Dragon Ball Super: Manga Chapter 103 - Official Discussion Thread

[VegettoEX]

ADMIN NOTE:

There are obvious circumstances surrounding the release of this chapter. With a desire to keep conversation on-topic, relevant, and as thoughtful as possible, this thread was locked until the drafts/storyboards were officially released. Now that this has occurred, the thread has been opened. That said, please remember that conversation here must stay on-topic: that is to say, it must related to this chapter at hand. If there are other topics you wish to discuss, we ask that you either seek out an existing or create a new topic for said discussion. Moderators have been instructed to keep a close eye on the discussion here. Thank you!

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Dragon Ball Super: Manga Chapter 103

未来への継承
Mirai e no Keishō
An Inheritance to the Future

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Release Information:

JAPAN:
Date: March 21, 2024
Publication: V-Jump, May 2024 Issue
Cost: ¥630
Purchase: Amazon Japan

(V-Jump is forward-dated two months from its actual release window. Issues are generally released on the 21st of each month, barring a Sunday or a holiday, in which case the issue gets moved up a day appropriately.)

INTERNATIONAL:
Date: March 20, 2024 (timed to the JP midnight-on-March-21st release)
Publication: Digital (Viz/Shonen Jump + Manga Plus)
Cost: Free

FIRST OFFICIAL TEASE:
The "Weekly Dragon Ball News" segment posted on the Dragon Ball Official Website on 11 March 2024 featured Victory Uchida (Shueisha employee/mascot, and editor for the Dragon Ball Super manga working alongside Toyotaro and Akira Toriyama) displaying a tease for the upcoming drafts on screen, which will (tentatively) be shared on March 13.



STORYBOARDS/DRAFTS:
The first several pages of any given chapter's roughs/storyboards/drafts have been posted on the official Dragon Ball website for quite some time now (in all likelihood done in an attempt to combat piracy and control the narrative by releasing teases of specific information and context at their own discretion). The drafts for Dragon Ball Super manga chapter 103 were posted on March 14 (Japan time). As these specific articles are generally removed from the website upon the chapter's formal release, archived versions of these links (such as this) are generally shared by fandom.



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THREAD/DISCUSSION INFORMATION

This is the "official" discussion thread for Dragon Ball Super manga chapter 103. All content regarding this specific chapter would be great to include here in this thread, rather than the dedicated / larger / all-encompassing ongoing thread. Posts that are specific to the individual chapter in the gigantic thread with no relevance to the larger series will be reported and/or removed.

Q: When will this thread open?

A: This thread will be opened by a Kanzenshuu moderator when the first official promotion of the respective chapter occurs. This may be when its storyboards are shared, or in some kind of formal news article leading up to that point. Please do not create a separate thread of your own to discuss this chapter.

Q: What is the history behind a [blank]-specific discussion thread?

A: We established episode-specific discussion threads beginning with Dragon Ball Kai in 2011, followed by the Dragon Ball Super television series in 2015. These episode-specific threads allowed people to discuss just that: those specific episodes, without being interrupted by other discussions regarding general production, promotion, etc. We didn't create corresponding Dragon Ball Super manga chapter threads at its debut due to the nature of its production: it was initially billed as a "comicalization" of the television series, and the first arc barely stood on its own as a unique production, rather than supplemental/incidental/disposable. We had kept the larger thread out of inertia from those earlier chapters, and have wavered for literal years over whether or not to separate them out.

Q: We've had worthwhile individual chapters since chapter five. This is absurd. Why are you just starting individual discussion threads so many years into the manga, when the TV series had it from the start?

A: All of that is correct. Maybe we will go back and pull out threads for past chapters. Maybe we won't. We should have done this a long time ago. Better late than never. This is the plan for now on and is not currently up for discussion or reconsideration. Thank you.

Q: OK, but... so what's the point?

A: At Kanzenshuu we believe in history and preservation. It is worthwhile to future versions of ourselves and entirely new future fans to be able to dig back and find real-time reactions to specific productions (such as a specific episode or chapter). It's much easier to do this when the discussions are separated into these unique threads.

Q: When will new threads be created?

A: Threads for new/upcoming manga chapters will be created by a Kanzenshuu administrator at an appropriate point in time following the release of a previous chapter, and ahead of that next chapter's release schedule (which itself includes the official drafts/storyboards).

Q: OK, so what do you expect us to actually discuss in a chapter thread, particularly ahead of its release?

A: For some time now, Shueisha (in all likelihood to combat "leaks" and illegal piracy) has released "draft" pages of upcoming chapters in the two weeks leading up to any given chapter's release. These are official pieces of information dissemination and absolutely up for discussion. We welcome questions about where and how to legally and officially consume the manga. We do not condone nor allow the discussion or encouragement of piracy. Following a chapter's release, of course anything relating to that chapter and its contents are up for discussion in a specific thread.

Q: What kinds of "sources" can we discuss?

A: You can discuss whatever you want, so long as it lives up to the community guidelines. It is recommended that you link to / discuss actual sources of information, rather than second-hand accounts. Twitter and its users are not "sources" of information. Shueisha has its own official Dragon Ball website and weekly news broadcast on YouTube, which will in all likelihood be your actual primary sources of information leading up to a chapter's release.

Q: What if I have something to say about another chapter that's not this chapter?

A: Is what you have to say/ask/post even tangentially related to this chapter? That's fine. Does it have absolutely nothing to do with this chapter? Post it elsewhere. These chapter-specific threads do not automatically close after a new chapter comes out; you are free to keep discussing a specific chapter for as long as you all feel like talking about it.

Q: So what do we do with the big/main thread?

A: The dedicated / larger / all-encompassing ongoing thread is still perfect for overall/holistic discussion regarding the manga, its production, its promotion, its content relation to other parts of the franchise, etc.

Q: I want to learn more about what's going on with this manga's production!

A: Check out Episode #0489 of our podcast for an extreme deep-dive (with all the receipts you can eat!) into the production of the manga, including all of the ways that Toyotaro, Akira Toriyama, and Victory Uchida each individually contribute to it.

Q: What's on the horizon / what does the future hold for the manga? Is the Super Hero arc actually continuing beyond the movie?

A: We have no idea! We'll all find out together!

[Jack Bz]

Hard not to associate that chapter title with recent events and the relationship between Toriyama and Toyotarou.

I'm looking forward to seeing if this chapter will include some kind of tribute.

[Rafa Fast]

That title is really good, I doubt it wasn't on purpose
I heard rumours that the Manga will take another break, which as I said, I think it would be very fair, specially that we just can't imagine how Toyotaro is feeling right now, I think he deserves a break, so maybe this will be the last chapter for a while, I also curious to see if there's something special in honor of Toriyama.

[Xeogran]

Great title
Let's see how the most interesting sparring match in quite a while goes like!

[Dragmobot12]

Is that it? Oh well... So much for the Beast, for it to be reduced to nothing and get destroyed by True Ultra Instinct.
WHERE'S THE BEAST, LIKE, WHERE IS THE BEAST! WHAT THE HELL IS THIS!

[SupremeKai25]

Is that it? Oh well... So much for the Beast, for it to be reduced to nothing and get destroyed by True Ultra Instinct.
WHERE'S THE BEAST, LIKE, WHERE IS THE BEAST! WHAT THE HELL IS THIS!

It was supposed to be a Piccolo-centric movie.

Gohan was added only because the average Dragon Ball viewer is a nostalgic Millennial who has nostalgia about the Cell saga and a rehash of Cell saga Gohan is obviously going to sell tickets.

There was never any ulterior plan and frankly you should expect Gohan to be dethroned eventually. By the End of Z, Goku will the most powerful warrior, the "Number 1" (word of Toriyama).

Whenever Gohan is at the top, it's only by a fluke, an anomaly. Goku is consistently and regularly the top dog. He has proven himself to be the Saiyan with the overall greatest strength and highest potential of all, with the most consistent growth, and will be the Number 1 in the Universe at the end of Toriyama's story (Gods notwithstanding, naturally).

The recent chapter only reinforces the plan that the Super story will remain in line with the End of Z, where Gohan is a nerd who's done with fighting and Goku is the N° 1 warrior.

[Hugo Boss]

Let’s not forget the drafts only showed a portion of the fight and could be deceiving. The outcome of the match is not defined.

My gut is telling me we will see something similar (or slightly different) from when Goku fought Roshi in the 21th martial arts tournament.

[Gt91]

Spoilers are out

Spoiler:

https://twitter.com/DbsHype1/status/1768683712755929588

Spoiler:

this really seems like the end of the story arc.
We'll see after the pause next month.

https://twitter.com/DbsHype1/status/176 ... 66/photo/1

[Hellspawn28]

If Gohan won against Goku, that's cool. It's about time.

[Koitsukai]

I'm hoping to see Tori Bot in this one

[Grimlock]

Well, the last panels not having any dialogues whatsoever were cool. Not something that happens often, in fact, off the top of my head, I only remember it happening in the end of Majin Buu saga, and given the current circumstances, it was a nice touch by Toyotaro.

Shouldn't Granolah be involved in this sparring match? Didn't he make a wish to be the strongest in the Universe? He should still be a worthy opponent. I recall something about him having three years left to live. With Granolah saga most likely taking place in AGE 781, he should die in the same year Dragon Ball ends, so anything after that won't make it possible for Granolah to appear. The time to use him is now, unless they pull something out of thin air to keep Granolah around beyond whatever is left of his lifespan.

[AliTheZombie13]

Spoiler:

Please, stick. Please, stick. Please, stick. Please, stick. Please, stick. Please, stick. Please, stick. Please, stick.

[Xeogran]

Spoiler:

Please, stick. Please, stick. Please, stick. Please, stick. Please, stick. Please, stick. Please, stick. Please, stick.

Goku has no reason to "not be there" though, Beerus doesn't want him on his planet anymore

[VegettoEX]

No-one should be supporting, nevermind posting here, scanlations of material that is literally digitally distributed in your language for free at the exact midnight of its (paid, print) release in Japan.

[AliTheZombie13]

No-one should be supporting, nevermind posting here, scanlations of material that is literally digitally distributed in your language for free at the exact midnight of its (paid, print) release in Japan.

Forgive me, will refrain from doing so in the future, you may delete my post.

[Sanity's_Theif]

So all this chapter confirmed was that everyone is on the same level, but Goku's True UI not being shown makes me think he's still on top despite Gohan's power boost. We already know the strongest in the universe prophecy was Black Frieza. This seems like and ending/beginning of another journey to fight Frieza again with a lot more useful characters this time.

Just a guess, but with how the staff seemed to know of Toriyama's health, and the fact that there's been more than a year of just rehashing the Super movie in manga form, I'm thinking there have been notes on the next arc for a while, and it's probably centered on Frieza. I would be ok with the staff finishing Daima and then wrapping up the last notes Toriyama had for the series and ending it there. It's been an amazing journey but all series have to end at some point.

[tinlunlau]

Didn't even realize until someone pointed out Gohan has 6 fingers in one panel of this new manga chapter.

[CodeOfMe]

I don't know if this really needs to be spoilered, but since the chapter isn't officially out, might as well be safe.

Spoiler:

I've seen a lot of controversy on Twitter and other sites about Goku forgetting Pan and I'm really conflicted on the whole thing. If it is just a pun about Pan's name meaning 'bread', and Goku getting confused, then that's fine. But if that isn't the case, and the intention of the line is just that Goku completely forgot Pan existed, then that's really disappointing and frustrating. It's not funny, it just makes Goku's character as a whole worse, and I really wish Super would stop doing stuff like this.

[Thani]

I don't know if this really needs to be spoilered, but since the chapter isn't officially out, might as well be safe.

Spoiler:

I've seen a lot of controversy on Twitter and other sites about Goku forgetting Pan and I'm really conflicted on the whole thing. If it is just a pun about Pan's name meaning 'bread', and Goku getting confused, then that's fine. But if that isn't the case, and the intention of the line is just that Goku completely forgot Pan existed, then that's really disappointing and frustrating. It's not funny, it just makes Goku's character as a whole worse, and I really wish Super would stop doing stuff like this.

Spoiler:

The scene indicates that he forgot about her, yeah. It felt unbelievably stupid.

[eledoremassis02]

Overall, I enjoyed this chapter. Gokus talk with Gohan about passing the torch would have felt very been here done that, but given the situation, it felt more heartfelt than it should have.

The second half of the chapter was more fun in Dragon Ball than I've had in a while. Goku forgetting who Pan was seems to be on brand with Goku being an idiot that super seems to paint him as.

I just hope we'll finally see Freeza come back now that the Super Heroes retelling is done.