Kinto'un

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Kinto'un
筋斗雲 (Kinto'un)
Manga Anime Kinto'un answers the Turtle Hermit's call.
English Name(s)	Candy Cloud (NGN) Flying Nimbus (Harmony Gold) Flying Nimbus (Funi dub) Kinto Un (Funi subs) Kinto'un (Viz)
Name Pun	Somersault Cloud
Manga Debut	Dragon Ball Chapter 2 (Title Page) Dragon Ball Chapter 4 (Story)
Anime Debut	Dragon Ball Episode 3

Kinto'un is a flying cloud that can only be ridden by the pure of heart. While it is first seen on the title page of the series' second manga chapter, within the story-proper itself, the Turtle Hermit gifts Kinto'un to Son Goku two weeks later in the series' fourth manga chapter, published 11 December 1984 in the 1985 #3 issue of Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump.

Overview

Karin's giant Kinto'un.

Kinto'un comes from a large, magical cloud that answers to Karin of Karin Tower. Small pieces of the larger cloud, also known as Kinto'un, can be broken off to be used as vehicles by those pure enough of heart to ride them, but only one piece is active at any given time in Dragon Ball. The elders of Jingle Village tell Goku that Kinto'un used to be more commonly seen back when they were younger, but they do not think there are many people left who could ride one these days.

The Turtle Hermit gifts Kinto'un to Son Goku as thanks for returning Umigame to the ocean. When Goku dies in the fight against Cell, his eldest son Son Gohan inherits Kinto'un. Gohan then passes on the cloud to his younger brother Son Goten who is not yet able to fly. When Goku returns to life, he reclaims Kinto'un, and in the Kanzenban ending, he gifts the cloud to Oob.

After Kinto'un is apparently destroyed by Colonel Silver, the Jingle Village elders tell Goku that these magical clouds cannot be destroyed, so Goku calls for Kinto'un, and it comes back to him. However, when Kinto'un is destroyed again by Tambourine, it does not come when Goku calls. After Goku drinks the Super God Water, Karin calls the giant cloud to allow him to choose another Kinto'un.

Name

Main article: Mythology, folklore, and literature references in Dragon Ball

Kinto'un is the Japanese reading of the cloud-riding technique used by Sun Wukong in the 16th century Chinese novel Journey to the West, 筋斗雲 (Jīndǒu yún), meaning "cloud somersault" or "somersault cloud".

In Nippon Golden Network's English-subtitled broadcast of the television series beginning in 1992, Kinto'un is consistently referred to as "Candy Cloud".

Harmony Gold's original 1989 English language dubbing attempt at the series and films refers to Kinto'un as "Flying Nimbus". FUNimation's subsequent English dubs adopt this name and consistently refer to it as "Flying Nimbus" or simply "Nimbus".

Production

Origin in Journey to the West

In search of knowledge to become an immortal, Sun Wukong leaves his homeland of the Flower-Fruit Mountain in the country of Ao-lai on the East Pūrvavideha Continent, eventually making his way across the Great Western Ocean to the West Aparagodānīya Continent. It is here that he meets and trains under his first master, Subhūti (based on the real-life figure in Buddhism). After several years of training and amassing great knowledge, in order to avoid the three calamities that will eventually take his life, Wukong learns the Art of the Earthly Multitude, which numbers seventy-two transformations. After some time, Subodhi asks Wukong to show what he has learned. He leaps 50 or 60 feet in the air, pulling himself up with a somersault, and for the time of a meal, travels no more than three miles. Wukong calls this "cloud-soaring", but Subodhi is not impressed, and instead refers to it as "cloud-crawling" instead, if even worthy of being called that:

The Patriarch said, "Those who are capable of cloud-soaring may start from the North Sea in the morning, journey through the East Sea, the West Sea, the South Sea, and return again to Ts'ang-wu. Ts'ang-wu refers to Ling-ling in the North Sea. It can be called true cloud-soaring only when you can traverse all four seas in one day." "That's truly difficult!" said Wu-k'ung, "truly difficult!" "Nothing in the world is difficult," said the Patriarch; "only the mind makes it so." When Wu-k'ung heard these words, he kowtowed reverently and implored the Patriarch. "Master, if you do perform a service for someone, you must do it thoroughly. May you be most merciful and impart to me also this technique of cloud-soaring. I would never dare forget your gracious favor." The Patriarch said, "When the various immortals want to soar on the clouds, they all rise by stamping their feet. But you're not like them. When I saw you leave just now, you had to pull yourself up by jumping. What I'll do now is teach you the cloud-somersault in accordance with your form." Wu-k'ung again prostrated himself and pleaded with him, and the Patriarch gave him an oral formula, saying, "Make the magic sign, recite the spell, clench your fist tightly, shake your body, and when you jump up, one somersault will carry you a hundred and eight thousand miles."
— The Journey to the West Volume 1, Translated and Edited by Anthony C. Yu (page 91)

Wukong practices the technique throughout the night and masters it immediately.

While the technique is frequently referred to throughout the tale as traveling via a single cloud, the inherent name of a "somersault cloud" technique brings to mind that of Wukong actually leaping from cloud to cloud across the sky, and both types of depictions can in fact be seen throughout the story:

Wu-k'ung lowered the direction of his cloud and landed squarely on the Flower-Fruit Mountain.
— The Journey to the West Volume 1, Translated and Edited by Anthony C. Yu (page 94)

The Great Sage immediately left the cave and, with one somersault, went directly back to the Festival of Immortal Peaches, again using the magic of body concealment.
— The Journey to the West Volume 1, Translated and Edited by Anthony C. Yu (page 142)

TBD, example of multiple somersaults
— The Journey to the West Volume 4, Translated and Edited by Anthony C. Yu (page ##)

Wukong's somersault cloud technique is also capable of transporting multiple passengers, though their spiritual purity determines their ability to be carried:

Dear Monkey King. He recited a spell, rode for a while on a fierce wind, and then lowered the direction of the cloud. "Little ones," he cried, "open your eyes!" The monkeys felt solid ground beneath their feet and recognized their home territory.
— The Journey to the West Volume 1, Translated and Edited by Anthony C. Yu (page 98)

Pilgrim swiftly mounted the clouds and went north to beg a bowl of vegetarian food from some family to present to his master. When the master saw him return so soon, he said, "Wu-k'ung, let us go to that household which gave us the food and ask them how we may cross this river. Isn't this better than fighting the monster?" With a laugh, Pilgrim said, "That household is quite far from here, about six or seven thousand miles, no less! How could the people there know about the water? What's the use of asking them" "You are fibbing again, Elder Brother!" said Pa-chieh. "Six or seven thousand miles how could you cover that distance so quickly? "You have no idea," said Pilgrim, "about the capacity of my cloud-somersault, which with one leap can cover a hundred and eight thousand miles. For the six or seven thousand here, all I have to do is to nod my head and stretch my waist, and that's a round trip already! What's so heard about that?" "Elder Brother," said Pa-chieh, "if it's so easy, all you need to do is to carry Master on your back: nod your head, stretch your waist, and jump across. Why continue to fight this monster?" "Don't you know how to ride the clouds?" asked Pilgrim. "Can't you carry him across the river?" "The mortal nature and worldly bones of Master are as heavy as the T'ai Mountain," Pa-chieh said. "How could my cloud-soaring bear him up? It has to be your cloud-somersault." "My cloud-somersault is essentially like cloud-soaring," said Pilgrim, "the only difference being that I can cover greater distances more rapidly. If you can't carry him, what makes you think I can? There's an old proverb which says: 'Move the T'ai Mountain, and it's as light as the mustard seed, but carry a mortal and you won't leave the red dust behind!' Take this monster here: he can't carry a human into the air. And if it's this kind of magic, old Monkey knows every trick well, including becoming invisible and making distances shorter. But it is required of Master to go through all these strange territories before he finds deliverance from the sea of sorrows; hence even one step turns out to be difficult. You and I are only his protective companions, guarding his body and life, but we cannot exempt him from these woes, nor can we obtain the scriptures all by ourselves. Even if we had the ability to go and see Buddha first, he would not bestow the scriptures on you and me. Remember the adage: 'What's easily gotten, is soon forgotten.'" When Idiot heard these words, he accepted them amiably as instruction. Master and disciples ate some of the simply prepared vegetarian food before resting on the eastern shore of the Flowing-Sand River.
— The Journey to the West Volume 1, Translated and Edited by Anthony C. Yu (pages 435-436)

Pre-Dragon Ball

An image from Akira Toriyama's second draft working toward Dragon Ball, featuring a girl then named "Pinchi", as well as "Son Goku" with a staff, also seen flying atop a small aircraft

One of the several next-issue preview pages from the 1984 No. 50 issue of Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine, promoting Dragon Ball's debut in the following issue

Dragon Ball's production began with several drafts. By Akira Toriyama's second draft, the series' main character — no longer an actual monkey, but instead a boy, and yet still named "Son Goku" — could be seen flying atop a small aircraft.

Following these scrapped first and second drafts, Akira Toriyama then produced an initial and final manuscript for what would ultimately become Dragon Ball. Certain elements from Journey to the West were kept or otherwise re-instated at this point, and for the final manuscript, Toriyama noted the upcoming inclusion of Kinto'un alongside the extending staff Nyoibō:

Nyoibō:
A magnificent staff that extends and retracts freely according to one’s will. It appears along with the "Kinton'un" in Journey to the West. I'm planning on bringing out the Kinton'un later on, too!
— Akira Toriyama, Bird Land Press 15

Toriyama spells it here as キントン雲 (Kinton'un), rather than the final 筋斗雲 (Kinto'un) that would appear for its debut in the series' fourth chapter.

In the next-issue preview within the 1984 No. 50 issue of Shueisha's Weekly Shōnen Jump, the splash promoting Dragon Ball's debut that next issue showcases a Shenlong facsimile, Bulma, as well as Son Goku flying atop Kinto'un.

Dragon Ball

Though Kinto'un was conceived before Dragon Ball actually began serialization, Akira Toriyama also later explained that it was a convenient way to display landscapes and scenery overhead without having to design airplanes and other machinery:

Now that you mention it, once Goku and his allies learned Bukūjutsu and were able to fly, advancing the story became really easy.

...

Because everyone became able to just fly straight to anywhere. That's why thinking up the story's development became easy, and above all the story’s progress became speedy. Even looking at it with the pictures in mind, I became able to show things from an angle looking down upon the scenery. That was also why I initially introduced Kinto'un. Up until then, they had to bring out planes and automobiles and the like one by one, and it was really tiresome.
— Akira Toriyama, "Akira Toriyama Super Interview", Dragon Ball Daizenshuu 4: World Guide

While Kinto'un remained a staple for some time during the series, most characters eventually became able to fly under their own power:

As the enemies kept getting stronger, using Nyoibō or flying around on Kinto'un just wouldn't cut it anymore, so the characters had to start flying themselves. When Tenshinhan first flew, I remember thinking "Hey, this is pretty useful." (laughs) And when I thought of depicting ki visually in the manga, it really made things easier. Like with the Kamehameha and whatnot.
— Akira Toriyama, "Akira Toriyama Interview: Dragon Ball and Akira Toriyama", Dragon Ball 30th Anniversary "Super History Book"

Appearance

Akira Toriyama originally colored Kinto'un bright yellow when it first appeared in the full-color pages of the 1985 #03 issue of Weekly Shōnen Jump; it is a darker brownish-gold in the limited-color pages of chapter 4. Toriyama later colored Kinto'un purple in the full-color pages of the 1986 #31 issue, as seen on the title page of chapter 81, but he went back to a darker gold color for the full-color title page of chapter 93. In limited color, Kinto'un is sometimes not colored at all, as seen when the Mermaid is introduced, and again on the title page of chapter 55.

Riders

Goku and Chi-Chi ride Kinto'un after the 23rd Tenka'ichi Budōkai.

Luffy (from One Piece) rides Kinto'un in the 2006 crossover chapter Cross Epoch.

These people are verified to be able to ride Kinto'un:

• Son Goku is the first person in the Dragon Ball manga to be able to ride Kinto'un.
• Chi-Chi is able to ride Kinto'un when she first meets Goku, and again as an adult when she departs with Goku after the 23rd Tenka'ichi Budōkai.
• Mermaid. She is able to ride Kinto'un when Goku takes her to Kame House.

Lunch can ride, but Kuririn has to hang onto Goku. He switches to Lunch before they reach Kame House.

• Lunch is able to ride Kinto'un in her dark-haired "Good Lunch" form. She never tries to ride it in her blonde-haired "Bad Lunch" form.
• Namu only rides Kinto'un in the anime, and after a pat-pat to be sure, Goku notes that he is the first man to be able to ride it.
• Arale and the Gatchans are able to ride Kinto'un when Goku visits Penguin Village.
• Upa. Goku rescues him from the Red Ribbon Army and puts him on Kinto'un, which he is able to ride on his own.
• Son Gohan is first seen riding Kinto'un with Goku, and he is still able to ride it on his own when he is a teenager.
• Son Goten is gifted Kinto'un by his brother Gohan because he is unable to fly on his own.
• Oob cannot fly, so he rides on Goku's back when they depart the 28th Tenka'ichi Budōkai. In the Kanzenban ending, Goku gets the idea to gift Kinto'un to Oob.
• Luffy (from the series One Piece) lands on and is able to ride Kinto'un when Son Goku calls for it to catch him in the 2006 crossover manga chapter Cross Epoch.
• Chopper (from the series One Piece) rides Kinto'un (seven Dragon Balls also in hand!) in the closing movie to the 2006 crossover video game Battle Stadium D.O.N.

These people are verified to be unable to ride Kinto'un:

• The Turtle Hermit tries to board Kinto'un in the scene where he gifts it to Goku, but he falls through. He was able to ride it at some point in his youth.
• Bulma tries to ride Kinto'un soon after it is gifted to Goku, but she falls through. She is only able to ride it by using her Shrinking Device and securing herself inside Goku's clothing.
• Kuririn tries to ride Kinto'un after he arrives at Kame House, but he falls through. He can only ride by hanging on to someone who can ride it, like Goku or Lunch.
  • In Dragon Ball Movie 2, Kuririn's first attempt to ride Kinto'un is reimagined. Goku saves him from the mouth of a giant beast by grabbing him, then drops him on the cloud thinking he will be able to ride it. Kuririn falls through, so the entire animated sequence of Goku saving him from the maw of the beast is reused.
• In the anime, the Penguin Village characters Akane Kimidori and Taro Soramame try to ride Kinto'un and both fall through. This scene does not occur in the corresponding manga chapters.
• Yajirobe is never seen trying to ride Kinto'un, but after Karin gives Goku his second Kinto'un, Yajirobe asks Karin for one of his own, and Karin tells him he would not be able to ride it.

Music

Shunsuke Kikuchi composed a theme for Kinto'un that debuts in Dragon Ball Episode 3 and is adapted for use in Dragon Ball Movie 1.

^† reference

Shunsuke Kikuchi's Kinto'un theme
Kanzenshuu Catalogue	Official Catalogue	Tonality	Debut
K-40	K-40	F Major	Dragon Ball Episode 3
K-43	K-43
K-239	K-239		Dragon Ball Movie 1