Next week’s 2013 #44 issue of Weekly Shōnen Jump in Japan is set to contain the eleventh and last of the originally-numbered “10+1” chapters of Akira Toriyama’s currently-running manga, Jaco the Galactic Patrolman. The series was teased early on by Toriyama with a chapter comment noting, “The content seems a bit dated, but if you read to the end, you’ll understand why.” Later, Shueisha teased with, “The whole world’s long-awaited return of a ‘legend’ is here!!” until finally coming out with, “The shocking revival of ‘Dragon Ball’!!”
WARNING: Spoilers Ahoy!
In next week’s chapter, it is revealed that Jaco was indeed sent to Earth to stop a Saiyan from Planet Vegeta. This Saiyan ends up at Son Gohan’s house, eating up a ton. He is super-strong, so it is a good thing Gohan is a martial arts master. Gohan offers to let him stay and learn with him if he does not have a home to go back to. Returning to the present (from the decade-earlier timeframe of the main story), Omori narrates how, not too long ago, Tights’ sister Bulma stopped by — everyone has met before when Tights’ family visited, including a child Bulma and Dr. Brief, who knows Omori by reputation for his work in space-time research. Being a super-genius, Bulma had already graduated from university and had set out on a trip. She had said something about looking for mysterious orbs that grant you any wish when brought together. She showed off two, which were made of a substance that does not exist on Earth, so she reasoned they came from outer space. It all sounds quite suspicious, but space is vast, so perhaps this sort of mysterious orb exists out there somewhere. Omori notes that he will ask Jaco about it next time he stops by. Meanwhile, Son Goku is dragging his catch back to the house…
There are obviously a few contradictions between the events depicted here in Jaco and how they transpire in the original Dragon Ball manga (things such as Bulma heading back to school after the Pilaf story arc), but the tie-in status is clearly undeniable at this point.
There is much more to come once the chapter officially hits next Monday (30 September 2013) in physical form on Japanese shelves and digitally in English via Viz, so stay tuned to Kanzenshuu over the next week or so for an incredible blow-out on Jaco the Galactic Patrolman and a slew of other spin-off manga projects!
4 Comments
Maybe you can rationalize the Bulma contradiction as Bulma wanting to go to school she had already mastered because she wanted the “normal” childhood experience? Or maybe she’s like Goten (super saiyan before flying) in that she completed university before high school.
I’m fine with all the contradictions so long as they at least mention why Bulma never mentioned Tights…same reason Vegeta never mentioned Tarble? Birds of a Feather?
Well, I’ll just make some room in my bookshelf and wait for Viz to publish the Tankoubon…
Well, I’m excited to learn all this. Tights, huh? Add that pun to the list.
I knew that Tights was somehow involved with Bulma’s family from the beginning. It’s a pretty obvious pun. However, I didn’t think that she was actually going to be her older sister. I was imagining this series taking place a couple generations before Dragonball.