Someone, somewhere, must have collected the seven Dragon Balls and wished for the series to return, because over the past few years, we’ve gotten two new movies (one of which even got a limited theatrical release), a new “Dragon Ball Super” anime, and now, a manga adaptation of that anime. So with Goku and company back, let’s take a look at “Dragon Ball Super” and see if it can still rock the dragon.
Story by Akira Toriyama
Illustrated by ToyotarouHaving defeated Boo, Goku is starting to get bored with his life on Earth. His wife, Chi-chi, wants him to get a job, but all he wants to do is train and fight stronger enemies. Elsewhere in the universe, the God of Destruction, Beerus, and his attendant Whis are traveling from planet to planet in search of food and entertainment. After blowing up some hapless victims, Beerus is reminded of a man from his dreams with the moniker “Super Saiyan God,” or something like that… The God of Destruction sets his sights on Earth to track down this mysterious man! Maybe this will give Goku something to do?
First and foremost, it’s good to have “Dragon Ball” back. It’s an anime classic, and while there are plenty of jokes that can be made about how over-the-top it can be, the ever-escalating power levels, and the constant shouting the characters do whenever they power up, but it’s a fun series with memorable characters and story arcs.
“Dragon Ball Super,” however, is not exactly a new addition to the story. For the first volume, at least, it’s a rather fast re-telling of the “Battle of the Gods” movie and several episodes of the “Dragon Ball Super” anime.
The good news is: it doesn’t need to pad out the story by taking forever to power up. In fact, it can cut to the chase rather quickly; one chapter to set the scene, one to introduce Beerus, one to demonstrate his threat, and then the fight and conclusion. It even finds little moments in-between to introduce future characters and lay the seeds for later plots, making the arcs more intertwined.
At the same time, in doing so it also rushes through much of the story. While skipping the filler moments is just fine (we’re spared an entire chapter dedicated to Oolong and Beerus facing off in a game of rock-paper-scissors, which the “Dragon Ball Super” anime decided to include), it can also rush past some more important moments. For instance, the entire scene where Goku learns how to turn into a Super Saiyan God is skimmed over with nothing but narration to explain what happened, depriving us of the moment where he reaches a new level of power and the buildup to it.
Also, it does kind of skip over the entire arc where Freeza returns, and where Goku and Vegeta reach an even higher level of Super Saiyan God. However, it’s my understanding that there’s another manga adaptation of the “Resurrection of F” movie dedicated to that arc, so that’s not as unforgivable.
Pacing and skipping aside, it is still a fine “Dragon Ball” story. All the familiar and beloved characters are there, and it still has that “Dragon Ball” charm that Akira Toriyama mastered all those years ago. Goku is lighthearted and earnest but eager to fight anyone who may be strong enough for a good match, Vegeta is arrogant and prideful, but still has a wonderful moment where he flies into a rage against the god of destruction himself when Beerus dares lay a hand on Bulma.
Most of the other characters are more or less off to the side or in the background, although Bulma does play an active role after the first arc, and it reintroduces Jaco, from a much earlier Akira Toriyama series. However, there’s little in the way of character development or drama, aside from the power-ups.
However, credit must also be given to the new characters introduced in “Dragon Ball Super,” that being the gods of destruction from universes 6 and 7, Champa and Beerus, along with their angel assistants, Whis and Vados. While these are exactly the same as the ones introduced in the anime, it does a fine job setting them up and letting us get to know them. Like all the other characters to appear, they’re still created by Akira Toriyama, and the man knows how to make interesting characters.
Continued belowThere’s one particularly noteworthy scene where we see what happens when Beerus and Champa fight. Planet after planet gets utterly destroyed as mere collateral damage, illustrated in such a way that each planet’s demise is treated the same as a shattered rock in any other fight, but still results in the gods floating in space debris as they continue their fight.
Additionally, every character design is quite solid and unique. There are plenty of new characters introduced in the tournament arc that takes up the latter half of the series, from a giant shock-absorbent bear to a lava-powered mecha man, and each looks great. Occasionally we get characters with incredibly simplistic designs, such as the Galactic King, who is essentially an anthropomorphic jellyfish with a crown. The humor of the design comes through in its simplicity, adding to how he feels completely undistinguished surrounded by such powerful characters.
This brings us to the rest of the art. Toyotarou does a decent job at mimicking Akira Toriyama’s art style, particularly for character designs and backgrounds. At the same time, there’s little to make it stand out as his own; it’s rare for there to be an exceptional piece of detail, or exceptional design, since all of it is just attempting to capture the look of the anime and Toriyama’s art style.
That said, there are some benefits to that style. Everything looks very crisp and clean; even with the action lines and sound effects, the panels never feel cluttered. Each panel and design looks solid and well-drawn, making it very easy to read.
Of course, as it is an action series, the fight scenes must be looked at as well. Toyotarou illustrates the action and combat nicely, with each panel showing the full force of each blow and ki blast. Even when attacks are blocked or intercepted, there’s still force behind them, and the impact comes through in the art and sound effects. The action is fluid, dynamic, and exciting; there’s even the classic clash of energy attacks that “Dragon Ball” is famous for, with all the power behind them in the illustration.
Aside from the action, there are some nice moments of comedy. While jokes where Jaco asks an all-knowing being about Bulma’s breast size fall flat, there are other humorous moments that work nicely. For instance, did you know that our universe has an anthem, as performed by a penguin-like alien? It goes “Our universe… is soooo huuuuge!” then it ends in a hilarious anticlimax.
Now, story and character work aside, there is one thing just a little irksome about the translation. After all, this is a manga translated from Japanese to English, so a few things will inevitably change. While most of the names remain unchanged, for some reason Mr. Satan is back to being “Hercule,” which he was called in the “Dragon Ball Z” dub back when it was on Toonami, but was later changed back for uncut releases. That’s fine, as it’s consistent, but some other names aren’t.
For instance, while Mr. Satan/Hercule goes by his dub name, Ox King/Gyu-Mao is referred to by his Japanese name. King Kai is called Kaio-Sama, except for occasional moments where characters calls him “the lord of worlds.” King Kai is also the only one referred to with the suffix “-sama,” whereas everyone else is called “Lord (name).” It’s not that one should be used over the other, just that some consistency would be better.
Overall, “Dragon Ball Super” gives you everything you’d want from a “Dragon Ball” series. It’s an enjoyable return, providing some great characters and fights, with all the joy of Akira Toriyama’s original series. Toyotarou is a fine choice for the artist, maintaining the original look while keeping things crisp. It’s the same story that you’ve already seen in the “Dragon Ball Super” anime or in the “Battle of the Gods” movie, but minus all the filler and padding. So if you’re a longtime “Dragon Ball” fan, you’re sure to enjoy “Dragon Ball Super.”
Final Verdict: 7.5 – Fast-paced fun, solid artwork, and a welcome return to the world of “Dragon Ball.”
