I read the manga when I had seen Z and also GT, which I love. I was curious and had some idea of what happens in the manga as I had played several games which featured Kid Goku and his adventures. The manga seriously isn't for everyone, as it seems that the genre changed with age, going from Adventure-based to Action-based. Some characters have also become essentially useless, ( read : Yamcha, Krillin, Tien ) as the series progressed and the rivals became absurdly stronger than the last.
I would have preferred if Bulma didn't end up with Vegeta, as I preferred Yamcha over him. It would have set up an interesting concept for future Trunks, as he would belong to a timeline where Vegeta was his father, whereas in the timeline we read about primarily, it would have been Yamcha.
I would also have preferred if there was no Super Saiyan Two, as the One and Three seem perfect, and as the respected author also stated : Even he forgot Super Saiyan Two existed. Two is essentially a One with spikier hair and electric around the body. The vast number of Super Saiyan forms degrade the legend that surrounded it. In my opinion, there should be only two Super Saiyan forms, SSJ 1, with the golden-yellow hair and SSJ2 should have the features of SSJ3. And the Third form should have been SSJ4, which should only be available for those who have their tail
Another way the legend was degraded was that during the Buu arc, two children recieved the forms as well. Gohan getting the form was stretching it, but understandable, as he was already 11 years old, and was training with his father. Goten and Trunks, who are 4 & 5 respectively, should not have achieved the form, as it seems that when they first showed the form, it was in a comedic purpose.
Well, that is all I have to say. Over all, a 8/10 story.

Cool story, keep focus on fights with good drawings while also being interesting to read, also the character developing is quite amazing, how they interact each other and end up helping themselves at the end, all leading to protect the earth at many times!
Also the plot is the best.

One of the first mangas I ever read, and one I always liked more before it became DBZ ultimately. The fights were always a little more clever and the humor a little more genuine. This is still a classic for a reason, there's never been anyone quite like Goku even though practically every shounen hero since has been a copy of him in some way. Though the series does have some flaws (like the pacing and the fact that most side characters become practically useless) I certainly recommend giving it a read.

... Last updated on April 28th, 2016, 4:07pm

Dragon Ball may be a classic but that doesn't mean it's a masterpiece.

... Last updated on August 1st, 2016, 4:33pm

I rather prefer Dragon Ball then Z because characters development. Then kind push to the side in Z and hardly learn teamwork, more like attack one at a time lol but oh well. Though i guess these pages are together. Not mutch to say but a classic. Art are improve over time or redraw and release again to update art.

How is this so highly rated? I tried really hard to read this, but the power-ups and mini-arcs are pretty dumb to me. The art is also terrible (the bulging muscles are seriously overboard).

I understand this is a classic, but many manga have incorporated the best of Dragon Ball since its completion and improved it tenfold, plot and art. So I don't understand how that so many people rate this manga so highly when there are now so many better stories out there.

... Last updated on May 2nd, 2015, 3:44pm

im not exaggerate it its true every shonen manga will one way or another steal some element from dragon ball,
and this manga is already withstand the test of time for decades. even to this day remake still coming out, games, anime action figure
this manga has everything shonen series is all about and everything in it is all original to boot

im not rating this as my view on it is biased but i hate this anime (i didn't read the manga) once they were showing a dragon ball z marathon when i was on holiday in california and i woke up to see some guy in ovebulging muscles sreaming "Whatever your name is , I will fight you!" Theen some lizard guy appears and says "you can't beat me Goku!" Then i had to fight to change the channel as my seven year old brother loved it. I think its mostly for kids , Naruto is a way better version if this

Everywhere in the world were you go, you will find people who heard about dragon ball. I dont exagerate. I have been in europe and afrika and yes they have all heard about dragon ball.

And also dragon ball is the first anime that i have ever seen.

Akira toriyama has made a masterpiece of a manga. It is animated and was sold world wide.

If you dont know dragon ball you dont know what you are missing.

Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball shouldn't even be worth reviewing at this point. Nearly everybody is familiar with the story, the characters, the ridiculous battle scenes, the even more ridiculous haircuts. But I think there are some overlooked aspects of the series that are still worth talking about.

A favorite of mine (and many others) growing up, with hindsight it is easy to point out the flaws in Toriyama's manga. The plotting in the later volumes is the most prominent, as characters get stronger and stronger with seemingly no limit, and bad guys just keep on coming (this guy is the strongest in the universe. Wait, no I lied, THIS guy is the strongest in the universe. Now go train for a day, come back with a new technique, and kick the crap out of him.)

Alas, though these flaws are glaring, I am willing to overlook them for the sheer joy this manga has brought me over the years. Toriyama crafts an interesting world with memorable characters who the reader genuinely grows to care about. From the series' beginnings as a whimsical fantasy adventure, to its gradual shift in focus to larger-than-life martial arts battles, Toriyama has always kept a good sense of pace. It's a manga where you start reading and you just don't want to stop, regardless of how many times you've experienced the story before. And through re-reading, I've noticed several subtleties that Toriyama injects that help the series aspire to something a little deeper (for example, the complex father-son-caretaker relationshiip of Goku, Gohan and Piccolo, and the gradual, not immediate, redemption of several supposedly irredeemably evil characters).

Though the manga is not perfect by any means, and the last couple arcs produce some truly cringe-worthy moments, it never stops being enjoyable, and actually contains some deeper aspects that push it above the average shounen manga. I will be re-reading this series for the rest of my life, and each time I will enjoy it just as much as the last.