God and even Master Roshi has accepted that Goku has surpassed the master.
In the next scene we jump three years ahead and everyone is at the tournament. Everyone has been training extra hard since Goku is training with God and when Goku arrives everyone is shocked that (I)He is incredibly taller and (II)He is a complete and utter hunk. They reminiscent about old times and enter the tournament and luckily everyone makes it the semifinals except Chaozu. Taopaipai resurfaces as a cyborg who almost died thanks to Goku and now seeks his revenge on Goku and Tenshinhan. He was able to defeat Chaozu and now gets to fight with Tenshinhan, and on the side note Goku was a tiny bit surprised to see Piccolo because for a second he thought that he wasn't going to make it to the competition. Everyone is clueless about Piccolo except Goku and Tenshinhan but they kept their mouths shut to not cause a panic.
This volume is was absolutely stunning and was worth reading the entire series to make it up to this point. I just know that the final two volumes of this manga is going to be beautiful and mind-blowing when it comes to terms of storytelling and what happens next on Dragon Ball Z. I love Goku and I really enjoy seeing him taller and handsome and like the rest of the gang I am curious to see his epic martial arts technique. Until next time on Dragon Ball...
Goku and Yajirobe finally arrive at the top of the tower of Karin Sanctuary and Master Karin is quickly able to heal Goku and restore him as the epic fighter we all know and love. Goku asks Master Karin if there is any training he can do to become stronger and Master Karin replies that Goku has received all the training he can get and offers a drastic solution that can kill him. There is this sacred holy water that is toxic and whoever drinks it and survives will discover their hidden powers and become stronger. The only exception is every person who has drunk the liquid before Goku have all died trying but luckily Goku has the strength and the perseverance never been witness and survives 6 hours of crucial pain. After that torture he official becomes a saiyan and can feel the evil presence of Piccolo. He immediately heads off to Piccolo's location so he can fight and destroy him once and for all.
Meanwhile Tenshinhan desperately tries to create the Mafuba so that way he can kill Piccolo and does not care if he has to die in the process. He successful creates it and hops on a plane to immediately attack Piccolo. When he arrives to the castle, he discovers that the rice cooker is cracked and all hope is doomed but it doesn't stop him from attacking Piccolo with everything he's got. Sadly Piccolo beats him and he did it without using his full strength but Tenshinhan is saved when Goku arrives. He is shocked that Goku is still alive and is flabbergasted when he witness how Goku is a completely different person since the last time they saw each other.
He doesn't understand how Goku has become powerful and how he's reached another level of martial arts that could destroy Tenshinhan. Goku and Piccolo fight to the death and honestly it was one of the best fighting scenes in this entire manga. I can completely relate to Tenshinhan when he tries to recap what he saw to others about that fight and at the end he simply says that you had to be there and I completely agree. Piccolo was no match for Goku and even after he beats every single muscle in Goku's body; Goku was able with a single punch destroy Piccolo from the inside and out.
What the others didn't see is that Piccolo wasn't going to die without a fight and right before he exploded, he took the essence of himself and throw up an egg that would be his son who would become the next Piccolo but 10x stronger than the original. He would go into hiding preparing for the day he would attack and kill Goku and seek havoc in the world. The whole gang in the process was trying to get closer to Tenshinhan to help him and they were shocked that Goku saved mankind even though the Psychic Crone told them that Goku would and I believe in that moment is when they discovered that Goku is something out of this world.
Since Shenlong was destroyed, that means that the dragon balls were destroyed and Goku cannot bring back his friends except for the fact that Karin forgot a certain loophole. The only option to resurrect Shenlong is to meet with its creator which is God. Yajirobe is an atheist and doesn't believe in God, and Goku is clueless the religious significance of who is this God guy but nonetheless since he is pure, humble, and has pure intentions, he is lucky enough to reach the Heavens which is located above Karin Tower where the only way of reaching it is with Goku's magical stick.
Goku arrives at heaven, goes through an instructive lesson with God's fighter, and finally meets God except he looks exactly like Piccolo. Piccolo and God were one being and every God has a time frame of living before they die and they need to appoint someone to replace them. God kept saying no to Piccolo and out of his anger came out this evil. Goku impressed God that he destroyed Piccolo but warns him that Piccolo Jr. is still alive and will battle Goku in three years time at the Tenkaichi Budokai tournament. God promises Goku that he will summon the dragon if Goku will stay in Heaven and train with Goku. Goku says yes and everyone comes back alive and they are speechless that Goku is training with God and even Master Roshi has accepted that Goku has surpassed the master.
In the next scene we jump three years ahead and everyone is at the tournament. Everyone has been training extra hard since Goku is training with God and when Goku arrives everyone is shocked that (I)He is incredibly taller and (II)He is a complete and utter hunk. They reminiscent about old times and enter the tournament and luckily everyone makes it the semifinals except Chaozu. Taopaipai resurfaces as a cyborg who almost died thanks to Goku and now seeks his revenge on Goku and Tenshinhan. He was able to defeat Chaozu and now gets to fight with Tenshinhan, and on the side note Goku was a tiny bit surprised to see Piccolo because for a second he thought that he wasn't going to make it to the competition. Everyone is clueless about Piccolo except Goku and Tenshinhan but they kept their mouths shut to not cause a panic.
This volume is was absolutely stunning and was worth reading the entire series to make it up to this point. I just know that the final two volumes of this manga is going to be beautiful and mind-blowing when it comes to terms of storytelling and what happens next on Dragon Ball Z. I love Goku and I really enjoy seeing him taller and handsome and like the rest of the gang I am curious to see his epic martial arts technique. Until next time on Dragon Ball...
April 18, 2021
All stars!!! (again)
This series is just amazing. The imagination, the scope, the humor - I'm reading it reveling in the fact that I've no idea what's going to happen next. My favorite martial arts master Karin Sen'nin is back, but now I've got another favorite, Mr Popo! The concept of a Heaven and a God is brilliant here, the ideas getting a very physical manifestation (e.g. Heaven is so high that the air is thinner, and an evil shard of one's soul, expelled, can grow to become another entity entirely). Goku continues to be his amazing, optimistic, humble self, and I simply love everything about that volume!
This series is just amazing. The imagination, the scope, the humor - I'm reading it reveling in the fact that I've no idea what's going to happen next. My favorite martial arts master Karin Sen'nin is back, but now I've got another favorite, Mr Popo! The concept of a Heaven and a God is brilliant here, the ideas getting a very physical manifestation (e.g. Heaven is so high that the air is thinner, and an evil shard of one's soul, expelled, can grow to become another entity entirely). Goku continues to be his amazing, optimistic, humble self, and I simply love everything about that volume!
March 1, 2021
Oh how I love seeing baby Goku defeat demon kings. I literally sat with my mouth wide open when I saw how Piccolo was killed. I'm still cracking up just thinking about it. What a great volume!
December 16, 2020
This was a great volume, Goku emerges scratched from the fight and he continues to battle Piccolo and their fight is epic, the art of Toriyama here is on just another level, its so good! And then we have Goku finally using his fist to defeat Piccolo and he goes to Kami-Sama aka God and we learn more secrets of Piccolo and the world, others are ressurected and he has to train under God and we pick up 3 years later time skip and the next Tenkaichi Budokai starts, this arc just keeps getting epic and epic!! The art here is just a delight to go through, its so good!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 4, 2016
So far, Dragon Ball just gets better and better with each volume! Incredible series. So much fun.
January 11, 2021
*Read as part of the 25 Days of Manga challenge for December 2020.*
(Quick notation here that somehow when I bought the entire Dragon Ball collector's edition boxset from Amazon, somehow my copy of volume 14 arrived damaged to high heaven. I don't know why and I can't fathom how one single volume in an otherwise pristine boxset could have been so badly damaged, but here we are.)
Volume 14 wraps up (mostly) my favorite arc of the original series, and I absolutely love and adore having revisited the Demon King Piccolo arc and the level of tension it brings. I also adore the aftermath where we get more of the theological aspect of the worldbuilding with the introduction of Mr. Popo and Kami, because I feel like that was set up as a huge deal in the original series. And naturally, I'm sure it surprises nobody that I equally love the way the volume leads out with building up and setting the stage (haha) for the next Tenka'ichi Budôkai and how memorably epic it is.
I'm sure it surprises nobody that I have nothing but good things to say at this point, and I will admit upfront that that's easily due to my nostalgic love as I've revisited this series. So please just let me take a moment to reiterate again, to anyone who has grown up around pop culture enough to recognize the ridiculousness of the American DBZ fans (let's be honest with ourselves y'all, we can be ridiculous as hell at the very least,) and might have shied away from the franchise due to the obsessive overhype for decades: please at least consider just trying this original manga series if you get the chance. I won't judge anyone for not getting into it, seriously. The hardcore fans can be obnoxious. But the original series is very fun and entertaining, and I think it's worth a read at least once if you're a lover of shonen manga and you want to get another classic series under your "Read" belt.
(Quick notation here that somehow when I bought the entire Dragon Ball collector's edition boxset from Amazon, somehow my copy of volume 14 arrived damaged to high heaven. I don't know why and I can't fathom how one single volume in an otherwise pristine boxset could have been so badly damaged, but here we are.)
Volume 14 wraps up (mostly) my favorite arc of the original series, and I absolutely love and adore having revisited the Demon King Piccolo arc and the level of tension it brings. I also adore the aftermath where we get more of the theological aspect of the worldbuilding with the introduction of Mr. Popo and Kami, because I feel like that was set up as a huge deal in the original series. And naturally, I'm sure it surprises nobody that I equally love the way the volume leads out with building up and setting the stage (haha) for the next Tenka'ichi Budôkai and how memorably epic it is.
I'm sure it surprises nobody that I have nothing but good things to say at this point, and I will admit upfront that that's easily due to my nostalgic love as I've revisited this series. So please just let me take a moment to reiterate again, to anyone who has grown up around pop culture enough to recognize the ridiculousness of the American DBZ fans (let's be honest with ourselves y'all, we can be ridiculous as hell at the very least,) and might have shied away from the franchise due to the obsessive overhype for decades: please at least consider just trying this original manga series if you get the chance. I won't judge anyone for not getting into it, seriously. The hardcore fans can be obnoxious. But the original series is very fun and entertaining, and I think it's worth a read at least once if you're a lover of shonen manga and you want to get another classic series under your "Read" belt.
January 30, 2024
4⭐/5
Zadziwiające, że w tak krótkim tomiku autor zawarł niezwykle wiele ciekawej akcji, choć grubość zeszytu zupełnie się nie zwiększyła. W tym tomie mamy do czynienia z kilkoma wzniosłymi wydarzeniami: pokonaniem Szatana Piccolo, przygotowywaniem do turnieju, czy zobrazowanie już samego turnieju właśnie. Nie powiem, zaskoczyło mnie, że w tomiku czternastym tak wiele się działo.
Akcja budowana jest ceremonialnie, co tylko pobudza apetyt na więcej, a autor umiejętnie potrafi budować napięcie. Zdziwiłam się, że w końcu pokazał brutalność Szatana Piccolo, gdy ten niemalże krwiście rozprawił się z Ten Shinhanem. Z drugiej zaś strony niezbyt podobało mi się rozwiązanie całej potyczki – spryt jakim wykazał się Goku na plus, jednak coś w tym rozwiązaniu mi nie pasowało, było dla mnie zdecydowanie za proste i szybkie. Ten tomik mogę pochwalić za kilka rzeczy, które dobrze zagrały, mianowicie: świetne przedstawienie tajemnicy Kija Długokrótka i ponowne wspomnienie, że Goku faktycznie ma czyste serce i dobroć, dzięki której radzi sobie nawet w przegranych sprawach. Ciekawie rozwiązano również kwestię z treningiem u Wszechmogącego, jak też przeskok czasowy o trzy lata podziałał na mnie mocno nostalgicznie. Widać, że Goku nie tylko dorósł fizycznie wzrostem, ale też wydoroślał i bardziej poważnie traktuje swoich przeciwników.
Super, że pojawia się Chi Chi, uwielbiam ją i jej starcia z Goku ❤. Szkoda tylko, że w dalszych opowieściach kobieta przestanie być na drugim, czy nawet trzecim planie i jej moc i siła totalnie zanikną, a charakterek ma przecież świetny. Jestem ciekawa, jak dalej potoczą się pojedynki, przede wszystkim między Juniorem a Goku, bo synek Piccolo to również nie do końca jednoznaczna postać w tej sadze. Poczytamy, zobaczymy – nie mogę doczekać się momentu, w którym Juniorek przestanie być tak pyszny i próżny.
Zadziwiające, że w tak krótkim tomiku autor zawarł niezwykle wiele ciekawej akcji, choć grubość zeszytu zupełnie się nie zwiększyła. W tym tomie mamy do czynienia z kilkoma wzniosłymi wydarzeniami: pokonaniem Szatana Piccolo, przygotowywaniem do turnieju, czy zobrazowanie już samego turnieju właśnie. Nie powiem, zaskoczyło mnie, że w tomiku czternastym tak wiele się działo.
Akcja budowana jest ceremonialnie, co tylko pobudza apetyt na więcej, a autor umiejętnie potrafi budować napięcie. Zdziwiłam się, że w końcu pokazał brutalność Szatana Piccolo, gdy ten niemalże krwiście rozprawił się z Ten Shinhanem. Z drugiej zaś strony niezbyt podobało mi się rozwiązanie całej potyczki – spryt jakim wykazał się Goku na plus, jednak coś w tym rozwiązaniu mi nie pasowało, było dla mnie zdecydowanie za proste i szybkie. Ten tomik mogę pochwalić za kilka rzeczy, które dobrze zagrały, mianowicie: świetne przedstawienie tajemnicy Kija Długokrótka i ponowne wspomnienie, że Goku faktycznie ma czyste serce i dobroć, dzięki której radzi sobie nawet w przegranych sprawach. Ciekawie rozwiązano również kwestię z treningiem u Wszechmogącego, jak też przeskok czasowy o trzy lata podziałał na mnie mocno nostalgicznie. Widać, że Goku nie tylko dorósł fizycznie wzrostem, ale też wydoroślał i bardziej poważnie traktuje swoich przeciwników.
Super, że pojawia się Chi Chi, uwielbiam ją i jej starcia z Goku ❤. Szkoda tylko, że w dalszych opowieściach kobieta przestanie być na drugim, czy nawet trzecim planie i jej moc i siła totalnie zanikną, a charakterek ma przecież świetny. Jestem ciekawa, jak dalej potoczą się pojedynki, przede wszystkim między Juniorem a Goku, bo synek Piccolo to również nie do końca jednoznaczna postać w tej sadze. Poczytamy, zobaczymy – nie mogę doczekać się momentu, w którym Juniorek przestanie być tak pyszny i próżny.
July 21, 2018
I liked this volume because there is a big changing about the main character in this manga. You know that he looks young, but he was made change his appearance and his body. Everybody were surprised at his changing. They will attend the competition which is the most famous in this world. I wonder that Goku changed his the strength of skill of fighting. Let's read it.
February 27, 2023
This will be a copy and pasted review since I read the last 6 volumes in one sitting.
Instead of going through each plot for each book, I'll summarize. The way the plot advances can become predictable after a while. Goku will face a big bad and will need to get stronger and attempt the fight again. Regardless, the way the characters are written and the comedy in each book made the series really enjoyabl, and I could not put the books down.
Instead of going through each plot for each book, I'll summarize. The way the plot advances can become predictable after a while. Goku will face a big bad and will need to get stronger and attempt the fight again. Regardless, the way the characters are written and the comedy in each book made the series really enjoyabl, and I could not put the books down.
January 11, 2024
Nesse volume temos o final do embate pequeno Goku x grande rei Piccolo, uma pequena passagem de tempo (dedicado a muito treino é claro) e a primeira aparição de um Goku adolescente. O 23º torneio de artes marciais tem início e é claro que a porrada deve cantar tbm. Aguardemos as cenas dos próximos capítulos. :D
Read
July 3, 2022Wow seeing goku grown up really hits hard. I'm gonna miss him as a kid. Going back again for the millionth time for tournaments and competitions. :)
July 29, 2022
10/10:
Man, not only did Goku kill Demon King Piccolo, but he reached Sanctuary to train with Kami (the current God) for three years. Next up is the 23rd Strongest Under the Heavens tournament!
Man, not only did Goku kill Demon King Piccolo, but he reached Sanctuary to train with Kami (the current God) for three years. Next up is the 23rd Strongest Under the Heavens tournament!
January 5, 2024
WE LOVE TEEN GOKU
April 4, 2024
I’ll watch the series instead :)
July 22, 2024
Super
September 9, 2017
Otro muy buen volumen, el final de la pelea con Piccolo Daimaoh es muy intenso, y el tercer Tenkaichi Budokai empieza de una forma muy interesante, con grandes cambios para Goku, personajes que vuelven después de mucho tiempo y un viejo/nuevo contrincante super poderoso. Algo que no dije aún es que Yajirobe me parece uno de los mejores personajes de Dragon Ball, con su fuerza inexplicable y su mala onda constante, es uno de los elementos de humor que Toriyama sigue manteniendo y que le hacen tan bien a la serie.
December 17, 2021
Goku is an eccentric monkey-tailed boy with superhuman strength and boundless energy. His life of peaceful solitude is interrupted one day when he meets Bulma, a feisty young lady on the hunt for mysterious wish-granting orbs known as Dragon Balls. Accompanied by a group of zany companions, the two team up on a grand adventure full of all kinds of intense battles, dangerous villains and whacky hijinks.
Now this was a blast of nostalgia! Dragon Ball was the first anime I ever watched as a dorky little toddler. I remember watching it every week with my big brother. I watched the reruns multiple times and owned all the Budokai and Tenkaichi fighting games. I developed a bit of an unhealthy obsession with Dragon Ball Z throughout my middle school years. While I don't like the series nearly as much as I once did, I'm very thankful toward this series for introducing me to the wonderful world of anime and manga. After Dragon Ball, I watched Ghibli, Naruto, Bleach, One Piece, Inuyasha, Fullmetal Alchemist, Rurouni Kenshin, Yu Yu Hakusho, Sailor Moon, Fruits Basket and dozens of others. I then went on to discover some of my all time favorite series like Berserk, Naoki Urasawa's Monster, Gantz, Battle Royale, Attack on Titan, Vagabond, Blade of the Immortal, Parasyte, Goodnight Punpun and more. Dragon Ball made me a fan of this medium and it felt great to re-experience the series from beginning to end for the first time in twenty years.
The story and characters are simple, but the series is easy to read, hilarious and wholesome in spite of the constant action. The series starts off as a raunchy, self-aware slapstick comedy full of fourth-wall breaking, sexual innuendos and surprisingly dirty jokes. This series was definitely edgy for its time considering it was geared towards a young audience. A lot of the perverted humor and gag comedy wouldn't fly too well with modern sensibilities, but it can be pretty funny for people who don't get offended easily and can handle some outdated mannerisms and attitudes from the past.
While the series does start off as a comedy gag reel, it slowly develops into a more serious streamlined plot with better written characters and villains. The story never really blooms into anything worth writing home about, but it remains consistently entertaining and fun to read. The interactions between Goku and his pals is always funny, even the way he plays around with his enemies is comical. If I remember as well as I think I do, I believe the maturity of the story and characters improve much more in the sequel series which I'll eventually get around to reviewing at some point. The original Dragon Ball ends on a great battle sequence that sets up the more serious tone of Dragon Ball Z.
My only major complaint about the overall story is the Dragon Balls make things way too convenient and removes the stakes and consequences of literally everything. If a major character dies they can just be wished back. This removes any sense of drama or tension from the battles and the consequences of the villains actions becomes moot. The series doesn't take itself too seriously and often pokes fun at itself, but the way the Dragon Balls are utilized are just a little too much in my opinion. Even comedies need a certain amount of suspension and stakes to make me care about what's going on.
***
If you're looking for some dark ambient music for reading horror, dark fantasy and other books like this one, then be sure to check out my YouTube Channel called Nightmarish Compositions: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPPs...
Now this was a blast of nostalgia! Dragon Ball was the first anime I ever watched as a dorky little toddler. I remember watching it every week with my big brother. I watched the reruns multiple times and owned all the Budokai and Tenkaichi fighting games. I developed a bit of an unhealthy obsession with Dragon Ball Z throughout my middle school years. While I don't like the series nearly as much as I once did, I'm very thankful toward this series for introducing me to the wonderful world of anime and manga. After Dragon Ball, I watched Ghibli, Naruto, Bleach, One Piece, Inuyasha, Fullmetal Alchemist, Rurouni Kenshin, Yu Yu Hakusho, Sailor Moon, Fruits Basket and dozens of others. I then went on to discover some of my all time favorite series like Berserk, Naoki Urasawa's Monster, Gantz, Battle Royale, Attack on Titan, Vagabond, Blade of the Immortal, Parasyte, Goodnight Punpun and more. Dragon Ball made me a fan of this medium and it felt great to re-experience the series from beginning to end for the first time in twenty years.
The story and characters are simple, but the series is easy to read, hilarious and wholesome in spite of the constant action. The series starts off as a raunchy, self-aware slapstick comedy full of fourth-wall breaking, sexual innuendos and surprisingly dirty jokes. This series was definitely edgy for its time considering it was geared towards a young audience. A lot of the perverted humor and gag comedy wouldn't fly too well with modern sensibilities, but it can be pretty funny for people who don't get offended easily and can handle some outdated mannerisms and attitudes from the past.
While the series does start off as a comedy gag reel, it slowly develops into a more serious streamlined plot with better written characters and villains. The story never really blooms into anything worth writing home about, but it remains consistently entertaining and fun to read. The interactions between Goku and his pals is always funny, even the way he plays around with his enemies is comical. If I remember as well as I think I do, I believe the maturity of the story and characters improve much more in the sequel series which I'll eventually get around to reviewing at some point. The original Dragon Ball ends on a great battle sequence that sets up the more serious tone of Dragon Ball Z.
My only major complaint about the overall story is the Dragon Balls make things way too convenient and removes the stakes and consequences of literally everything. If a major character dies they can just be wished back. This removes any sense of drama or tension from the battles and the consequences of the villains actions becomes moot. The series doesn't take itself too seriously and often pokes fun at itself, but the way the Dragon Balls are utilized are just a little too much in my opinion. Even comedies need a certain amount of suspension and stakes to make me care about what's going on.
***
If you're looking for some dark ambient music for reading horror, dark fantasy and other books like this one, then be sure to check out my YouTube Channel called Nightmarish Compositions: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPPs...
not-gonna-read
August 6, 2025Okay I'm just going to get out there and say this but . . . I don't much care for Dragon Ball or Dragon Ball Z.
Now let me make this perfectly clear. This doesn't mean that I think that the manga or anime of the Dragon Ball franchise is bad. Far from it. I think there's a lot of things to admire about the Dragon Ball franchise. In fact, a lot of famous manga artists have received inspiration from this Shonen manga series. And those artists have written some manga that has increased in popularity all around the world such as Kishimoto's Naruto, Kubo's Bleach, and Oda's One Piece. Which is ironic because those are manga series I really enjoy. Each of these manga take an element from the Dragon Ball series and use it for inspiration for their own work like battles, art, character design, and plot.
In a nutshell, this series was kinda of a bore for me but to be fair I kind of expected that from a late 80's-early 90's manga. It has all the elements that you would expect from a manga published in that time frame. The plot is very simple, the action is very cheesy, the comedy is a bit overdone, the characters are simply designed but memorable, and the art definitely has a 90's art style when it comes to the expression of the characters.
The only character I cared for (and remembered) was the main character Goku. He's innocent and the typical hero whose strong and has a good heart but not very bright. He's willing to help his friends because he has a strong will that brings out his powers. There's a lot of things to like about this character and what's more interesting is that you can see different characters from other manga that resemble a few traits from Goku that basically became a norm for main leads in Shonen manga. The few examples that I can come up with at the top of my head are Luffy from One Piece, Naruto from Naruto, and Kenshiro from Fist of the North Star who mostly portrays the 'manly' appearance and strength that Goku possesses and displays within the series.
With all that's been said, I still think it's an admirable series despite my personal feelings towards it. It's extremely popular worldwide and for the anime to still be watched and loved to this very day I think that says a lot about it. So there are some things to like and admire about it because of the legacy that it brought with its creation.
So if you're going to take something from this review, just remember the fact that Dragon Ball has done a lot for a very popular art form and will continue to be great and loved for years to come.
Now let me make this perfectly clear. This doesn't mean that I think that the manga or anime of the Dragon Ball franchise is bad. Far from it. I think there's a lot of things to admire about the Dragon Ball franchise. In fact, a lot of famous manga artists have received inspiration from this Shonen manga series. And those artists have written some manga that has increased in popularity all around the world such as Kishimoto's Naruto, Kubo's Bleach, and Oda's One Piece. Which is ironic because those are manga series I really enjoy. Each of these manga take an element from the Dragon Ball series and use it for inspiration for their own work like battles, art, character design, and plot.
In a nutshell, this series was kinda of a bore for me but to be fair I kind of expected that from a late 80's-early 90's manga. It has all the elements that you would expect from a manga published in that time frame. The plot is very simple, the action is very cheesy, the comedy is a bit overdone, the characters are simply designed but memorable, and the art definitely has a 90's art style when it comes to the expression of the characters.
The only character I cared for (and remembered) was the main character Goku. He's innocent and the typical hero whose strong and has a good heart but not very bright. He's willing to help his friends because he has a strong will that brings out his powers. There's a lot of things to like about this character and what's more interesting is that you can see different characters from other manga that resemble a few traits from Goku that basically became a norm for main leads in Shonen manga. The few examples that I can come up with at the top of my head are Luffy from One Piece, Naruto from Naruto, and Kenshiro from Fist of the North Star who mostly portrays the 'manly' appearance and strength that Goku possesses and displays within the series.
With all that's been said, I still think it's an admirable series despite my personal feelings towards it. It's extremely popular worldwide and for the anime to still be watched and loved to this very day I think that says a lot about it. So there are some things to like and admire about it because of the legacy that it brought with its creation.
So if you're going to take something from this review, just remember the fact that Dragon Ball has done a lot for a very popular art form and will continue to be great and loved for years to come.
November 30, 2020
Son Goku ist wieder da und vor allem stärker denn je. Endlich hat er von dem magischen Wasser getrunken und kann gegen den Oberteufel Piccolo antreten. Doch der Kampf scheint trotz allem fast aussichtslos. Mit letzter Kraft schafft es der kleine Held dem Oberteufel das Handwerk zu legen, doch bevor Piccolo verschwindet, hinterlässt er seine Brut mit dem Versprechen, dass sich diese an Son Goku rächen wird. Doch für Son Goku zählt vorerst nur eins, er will zum Schöpfer der Dragon Balls reisen, um ihn darum zu bitten Shenlong wieder zu erschaffen und somit seine Freunde wieder zu beleben. Und der Schöpfer ist niemand anderes als Gott. Dieser erfüllt ihm seinen Wunsch, hat jedoch eine Bedingung. Son Goku muss im Himmel für seinen nächsten großen Kampf trainieren und darf seine Freunde erst zum nächsten großen Turnier wieder sehen, wo ihn auch gleich die Brut Piccolos erwartet.
Wieder einmal ist Akira Toriyama eine ganz wunderbare und vor allem spannende Fortsetzung des Mangas gelungen. Immer wieder schafft es Toriyama den Leser in Erstaunen zu setzen. So ist auch in der Welt von Son Goku und seinen Freunden Gott mit dem Teufel sehr eng verbunden, jedoch auf andere Weise, als in unserer christlichen Religion. Mit dem Palast Gottes hat der Zeichner außerdem eine neue Welt geschaffen, in der Son Goku von nun an trainieren darf und dieser erinnert mich irgendwie an einen indischen Tempel. Auch das Wiedersehen der Freunde ist wieder eine absolute Freude. Kuririn, Bulma, Yamchu und sogar Son Goku erleben in diesem Band ein komplettes Neudesign. Son Goku ist also endlich erwachsen und scheint auch gleich eine Verehrerin zu haben - die ihn scheinbar schon länger kennt, er kann sich jedoch nicht daran erinnern. Es bleibt also auch hier spannend, wer die Unbekannte ist. Und natürlich kommt es zum Auftritt der Brut von Piccolo, welche seinem Vorgänger arg ähnelt. Es bleibt spannend und ich freue mich schon auf die Fortsetzung des Mangaklassikers. Dieses Turnier scheint völlig neue Dimensionen anzunehmen und man fragt sich langsam, ob es überhaupt noch eine Steigerungsform der Kämpfe gibt. Wenn man bedenkt, wie klein Son Goku und Kuririn einst angefangen haben und wie stark sie nun sind, glaubt man, dass dem kleinen Kerl wirklich keine Grenzen gesetzt sind.
Taschenbuch: 192 Seiten
Verlag: Carlsen (15. Februar 2001)
Sprache: Deutsch
ISBN-10: 3551733066
ISBN-13: 978-3551733061
Vom Hersteller empfohlenes Alter: 10 - 12 Jahre
Größe und/oder Gewicht: 11,3 x 1,7 x 17,5 cm
Wieder einmal ist Akira Toriyama eine ganz wunderbare und vor allem spannende Fortsetzung des Mangas gelungen. Immer wieder schafft es Toriyama den Leser in Erstaunen zu setzen. So ist auch in der Welt von Son Goku und seinen Freunden Gott mit dem Teufel sehr eng verbunden, jedoch auf andere Weise, als in unserer christlichen Religion. Mit dem Palast Gottes hat der Zeichner außerdem eine neue Welt geschaffen, in der Son Goku von nun an trainieren darf und dieser erinnert mich irgendwie an einen indischen Tempel. Auch das Wiedersehen der Freunde ist wieder eine absolute Freude. Kuririn, Bulma, Yamchu und sogar Son Goku erleben in diesem Band ein komplettes Neudesign. Son Goku ist also endlich erwachsen und scheint auch gleich eine Verehrerin zu haben - die ihn scheinbar schon länger kennt, er kann sich jedoch nicht daran erinnern. Es bleibt also auch hier spannend, wer die Unbekannte ist. Und natürlich kommt es zum Auftritt der Brut von Piccolo, welche seinem Vorgänger arg ähnelt. Es bleibt spannend und ich freue mich schon auf die Fortsetzung des Mangaklassikers. Dieses Turnier scheint völlig neue Dimensionen anzunehmen und man fragt sich langsam, ob es überhaupt noch eine Steigerungsform der Kämpfe gibt. Wenn man bedenkt, wie klein Son Goku und Kuririn einst angefangen haben und wie stark sie nun sind, glaubt man, dass dem kleinen Kerl wirklich keine Grenzen gesetzt sind.
Taschenbuch: 192 Seiten
Verlag: Carlsen (15. Februar 2001)
Sprache: Deutsch
ISBN-10: 3551733066
ISBN-13: 978-3551733061
Vom Hersteller empfohlenes Alter: 10 - 12 Jahre
Größe und/oder Gewicht: 11,3 x 1,7 x 17,5 cm
September 11, 2022
Goku loses his tail in this one, so it’s pretty much single-handedly the worst volume ever of all time.
I went in to the Demon King Piccolo Saga with lowered expectations- And right out of the gate, it blew them away. It’s ending is more of the same- In a very, very good way. The shocking twists and turns, the crazy tactics- The final battle is fantastic, and probably the best yet in the series.
But- And there is a but- This volume is not just that ending.
It’s also the start of the Piccolo Jr. saga, and the continuation of the worst fucking trend in this goddamn series, like, come on, man- How many times do you need to skip training arcs? Six years and eight months of time total so far, done in four issues. Wow. What a waste.
Beyond that, though, the Piccolo Jr. Saga is the return of another trend I’m not a fan of- The Tenkaichi Budokai. We’ve had like four or five (counting muscle tower) tournaments so far, and I, personally, do not need another one. It’s just repetitive, at this point, because it’s the same location with the same people and all of the fights are predictable, once again.
But- And there is a but- Man, is it good so far. It’s just so crazy seeing all these characters like this in the same place. It really gives you a sense of how far we’ve come, and it may not be as high-stakes or fresh as the previous saga, but it’s setting up to be damn fun, and more than worthy of capping off this fantastic series.
It has kinda killed the momentum, though, like starting a new story usually does.
I went in to the Demon King Piccolo Saga with lowered expectations- And right out of the gate, it blew them away. It’s ending is more of the same- In a very, very good way. The shocking twists and turns, the crazy tactics- The final battle is fantastic, and probably the best yet in the series.
But- And there is a but- This volume is not just that ending.
It’s also the start of the Piccolo Jr. saga, and the continuation of the worst fucking trend in this goddamn series, like, come on, man- How many times do you need to skip training arcs? Six years and eight months of time total so far, done in four issues. Wow. What a waste.
Beyond that, though, the Piccolo Jr. Saga is the return of another trend I’m not a fan of- The Tenkaichi Budokai. We’ve had like four or five (counting muscle tower) tournaments so far, and I, personally, do not need another one. It’s just repetitive, at this point, because it’s the same location with the same people and all of the fights are predictable, once again.
But- And there is a but- Man, is it good so far. It’s just so crazy seeing all these characters like this in the same place. It really gives you a sense of how far we’ve come, and it may not be as high-stakes or fresh as the previous saga, but it’s setting up to be damn fun, and more than worthy of capping off this fantastic series.
It has kinda killed the momentum, though, like starting a new story usually does.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 28, 2024
Volume 14: Chapter 157-168
Arc 9: King Piccolo Saga
Arc 10: 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament Saga - Piccolo Jr. Arc
After the fierce battle, Goku managed to defeat King Piccolo. Before King Piccolo dies, he make another child and throw it away. The world become peace again. Yajirobe bring Goku to Karin Tower to get heal. Goku will meet Kami, the one who create Dragon Ball. The palace is way above the Karin Tower and only can be accessed by using Nyoibo.
There, Goku meet Mr. Popo, who he must defeats in order to see Kami. Goku is not match for Mr. Popo but Kami wants to see Goku. Kami and King Piccolo is look alike. Before this, Piccolo is the same person. The last Kami was dying so Piccolo will replace him. To do so, he must expel his evil self which is King Piccolo. Kami restored the Shenlong and immediately resurrect the dead who killed by King Piccolo and his henchmen. Goku cannot leave the sanctuary as he must train with Kami for 3 years. The newborn Piccolo will kill Goku in 3 years and the stage is in 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai.
3 years passed, Goku become taller and stronger, and he reunited with his friends. There, he meet Piccolo. Chichi and cyborg Taopaipai and Yajirobe also join the tournament.
The preliminary round is going smooth. For the finals:
Battle #1: Tien Shinhan vs. Taopaipai
Battle #2: Chichi vs Goku
Battle #3: Krillin vs Piccolo
Battle #4: Yamcha vs. Shen
Arc 9: King Piccolo Saga
Arc 10: 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament Saga - Piccolo Jr. Arc
After the fierce battle, Goku managed to defeat King Piccolo. Before King Piccolo dies, he make another child and throw it away. The world become peace again. Yajirobe bring Goku to Karin Tower to get heal. Goku will meet Kami, the one who create Dragon Ball. The palace is way above the Karin Tower and only can be accessed by using Nyoibo.
There, Goku meet Mr. Popo, who he must defeats in order to see Kami. Goku is not match for Mr. Popo but Kami wants to see Goku. Kami and King Piccolo is look alike. Before this, Piccolo is the same person. The last Kami was dying so Piccolo will replace him. To do so, he must expel his evil self which is King Piccolo. Kami restored the Shenlong and immediately resurrect the dead who killed by King Piccolo and his henchmen. Goku cannot leave the sanctuary as he must train with Kami for 3 years. The newborn Piccolo will kill Goku in 3 years and the stage is in 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai.
3 years passed, Goku become taller and stronger, and he reunited with his friends. There, he meet Piccolo. Chichi and cyborg Taopaipai and Yajirobe also join the tournament.
The preliminary round is going smooth. For the finals:
Battle #1: Tien Shinhan vs. Taopaipai
Battle #2: Chichi vs Goku
Battle #3: Krillin vs Piccolo
Battle #4: Yamcha vs. Shen
February 12, 2025
It’s amazing how the defeat of a major villain doesn’t feel like a real conclusion, just another building block for Toriyama to build something new, more exciting and more believably absurd, if that makes any sense. The defeat of Piccolo, introducing Kami-sama (hilariously described as God), and Mr. Popo, along with a big three year jump and the next tournament, and the new Piccolo - but the one I’ve always known and loved from DBZ - plus a return from the dead you’ll never see coming. Toriyama is a master storyteller, something I didn’t appreciate until reading the manga; this book is an endless fountain of creativity and never once slows down. So many panels are just glorious and so full of energy, it’s impossible to turn the page. I’m sad to say goodbye to lil Son Goku, but excited to be inching closer to DBZ territory.
December 23, 2024
The final fight between Kid Goku and old man Piccolo is so sick. I love how slow and torturous Piccolo is all the way to the end. And those panels of the single armed Kamehameha through Piccolo’s body are genuinely some of the coolest in the series. The bending Kamehameha is stupid, but I digress.
Popo is such a cool guy. The idea that he builds Shenlong as a toy model is so unique. But I still feel like we should sit with character deaths a little longer. Roshi died in the previous volume, and Krillin died the one before. Let us feel their absence so the return is more gratifying.
On to the tournament… I’m so excited. Finally our boy has grown up. RIP Jackie Chun.
Popo is such a cool guy. The idea that he builds Shenlong as a toy model is so unique. But I still feel like we should sit with character deaths a little longer. Roshi died in the previous volume, and Krillin died the one before. Let us feel their absence so the return is more gratifying.
On to the tournament… I’m so excited. Finally our boy has grown up. RIP Jackie Chun.
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