Today I introduce a new series called Dragon Ball Fan Focus, where one lucky Dragon Ball fan is interviewed and featured on The Dao of Dragon Ball.

My guest for the very first Dragon Ball Fan Focus is Monica, a young film student from Michigan who believes that she can win a debate against any other Dragon Ball fan, including the boys!

Is that a lofty claim, or can she really walk the walk? And what is it like for her to be a fan of a series made for young boys?

Let’s dive right in to the interview and find out what makes Monica such a unique Dragon Ball fan.

Dragon Ball Fandom Lives Eternal

Before our interview, Monica shared a bit about herself on the Dragon Ball Z sub-Reddit forum on Reddit.com, called r/dbz. It’s a fun community of like minded (and sometimes not so like minded) Dragon Ball fans from all over the world.

She told enough to make me intrigued and now here we are.

Derek: Hi Monica. Thanks for being the first Dragon Ball fan to be featured on The Dao of Dragon Ball.

You are from Michigan, right? Can you tell me a little about yourself?

Monica: I’m from Plymouth, Michigan but I haven’t lived here my whole life. I grew up around here and moved to South America when I was really little. That was the first place I started watching Dragon Ball, it was in Spanish.

Derek: You speak Spanish? I don’t know very much about the South American dub.

Monica: Yeah, fluently. It’s pretty good. I’ve been to South America a couple times and they have a lot of anime there. It’s all dubbed really well and they translate the theme songs, which they don’t do in the US, they make up their own theme songs here, which is stupid.

Derek: Which dub do you prefer?

Monica: I usually watch the English version, and I have a reason for that too. I’ve watched some of the Japanese version, but I watch the English version because they add in some things, certain character developments that I like. They do a good job with it.

Derek: Sometimes they fill in the characters personality, especially with Vegeta.

Monica: Yeah, and he’s my favorite character!

Derek: When did you start reading The Dao of Dragon Ball website and what do you think of the idea behind it?

Monica: I think it’s an interesting idea to go into the back stories, because there are a lot of things in Dragon Ball based on something else, like the Rabbit in the Moon article.

Derek: Have you learned anything from the site?

Monica: I read a lot of Dragon Ball Z in Shonen Jump, and they put history things into there, about that stuff, which led me to look into more of it. So I’ve looked at some of the Japanese history myself, and being interested in anime I’m like, “Hey, that’s in Dragon Ball!”

Derek: Right! You can see the correlations. That’s how the project started.

When you first told your story on Reddit you mentioned that when you were a child you used to wake up on Saturday mornings and watch the show with your little brother, but your dad decided it was too violent to watch. Can you tell me that story?

Monica: We were right in the Ginyu Saga when Vegeta kills Burter and Recoome, who aren’t dead yet, and my dad saw that and was like, “Oh, he just broke his neck!” Haha, and he decided that wasn’t appropriate for us, since I think I was still in 4^th grade.

But I still had some friends who watched it and they would all tell me the stories. I was amazed to hear that Krillin had hair!

Derek: So you didn’t get to the see the rest of the show until you grew up, you said about 8 years later?

Monica: I had dabbled in it a little since then because I had friends who liked it, but I had never seen it all the way to the end until I was much older, in high school.

Derek: Then a friend bought you the first and second seasons and rekindled your repressed love for the series. What happened then?

Monica: Right. I watched the entire thing on a straight marathon, all the way through! With all of the filler and long power up sequences it’s perfect to sit down and watch while you do homework. Every time I was doing something else I’d turn it on. As soon as Season 2 [aff] was over I was like, crap, I’ve got to get the next one. Haha.

Vegeta, Confidence and Pride

Derek: Why does Dragon Ball hook you? What’s your favorite aspect?

Monica: I think people seriously underestimate the story of it. Everybody gets involved with the long power up sequences and muscle bound characters and they forget that there’s an actual storyline going on, and the characters are quite involved in the story.

Derek: Yeah, it was tragic. Is he your favorite character because of how he changes or do you identify with Vegeta?

Monica: I like his character development and how he changes, but also how true they stay to his character. I know Akira Toriyama didn’t really intend for him to be a main character. He just threw him in and then kept him going.

Derek: Right, because the fans liked Vegeta and wanted him to stay.

Monica: Yeah, because of Akira Toriyama not liking him very much, he remains a bad guy all the way through to the end. I really like that because it’s something you don’t usually see. He’s the reluctant good guy the entire time. He hates everyone! Haha.

I like the tenacity of his character and I do identify with him a lot. My favorite thing about him is that he’s not always the best, but he’s always trying to be.

Derek: Do you feel that way about yourself?

Monica: I play hockey and I like to compete. Being a girl in a men’s sport I kind of feel that no matter what I do I’ll never be good enough, so I can relate to that.

Derek: So you’re always pushing yourself to be better?

Monica: Yeah. I said in my submission that I wanted to get a tattoo of the Saiyan crest. I’m a film student and a lot of my teachers are telling me “You’re not confident enough,” and Vegeta is a really confident character, so I feel like if I had that it would remind me to be more confident.

Monica shows off a drawing of the Royal Saiyan Crest tattoo

Derek: I see. I was going to ask what that symbol meant to you and now I understand.

You mentioned that you’re a woman playing hockey in a men’s sport. Dragon Ball also has a reputation for being geared toward young men. It is the quintessential example of a Shonen (Young Boys) manga and anime. And according to my 2012 reader survey, 91% of the readers of this website are male. What do you think of that? Is Dragon Ball a boy’s club, or is it universal?

Monica: It’s geared a lot towards guys. All of the main characters are guys. There are a couple female characters but they don’t do much, except maybe Bulma. Chi-Chi is just Chi-Chi. Haha. They don’t glorify them very much. 18 is really the only, oh and Videl is pretty cool too I guess. But they don’t glorify the women, which I guess I should have a chip on my shoulder about but I really don’t because it’s Dragon Ball Z!

I know a lot of girls who like it, like my roommate in college, she loves it now too. As a Shonen show it’s geared toward guys for a reason. I can understand why there aren’t a lot of girls who like it, but I feel like there’s a whole genre of girls who would, if they give it a chance.

Derek: I agree. You said that you’re a hardcore fan, you’ve got the Majin Vegeta hat, the Goku clothes and everything. Are boys ever surprised to find out that they’ve been talking to a girl about Dragon Ball, and especially when they’re proven wrong in debates or specific points of trivia online?

Monica: I try to point out that I’m a girl on r/dbz as much as I can.

But people don’t seem to like when I point out that I’m a girl because they seem to think I’m doing it for attention. They’re surprised, not because I’m a girl, but more so because I’m pointing it out!

Derek: You said that Vegeta is your favorite character and he inspires you to push yourself harder. Has Dragon Ball changed your life in any other way?

Monica: I think that’s probably the biggest way.

You can’t sit there and watch these guys go through all this stuff and then continue to watch television. I watch a couple episodes of Dragon Ball Z and then go to the gym.

Derek: I hear ya. I was religious about working out when I was really into watching the show. I was doing Kung Fu training for 3 hours a day, sparring and Tai Ji. Then I’d come home, shower, eat, and then watch DBZ on Adult Swim and work out again. It was mad.

Why do you think that 15 years after the series concluded in 1997, that there are still so many Dragon Ball fans, and it is still so successful?

Monica: It really is one of those cult shows. It has iconic things going on, the Kamehameha and stuff. People still make jokes about it, and when someone makes a Kamehameha joke, then everybody goes, “Oh yeah, Dragon Ball, I’m going to go back and watch that.”

Because it’s such a long running series and there are so many things to joke about and relate to, it has stood the test of time.

Derek: I think it’s something a lot of young adults grew up with and now it’s a language that we all speak and understand. When you mention Dragon Ball or one of those simple things like the Kamehameha, you instantly understand each other. “Oh, you grew up with Dragon Ball, too?” There’s a connection formed and then you can laugh about it.

If there were one question you’d like answered about Dragon Ball, what would it be?

Monica: I would like to ask Akira Toriyama why he shit’s on Vegeta so much in the Buu Saga!

Derek: Haha. Any idea what he might say?

Monica: I think he would say that he was never a huge fan of Vegeta and that was probably his reasoning for it. Vegeta just gets thrown around so much more than you think he should against Buu.

Derek: You’re right, he does take a pretty hard beating. But seeing Goku fight against him and win is the catalyst for his ultimate admittance that Goku is #1. It’s the ending of his character.

Monica: Right, but it was Vegeta’s idea of how to beat Buu.

Derek: True. The universe would have died without Vegeta. That’s a fact.

Monica: Haha.

A Hardcore Dragon Ball Fan

Derek: There are these terms, “hardcore” or “true” fan. Do you believe in those terms, and if so, what do you think they mean?

Monica: Yeah, I do. I’ve had a lot of seriously philosophical discussions with fans. I haven’t met a single fan that I haven’t been able to talk into a corner about Dragon Ball Z, because I watch it all the time. They’re all guys, too.

Would Majin Vegeta be able to beat Super Saiyan 3 Goku? Why, why not? If you can seriously lay your arguments out and have a hardcore, bloodthirsty discussion about stuff like that, then you’re a hardcore fan.

If you’re like, “Oh right, I saw him that one time when he had the “M” on his head,” it’s like, “Get out of here, you’re bush league.”

Derek: Haha. That was all of my questions, Monica. Is there anything you’d like to ask me?

Monica: I saw you had the ebook online. Is the book going to be published physically?

Derek: Yes. First as an ebook so I can generate the funding for the physical book. The people who pre-order the ebook now will get the 3 bonus chapters for free plus a physical copy signed by me when its published, as an incentive to pre-order it and support the project.

I just got another pre-order today from a person named “Majin.” So that’s pretty cool.

I really appreciate you taking the time to speak with me and answer so honestly. I think a lot of people are excited about this series and this was a great way to start.

Monica: Thanks for interviewing me. I told all of my friends I was going to be interviewed on a website!

Derek: Yeah, please share the link to the page with your friends.

Monica: Thanks. Bye!

Focusing on the Fans

What a fun way to start the series!

What do you think of Monica’s story? Her father wouldn’t let her watch Dragon Ball, but years later she received the first two seasons as a gift and fell in love with DBZ all over again!

She seems like a pretty big fan, wouldn’t you say?

Are you a huge fan of Dragon Ball? If so, what’s your story?

Leave a short version in the comments below. If I decide to feature you, then we’ll set up a time to talk.

Tell the world why you’re a Dragon Ball fan and become the next guest on Dragon Ball Fan Focus!

Post from: The Dao of Dragonball Blog

Dragon Ball Fan Focus – Monica

Dragon Ball Z was at its peak of popularity in the early 2000′s. At that time, Goku and the other characters of DBZ were assimilated into African American culture.

One of the results was a transformation of the characters into “black” versions of Goku, Vegeta, Piccolo and the other main characters.

There was a popular website that sprung up to specifically showcase this perspective of African American Dragon Ball fans. It was called DaBlackGoku.com.

The site ran from 1999 to 2003. It stopped being updated shortly afterward and then got lost to time.

Luckily I was able to find the site in the Internet Archive and download the pictures that were still accessible. I now have over 320 Black Goku pictures.

Then I went through a selection process, picked the best ones, color corrected and cropped them into today’s art gallery.

Since I had already showcased a few in the original The Black Goku article, they won’t be repeated.You can read more about the phenomenon there.

This gallery is different from the others in the Dragon Ball Art series. It’s not about displaying beautiful art. The idea is to show people how Goku and friends were assimilated by children and teenagers in the late 90′s and early 2000′s to become “black.”

A lot of the art is really unprofessional. Some of it’s a little better. None of it is exceptional. But the quality is irrelevant. It’s the message behind its creation that matters.

The fact that it EXISTS is worth sharing. You can’t find this anywhere else on the internet. That alone makes it valuable.

The sociological message behind it makes it even more fascinating. Try looking past the technical side and into the philosophical side. Why was this art created? Where did it come from? Who made it and why does it exist?

What you see here is a time capsule of Dragon Ball fandom. A thin slice of a sub culture within a sub culture.

Anime was on the rise but wouldn’t become “mainstream” until around 2004. Yet these fans took Dragon Ball to their hearts and produced something the world had never seen…

A Black Goku.

The Black Goku Art Gallery

“Mr. Popo. By most views he seems to be a pretty normal guy, but look at it another way. Mr. Popo though fragile looking has out… d after god after… and this porob… er end. Could … po is acctu… true god?”

Da Black Goku is Back!

Dragon Ball Z had a far reaching and profound impact on African American youth, and Da Black Goku website was only a single manifestation of its effect. Just the tip of the iceberg.

The series is still fondly remembered by millions of fans today, including Wu-Tang founder, The RZA, as he talks about in his book, The Tao of Wu [aff].

You can see a connection between the two in the image with Majin Vegeta, where instead of having the Majin “M” on his forehead he has the “W” symbol of the Wu-Tang Clan.

I can’t help but wonder, if Da Black Goku website were around today, what type of art do you think would be up there?

Fortunately there was so much great fan art that I couldn’t showcase them all in one post, so stay tuned for another Black Goku art gallery in the future!

Post from: The Dao of Dragonball Blog

Dragon Ball Art – The Black Goku

The subject of the panel is “The Spirituality of Dragon Ball.”

Here’s the official description:

Exciting!

It’s an hour long show and there will be time at the end for questions. Plus you’ll be able to meet me in person. Who’d want to miss out on that, right?

The poem on the image above says:

“Coming…

I Am Coming Over the Mountain for You
I Am Coming Through the Stars and the Sky
I Am Coming Out From Where I Am
I Am Coming for You…”

That means I want the room packed with Dragon Ball fans. Let’s do this!!

Even if you don’t live in California, get on your Immortal Dragon and fly there!! The world is counting on you!!!

More info about the convention can be found at the AM² website, along with the other panelists mentioned on Anime News Network.

Post from: The Dao of Dragonball Blog

The Spirituality of Dragon Ball Premiering at AM2 Convention

Alternative art is difficult to define and is a subject of much debate. I define it as the creative artistic license of established characters or places.

The art takes what you already know and transforms it into something new.

But how do we distinguish “alternative” art from any other fan art? To me, what makes a piece alternative is the feeling I get inside. It has to grab me and make me think, “Oh, now that’s different!”

And that’s what you’ll find in the following images.

Created by fans from across the world, each is in a unique artistic style. Even though they depict the same characters we all love, they’re done in such alternative ways that it really grabs your attention.

For example, the image above is titled “Vegeta Over 9,000″ by Sparky del Ireland, and is a modern twist of the Over 9,000 scene from Dragon Ball Z.

Remember, if you’d like to see more of these, please Like the article on Facebook (the button is at the top of the article) and leave comments at the end. Otherwise how else am I going to know?

Now let’s jump into these Dragon Ball inspired alternative works of art!

Dragon Ball Alternative Art

“Majin Vegeta” by melhell84

“Goku” by dodoithu

“Broly” by kzbulat

“Androids 18, 17″ by kzbulat

“Goku SSJ” by kzbulat

“Recoooooome” by Hellhause

“Dragon Ball Z in Manhua” by toriman-28

“Goku” by nevreme

“DBZ Heroes v2″ by c-dubbkitari5

“DBZ Villains” by c-dubbkitari5

“Bulma” by angelcano

“Goku Kaiohken vs Vegeta Ozharu” by javas

“GOKU” by kadlamalice

“Piccolo” by Pronton Liot

“Dragon Ball Piccolo” by GODTAIL

“Dragonball Tyaozu” by GODTAIL

“Dragon Ball Kamesennin” by GODTAIL

“Re Imagigne Goku” by AlexDeB

“Son Goku” by kadlamalice

“Vegeta SSJ4″ by RedVio

“Recoome” by Gold Copper

“Mirror” by Kamikaze-666

“Monkey Boy is So Tired” by rizaturker

Alternative Views

There are as many views on Dragon Ball as there are individual artists. Two artists can depict the same character in completely different ways, and yet still capture the spirit of Akira Toriyama’s original intentions.

Or maybe they purposefully go in an altogether different direction and yet we’re still able to see how Dragon Ball inspired their art.

I have too many favorites, including the big close up of Recoome’s face and the blue and green Goku. Not to mention the gender-bending Goku and Vegeta!

Which ones do you like the most? And remember, if you want more, Like the article on Facebook and leave comments, because it’s the best way to show your support.

Post from: The Dao of Dragonball Blog

Dragon Ball Art – Alternative

The original Dragon Ball series was inspired by ancient cultural concepts and paradigms written about in ancient China, inspired itself by Indian religions and native Daoism.

It has been logical that on The Dao of Dragon Ball blog I have focused my efforts on culture, history, spirituality and philosophy.

But with the beginning of Dragon Ball Z we are quickly introduced to aliens, other planets, space travel, evil scientists and artificial humans. The series becomes more outlandish and influenced by science fiction with every passing saga.

If I were to avoid this aspect of the series, then a complete understanding of the Dragon Ball mythos would be impossible.

There have been several scientific books written about other pop cultural series, such as The Physics of Star Trek [aff], which I greatly enjoyed, and The Science of Star Wars [aff].

Why hasn’t there been anything written about the science of Dragon Ball?

It seems I’ll be the first to do so, however, I’m not a trained scientist, so what can be done?

Instead of writing articles filled with heavy mathematical equations or argumentative posits, I will introduce the scientific elements while integrating modern technological equivalents from our real world. These will serve as stepping stones that show how the science of Dragon Ball can be found in our modern world, or is on the way to becoming more like the Dragon World every day.

Then I’ll present them in a sociological, psychological, cultural and analytical framework that makes it easy to understand and relate to.

Now what content can we discuss?

Dragon Ball and Scientific Discussions

From what I can tell, nobody else in the world has discussed these issues, and I’m happy to be the first, because there are so many wonderful subjects to delve into.

For example:

What is Ki?

What is a Scouter? Do they exist in real life and can Ki be quantified?

How does Hoi-Poi Capsule technology function?

What material is Saiyan armor made of? Is there a modern equivalent?

What is the relationship between mind and matter?

Are Artificial Humans (Androids, Robots, Cell, and Cyborgs (such as Mecha Freeza and Tao Pai-Pai)) a scientific possibility?

Do gravity chambers exist, and can human beings survive training in them?

Which is superior, Science or Spirit?

Are scientists ethically responsible for the ramifications of their scientific work? Must they create good (Bulma), or is evil (Dr. Gero, Dr. Wheelo) simply a matter of perception?

Is it likely that aliens exist, and if so, will they appear humanoid?

Will personal space travel ever be possible, ala the Saiyan Space Pod?

Is time travel possible, and what are the ramifications of doing so?

Can the body survive physical transformations?

What is the Big Ghetti Star? A robot or an organic life form?

What is Cell, and could such a creature really be given birth in a laboratory through gene splicing?

If Ki were proven to exist, how would this change our view of the world around us, and the laws of physics?

And many more, such as discovering the limits of human potential and then breaking those limits through technology.

Ground Breaking Science

When it comes to the science of Dragon Ball, what would you like to learn?

There are so many possibilities, and I want to hear from you.

Post from: The Dao of Dragonball Blog

The Science of Dragon Ball

The Prince of all Saiyans has awakened!

It’s time to explore Vegeta’s life through digitally painted Dragon Ball fan art.

Over the course of writing The Dao of Dragon Ball book and interacting with fans, I’ve been surprised by how much love there is for Vegeta. I had thought Goku was the most popular character.

But it turns out that Dragon Ball fans absolutely adore Vegeta’s attitude, his raw Saiyan strength, and his stylish hair line.

His transformation from a cold blooded killer to a family man over the course of hundreds of episodes is an iconic example of the power of redemption and personal change.

Vegeta now stands as one of the most recognizable characters in this or any other series. There’s no mistaking Vegeta when you see him!

Now we take a moment to look back on the life of a soul that sought the value of its self worth. A Saiyan who lost his tail and became a man.

The Early Years

“Prince Vegeta” by SD Nolan

“Demonic” by Inklingz

Saiyan Saga

“Invaders” by doomsplosion

“Nappa and Vegeta” by Big Sam

“Vegeta Sketch” by gavinslayer

“Prince Vegeta” by fluorescentteddy.

“Vegeta Oozaru” by Timsalcove

Namek Saga

“Vegeta” by raider

Artificial Human Saga

“Compulsion” by Inklingz

“Vegeta Badman” by Nenee

“Vegeta” by osiris999

“Vegeta vs A18″ by hoCbo

“Vegeta – GTA Style” by lynnember

“Stargazing” by ginkoflowers

“Vegeta and the Moon” by Tomahawk Dragon

“Eat Your Vegetables” by Rikona

“Vegeta n Trunks” by shadcarlos

“Vegeta’s Assault” by razwit

Majin Saga

“Majin Vegeta” by LucasHartes

“Majin Vegeta” by henryz

“Goku vs Vegeta” by mullerpereira

“Vegeta” by ginkoflowers

“Sacrifice” by unknown

“Gone” by Vegeta Pyscho

“DBZ Vegeta and Goku Attack” by Goldman Karee

Dragon Ball GT

“Vegeta 4 from GT” by shurikmx

“Vegeta’s Outdoor Trip” by Goldman Karee

Final Flash

Killer. Servant. Warrior. Lover. Father. To Hell and back. This was the life of Vegeta, the Prince of all Saiyans.

These images were found on the internet and I gave attribution where possible.

In case you’re curious, the first one was called “Vegeta, Prince of the Saiyans” by Giye.

Did you have a favorite? Please share with others and tell us why you love Vegeta so much!

Post from: The Dao of Dragonball Blog

Dragon Ball Art – Vegeta Paintings

Dragon Ball art is alive and well in the Dragon Ball fan community.

The previous post about Dragon Ball Paintings displayed fine art created with a brush.

Today’s article unveils digital art created with a mouse or pen, yet equally fine.

Using the following images of fan created works I have attempted to tell Goku’s story.

There may be a few pieces missing, but the hardcore dragon ball fans know where to fill in the blanks.

The majority of images are from the Deviant Art website, and I have given credit where I could.

Enjoy…

Goku’s Story

“Gohan” by kadlamalice

“Kid Goku” by XIIINinjaRabbits

“Goku vs Piccolo” by Zuthell

“Little Goku Day” by kadlamalice

“Flying Nimbus Color Wash” by saintchase

“Dragon Ball Fan Art” by elnota

“Epic Battle” by demitrybelmont

“Goku vs Freeza” by mobius9

“Goku” by paranoidvin

“Dragon Ball Cell vs Goku” by nig6ghtmare01

“Gokusan” by osiris999

“Kamehameha” by namekianpikkoro7

“Gokou” by osiris999

“The Super Saiyan” by Fallen Eye

“Dragon Ball Z” by elbrazo

“Goku” by cangdu

“Saiyan” by angel5art

“GSS4″ by alveeus

Images and Story Telling

Isn’t it amazing how each image carries an emotional history that we associate with Goku’s tale?

And the realism of several of the paintings helps bring his story to life.

Even though the images are still, they seem to be moving.

As each image enters our minds eye, it stirs our heart.

Such is the wonder of art.

What do you think? Have a favorite image, or how did you feel as you moved through the paintings?

Post from: The Dao of Dragonball Blog

Dragon Ball Art – Goku Digital Paintings