Features & Info

Directorial Power: The first chapter of The Dao of Dragon Ball discusses Akira Toriyama, his history, the development of Dragon Ball and his rise to success as a manga creator. It provides great historical information as well as an introduction to Dragon Ball, backed by quotes from leading figures in the industry.

From Japan…: From Japan details the origins of Dragon Ball in Japan, anime and manga in general, and how Dragon Ball changed both. How exactly does manga like Dragon Ball differ from western comic books, and what role does it play in Japanese pop culture? This chapter also shows how Dragon Ball was made into an internationally recognized force.

… To the World: Dragon Ball's success around the world led to a wildly lucrative American version. How did censorship and localization play a part in the American Dragon Ball? What exactly is it about American DBZ that makes it different, and why do some fans prefer it over the original? Learn how Dragon Ball entered the mainstream and how Goku came along for the ride. Also find out more about Dragon Ball Evolution, the Hollywood film loosely based on the Dragon Ball series, and its effect on the Dragon Ball community. Finally, discover just how financially huge Dragon Ball really is.

Origins of Goku / Goku's Mystical Adventure: A brief recap of Goku's adventures as a youth and the character's formative years.

Aware of Emptiness: Here's where we really start to break into new territory. Aware of Emptiness reveals the inner meaning behind name's in Japanese culture and society, and the deep philosophical and religious meaning behind Son Goku's name. How does all of this relate to the series? Read this chapter to find out.

A Super Man: Japan's obsession with super hero figures began thousands of years ago with Buddhist and Shinto saintly figures, but is most traceable through modern comic books and television shows. A similar fascination with super hero's is found in the west. Read about the striking similarities and differences between Goku and Superman, the manifestations and diapoles of cultural idealism and masculinity. This chapter is the definitive argument on the subject.

The Journey West: Did you know that Dragon Ball is based on the Chinese legend Journey to the West? This is an often cited fact, but there's so much more beyond the mere superifical relationship. Heavenly worlds, earthly kingdoms, immortals, and deadly warriors that battle through Hell are all vividly described in The Journey West. They are also found in Dragon Ball. The Journey West chapter helps you better understand the Chinese culture that led to the Japanese culture that created Dragon Ball.

Goku the Monkey: This chapter serves as an expose on the history and relationship between Sun Wukong (The Monkey King) from The Journey West and Son Goku, the Saiya-jin who fights for justice.

Side by Side: With a deeper understanding of how The Journey West influenced Dragon Ball, we now go into a full one-to-one comparison. Side by Side serves to reveal the parallels between the two stories, with relationships between Bulma, Krillin and San Zuang, Oolong and Zhu Ba Jie, Yamcha, Piccolo and Sha Wu Jing, and Erlang Shen and Tenshinhan.

Dragon World: The story and settings of Dragon Ball are remarkably and richly diverse–from the physical universe to the metaphysical. Along the journey we travel from a single planet to multiple planets, then to the afterlife: Hell, Heaven, and even heavenly paradises. Yet, among all the variety of locations, the predominant one is Earth. In this chapter you learn all you need to know about the Dragon World.

Spiritual Warrior: Here's where things get really interesting. The martial arts are perhaps the most important part of the Dragon Ball story, as they are the medium through which the entire series is expressed. To better understand Dragon Ball we must examine the martial arts as a personal vehicle, one that allows us to discover its history and inner meaning. Spiritual Warrior will provide you with a true history of the martial arts and how they are related to Dragon Ball.

Immortal and Invincible: The martial arts of China and Japan draw a lot of their culture and history from India, but each has a life of its own. A large portion of these martial arts styles, while independent, are similarly focused on one goal. That goal is immortality and invincibility. A goal often shared by the characters in Dragon Ball. Read this chapter to find out how ancient cultures believed the martial arts could make you live forever.

Rivals: Conflicts are essential in a battle manga like Dragon Ball, while rivalry and competition are a major factor of conflicts. Dragon Ball is rife with rivalry, fighting and clashes between characters with diverse perspectives. This is a primary reason why battle manga has such a name. It is a systematic formula that is followed by many mangaka as they develop their stories. To fully understand how this came about we have to take look at the history of conflict within Japan, and from there we can comprehend the mindset and mythos from which Dragon Ball sprung forth.

Shugyo: The pursuit of perfection is a driving force in self improvement, and can often be the primary source of motivation. To attain perfection is to eradicate all forms of inadequacy and weakness. In a more spiritual perspective perfection is likened to divinity. In Japan a quest such as this is known as shugyo.

Divine Combat: In Dragon Ball, as in real life, the way people improve themselves is through conflict, either with themselves or another, followed by growth and an eventual understanding. The conflicts in Dragon Ball start out relatively normal, with one martial artist fighting another, but by the time the series is finished it's more akin to gods fighting against gods. In this chapter I attempt to explain how the supernormal martial arts of Dragon Ball actually work, describe their connection to myths, legends and fantasies, and answer the question, "Is this stuff really possible?" Read this chapter to find out!