10 years ago, a collection of figure called "Dragon Ball: El manga legendario" was released in Spain. Along with each figure, they included a short magazine. Honestly, I consider most of the content irrelevant, when not outright wrong, but there are three very interesting parts:
A) The modeller of each figure comments on the process of creating it. I don't think it is common to read something like this about DB figure.
B) Toriyama's section: Except from the first magazine, the rest of them have a section written by Toriyama himself, talking about a bit of everything. His favourite tools for drawing manga, his most influential movies... Sometimes, they come with pictures of his house and things like that.
C) Galleries of illustrations with information about when and why they were published.
As far as I know, these magazines were only released in Spanish and French, which is a shame, because there are some very interesting tidbits in the sea of mediocrity.
I tried to get in contact with Kanzenshuu staff several times (even when they were Daizex/Kanzentai) to see if they were interested in some of this material, but they didn't answer, so I took it as a no, and now I have decided to translate them myself.
The content of this translation is going to be mostly text. I am going to put some images when I consider them relevant, taken from the scans made by someone that goes by the nick Violinexperto. If you want to take the time to insert the text in the scans, be my guest.
My native language is Spanish, so if you notice any mistakes of any kind (grammar, spelling, collocation, even some things that don't sound natural) just tell me and I will edit the text.
Number 1.
[spoiler]
Puzzles and superillustrations!
Toriyama's first steps are revealed!
The adventure begins!
Key scenes: the nyoibo and the Kamehameha technique!
Son Gokuh: Beware, Freezer!
Page 3:
Your collectible figure: Finish off Freezer, supersaiyan Son Gokuh!
Use your kamehameha!
Supersaiyan Son Gokuh. Higlights: Gokuh's spiky hair is typical of supersaiyans. Modelling the hair is especially difficult.
His stance is inspired by the fight against Freezer!
This supersaiyan Son Gokuh figure is inspired by the Son Gokuh vs Freezer duel from the 22nd kanzenban. ¡It perfectly portrays the climax of the scene in which Gokuh, after transforming into a supersaiyan for the first time, focuses all his anger in a kamehameha!
Modeller interview.
Gokuh's hair as a level 1 supersaiyan is simple, because it doesn't have as many locks of hair as he will have after the Cell Saga. However, simple shapes are the most demanding for modellers, and are also the chance to show off your skills. I put special effort on the gap between his bangs, so you could see his eyes. Creating this figure I always had in mind the idea of keeping the look as close as possible to a Toriyama Akira's character. Sometimes the clothing damage is not very noticeable, so I tried to emphasize those details. I recommend you to put this figure in an angle from which you could see how his hands, which are concentrating ki, are slighlty opened.
Supersaiyan Son Gokuh has been modelled by Nakagawa Hiroyuki, and the figure has been produced by Kimura Teruhiko (Proovy Co., Ltd.).
Page 4:
Toriyama Akira's World. Which are the origins of Toriyama's World?
Find out the road that Toriyama Akira followed up to the creation of Dragon Ball, his biggest worldwide success. You will laso enjoy a thorough analysis of Dragon Ball's story.
Toriama Akira's story.
He was born in Aichi, Japan.
Toriyama Akira was born and raised in Aichi prefecture, Japan. When he finished his profesional training in a school in Aichi, the artist started working for a marketing design company. After working as a designer for three years, he resigned and tried his luck with a manga contest in order to win the money that came with the first prize.
Toriyama Akira's debut as a mangaka was in December 1978 with Wonder Island. He likes cars, hsi pets and building scale miniatures.
Weekly Shonen Jump's contest.
Actually, Toriyama had no idea about how to draw manga, so he was based on other works to create the story that he would send to the contest.
His first manga is a parody of a famous science fiction film. That's why he couldn't win the prize, but his talent attracted the attention of an editor, who encouraged him to work as a professional mangaka. In only a week, Toriyama Akira finished the first sketches of his new manga, called Wonder Island.
The prefecture of Aichi is around 300km southeast from Tokyo, Japan's capital. Toriyama still lives in his home town.
Page 5:
His debut as a mangaka.
Wonder Island was published in Weekly Shonen Jump nº52, 19789. ¡That was the beginning of Toriyama's professional career as a mangaka! After publishing some short stories, his editor suggested him creating a story with a girl as the main character. That's how Dr. Slump, a manga with a robot girl as the star, was born.
At the left we can see the first page of Wonder Island, the work that marked his debut. At the right, the cover of the first Dr. Slump volume. Thanks to his pop character designs and his brilliant gags, the manga was an instant success, and a weekly chapter was published for four and a half years.
The birth of Dragon Ball.
In Japan, Dr. Slump's success was a social phenomenon. However, each chapter was its own story, and this format is not very appropriate for a long-running manga. Consequently, Toriyama's editor thought that a new manga should take Dr. Slump's place. After a well thought reflection, he thought that a manga inspired by martial arts movies, which the author enjoyed, could be the answer. That's how Dragon Ball was born!
In the following page you will discover Dragon Ball's universe!
Page 6:
Discover every secret.
Dragon Ball Saga!
Discover the seven big sagas that form Dragon Ball manga. Meet Gokuh's enemies and the main combat techniques.
1. Kid Gokuh. Gokuh goes on an adventure.
Son Gokuh, a kid that live deep in the mountains, meets Bulma, and together they travel looking for the Dragon Balls. After defeating Pilaf and his gang, who wanted to conquer the world, Gokuh becomes a pupil under the teaching of Kame Sennin. To see the fruits of his training, Gokuh takes part in the World Martial Arts Tournament, ranking second.
2. Red Ribbon Army. A harsh battle against an evil organisation.
Looking for the Dragon Balls, Son Gokuh fights against the evil Red Ribbon Army. After some hard training, he defeats Colonel Blue and Tao Pai Pai, among others, and puts an end to this organisation. Three years later, Son Gokuh enters the World Martial Arts Tournament again, but he is defeated by Ten Shin Han in the final and ranks second again.
3. Piccolo Daimaoh. The king of the demons must be stopped.
Son Gokuh faces the diabolical Piccolo Daimaoh, who plans on conquering the whole world. Gokuh is defeated in their first fight, but thanks to the sacred water he powers up and defeats his enemy. After three years of training in Kami-Sama's palace, Son Gokuh must fight against Piccolo Daimaoh Junior in the World Martial Arts Tournament. After a dreadful duel, he finally gets his first title!
Page 7.
4. The saiyans. The threat comes from outer space!
The belligerent saiyan race attacks the Earth! Gokuh sacrifices his life to defeat a fearsome enemy, but a year later Vegeta, the most powerful saiyan, arrives and finishes with the earthling warriors. After training with Kaioh-Sama and coming back to life thanks to the Dragon Balls, Gokuh comes back, stronger than ever, and defeats the saiyans, though ending severely injured in the process.
5. Freezer The most powerful space enemy!
Son Gokuh arrives in plaet Namek looking for the Dragon Balls so that he can bring his fallen friends back to life after being killed by the saiyans. But then, Freezer, the most frightening being in the universe, appears before him. Gokuh collects the Dragon Balls and make his wish come true, but has to fight a tenacious adversary. The supersaiyan within Gokuh wakes up and finishes Freezer off!
6. Cell. What is the ciborgs goal?
Trunks, the warrior that comes from the future, predicts the arrival of some ciborgs created with the purpose of killing Gokuh. And this is only the beginning of the nightmare! Gokuh and his friends take part in the Cell Game, with the existence of human at stake against the frightening Cell. Gokuh and Gohan, with their father-son Kamehameha will work the miracle!
7. Bu. We must finish off the embodiment of evil!
Some years after the Cell Game, the wizard Babidi resurrects Bu, the most powerful demon in history. Every supersaiyan from Gokuh's and Vegeta's families fight against a Bu whose power does not stop increasing. The final duel will be Son Gokuh against a pure evil Bu!
Page 8.
Dragon Ball Summary . Episodes 1 to 15. Adventure begins! Kame Sennin's incredible power!
Gokuh decides going on a journey with Bulma in order to improve his training. The meeting of Gokuh, the kid of the forst, and Bulma, the young inventor, marks the beginning of this story.
Let's look for the Dragon Balls!
Gokuh lives isolated from te world in the mountains. But, just by chance, he meets Bulma, and together they travel in order to find the Dragon Balls. In their journey, they make some friends, like Kame Sennin and Wooling, and they collect the precious balls one by one. But then, Yamcha, the desert bandit, appears before them, and challenges Gokuh!
Page 9.
Gokuh meets his first friends.
His fight against Yamcha ends up in a tie, and the bandit joins the group. Gokuh and his friends arrive at Frypan mountain, where they find the chishinchu, but inside a castle on fire! The location of the magic fan, the only thing that can extinguish that fire, is unknown, so they seem to be forced to give up. But a surprising technique called Kamehameha, invented by Kame Sennin, manages to extinguish the flames and they get the seven stars ball. There is onnly one ball left, the one star ball, iishinchu.
Yamcha the bandit put Gokuh in a predicament with his Wolf Fang Fist, an ultrafast deadly technique. He was the first strong adversary for Gokuh. His companion, Puar, can shapeshift. Woolong and him knew each other from when they were kids.
Zoom. Kame Sennin, master of the martial arts.
Despite acting like and old perverted man, Kame Sennin is actually the strongest martial artist in the world, also known as Mutenroshi (which means "old master of the heavenly fight"). Watching Gokuh, his pupil, we can see his knowledge. He taught Gokuh how to fight using his ki, and the Kamehameha is part of this style. Kinton and the orange gi that Gokuh wears are both presents from Kame Sennin. He is probably the character who has influenced our main character the most.
Kame Sennin focusing his ki. Gokuh and the others were shocked seeing this!
Page 10.
Dragon Ball games.
Gokuh's quiz! How many questions can you answer correctly?
Q.1. Which one is the correct symbol?
The first quesiton is about Son Gokuh's gi. This gi was a present from a certain person and has the symbol of a japanese character – kanji – in its chest. At the left you have six of these characters, do you know which one is the correct for Gokuh?
Q.2. Choose three Son Gokuh's items.
Among the eight items down below, choose three of them that belong to Son Gokuh. There is a weapon, a means of transport and also something very special...
Q.3. Who is Son Gokuh's friend?
Among this four monsters there's a friend of Gokuh's. Let's see if you know who! This is a difficult question, that requires a detailed reading of the manga!
Page 11.
Illustrations gallery.
Magnificent colourful illustrations!
Chapter 149 cover, published in Weekly Shonen Jump nº49 1987. The Dragon Ball logo on piccolo Daimaoh's head was designed by Toriyama himself. At the left you can see the illustration as it was published in the tankobon.
Page 12-13:
This illustration was created for foldable poster-calendar that came with the Weekly Shonen Jump 3/4 1995, and was drawn directly on some kind of wrinkled cardboard called shikishi. In fact, it was a left over sheet which was going to be used for another manga.
Page 14:
This illustration was made for a contest in which the readers suggested slogans for every series in the magazine. It was published as a poster in Weekly Shonen Jump nº26 1993.
Page 15.
Dragon Ball Games. Gokuh's quiz is back! The answers. How many have you got correct?
Q.1. Which one is the correct symbol?
Gokuh is Kame Sennin disciple. The martial arts style that Gokuh practises is called Kamesen-ryu (that is, "Kame Sennin's school"). That is why he has the kame symbol in his chest. It is the number 5, and means turtle.
This gi was a present from Kame Sennin to participate in the World Martial Arts Tournament. Son Gohan, Gokuh's son, carries the character nº4, ma (demon), because he is Piccolo's disciple.
Solution: 5.
Q.2. Choose three Son Gokuh's items.
The four stars Dragon Ball is a memento of his grandfather.
Gokuh's weapon is the nyoibo, and his personal vehicle is kinton. They are, respectively, numbers 6 and 8. The last is number four, the sushinchu ball, which has four stars.
It was Son Gohan, his deceased adoptive grandfather, who gave the four star ball to Gokuh. When Gokuh grows up, he gives it to his son, also called Son Gohan.
Solution: 4, 6, 8.
Q.3. Who is Son Gokuh's friend?
Woolong is the king of transformations!
None of the characters looks like a friend of Gokuh's, but among them you can see Woolong transformed into a monster. The first time Gokuh and Woolong met, he transformed into a giant bull!
Woolong can take any shape for 5 minutes. He wanted to scare Gokuh and the villagers turning into an enormous bull, but Gokuh was not fooled...
Page 16.
Manga characters. Here you will find out everything about kid Son Gokuh!
He fights evil with his inner strenght!
Son Gokuh. He trains as he looks for the Dragon Balls.
Son Gokuh is the main character of this story. Son Gohan, a martial arts genious, found him abandoned in the middle of the mountains and decided to adopt him. He is very talented for martial arts and his body is like iron. He loves fighting strong people! During his journey to find the Dragon Balls, he faces many fearsome enemies.
Page 17.
Nyoibo. It is the staff that Gokuh inherited from his adoptive grandfather, Gohan. It elongates and shrinks following the wish of his owner, and it is very useful during fights. In the manga, Gokuh uses it a lot when he was a kid. When he learns how to use his ki properly, he stops using it.
Kinton nimbus. It is a nimbus that Gokuh receives from Kame Sennin as a token of gratitude for helping the turtle. He can surf the skies faster than any plane, and answers to Gokuh's voice, appearing when his owned calles. It is a very useful vehicle, but only those with a pure heart can ride it.
The tail. Gokuh has a secret: he turns into a big ape when he looks at the full moon. In this shape, called ohzaru, Gokuh cannot control himself and destroyes everything he sees. His only weakness is his tail, and he can come back to his human form if the tail is cut.
Zoom. Lethal tecnique. Kamehameha.
An attack with the oriental inner energy!
The kamehameha is a technique from the Kame Sennin school that allows the user to shoot his ki, that is, the energy from his body. It normally requires several years to be controlled, but Gokuh could use it only after seeing it once.
Page 18.
Key scenes. Extend, nyoibo! Kame Sennin's power!
Best scene 1. Yamcha the fearsome! Manga vol. 1, cap. 08.
This is the first Dragon Ball fight scene! Yamcha, the desert bandit, attacks Son Gokuh and his friends in order to steal the Dragon Balls from them. It is also the first time we see how Gokuh uses, skillfully, his nyoibo, and also the first we see how it extends. Gokuh holds in own against Yamcha, an exceptional fighter. This chapter allows us to get an idea of the Gokuh's real strenght.
Best scene 2. Kame Sennin's Kamehameha!! Manga vol.1, cap. 14.
Kamehameha is the most iconic technique from Dragon Ball. The user focuses his ki while he says "ka-me-ha-me-ha" and then, with the last syllable, he frees it. The person who created this technique, Kame Sennin, uses it to stop the fire in mount Frypan. The master is unrecognisable! With his muscles swollen, his aura is overwhelming. When he launched his Kamehameha, Gokuh and his friends were open mouthed by pure shock. Kame Sennin made the fire disappear... along with the mount and the castle. He apologises: "I went a bit too far".[/spoiler]
Number 2.
[spoiler]
Puzzles and superillustrations!
Dragon Ball sketches!
Shenron first appearance!
Five superwarriors try to go beyond their limits!
Vegeta: I am the strongest!
Page 3:
Your collectible figure: Evil Vegeta figure!!
Take this ki blast!!
Vegeta. With his defying gaze and his disturbing smile, Vegeta shows a truly malevolent aura! The figure represents the character when he is launching his ki attack, and special attention has been put modelling his hair and battle armor.
Freezer saga clothing!
Looking for the Dragon Balls, Vegeta finishes off a Namek village! This figure is inspired by the evil side of Vegeta. He is wearing his battle armor with shoulder pads, the one he used during the Freezer saga.
Modeller interview:
This time I put special care in the mouth of the figure. His lips are slighlty opened, and the mouth is barely risen to the left, as if he was showing a smile of superiority. This was the main element of the character's facial expression, and it was very hard to portray. I would like you to focus in that grimace of absolute evil. I recommend you to put this figure in an angle from which you can see either his left hand or his face. Vegeta's main appeal is his obsession of becoming stronger and stronger; for good or for bad, that's his defining trait.
Vegeta has been modelled by Nakagawa Hiroyuki, and the figure has been produced by Kimura Teruhiko (Proovy Co., Ltd.).
Page 4:
Toriyama Akira's World: Preliminary Dragon ball Sketches!
We present some concept arts for Dragon Ball, when the manga was nothing more than a work in progress. You can see Son Gokuh's changes until the final version!
1st sketch: Does he just looks like a monkey?!
2nd sketch: That's a fancy Son Gokuh!
3rd sketch: Son Gokuh's final design!
Dragon ball roots are to be found in the fantasy chinese novel Journey to the West, and that's why Son Gokuh looks like a monkey in the first sketch. Lately, they considered that it would be better to have a human main character, and that's how the second sketch was made. Finally, a tail was added as a defining feature of the character, and they arrived to the third sketch! The idea of looking for the Dragon Balls also came up at that moment.
Page 5:
Toriyama Akira: Pictures and letters.
My hobbies (cars)
This is the beginning of a section in which Toriyama Akira himself, Dragon Ball's creator, shows us his hobbies and passions!
An original text written by Toriyama sensei!
I designed a car (QVOLT)
For starters, I introduce you the QVOLT, a car that I designed. Even if we use the word "car", actually it is a small electrical vehicle for a single passenger, and only 9 units were made. It was requested by a company called Choro Q Motors and, as I love every work related with designing, I worked on it between pages from the manga. Finally, it took me two years to finish it. Due to the amount of legal restrictions, I had to sacrifice a lot of original ideas, but I really love the final result. QVOLT was manufactured by a first class company that creates, for example, cars that are used in the Le Mans race. When I went to see them, I was surprised by their professionality! I love the QVOLT, but it would attract attention because I live in the middle of the countryside, so I almost never use it to avoid being embarrased. At most, sometimes I drive it at dawn, when no one can see me.
This is a picture of the QVOLT that is stationed at Shueisha's lobby, the company I work for. It also has some stickers from Dragon Ball 20th Anniversary that I designed".
Page 6:
Dragon Ball Summary . Episodes 16 to 23. Shenron first appearance!
Who made their wish come true?
Pilaf gang took the Dragon Balls from Gokuh and his friends, after everything they did to gather them! And that's not all, because they are now imprisoned inside Pilaf's castle. Will Son Gokuh retrieve the Balls and ask for a wish?
Pilaf gang wants to gather the Dragon Balls and conquer the world. They have combat robots and a castle full of traps.
Page 7:
Escape from Pilaf's castle!
Gokuh and his friends manage to hinder Pilaf's intentions thankt to Woolong. They are imprisoned in an almost indestructible cell, when Gokuh transforms into a giant monkey, destroys the whole castle, cell included, and they escape. Later, Gokuh leaves Bulma and his friends and goes with Kame Sennin, where he wants to train.
Son Gokuh and the rest do everything they can to escape from the cell, but the walls and the ceiling are very resitent and they don't even make a notch. If Gokuh hadn't transfromed, would they all have died?
Zoom. The group disbands!
Gokuh and the group finally escape from the castle, but they find out that, once a wish has been granted, the Dragon Balls turn into stones for a year. They have no other option than to stop their search for a while and resume their old lives. However, the adventure has created strong bonds among them, so Bulma, Yamcha and the others will help Gokuh in other occassions in the future.
Page 8:
Dragon Ball Games.
Who marries who?
Son Gokuh: What is "marry"?
Join the couples!
Over Dragon ball's long story, a lot of character end up forming happy couples. We have chosen four of them, the most famous, but it is up to you to join them! There are some unexpected relationships, so be careful, and don't create any cheating situation!
Page 9:
Illustrations gallery.
Let's go, Dragon! Let's run together!
This drawing was made for the cover of the first illustrations book made by Toriyama sensei in 1990, called Toriyama Akira – The World. There are two versions of it with different colouring, after copying the original drawing in Kent paper. The small illustration at the left was also used to decorate phone cards.
Pages 10-11:
This illustration, one of the first ever made, was used for a special poster that came with the Weekly Shonen Jump nº13 1985. At that time, Toriyama sensei was very interested in China, that's why the background shows a Chinese style.
Page 12:
This illustration was published in Weekly Shonen Jump nº5/6 1995 to show the result of a character popularity poll. Gokuh was first, followed by Vegeta, Trunks, Gotenks and Piccolo.
Page 13: Who marries who? The answers.
Son Gokuh: Oooh... my goodness!
The correct couples are...
Gokuh's wife is... Chichi!
They got married as they promised when they first met. Well, Gokuh didn't exactly know what was the promise about...
Krillin's partner is... Nº18!
Even if they didn't seem to have a lot of chemistry, Krillin's kindness and details softened her heart...
Gohan's wife is... Videl!
They went to highschool together. Of all these couples, this is probably the most normal.
Vegeta's partner is... Bulma!
A couple that nobody expected. Despite not being formally married, they have two children.
Page 14:
Manga characters.
Gokuh's friends.
Bulma. A beautiful yet conceited scientist!
The wish that she wants to ask for is...
Bulma is an attractive girl that looks for the Dragon Ball because he wants "a handsome boyfriend". The meets Son Gokuh during her journey and they decide to travel together. She is extremely intelligent and her inventions are a big help for Gokuh and the other.
The Dragon Radar.
It is one of Bulma's inventions, a pocket radar that can locate the Dragon Balls. It is very effective, as it gives a very precise location of the Balls.
Hoi-Poi capsules.
Useful items developed by Capsule Corporation, the company of Bulma's father. They are used to reduce any kind of object.
Yamcha. A desert bandit who is afraid of girls!
He attacks Gokuh and his friends to steal from them, but...!
Yamcha used to be a desert bandit, who robbed those who crossed his territory and took any valuables they may carry. He finds out about the Dragon Ball's when he attacks Gokuh's group when they are crossing his territory, and he decides to follow them. Yamcha is not that evil, and the proof is that he ends up joining Gokuh's group and fights with them elbow to elbow.
Zoom. Lethal technique. Wolf Fang Fist.
A multiple attack that is almost invisible.
A technique created by Yamcha! It is an attack consistent on punches and kicks, as a wolf who jumps to hunt its prey. In the World Martial Arts Tournament, Yamcha used his Neo Wolf Fang Fist, an improved an even more effective version.
Page 16:
Woolong. Are his transformations useful?
A perverted supernatural being!
Woolong is a being that looks like a pig. He is very depraved, and used to kidnap girls using his transformation techniques. After Gokuh made him learn his lesson, he reforms himself and follows the main characters in their journey.
Woolong's transformations.
Woolongs powers allow him to take the shape of everything in an almost perfect way. However, he can only transform for five minutes each time, and his strength, so he doesn't normally end up well...
Puar. Woolongs rival?
The adorable Yamcha's partner!
Puar is a strange animal that lives with Yamcha. It seems that both Woolong and him went to the same nursery. He seems to look over Woolong's shoulder because he is only thinking obscenities.
Puar's transformations.
Puar is also able to use transformation techniques, which he learnt from the "transformation nursery" Woolong and him went when they were kids. His skills are equal or maybe even superior to those of Woolong.
Page 17:
Key scenes: A wish for Shenron! Gokuh's big transformation!
Best scene 1: A wish for Shenron! Manga vol.2, cap.20.
Within Dragon Ball's history, the first wish granted by Shenron is a true milestone, and was preceded by the shout of "I wish some girl panties!". However, if Woolong hadn't asked for that wish, Pilaf's ambition of conquering the world would have bcome true... We don't know what kind of world would have been under Pilaf's rule, but it would have been horrible that everyone had to worship him. Woolong's perverted wish was actually helpful for human peace!
Best scene 2: Gokuh's big transformation! Manga vol.2, cap 22.
This is the first time we see Gokuh turning into a monkey, as he destroys Pilaf's castle. At this point in time, Toriyama sensei had not decided that Gokuh was a saiyan, but this saiyan power will be a very important trait in the story. As a giant monkey, Son Gokuh loses his mind and not only attacks Pilaf, but also Bulma and the others. However, his weakness is the same he has before the transformation. If someone cuts his tail, Gokuh (as every other saiyan) recovers his normal aspect. Gokuh won't know that he turns into a giant monkey when he sees the full moon until the arrival of saiyans on Earth, ten years later.[/spoiler]
Number 3.
[spoiler]
Puzzles and superillustrations!
Supersaiyan's explosive power!
Q&A about Son Gokuh (Part 1) We reveal all his secrets!
Key scenes: Kame Sennin style training!
Piccolo: The strongest Namekian!
Page 3:
Your collectible figure: Piccolo, the most powerful Namekian!
Sorry for making you wait, Gohan!
Piccolo. Piccolo has achieved more power after merging with Nail, the Namekian warrior! Full of confidence, Piccolo arrives to help Son Gohan, who is in trouble fighting against Freezer. This figure has been inspired by that scene.
A stance filled with power!
This figure has been designed having this scene from the Freezer saga in mind. The designer recommends looking at it from the same angle as you can see him in the cahtper 295. Piccolo has multiplied his power by five, and his stance is full of strength!
Modeller interview:
I put special care in his stance. Piccolo has his chest swollen up and his chin low, and if you look the figure from a side, you can see that his body makes the letter "S" (among the japanese professionals of this field, this is called "straight S stance"). I was trying to create a Piccolo full of pride and decision, as the one in the scene in which he, full of energy, comes to rescue Gohan. Piccolo is not the main character of the story, but I consider him someone you can trust, that makes you think "If he's here, there's nothing to be afraid of!". The relationship of master and pupil that is established between Son Gohan and him is wonderful. When you are holding the figure, make sure to look at it from every possible angle.
Piccolo has been modelled by Yamaguchi Noriyuki (Sawada Kobo), and the figure has been produced by Kimura Teruhiko (Proovy Co., Ltd.).
Page 4:
Toriyama Akira's World: Q&A. Son Gokuh (Part 1).
Son Gokuh is Dragon Ball's great main character! We will reveal hidden secrets and curious trivia about this heroe created by Toriyama sensei.
P.1. Where does his name, Son Gokuh, come from?
Dragon Ball's original idea is based on the Chinese fantasy novel Journey to the West and, as a tribute, the same name of the main character was used: Son Gokuh (Sun Wukong in the Chinese original). However, nowadays it is possible that more people think about Dragon Ball when they hear that name!
P.2. Why do supersaiyans have blond hair?
In the original manga, blond hair is shown as white. It was done this way so readers could differentiate transformed Gokuh with just a mere glimpse... However, it was also done this say because "then you don't have to colour the black hair" while drawing the manga. Who would have thought that!
P.3. Why is Gokuh's gi orange?
The origin of Dragon Ball's story is influenced by Chinese culture, so the color is a direct reference to the orange of Chinese budist monk's robes when they achieve a superior rank.
Page 5:
Toriyama Akira: Pictures and letters.
My hobbies (animals).
Dragon Ball's author, Toriyama Akira, personally shows us his hobbies and passions!
I love newts!
I have pets such as dogs, cats, mice, fish, turtles, frogs and geckoes, buy my favourite are the newts, specifically the Japanese fire belly newt (Cynops pyrrhogaster). They are least than 10 centimetres long, their body has a fantastic shape and I love their design. I always gawkat them. Reading my mangas you can immediately tell that I like them, isn't it?
You can buy them in pet shops by 180 yens. It is very easy to take care of them, you only have to make sure that their water is always clean. Besides, they are not afraid of people. I have had newts at home for the last five years, but people say that they live between 20 and 30 years. They are not very successful in the shop, so sometimes I buy them out of pity. Consequently, I have around 30 of them right now. They procreate inside the aquarium, so every once in a while I find a small one (like the one in the picture).
I used to see them along the streams, but they can only live with very clean water, so you can only see them in the wild if you go to very distant places. It's a shame.
Look, there it is!
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Dragon Ball Summary . Episodes 24 to 32. Kame Sennin style training!
The beginning of the training!
In order to become stronger, Son Gokuh visits the god of martial arts, Kame Senning. With Krillin, another candidate to be a disciple of the master, the pass their first test. But Kame Sennin's training is so harsh that even Gokuh ends up exhausted! Both train really hard with no intention of giving up so that they can participate in the World Martial Arts Tournament.
Gokuh and Krillin end up torn apart after the first day of training... Later, everything will be even harder, as they will have to carry with 20 kg turtle shells all day long.
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An enormous improvement!
Gokuh and Krillin continue with the intensive training for 8 months. Without even noticing, they achieve so much strentgh that they can move a gigantic rock with their bare hands! They have not learnt fighting techniques, but they have a basic strength that makes it almost innecesary, and both are very happy. Then, they happily travel to the World Marital Arts Tournament with Kame Sennin.
After dropping the heavy shell, they can jump several metres high! Finally, the results of their training can be seen.
Zoom. Looking after girls as part of the training?
Kame Sennin accepts his disciples under one condition: they they bring him a hot girl! The master insists in the fact that is part of the training... But Gokuh has not seen many women in his life, so he doesn't know which of them are pretty. This was the most difficult task for the poor Gokuh!
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Dragon Ball Games:
True or false?
Choose the correct option!
It seems easy, but it really isn't. Test your knowledge with this game of Dragon Ball questions! Read the sentences and, if you think they are correct, say "True", and if they are incorrect, say "False".
Gokuh: I don't know... Which one?
P.1. Son Gokuh won the 22nd Edition of the World Martial Arts Tournament.
Throughout Dragon Ball story, we see several Martial Arts Tournaments, but Gokuh only wins one edition, the 22nd specifically. True or false?
P.2. Only Kame Sennin's pupils can use the kamehameha.
It is not crazy to say that the kamehameha is the flagship of the Kame Sennin school! By the way, is it true that only the pupils that have studied under Kame Sennin's order can use it?
P.2. Damn! So Krillins has no nose?!
We find out a shocking fact about Krillin! The rumour says that he has no nose... But, are there really people like that?
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Illustrations gallery.
Three supersaiyans assembled!
Illustration used for a poster for Weekly Shonen Jump nº 16 1992. In the story, Gokuh and Gohan had just entered the Time and Spirit Chamber so as to train for the battle against Cell. Gohan had not achieved the supersaiyan level yet.
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Illustration for the cover of Weekly Shonen Jump nº7 1995. This number was the celebration of Dragon Ball chapter 500 (About ten years!), so a special foldable cover was made, as a rectangular poster. In the story, Bu had just absorved Gohan, which made impossible for Gokuh to fuse with Gohan using the pohtala.
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Illustration for the cover of chapter 93, published in Weekly Shonen Jump nº43 1986. In this chapter, kid Gokuh bursts in the Red Ribbon headquarters. The highlight is the magnificent treatment of the colour in the frame of the flying motorbike, possibly manufactured by Capsule Corporation.
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Dragon Ball games. True or false? The answers.
P.1. Son Gokuh won the 22nd Edition of the World Martial Arts Tournament.
The answer is... FALSE.
Gokuh won the 23rd edition!
The first edition in which Gokuh participated was the 21st, and he got the second position, as he did in the next on. In the 23rd, Gokuh finally achieved his long desired victory.
P.2. Only Kame Sennin's pupils can use the kamehameha.
The answer is... FALSE.
Yoy can learn it through practice!
It seems that anyone able to dominate ki cane use it. For example, Ten Shin Han, who is not part of Kame Sennin's school, could dominate if only after seeing it once. Maybe it is not such a complicated technique after all...
P.3. Damn! So Krillin has no nose?!
Tne answer is... TRUE.
He has no nose, so he is not affected by scents!
Yes, it's true: Krillin has no nose. We found out about this shocking truth when he faced the dirty Bacterian in the World Martial Arts Tournament.
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Manga characters. Good and evil characters.
Kame Sennin (Mutenroshi)
He turns out to be a legendary fighter!
Kame Sennin is a grandpa who carries a big turtle shell on his back, very horny... But he actually is the great fighter Mutenroshi, famous all around the world! He accepted Gokuh as his pupils and taught him the basis of fight.
A funky and a bit perverted grandpa.
At first sight he does not seem a big deal, but he is a totally different person when things get serious! Seeing what he is capable to do, nobody would say that he is an old man!
Zoom. Lethal technique. Kamehameha.
The definitive technique from Kame Sennin's school!
This technique was created by Kame Sennin after years of training. It focuses the ki from the whole body and, after taking a particular stance, throws it to attack enemies from the distance. Its strenght is such that it is even capable of destroying the Moon with a single hit!
Lunch.
Her personality changes every time she sneezes!
Trying to fulfill Kame Sennin's condition of "bring me a hot girl!", Gokuh and Krillin finally find this young beautiful girl. She usually has a sweet and airheaded personality, but when she sneezes she turns into another person with a much, much violent character...
Her double personality makes her as dangerous as attractive.
When "violent Lunch" takes control, she turns into a dangerous girl that can even rob banks! When Gokuh and Krillin met her, she was running away from the police. By the way, when her personality changes, the color of the hair does so, though the reason is unknown.
Turtle.
The sea turtle that lives with Kame Sennin.
A sea turtle leaves with Kame Sennin in Kame House (Turtle House), a lonely island. Gokuh finds it unconscious after a journey and helps it. It was the turtle who introduced Kame Sennin to Gokuh.
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Gyuma.
Deep inside he is a good man!
The frightening king of Mount Frypan!
Gyuma is an evil king whose castle is in Mount Frypan. He actually is a disciple of Kame Sennin and an old friend of Gohan, Gokuh's grandfather. Looking for the Dragon Balls, Gokuh arrives to Mount Frypan and, after getting along with him, Gyuma gives him the Chishinchu, the seve stars ball.
After Gokuh and his only child, Chichi, get married, Gyuma stopped hiding his true personality and became a great father-in-law and grandfather.
Chichi.
Gyuma's only daughter.
She is terrible when she is angry!
At first sight she might seem a cute girl, but she can be very scary, and if you make her mad she can do anything... Her heart is pure, but she is stubborn and even forced Gokuh to promise her that he would marry her, despite the fact that Gokuh didn't even know what was the meaning of "getting married". Later, when Gokuh had grown up, both meet again in the World Martial Arts Tournament, and she reminds him of their promise... and end up getting married. After their first son is born, she stands out because of her nearly unhealthy obsession with Son Gohan's studies...
She can throw her helmet and even attack with some kind of beams... Be careful if you speak with her, because, if she is in a bad mood, you may regret it...
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Pilaf.
A small big king who wants to conquer the world!
The evil guy that looks for the Dragon Balls!
Pilaf is as small as evil, and wants to control the world using the Dragon Ball's power. After the failure of his first plan, he creates more plans (none of them good). For example, he tries to conquer the world through Piccolo Daimaoh's power...
Pilaf managed to steal the Dragon Balls that Gokuh and his friends had found and he almost made his wish come true.
Shuu.
Pilaf's loyal servant!
One of Pilaf's subordinates, who helps him achieve his ambitions. Despite being dressed as a ninja, his fighting skills are not particularly good...
Mai.
A beautiful Pilaf's subordinate!
The other loyal Pilaf's servant. She is really pretty, but she is outspoken and says very vulgar things,
which causes Pilaf to reprimand her.
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Key scenes: A rival appears! Lunch's sneezes.
Best scene 1: A rival appears. Manga vol.2, cap. 25.
Krillin is a good friend of Gokuh's, almost a brother, and he is the person who has spent most time with him. He appears for the first time in chapter 25. At the beginning, he is a despicable character who tries to get rid of Gokuh through quite dishonest strategies, but with time both become friends. Even after the end of the training, he continues his relation with Gokuh and helps him with his adventures, even fighting severely against the saiyans or Freezer's army. Gokuh considers Krillin a great friends: for example, he achieved the supersaiyan state due to the intense rage caused by his friend's death at the hands of Freezer. Their strong bond must exist due to the fact that they went through the harsh Kame Sennin's training together.
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Best scene 2: Lunch's sneezes. Manga vol.2, cap. 27.
Lunch is the hot girl that Kame Sennin demands Gokuh and Krillin. She is sweet and honest, and accepts living with him, Kame Sennin jumps out of pure happiness! However, the girls turns out to be quite peculiar: when she sneezes, she becomes a violent outlaw! Kame Sennin himself, after ending up riddles, decides not to try anything... After joining Gokuh and his friends, it looked like Lunch would become the new heroine of the story and Bulma's replacement, but some years later, she leaves Kame House looking for Ten Shin Han... By the way, the fact that she turns blonde after sneezeing does not implies that she is a supersaiyan...[/spoiler]
Number 4.
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Number 5.
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Number 6.
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Number 7.
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Number 9.
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Numbers 10, 11 and 12.
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Numbers 13, 14 and 15.
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