Following the news of Akira Toriyama’s tragic passing in March 2024, the world that clung to his Dragon ball franchise never intended to abandon. The love for Son Goku manifests itself in hundreds of millions of manga copies sold, merchandise, and clothing. It’s gotten to the point where the orange color overlaid with a kame symbol is ubiquitous to the point of instant recognition, with fans around the world raising their hands for the Genki Dama in light of Toriyama’s passing.
But Dragon ball is much more than the fights of Dragon Ball Zthe debates about the canon surrounding GT, or the frustrations surrounding the animation of Super without even getting into his films. The series began on November 20, 1984 as Dragon ball on the pages of Shonen Jump Weekly with greater hints of comedy-adventure or gag manga than its future as a shonen battle series would suggest. But as fans know, even revisiting the first chapter of Dragon ball awakens powerful nostalgia and admiration for Toriyama’s unique vision this looks as fresh as ever.
Dragon Ball Chapter 1 Still Feels Unique 40 Years Later
Bloomers and the Monkey King
Revisiting the original Dragon ball still feels like a world apart from even the contemporary manga debuts that come and go, with Chapter 1 accomplishing much more in thirty-four pages than most mangakas might expect. One can see intimate detail and weight in Goku’s punches and kicks, but instead of interstellar conquerors or rival martial artists, he breaks wood or decimates enormous fish with a kick. There is an easy and convincing portrayal of Goku’s supernatural characteristicsnamely, his tail as his original conceptual nod to Journey to the Westbut the cultural references don’t stop there.
Dragon ball chapter #1 also visits Goku’s inevitable comparisons to Superman in the most coded way possible by Goku, attacking Bulma’s Capsule Corporation car as if it were a monster, lifting it above his shoulders as if in Action Comics #1. Able to ignore the gunshots to the face but totally ignorant about women, Goku takes Bulma home, where she discovers a Dragon Ball staged as a shrine to his grandfather. The result is comedic banter, wonderfully detailed panels, a highly accessible introduction to the main characters, and the construction of a surprisingly tragic backstoryall in Dragon ball chapter #1.
Akira Toriyama’s panel is still a masterclass in Dragon Ball
Some of the best spatial awareness in the industry
Despite Toriyama’s habits of going out of corners and several other peculiarities in Dragon ballhis spatial sense shown in his panels is in a class of its own. Toriyama’s art style has influenced much of the manga industry, including contemporary creators of today’s hits and even inspiring new versions in subsequent hits, such as Mikio Ikemoto in Boruto. Even something as simple as TOriyama’s unique vehicle designs and representations of motion appear to occupy authentic 3D space before they even consider their requests for action.
Despite Goku not even fighting a human opponent, but instead focusing on a series of beasts and even a pterodactyl in Dragon ball chapter #1, There is a certain degree of flexibility in your style. It is later seen in future arcs such as the World Martial Arts Tournaments, where even silly fights like Krillin vs. Bacterian create visually memorable instances, as well as some of the Dragon Ball most memorable quotes. But Toriyama showed confidence in his work in the first few chapters of Dragon ball because, at his debut, he had four years of serialized manga under his belt, including Dr.
Dragon Ball Chapter 1 engages the reader’s curiosity better than most contemporary debuts
Shonen Jump Hits aspires to Toriyama’s talent for compelling stories
With many plot elements merely teased Dragon Ball first chapter, it’s no wonder the manga continued for eleven years and forty-two volumes. It’s kind of a sad joke that, amid multiple high-profile conclusions like My Hero Academy and Jujutsu Kaisen end, new manga tries to rise to the occasion and face sudden voids in place of its predecessor. While some manga exhibit similar strengths and may gain a following, it is doubtful they will meet Dragon Ball benchmark of success with how saturated the medium is now.
That was the magic of Dragon ball as manga continued to emerge in the United States and elsewhere until the late 1980s and beyond. Few manga have lived up to their hype since then. In the first chapter, and in thirty-four relatively short pages, readers are introduced to Bulma and Goku, the Dragon Radar, a new adventure to summon Shenron (or Shenron), and an ambiguous story about Grandpa Gohan. The wonder of Bulma’s Capsule Corp technology and Goku’s comical level of childish ignorance cause an instantly compelling introductory chapter.
Even the medium’s top creators can return for later series, as Toriyama did, only for their best efforts to be forgotten. Cases like Tenmaku Cinema cancellation, even though the creative team of Food Wars behind this, they can fail within a year, despite the pedigree and quality associated with their names. This was the power and appeal of Dragon balland for new readers, It’s a strong argument to check it out as the highest quality iteration of the series outside of a modern budget anime remake.
Dragon Ball Daima recovers the same magic as the original
A new beginning for all fans
However, the most important consideration given the current trajectory of Dragon ball this is how much the latest anime costs, Dragon Ball Daimarecovers the magic of the original. Although it is not a total remake given the slightly aged aspects, such as the first jokes surrounding young Bulma, Dragon Ball Daima understands and confidently portrays the adventure that Toriyama always wanted to convey. Daima incorporates both Dragon Ball Z and Super elements, but its biggest reference is still in its throwbacks, like Goku’s Power Pole from the original series. Within one episode, the lore was expanded and a new grand adventure began.
Revisiting Dragon ball Chapter 1 confirms that Toriyama’s series isn’t just relieving nostalgia: its natural appeal as a franchise is envied by creators around the world.
Although a large part Dragon Ball Daima appeal was Toriyama’s exploration of lightning in a bottle, the structure of its debut episode wisely focuses on what made the franchise great, expanding from there. It also creates a vast web of mysteries ranging from loyalties within Gomah’s inner circle to why the Demon Realm might not be present in future iterations, all wrapped up in the best TV production the series has ever had. Revisiting Dragon ball Chapter 1 confirms that Toriyama’s series isn’t just relieving nostalgia: its natural appeal as a franchise is envied by creators around the world.