Johnny Unusual
(He/Him)
It's an aspirational title.
Anyway, decided to watch Dragonball from the beginning. I don't know if I'll stick through it to Z but knowing me, probably, even though I've seen it all. I've also read all the manga but missed a lot of the original Dragonball anime. When I was a teenager, OG Dragonball aired for one story arc and then the next year they skipped right over to Z, because let's face it, that's the one that had the fights that kids will get excited about, even if they where thrown in knowing nothing about these characters.
I'm watching this on Crunchyroll in the original Japanese and I'll say the subtitles are interesting. It's not exactly full of translator notes but they also don't bother explaining certain terms and onomatapeia, making the assumption you can guess by context.
I thought it would be fun to break down the series by story arcs (meaning later on there will be some big breaks between me updating you) and watch the evolution of the show in it's televised form.
So let's begin with the first arc.
The Dragonball Saga
I actually don't know if this arc has some other name but it's the name that makes the most sense in that out of all the arc, it's the one that is the most Dragonball focused and introduces us to the world.
Quick Synposis
In the distant past... well, according to the narrator. It's a weird comment that feels like it is supposed to make it Star Wars-esque but it never applies to a damned thing, actually. Let's try again. In the mountains lives a martial artist child named Goku, a boy with a monkey's tail, who has never met another human apart from his deceased Grandpa. One day, he meets a girl named Bulma who is looking for "Dragonballs" It turns out Goku has one, his last memento from his grandfather. It turns out these crystal orbs can summon a dragon to grant a wish to whoever can collect all seven and Bulma (who has collected two and created a machine to detect Dragonballs) has dedicated her summer break to just that to wish for a boyfriend. She convinces Goku to join her to see the world when she realizes 1) he's strong and 2) he doesn't want to let his Dragonball go. The two begin travelling together and Goku rescues a sea turtle, bringing him to the mysterious Turtle Hermit who possesses the next Dragonball. He also presents Goku with a magic cloud, Kinto Un, which he can fly around on.
Next, Bulma and Goku earn another Dragonball by defeating Oolong, a tyrant who turns out to be a wimpy shapeshifting pig, desperate to get a girlfriend. Oolong joins them, coerced by Bulma, and they run afoul Yamucha, a desert bandit and Pu-erh, his shapeshifting friend. Goku, who loves a fight, and Yamucha fight an even battle (due to Goku being weak from hunger) but Yamucha retreats when he meets Bulma. It turns out Yamucha has a fear of girls and when he learns of the Dragonballs, he decides to steal them to overcome this fear. To this end, he pretends to help them so he can swoop in and take the Dragonballs when they are all collected. Next, the trio encounter the Gyumao of the eternally burning Mt. Frypan, a giant of a man whom even the powerful Goku can't seem to beat. But Gyumao relents when he realizes Goku's grandpa and Gyumao were both students of the Turtle Hermit. Goku agrees to collect the Turtle Hermit so he can put out Mt. Frypan in exchange for a Dragonball. Goku does so with the help of Gyumao's daughter Chichi and the Turtle Hermit puts out the mountain (well, destroys it) with his signature technique the Kamehameha Wave (which Goku is quick to learn). During this time, Yamucha also learns Goku's tail is his weakness, which he plots to use against him later.
After an encounter with a rabbit crime boss, the trio end up teaming with Yamucha and Pu-Erh but in seeking the last Dragonball are caught by Pilaf, an "emperor" of dubious note who takes their Dragonballs. Pilaf attempts to use the Dragonballs to conquer the world but Oolong happens to escape and when Pilaf summons the dragon, Shen Long, Oolong simply blurts out a minor wish first, scattering the balls. Oolong is recaptured and Bulma reveals it will be a year before the balls can be useable again. That night, Goku makes the strange claim a monster comes up every full moon and it must not be looked at. He also says the moon monster killed his grandfather the night he looked at it, making the rest of the gang concerned Goku IS the monster. Sure enough, he looks at the moon and turns into a 20 foot tall ape, freeing them by threatening to kill them in a rampage. Using their wits, the gang manages to cut off Goku's tail, weakening him and turning back to normal. Yamucha and Bulma fall in love with Yamucha overcoming his fear and while Goku flies off in search of adventure, Bulma decides to return to the city with her new friends. And Oolong.
Story
Right off the hit comedy Dr. Slump, this is Dragonball at it's wackiest, still bringing that Slump energy. It's much more serialized (though Slump had quite a few "arcs") but it really does feel like their no overarching plan and Toriyama was just playing by ear, which makes sense. Animated, the first arc actually has a bit of bloat that the relatively punchy and fast-moving manga doesn't. It's clear to pace the first arc to 13 episodes and to make each one a full half hour, they padded it significantly and often it hurts. It's not without charm in this regard but those early issues are very quick reads and it works best that way. A lot of it is to also build up Pilaf and Co but I feel like they don't really need it, mostly they are goofy antagonists and they are fun but more of them doesn't make it better.
Animation
The animation is fairly weak at this stage, with few interesting decisions. It's clear at this point they are hitting while the iron is red hot.
Themes
I feel the more interesting stuff I'll get into when I get to characters but mostly "adventure and discovery" are fun, both the discovery of stuff and people and places but also of what happens next in a wacky wild story.
Jokes
Early Dragonball is joke central but frankly there are two problems; one is that a lot of it is about how funny it is people want to grope a 16 year old girl and the other is some of the jokes I think are great from the original just aren't working when translated, treating them more like texture to this wacky adventure rather than hitting the punch the way the manga does. My favourite gag where the heroes fall for a very easy trap, causing Pilaf to be struck speechless with how easily it worked isn't given proper time to hit as a real joke. There's also less meta stuff, which is probably because the meta-Slump like humour was disappearing from the manga by the time this anime was coming out (even though Slump and Arale actually appear for a quick story).
Characters
This is by far the best part. Yes, Oolong and Muten Roshin's bullshit is pretty unpleasant today but I love the cast dynamic at this stage. I think everyone forgets that pretty much everyone in the cast is kind of a shithead. Even Goku, albeit he's a purehearted shithead and everyone is kind of goofily corrupt. They are horny (especially Bulma) and liars and jerks. Gyumoa has killed countless people and he's let off with a scolding. I like that Goku is the only "innocent" and he's still an annoying brat who will laugh at other's misfortune. I remember reading that Toriyama didn't like that the history of the anime made people forget Goku's "poison", likely referring to the fact that Goku isn't to him an active hero of justice, he's a kid who likes fights and food and doesn't like bullies. He's purehearted but more like an animal is purehearted rather than a saint. This is also Bulma at her best. More than in the rest of the series, she's kind of a shitty jerk but in a way that is a delight and she and Goku make a great comedic duo. I feel like there have been characters filling her role in shounen series, the "straight girl" who is more worldly and maybe a bit greedy (Lucy in Fairy Tail, Nami in One Piece), but I really think even though it isn't a "deep" character, this early Bulma is a very rich character with lots to mine out of.
Action and Adventure!
Going to the animation, most of the fights don't look particularly good. It's still perfectly watchable with some moments but it feels more about the gags and the original fights largely just feel like they need to fill up time. But Toriyama flying by the seat of his pants can create some fun story beats and it's nice to see Goku both a world beater and a guy falling into wacky situations. It's refreshing for the series to be about finding new fun and excitement in the world and discoveries rather than a hit list of dudes to beat up or as it is in the last arcs, one guy to beat up multiple times.
Anyway, decided to watch Dragonball from the beginning. I don't know if I'll stick through it to Z but knowing me, probably, even though I've seen it all. I've also read all the manga but missed a lot of the original Dragonball anime. When I was a teenager, OG Dragonball aired for one story arc and then the next year they skipped right over to Z, because let's face it, that's the one that had the fights that kids will get excited about, even if they where thrown in knowing nothing about these characters.
I'm watching this on Crunchyroll in the original Japanese and I'll say the subtitles are interesting. It's not exactly full of translator notes but they also don't bother explaining certain terms and onomatapeia, making the assumption you can guess by context.
I thought it would be fun to break down the series by story arcs (meaning later on there will be some big breaks between me updating you) and watch the evolution of the show in it's televised form.
So let's begin with the first arc.
The Dragonball Saga
I actually don't know if this arc has some other name but it's the name that makes the most sense in that out of all the arc, it's the one that is the most Dragonball focused and introduces us to the world.
Quick Synposis
In the distant past... well, according to the narrator. It's a weird comment that feels like it is supposed to make it Star Wars-esque but it never applies to a damned thing, actually. Let's try again. In the mountains lives a martial artist child named Goku, a boy with a monkey's tail, who has never met another human apart from his deceased Grandpa. One day, he meets a girl named Bulma who is looking for "Dragonballs" It turns out Goku has one, his last memento from his grandfather. It turns out these crystal orbs can summon a dragon to grant a wish to whoever can collect all seven and Bulma (who has collected two and created a machine to detect Dragonballs) has dedicated her summer break to just that to wish for a boyfriend. She convinces Goku to join her to see the world when she realizes 1) he's strong and 2) he doesn't want to let his Dragonball go. The two begin travelling together and Goku rescues a sea turtle, bringing him to the mysterious Turtle Hermit who possesses the next Dragonball. He also presents Goku with a magic cloud, Kinto Un, which he can fly around on.
Next, Bulma and Goku earn another Dragonball by defeating Oolong, a tyrant who turns out to be a wimpy shapeshifting pig, desperate to get a girlfriend. Oolong joins them, coerced by Bulma, and they run afoul Yamucha, a desert bandit and Pu-erh, his shapeshifting friend. Goku, who loves a fight, and Yamucha fight an even battle (due to Goku being weak from hunger) but Yamucha retreats when he meets Bulma. It turns out Yamucha has a fear of girls and when he learns of the Dragonballs, he decides to steal them to overcome this fear. To this end, he pretends to help them so he can swoop in and take the Dragonballs when they are all collected. Next, the trio encounter the Gyumao of the eternally burning Mt. Frypan, a giant of a man whom even the powerful Goku can't seem to beat. But Gyumao relents when he realizes Goku's grandpa and Gyumao were both students of the Turtle Hermit. Goku agrees to collect the Turtle Hermit so he can put out Mt. Frypan in exchange for a Dragonball. Goku does so with the help of Gyumao's daughter Chichi and the Turtle Hermit puts out the mountain (well, destroys it) with his signature technique the Kamehameha Wave (which Goku is quick to learn). During this time, Yamucha also learns Goku's tail is his weakness, which he plots to use against him later.
After an encounter with a rabbit crime boss, the trio end up teaming with Yamucha and Pu-Erh but in seeking the last Dragonball are caught by Pilaf, an "emperor" of dubious note who takes their Dragonballs. Pilaf attempts to use the Dragonballs to conquer the world but Oolong happens to escape and when Pilaf summons the dragon, Shen Long, Oolong simply blurts out a minor wish first, scattering the balls. Oolong is recaptured and Bulma reveals it will be a year before the balls can be useable again. That night, Goku makes the strange claim a monster comes up every full moon and it must not be looked at. He also says the moon monster killed his grandfather the night he looked at it, making the rest of the gang concerned Goku IS the monster. Sure enough, he looks at the moon and turns into a 20 foot tall ape, freeing them by threatening to kill them in a rampage. Using their wits, the gang manages to cut off Goku's tail, weakening him and turning back to normal. Yamucha and Bulma fall in love with Yamucha overcoming his fear and while Goku flies off in search of adventure, Bulma decides to return to the city with her new friends. And Oolong.
Story
Right off the hit comedy Dr. Slump, this is Dragonball at it's wackiest, still bringing that Slump energy. It's much more serialized (though Slump had quite a few "arcs") but it really does feel like their no overarching plan and Toriyama was just playing by ear, which makes sense. Animated, the first arc actually has a bit of bloat that the relatively punchy and fast-moving manga doesn't. It's clear to pace the first arc to 13 episodes and to make each one a full half hour, they padded it significantly and often it hurts. It's not without charm in this regard but those early issues are very quick reads and it works best that way. A lot of it is to also build up Pilaf and Co but I feel like they don't really need it, mostly they are goofy antagonists and they are fun but more of them doesn't make it better.
Animation
The animation is fairly weak at this stage, with few interesting decisions. It's clear at this point they are hitting while the iron is red hot.
Themes
I feel the more interesting stuff I'll get into when I get to characters but mostly "adventure and discovery" are fun, both the discovery of stuff and people and places but also of what happens next in a wacky wild story.
Jokes
Early Dragonball is joke central but frankly there are two problems; one is that a lot of it is about how funny it is people want to grope a 16 year old girl and the other is some of the jokes I think are great from the original just aren't working when translated, treating them more like texture to this wacky adventure rather than hitting the punch the way the manga does. My favourite gag where the heroes fall for a very easy trap, causing Pilaf to be struck speechless with how easily it worked isn't given proper time to hit as a real joke. There's also less meta stuff, which is probably because the meta-Slump like humour was disappearing from the manga by the time this anime was coming out (even though Slump and Arale actually appear for a quick story).
Characters
This is by far the best part. Yes, Oolong and Muten Roshin's bullshit is pretty unpleasant today but I love the cast dynamic at this stage. I think everyone forgets that pretty much everyone in the cast is kind of a shithead. Even Goku, albeit he's a purehearted shithead and everyone is kind of goofily corrupt. They are horny (especially Bulma) and liars and jerks. Gyumoa has killed countless people and he's let off with a scolding. I like that Goku is the only "innocent" and he's still an annoying brat who will laugh at other's misfortune. I remember reading that Toriyama didn't like that the history of the anime made people forget Goku's "poison", likely referring to the fact that Goku isn't to him an active hero of justice, he's a kid who likes fights and food and doesn't like bullies. He's purehearted but more like an animal is purehearted rather than a saint. This is also Bulma at her best. More than in the rest of the series, she's kind of a shitty jerk but in a way that is a delight and she and Goku make a great comedic duo. I feel like there have been characters filling her role in shounen series, the "straight girl" who is more worldly and maybe a bit greedy (Lucy in Fairy Tail, Nami in One Piece), but I really think even though it isn't a "deep" character, this early Bulma is a very rich character with lots to mine out of.
Action and Adventure!
Going to the animation, most of the fights don't look particularly good. It's still perfectly watchable with some moments but it feels more about the gags and the original fights largely just feel like they need to fill up time. But Toriyama flying by the seat of his pants can create some fun story beats and it's nice to see Goku both a world beater and a guy falling into wacky situations. It's refreshing for the series to be about finding new fun and excitement in the world and discoveries rather than a hit list of dudes to beat up or as it is in the last arcs, one guy to beat up multiple times.