So I Read Dragonball Z For The First Time

[@merphynapier42]

Reminder that this is part 1 of the DBZ chat. Friday's video will dig into villians, fights, and individual characters stories (Goku, Gohan, Gotan, Vegeta, Trunks, Piccalo) as their character growth relates to those fights. Also, sorry for any mistakes I made, I'm new and my first impressions may not be correct 😅

[@Nasser851000]

Who is Merphy's favorite villain?

[@nikcantsnipe]

I'm excited!

[@superthorc6894]

Can’t wait

[@oleksandrbyelyenko435]

Piccolo not Piccalo. It is Italian for cucumber 😅. Also Goten. Maybe it is dyslexia speaking 🤔 I know you are bad with names so don't think I hate speak to you

[@Dr.JonathanCrane]

we can‘t forget mr satan when talking about character growth. god damn was his arc incredibly written

[@AnakinTheWeird]

This whole journey started all because we were flooding the patron discord server with Abridged jokes one day

[@thecapn3560]

Is she going to watch the abridged series?! She NEEDS to

[@StonerWeeb]

​@@thecapn3560all these squares make a circle

[@AnakinTheWeird]

@@thecapn3560 we showed her season 1 last week

[@AVillainChillin]

I love it

[@dinogt8477]

its great

[@douglashufnagel7424]

"Because I'm a weeb now..." I love that!

[@adoniscreed4031]

One of us! One of us! One of us! 😂

[@leoloccs229]

How is this comment posted 20 hours ago when the video dropped 6 hours ago? What in the time travel are you doint

[@slat7t632]

@@leoloccs229nah you right wtf

[@jerr0.]

@@leoloccs229 patreon members get the vids early

[@douglashufnagel7424]

Lol, never even considered that! Videos go up slightly earlier for Patreon supporters.

[@gintuner4371]

Toriyama might be one of the most gifted comic artists ever. His ability to convey the flow of movement is on another level, and he changed manga forever with his art.

[@michaelpeak2438]

He is without a doubt. He’s a God

[@bigenson18]

@@michaelpeak2438 You know you're an actual God of manga when Oda and Araki agrees

[@michaelpeak2438]

@@bigenson18 Precisely. Perfect example.

[@Jordie_42]

Agreed. It's one of the few manga I repeat time and time again. You don't feel bored even slightly. He has a real talent for illustrating action

[@AhsimNreiziev]

It's true. Akira Toriyama is truly one of the greatest Mangakas/Comic Artists of all time, and especially his ability to depict action is pretty much unparalleled in this world. However, there is also a (mild!!) tragedy to Toriyama's talents as a Mangaka, in the sense that action is the talent in which he is truly unique, and which therefore fans demand more of from him; yet his heart and his passion lies in adventure stories and, most strongly of all, absurdist humour. I think one of the reasons Toriyama got so tired of drawing Manga, and why he left the _Dragon Ball Super_ manga to Toyotarou instead, is that the fans, and by extension his editor aka his boss, demanded a pure action-based Manga from him; when he himself wanted to do mostly Comedy. It also explains, and/or gives credence to, the idea that what is probably the least-liked Saga in all of _Dragon Ball Z_ , the Great Saiyaman Saga, was also in all likelihood Toriyama's favourite piece of "Z" to write, since it allowed him to return to his roots and to the type of story he loves to tell the most.

[@EricMcLovin13]

welcome to Toriyama's crazy mind to this day i still see Android/Cell saga as a perfect example of subverting expectations. man, the amount of things that are dropped in sequence that turns the plot in one direction then into another is insane, and that's having someone from the future warning everyone about the dangers. "the androids are here" oh, these aren't the droids you're looking for. oh, now they are awake, but wait, there's another one that wasn't there. what the hell, there's another time machine here. AND IT KEEPS GOING, twisting you over all directions

[@geekbro6265]

It was because of his editor that he had to keep on changing things

[@XanderVJ]

@@geekbro6265 Former editor, actually. Which makes the meddling even crazier.

[@specialnewb9821]

But it does require characters holding the idiot ball. Goku, Vegeta, Krillin, Gohan, Cell, 18, they all toss it around. But being stupid in this way is part of their charm. Like Piccolo and Bulma not realizing they can just wish Goku and Vegeta back until its too late in Super Hero.

[@ardenaudreyarji]

He pushed that narrative to its absolute limit for Gohan.

[@Wallie759]

Vegetas journey across dbz is honestly one of the most wonderful character turns I've seen. Not to mention that toriyama somehow made it so that bulma actually pulled off the "i can fix him".

[@what7530]

Yup. Much better than Kishimoto with Sakura and Sasuke. Despite all his flaws, Vegeta never directly tried to kill Bulma. And once he stopped being directly evil in the android saga and she actually started liking him, he wasn't an enemy and he actually respected her toughness. Even when he went Majin Vegeta, he never targeted her. But Sasuke? Sakura was literally in front of him professing her love and dude tried to murder her multiple times. Not to mention at least Vegeta actually went to Hell for all of his sins.

[@Omegateck16]

​@@what7530spoilers dude

[@AnarchHive]

Plus: In a show about fighting, where simple individuals can blow up planets... he managed to make Bulma, a normal human, time and time again plot relevant without her being a damsel in distress.

[@guilhermenovo8967]

Bulma was a genius prodigy scientist and inventor, if she couldn't do it no one would be able to lmao

[@johnman8398]

​@@what7530Vegeta was responsible for the death of Bulmas boyfriend which left her distraught as well as some of her friends not to mention the death of several innocent people. I'm sorry but attempted murder doesn't compare to actual murder not to mention when she hooked up with him it was still debatable whether or not he was still going to cause more trouble, she just inexplicably ignored all the terrible things he did and had a child with him.

[@Lexi_Zone]

You are so right. Akira Toriyama's art is so clean, clear, and easy to follow. You can actually draw lines from panel to panel to show how the action guides your eyes in the right direction. He really is some kind of genius at it. There aren't many manga that match it in that regard, in my opinion.

[@filippoamazon3732]

Yeah if we’re talking about the “battle-type” manga there’s nothing else on DB level when it comes to paneling and the way the fighting sequences are directed. Also, Toriyama character designs are crazy good.

[@Wallie759]

Shoutout to my boy hercule satan. I just absolutely adore that this conniving con man of a martial artist actually turned out to be the one who could not only stop buu, but when that went south, it was ultimately him uniting the world under this image of hero he made for himself that saved them. Hes so much like buggy where he falls upwards, but when push came to shove he beat the fraud allegations and actually did what the Z fighters could not.

[@Awsomeness103]

HAIL SATAN! HAIL SATAN!

[@calebray1834]

Yeah he was the one who rehabilitated Buu.

[@floreaciprian9742]

Yea, i fkin love Mr Satan

[@SuperZergMan]

It's not like he isn't a real martial artist either - as far as we know he won that world tournament legit.

[@viscountrainbows2857]

Hercule has technically saved the world twice by being moral support. That's why he's the GOAT. Hail Satan 🐐

[@Saltydkdan]

It’s so cool to see Merphy get so invested into Dragon Ball, especially when so many people were convinced that she wouldn’t vibe with it. Makes me want to go back and read the manga since I’ve been moreso exposed to the series through though TV Show!

[@DarkNorthEmperor]

" Let me ask you, does a machine like yourself, _ever experience _*_Fear?_* " - is still one of the most simultaneously savage and philosophical lines that I've seen in an anime.

[@sonicstormer]

The Abridged version is pretty great too. "Huh, looks like I'm a size 19." XD

[@mookiestewart3776]

Dbza: wellp that answers that question 😂

[@justsomebody-1665]

"Let's fix that, shall we"

[@nikcantsnipe]

I'd love to see you dig into Gohan and Piccolo in particular. DBZ feels like a story with two protagonists. It's both Goku becoming a master in his own right and the rise of Son Gohan. Personally as much as I love Dragon Ball for it being a gag manga, the shift in tone seemed necessary. Love the path Piccolo took since the end of Dragonball

[@Vidilian]

Yep. Some of the better character arcs in shonen along with Vegeta.

[@lDanielHolm]

That was an intentional shift. The reason the Cell Saga ended the way it did was to pave way for Gohan to become the new protagonist -- but early in the Buu Saga, Toriyama learned that Gohan just isn't as natural a protagonist as Goku was. Where Goku drives the plot, Gohan lets it happen to him. Toriyama found it much easier to write for Goku than he did for Gohan... so he reversed the decision, brought Goku back, and made him the protagonist again.

[@Terracafe172]

@@lDanielHolm funnily enough in a recent interview with Toriyama and Toyotaro (recent like in the last 5-7 years) Toriyama said that he would have enjoyed continuing the series as Great Saiyaman slice of life stuff until he realized everyone wanted him to bring back the big bad formula and that was when he came to the conclusion Gohan as a main character wouldn't work in that type of story.

[@gabrielleite32]

​@@Terracafe172curious enough, db superhero plot seems like he's making true his wish. It was also refreshing not having Goku and Vegeta

[@ricollomaxo1324]

It's great how you summarized Goku's arc better than most people would lol He loves his friends, family and the THRILL of the battle. Glad that you noticed Toriyama's AMAZING panelling, which is still revered to this day as some of the best action panelling in all of manga. The series is great and I feel like you GOT IT. The characters moments, the goofy interactions, the wacky world and the amazing battles really make this series very special Z really ends gracefully, but I'm curious if you plan to continue into Super. The original Toriyama run remains untouched in terms of greatness but there's some really fun ideas and concepts in this successor. Anyways, glad that you gave this series a shot and ended up loving it.

[@AnakinTheWeird]

She'll probably do Super one day, but she's in no hurry to get to it. Besides, Battle of Gods hits a lot harder if you haven't touched Dragon Ball in some time.

[@blksmagma]

​@@AnakinTheWeird It also hits when you realize its the Renaissance of Dragon Ball and it was only started because of the shitty live action movie. Because of it, Toriyama wanted to have more of a voice with new projects.

[@AnakinTheWeird]

@@blksmagma oh yeah, and you better believe we're making her watch evolution at some point

[@LarryBonson]

It not hard to summarize Goku lol.

[@Ukaran]

Super is a regression compared to Z. It's better if she doesn't see it. Better to end the story on a high note, you know.

[@nathanhall9345]

I think part of why Vegeta is so hard to teach is that his desire to be the strongest is a trauma response. I don't even think he realizes it, necessarily. The series would be so much shorter if they managed to sit Vegeta down in front of a therapist (and keep him from killing said therapist).

[@smileytlj23]

I will never forget reading the saiyan saga for the first time and thinking about the fallout of Goku's pyrrhic "victory" over Vegeta. Mainly because Vegeta never lost that fight, and now half the supporting cast are dead, the magical macguffin is off the table, and their biggest gun was in the ICU. Forcing those who remain to travel the farthest reaches of space in an intergalactic heist mission against the galactic Tyrant Frieza, who was leaps and bounds above Vegeta and with an army that put the last threat to shame. Toriyama, the absolute mad lad, pulled it off week to week and capping the arc off with inarguably the greatest moment in manga.

[@omg241]

The Frieza saga is still my favorite to this day, every chapter you could feel the dread of death in every corner, despite being weaker Vegeta, Krillin and Gohan outmaneuver Frieza and summoned the dragon under his nose.

[@landoakechi9406]

The best part about the Frieza saga is how Krillin, Gohan, and Vegeta were basically forced to team up cause Goku was out of commission for so long. In a fight for survival, they had no choice but to look out for each other despite the fact that Vegeta was the whole reason Krillin and Gohan were in that predicament to begin with.

[@floreaciprian9742]

Dragon Ball has its share of flaws, but if it perfected doing one thing, it fucking knows how to bring the hype. Dragon Ball never was one of my favourite mangas, but Goku going Super Sayan for the first time is without a doubt the most iconic moment in manga/anime

[@royalfun1031]

​@@landoakechi9406Goku being out most of the times actually benefits the story

[@totokekedile]

I was telling my wife about the scene where Vegeta hugs Trunks for the first time before sacrificing himself, and I was having a hard time because I was choking up over it despite having not read it in a while. Hell, I'm tearing up a little now. It's just an excellent scene, no shame in crying at it.

[@HolyBuffalowings]

Mines Goku's speech after nearly being drowned by frieza.

[@Statuslock]

All forms of media are "you have to be there moments" lmao. Otherwise you sound like a clueless know- it-all lmao.

[@IriaChannel]

This was a joy to watch. The problem with a lot of Dragonball reviews is that they're made by Dragonball fan channels. It's nice to hear what someone entirely new to the series thinks about it. I like that you recognize that the series is all about thematic storytelling. Whereas a series like One Piece's storytelling is more detailed, DB is more about allegories for life, conflict, and self-development, with a lot of subtle themes that come together the more you take it in as a whole and recognize the patterns. I'm almost 40 now; what I get out of DB at my age is a lot different than when I was a child. It's nowhere near as simple or meaningless as many think.

[@brycecoleman2748]

12:59 To be honest, I believe that Goku’s outlook on defeat is because of the match with Jackie Chun. Roshi didn't want his students to become arrogant or complacent, so he entered the tournament to show them that there is always someone stronger than you so you should train hard. Vegeta didn't really learn that lesson until much later.

[@warrenellis1023]

Ironically, this is one of the most in-depth videos on db I’ve seen in quite a while. Likely because you’re experienced in literary analysis AND viewing the material with fresh eyes, as opposed to recalling it from the childhood perspective with which it was initially viewed. Subscribed.

[@SaiyanHeretic]

Really cool to see somebody discovering Dragon Ball for the first time. Toriyama's influence on the medium cannot be overstated, inspiring creators for generations to come. His experience with comedy from creating Dr. Slump, the series with made his name in the industry, translated surprisingly well to action/adventure, and the manga is such an easy breezy read.

[@GreayWorks]

I think my favorite aspect of Dragon Ball in general is about just how much time passes in-universe compared to other long-running series, while still focusing on the main characters, characters didn't just get married and had a time skip, they had kids, their friends got married, kept on meeting new people and even had grandkids.

[@Naija_Ninja]

Yes! Omg I've never even thought about this but it's so true. It's something very rare and special. You actually get to se the characters go through a good portion of their lifetime and not in some sort of montage or flashback, actually experience it hqppening. That doesn't happen nearly enough in stories, especially battle shonens and that's a shame

[@s3studios597]

I've always found it weird how this is like the one thing you don't see other battle shonen taking from Dragon Ball. Even moreso the whole growing up into an adult part. In Dragon Ball, you see Goku go from a kid to a married man with a kid to a grandparent and mentor. In every other battle shonen it's just them in their teens and the they're an adult (maybe with a kid) at the end of the story. Hell, even 7DS follows that formula despite already staring adult characters.

[@kevintanza6968]

@@s3studios597 Well, Toriyama got a lot of criticism from his editors for turning Goku into an adult. So I think it has to do with brand recognition. However, I support Toriyama for this decision because it makes the story more enjoyable in my case.

[@whitefang9758]

The anime that defined my childhood, and got me into anime and manga as a whole. Was 5 when I first watched an episode of it, still a fan as a 22 year old.

[@Rude_Boi]

Same for me, and I was also 5 when I started watching..

[@ninomonkeyd]

I'm 37 and Dragon ball z is my life.

[@neto-kunmangastudio3977]

DB has the Fan comunity with the more wide age range, from 5-6 yearsO, up to 40s , i love that. Im 30yo byw

[@TyandOnGoing]

Merphy saying she loves absurdist humor or anything absurdist executed right is still the best character development you can ever witness.

[@aishas4909]

haha yes, I remember when she was starting One Piece and said she wasn't really a fan of absurdism.

[@carlosdanielcalderonmontoy3723]

She would love GOATama. Not only for the comedy but for the story and characters as well

[@brickingle3984]

Early dragonball has the strongest moments for me. I love the 21st WMT because of the lesson Roshi is teaching his pupils, I love goku meeting grandpa gohan and Baba's place, and I love how mature and clever goku is at the 23rd WMT. There is great stuff in the later series, but those early arcs are just so good and I adore the earlier artstyle before Toriyama started drawing really angular characters.

[@Ranger_of_Dragons]

That shirt! Love Vegeta so much. He had to work incredibly hard to get everything he has. I love him so much.

[@commonviewer2488]

Toriyama has admitted to planning nothing for the story, simply writing whatever felt right to him. His fight choreography was genre defining, and the character work was a welcome surprise.

[@johndevlin9225]

I’d love to hear your thoughts on Bulma, because she’s the only main character who isn’t a fighter in any way, shape or form. Even Chi Chi fought in the 23rd World Tournament. Goku and Vegeta both form an incredibly strong bond with her despite this, despite the fact that they otherwise only really connect with people through combat.

[@calebray1834]

She’s like Usopp in a way a normal human who is eyes and ears of the audience among these crazy strong characters.

[@maximwb237]

Yes, Dragon Ball is a chaotic story with mixed elements of sci-fi and comedy, and there are also themes on learning, self discovery and family as well 😍💖🖤🤣 (PS: I like that you also pointed out well the contrast between human love and the thrill that is typical of the saiyajin, as shown from the relationship between Goku and Gohan, Napier 👊)

[@mekhimcfarlane9016]

it just hit me when you said it. It's interesting that Vegeta tries to get rid of his earthly attachments to get stronger, as is often depicted in many philosophies as necessary in order to truly be free. However, in this series it is shown time and time again that having these attachments is what makes them powerful. How ironic.

[@almogdov]

There is a special kind of joy when someone you like actually likes something you like. Thanks for giving us that joy. (I mean, you got the shirt and everything!) Despite all the greatness (Goku going SSJ3 for the first time comes to mind), I think my favorite thing in DBZ is in the anime - Goku and Piccolo taking driving lessons. It's as silly as it sounds, it's not in the manga but if you feel like laughing, look it up (episode 125 - Goku's Ordeal).

[@thoni9084]

Thank you for describing the character of Goku correctly, many people claim to be Dragon Ball fans but very few understand about the characters in it.

[@leakypeach6250]

It's funny. I've only seen DBZ Kai, and while I liked it back in the day, I had no intention of reading or watching og DB. But after seeing her readthrough in the Discord, I got the full boxset to read.

[@adoniscreed4031]

Awesome stuff!!! Original DB is also a really fun ride. I read several volumes and watched many episodes as a kid but I only ever read the whole thing from beginning to end a few years back!

[@hockeytown54]

I've seen the og db multiple times it's my fav portion of db as a whole I'd say!

[@462n]

The thing that's kinda crazy to me sometimes is that Goku's entire mindset about there always being someone stronger, and thus always reason to train and grow stronger, is largely because of Master Roshi. Roshi was so worried that Goku would grow overconfident (and thus slack off on training) that he entered the tournament in disguise so he could win and make sure Goku learned that lifelong lesson. I mean, obviously Goku has always had an interest in fighting and training. But I've always seen that moment as the thing that truly lit that fire in him.

[@glasses685]

The thing that's crazy to me about Dragonball is that, unlike Oda, Toriyama didn't plan ANYTHING. He's said in many interviews that he made it up week to week. It's incredible that he managed to make things fit together as well as they did, few writers could.

[@Tommaso251287]

this is what he says, but then we have to believe that he used to draw the chapter the last day of the working week before it being submitted to get it published because the days before he didn't have any idea what to draw, and he does this while being one of the bests, not just manga artists, but authors worldwide? I think at the end of the day it's a nice lie he enjoys to tell us the readers.

[@XanderVJ]

That quote has been taken out of context to hell and back. That only applies to the Buu Saga, not to Dragon Ball as a whole. While it's true that he didn't make any long term planning the way Oda does, he did made some arc wide planning. Super Saiyan is the best example, when he started to foreshadow since the first arc of the Namek saga. That's one of the main reasons why it's by far the most iconic moment of the entire series and arguably in anime history. It was a pay off that properly set up in advance. Things started to change in the Cell saga, mostly due to the constant editor interference. And by the time the Buu saga came around... Well, he was already completely burned out.

[@saltyk9869]

@@XanderVJ Uh, the fact that he doesn't plan things out from week to week is exactly why we have 17, 18, 16, and Cell. Even Cell's transformations came because former and current editors said "This character looks dumb" repeatedly. It was originally just supposed to be 19 and 20.

[@specialnewb9821]

Eh it's more like what he does today with super. An outline with major story beats and then he'd fill them in via discovery writing. But the occasionally something new happens. Like he didn't intend Goku to be an alien, but he didn't just decide it the week before Raditz arrived.

[@MsJuniorHarris]

​@@XanderVJto say that he only start making things as he goes in the Boo or Cell Saga is something pretty naive. You don't have to know that much of Dragonball to know that Toriyama didn't have anything planned from the very beginning. First of all, Dragonball was only meant to be those first 30 chapters where Goku and Bulma are traveling the world after the Dragonballs (which is based on the Chinese myth of Journey to the West - I don't know how it's called in English). Then, after that, as the serie became such a big success, he started creating new concepts along the time. He even said that the only reason he made Chi Chi Goku's wife was because he thought she was a really wick and poor character, so if he put her alongside the protagonist, he would have to write her better. Of course there's examples of things he planned out, such as the Super Sayan transformation at the final of Freeza Saga, but that's the exception in my point of view, not the usual

[@iamrjdennis]

Yay!!! Welcome to the Dragon Ball Z family! 😊

[@firepork082]

Im glad you liked Dragon Ball more than i expected you to! Even though i didn't expect you to like the series as much as you did I always thought you'd at least like Vegeta's character so when i see you open the video with a Vegeta shirt and plush i felt very vindicated.

[@Kira_Official_]

My god… I didn't think I'd see the day. Someone who became a fan of Dragon Ball and actually payed attention and understands what makes it so special!! Someone is actually capable of doing such a feat!!

[@vrontkk421]

Holy, you undertand all. I love you conslusions about DB and definitly, much more fans of this series could do what do you doed; READ THE MANGA!

[@petrasbirthdaygoblinhoney4565]

Vegeta is really interesting bc he’s a character toriyama genuinely hated and was baffled by fans love for him, but as time went on even Toriyama began to like him

[@dizzyb2309]

Toriyama has never liked Vegeta. Where did you even get that from? Smh

[@AdeptusPetricus]

@@dizzyb2309 He has Indicated he came to like vegeta in interviews Maybe actually do some research before attempting to dunk on others

[@henfarasubtitrare9764]

I rewatched the anime because of your weekly recaps, you've put me in a nostalgic mood. I had a great time. I almsot forgot how much fun it is. (Dbz Kai, because it doesn't have filler) Edit: I wrote the initial comment to say "thank you" and i forgot, so... Thank you! 😊

[@MajoraZ]

It's really fascinating to see somebody's thoughts on Dragon Ball who is not only new to the series (given it's cultural saturation) but is, based on how you describe your background, doesn't tend to read Shonen in general. I'd really love to see you do more videos (maybe something more structured, though this format is cool too!) on the series beyond this and the one you mention that'll come out on friday. Also, I know you've got hundreds of people giving suggestions, but if you like the silly comedy in Dragon Ball, and are a fan of One Piece, I gotta suggest Konijki No Gash, also known as Gash Bell or Zatch Bell: It's a relatively obscure Shonen manga, since it wasn't published in Weekly Shonen Jump like most genre titans are, and it's anime adaptation had major issues, but the manga is incredible and I think it's up your alley. The premise of the series is 100 demon kids get sent to the human world with books, are paired up with human partners who can read from those books so the demons can use spells, but if a book is burnt, the demon gets sent back, and the last one standing is crowned king. That sounds like an intense and nonstop combat heavy premise, but the demon kids are, well, KIDS: Most are not your typical 12-14 year old shonen protagnist, but 6-8 year old childern, and there's a big emphasis on character growth and development and relationships since the premise inherently pairs characters up: The protagnist Gash is a naive, hyperactive 6 year old (If you loved Kid Goku, you'll love Gash), and his partner is Kiyomaro, a jaded genius teenager: Gash teaches Kiyo to open up and value other people, but Kiyo grounds Gash and forces him to mature and consider what it really means to be king. There's tons of amazing dynamics like this. Again, like Dragon Ball and One Piece, it's got a lot of absurdist comedy, and another thing it does exceptionally well akin to One Piece is it's contrast between lighter and darker moments. The focus on comedy, there being a lot of chill slice of life chapters, and it's commitment to friendship as not just a genre convention but a core theme means the manga is often heartwarming or pretty goofy, but that just makes it all the more heart wrenching when it gets dark, and it does so intensely (entire planets don't blow up like Dragon Ball, but stuff is so much more personal and emotional), and without pulling punches (the series commits to the premise requiring EVERY character eventually getting their book burnt, and you never know when). On the flip side, those dark moments make the comedy, slice of life moments, etc feel genuine and earned rather then corny or distractions. There's so many other things it does well: The fights are tactical and strategic, which makes them interesting and fun even if you're not huge on action; it's a rare example of a shonen manga that doesn't sideline it's female characters, the pacing and other elements only get better the further in you get (though it admittedly does take a while to shift away from villain-of-the-week stuff to longer narrative arcs), etc, but if I don't stop now I'll go on for another 6 paragraphs. If you're interested in reading it, Mangadex is the best place to do so (It;s sadly no longer officially liscensed in english, but Mangadex includes all the side content many sites exclude, plus has brand new fan translations)

[@NezumiVA]

Gotta enthusiastically second this suggestion, Konjiki no Gash is still one of my favorite shonen manga of all time to this day and I think it's very underappreciated (at least in the US).

[@sohanurrahman3006]

You NEED to watch DBZ Abridged. It's shocking how much a team of passionate fans were able to take the source material in an excellent comedic direction while also improving many aspects of the characters and plot.

[@HolyBuffalowings]

Honestly the only/best way to watch it.

[@awsomeboy360]

No you do not need to watch the abridge. It's not the source material lol.

[@ChillsEditzz]

​​@@awsomeboy360As TFS says "please support the *official* release"

[@awsomeboy360]

@@ChillsEditzz And you know how much people who never watch the official release. DBZA is actually meant for people who watched the series and understood the references, and yet SOO many people who NEVER watch the series start with it lol. Their entire knowledge of Dragon Ball COMES from the abridge series lol. Imagine If people did this with ANY other anime. Like Naruto, One Piece, JJK, they never watched the official series and got their entire knowledge from the Abridge.

[@ChillsEditzz]

@@awsomeboy360 that pisses me off to he fullest

[@thepyrostickfigure7637]

I would highly recommend looking at the history the editors have had with the series because it is fascinating to see just how much of an impact they've had. I think the two most famous examples are the cell saga adding in four new characters (and two transformations) because the editors didn't like the original two androids design of a fat clown and old Man. Or more importantly for the tone of the series the world martial arts tournament only being invented because Toriyama editor noted he had a talent for drawing people on a three-dimensional space and told him to write in a way for the characters to be in a scenario where he could utilize that talent.

[@SamTheGumMan117]

From original Dragon Ball to the Cell saga is some of the best stuff I've ever seen or read when it comes to animanga. Also Vegeta's character does so much for me with his growth that he's my favourite character and can't wait to hear what you got to say about everything.

[@g23g]

I love to see someone in today's world that still loves Dragon Ball. Dont get me wrong I know DB is loved everywhere but I always assumed it was by the people who watched in the 90s and 00s. The times now are different but im happy some new fans can appreciate it. For me it's still my favorite and will always be I always remember the times when I watched as a younger person and the feelings I had it

[@ExquisiteWig]

New set up looks great! Never thought you'd enjoy Dragon Ball but pleasantly surprised you did!

[@titan_colo]

If you liked the humor in Dragon Ball, specially from the early part, I think you would LOVE Dr. Slump (also by Toriyama sensei) and Slam Dunk (by Takehiko Inoue)

[@h684hfxcnx8]

Hi Merphy, I’ve been checking out your channel since early in your One Piece review. I was on the same journey myself, reading the manga as a newcomer. Now I’m watching your review on Dragon Ball, my favorite manga of all time. And you delivered. I don’t want to put down other KZbinrs specifically, but in my experience there isn’t a lot of substantive discussion on MangaTube. There are of course a few excellent standouts, but I think you’re the best of the bunch. Consider me a new patron. Looking forward to part two of this series.

[@MidnightSpecialist]

This was a refreshing take on DBZ! I've been a fan for decades and I never once thought of Goku and Vegeta building and bonding relationships through their fighting, especially in relation to their children. Blown away! thanks!

[@darekpower]

Very cool to see you go through DB and DBZ. Its a fun series, and really shaped many other series and manga, including OP, Naruto, Bleach, Fairy tail, and many more. As usual, I suggest One Punch Man, as its filled with wacky humour, and a lot of amazing action and an interesting story that differs from your standard battle shonen while also being a sort of parody on shonen, including ofc DBZ being a big aspect of its parody.

[@jacobdavidlet]

Vegeta's Sacrifice should have been where the Buu Saga ended. Gohan takes over protecting the Earth afterwards and the world moves on.

[@NotInTheFace111]

Piccolo is the best stepdad in anime history.

[@triden1172]

He's _really_ not.

[@StridenHyper]

@@triden1172lol I thought that too ”he’s great” but re reading it again I was like… wow. Lol

[@gfggft345]

The original Dragonball is based on Journey to the West by the way. (Pretty much the most important story in existence, everwhere east asia) The name Son Goku is Japanese for Sun Wukong (The Monkey King)

[@torokil7065]

Time for Merphy to answer the decades old debate: is Goku a bad father?

[@gintuner4371]

Hes not, and whoever says different didn't read the same manga.

[@what7530]

No he's not. Goku was literally raising Gohan as a dedicated father, then Raditz showed up, kidnapped Gohan, then Goku died saving Gohan. Then, a year later, Goku almost died saving Gohan again from Vegeta. Then Goku had to go to Namek to save Gohan from Frieza, then Goku contracted a heart disease, then sacrificed himself to save Gohan and the world from Cell, and stayed dead because he believed being dead would keep Earth safe (which he was right). So really, virtually every major plot point involved Goku having to nearly die to save Gohan and the world. He never had time to be a stay at home father, and when he did, he took Gohan fishing during the Cell saga.

[@what7530]

​@gintuner4371 Exactly. Vegeta's a bad dad, but Goku is just absent-minded. He's not a bad father (by our real world standards, he is, but that's not the real world).

[@baked7423]

Gokus basically the definition of a mid father (as in average not bad). He's not the best but calling him bad would be disingenuous

[@harishpillai5543]

@@baked7423 yep, perfectly put goku's a mid father. I think a big reason this bad father thing gets talked about is because Piccolo becomes a father figure to Gohan in Goku's absence. So in comparison, Goku looks like a bad father by our standards.

[@42ndLife]

What I find both amusing & frustrating about Dragon Ball is how over the course of the series death as a consequence is slowly reduced in level of severity down to a visit to the DMV.

[@adoniscreed4031]

You perfectly described Goku's perspective as a father when giving Cell the senzu bean 😂 Its such a STUPID thing to do but it makes complete and total sense with the way that Goku sees the world, it takes Piccolo shouting at him to make him understand that he is a fool!

[@marjoe32]

Vegeta is the emboiment of "everyone loves a bad boy"

[@Flumong]

I don't know if it's in your wheelhouse, but I'd recommend the abridged series by Team Fourstar. It's one of the biggest love letters to the series (with some criticism thrown in as well) and is phenomenally funny. The first 12 episodes or so are not that amazing and very much a product of its time as far as KZbin Comedy goes, but the two later thirds are really great storytelling in their own rights.

[@cornettotrilogyenjoyer]

probably the best analysis of this beloved series i've heard, instant sub o7

[@katsuo7798]

Toriyama is probably the author that does fighting sequences better than any other mangaka. Its kinda crazy how clean, readable and fun his fight choreography’s are.

[@TOPA808]

11:11 But the thing is Goku knows Vegeta can't threaten the Earth because he is stronger than Vegeta. And Vegeta knows it too, which is key because he keeps people in line. Luffy did the same thing to Lucci recently.

[@Djamp_htx]

The whole manga is actually called Dragon Ball. When they localized it, they added the “Z” to the overseas version because the anime branding already started at that point

[@philippschmidt80]

That's not an oversees thing, it's a Viz thing. Europe (minus the UK), latin america etc. all kept the title as Dragonball from start to fish.

[@michaelpeak2438]

Really dope that you enjoyed Dragon Ball so much. Easily been one of the most important series to me since I was literally 6 years old. I’ve even grown to appreciate it even more as I’ve gotten older. Forever a classic.

[@boogie9377]

Crazy that she’s disqualified herself from being a dragon ball fan by actually reading the series

[@D0NDIDO]

BEEN WAITING FOR THIS

[@keanus9871]

I just had an epiphany that the idea about "the next generation" is a theme in both Dragon Ball and One Piece, and the relationship between the authors also follows this theme. My mind is a bit blown

[@davetheblade]

I’m going to age myself with this comment, but I started watching DB in the 80’s. I loved it but I really identify with DBZ, because my dad was a martial artist, I grew up in that world and was told I had potential, and while I do love it, I don’t love it the way my dad does. Not that it was a reflection of our relationship, I just always felt that parallel. Anyway great video, I hope we get more DB content, including Dragon Ball Super manga.

[@litlbucky]

Love the new backdrop

[@sechmascm]

I've been rewatching db for the last week. This came at a good time

[@just-cobb]

Excellent shirt choice.

[@bryanorit9786]

its over 9000

[@nicholasandersen4301]

“Journey To The West”… the origin of “the monkey king”… must read this n order to understand all manga

[@jalapenoofjustice4682]

If you want to get into Super after this, the movies are generally held in much higher regard than their adaptations and most people seem to prefer the anime version of the post-movie arcs. So the recommended watch/read order would go like this: -Battle of Gods & Resurrection F movies -Dragon Ball Super Anime (episode 28-134) -Dragon Ball Super: Broly movie -Dragon Ball Super manga chapters 42-87 -Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero movie -DBS manga will probably continue after this & a new animated series called Dragon Ball Daima is coming out as well a more detailed overview of post-Z stuff: -it all started with 2 movies called Battle of Gods & Resurrection F. They are considered Dragon Ball Z stories. The latter also got a manga adaptation by Toyotaro, who is considered Toriyama's successor -Dragon Ball Super got a manga and an anime both based on the same notes by Toriyama; neither is an adaptation of the other and the notes are so minimal that they can be radically different from each other. Toyotaro writes the manga. Both versions started with adaptations of the movies, but Toyotaro skipped Resurrection F because he already wrote his version of the story. Post-movie arcs start at chapter 5 and episode 28 respectively. -after the anime concluded, the movie Dragon Ball Super: Broly came out. Toyotaro skipped over this story entirely and instead started writing his own original story taking place after the movie, starting at chapter 42. -the next movie was Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero. Toyotaro didn't skip over this one, and even expanded on it with a multi-chapter prologue and extra scenes starting at chapter 88. -the next anime project we're getting is Dragon Ball Daima, not an adaptation of Toyotaro's original storyline. The manga is still doing Super Hero, and it already teased a new threat before that story started so it's definitely planned to continue beyond this point.

[@eleven2614]

I never heard the story about Vegeta planned to be cut early on. But I did heard about the villains of the android saga being constantly changed (19 and 20, then 17 & 18, then Cell) due to editor requests.

[@kovaxim]

I like how it all started with "fine, I'll go read this man-ga you people won't shut up about" and now we're at "now that I'm a weeb" It takes courage to say what you are, to embrace the weeb in you and tell the world how you feel

[@MrFatLipx]

Very cool to see that you grew to enjoy battle sequences through this manga. I feel that is a very rare change, most people are pretty set in their ways when it comes to preferences with things like that. I guess that just goes to show how excellent DB battles are.

[@captaincrespo3327]

Did you watch any of the anime? Gohan turning super saiyan 2 against cell and vegeta’s sacrifice against buu (or boo I think they say in the manga) are great in the anime

[@merphynapier42]

Only the clips I pulled for this review, though when I edit my video for Friday, I'm sure I'll watch many more!

[@claytonalexander9105]

Cell saga/ Cell games alone are peak DBZ Anime.

[@CuzinHomechill]

Never expected to be watching this video when I started your OP reviews a couple years ago. Even got a Vegeta shirt now, love to see it.

[@jarynlandrum7474]

Merphy understand that this moment in life you have read the top shounen in the genre. I believe this series truly marks your ascent to weeb status

[@KingShado69]

In the Dragonball Super manga, vegeta will go through a redemption ark facing his mistakes of the past and growing further as a character and touching onto things that didn't make it into the actual dragonball z manga, like going to the amusement park with kid trunks and spending time with his family and showing visible affection towards bulma and his family. These aren't big spoilers but will make you hyped for his character progression in the future material.

[@PezzaTheFlezza]

So weird as it sounds, I highly recommend Dragon Ball Z Abridged. First few episodes may be a little… dated, but once you get into the Freeza Saga it really kicks into gear. A loving parody made by people who are really passionate about everything Dragonball, with amazing dialogue, humour, and even some of its own plot lines and character threads!

[@NonAnonD]

she was watching this on the discord in a watch party, not sure if that was a temporary thing or what though

[@clashonyt24]

Rip Sensie....i think its the perfect time to start my dragon ball journey ❤

[@starrynightfall00]

This is such a great review! I haven't watched DBZ since the early 2000s so this is a welcome refresher and it has gotten me excited to rewarch the show again :)

[@jdzabalad]

Your review was great, you reminded me why I feel in love in the series in the first place and made me feel like a little kid again watching the serious on TV

[@Doommaster677]

Oh hell yes, Dragon Ball and DBZ are what kick-started my love of anime back in the day (alongside ATLA). SO happy you've decided to cover this on here

[@EricFaries]

I VERY highly recommend watching Totally Not Mark's series of videos reviewing Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z, as he goes into INSANE depth on the series, behind the scenes stuff, and the messages in the series. As a dragon ball fan myself it's always fun to watch someone experience the series for the first time and see their reactions, as well as watch as they start connecting dots in how so many Manga series after it pulled so much from the series lol

[@reidwithoutacause]

It’s so adorable to watch you enjoy one piece and dragon ball. Cheers.

[@Kenpachysama]

Love that u peeked into DB + DBZ. Also love the new room set up simple and clean.

[@animagamer2]

This was great, I loved watching you just gush about Dragon Ball Z. When I discovered your channel all those years ago I never thought I'd see the day when Merphy Napier become such a storied weeb :'D

[@duvan.deschain]

I know that a lot of people like Dragon Ball Super, but to me the end of DBZ with Goku asking UB to fight him it's a perfect ending. I do like Dragon Ball GT, but that's because even though they created a new arc, they still managed to give the series a heart warming ending. To me, DBZ peaked during the Cell saga, the BU saga gave us great moments (like the redemption of Vegeta) but the Cell saga was great from beggining to end. If you ever watch the anime, you will discover it has the most amazing music. Toriyama has flaws, but no one can deny his influence on Manga and Anime is unmatched. He pretty much defined the Shonen genre and we'll always be thankful for that. Can't wait for tomorrow's video!!!

[@hyrulehistorian2317]

I legit couldn’t stop smiling throughout this entire video, it’s always great to see new people getting into this series

[@NRG-REC]

Even just barely touching on it you've given one of the best breakdowns of goku in...a long time. Vegeta's development is much more in your face from start to finish so people followed it more easily, even as kids. Rarely do I come across someone who actually genuinely understands goku tho. Not that I'm surprised considering you're you. Good stuff!

[@triden1172]

It's because of the abridged series. As great as a lot of it is, it absolutely OBLITERATES Goku's character.

[@NRG-REC]

@@triden1172 ...sigh yeah unfortunately I agree. I mentioned the same in another comment in here about whether Goku was a bad father or not. Dbza really screwed Goku man😔

[@JosueDominguez-g4z]

Finally!🙌🏾 someone to put proper respect on Dragon Ball

[@ryanakers1372]

I love DragonBall and I'm glad you decided to dive into it! But it still remains this weird mystery to me. As you pointed out, the plot is this Frankenstein creation of all the things you're constantly told NEVER to do in a story and yet DragonBall somehow pulls it off and the fans love the story for it.

[@SsBrohan]

23:50 just like power rangers. Monster wreaks havoc on Angel Grove, giant monster vs mech battle destroying the city. The power rangers go back to school or the juice bar like nothing happened and the city miraculously rebuilds in a instant lmbo

[@tonycampos9605]

This a great review/retrospective/etc. of the DBZ manga and now I want to go dig up all my DBZ volumes out of storage and read the series again, so thanks for that.

[@TheSonicfan91]

It’s so wild to see Merphy talk about dragon ball and dragon ball z I love hearing your thoughts

[@helloasa9296]

Dragonball Evolution is must watch . Dragonball journey is incomplete without it.

[@docproof26]

Welcome to the family!!!

[@malcolmtorres6309]

Amazing Review. For Your First Time Reading Dragonball You Got Everything On The Mark

[@rgrg1428]

I would like you to dive next into the manga of Osamu Tezuka, whom Toriyama respected and admired. It is older but has many great stories to read now.

[@InvaderWeezle]

Came back to your channel to rewatch your Harry Potter videos and discovered this pleasant surprise!