When does the story start getting serious? How serious does it actually get? I'm having trouble pushing myself through the childish action scenes early on in the story.

Its a fairly mediocre manga.. it gets kinda serious when Raditz arrives.. But even then it is super silly with people dying every arc and just getting resurrected... Most of the hype around DB is nostalgia

Last edited by kekpew at 12:09 pm, Apr 4 2015

Insulting Dragon Ball? What's wrong with you? DB is a Masterpiece.
I don't know what you men by "serious" Manga. I don't know many Fantasy Action Manga that are serious. But all around it is not a "serious" Manga in the ordinary way. It's great if you are looking for Fights and a good storyline with good art.
If you are looking for "serious" I would say stay away from the Shonen Section.

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"Spread your ear-pollution both far and wide" - Billy Squier, The Stroke.

It doesn't get serious. It's a light hearted silly comedy. That's the point.

Actually it starts out more of a straight gag manga, but turns into more of an action comedy. It's always set in a really creative universe. I think there's a lot to love about the series, not to mention it's impact on manga is really significant. I doubt we'd have any of the modern shonen action manga without it, whether good or bad. If you want to know when it gets serious, it's never too serious but it slowly heads in the action direction. DBZ started with raditz' appearance, though It shifted more towards action by the first martial arts tournament, or even more during the red ribbon army stuff. It's just really gradual.

even death is treated kind of like a joke in dragonball
just look at the new movie they made
Freiza is back from the dead

it is a fun comedy

it does become serious when Cell shows up
ppl die
and they sort of permadie
smae thing with the later arc majin bu
he kills all life on the planet
so those parts are more "mature"
but it is still a comedy at heart

I have to disagree, everything that the series had going for it came to a screeching halt and went in a completely different direction the moment Raditz showed up, and it didn't really gain it's groove back until the fourth Budokai tournament (Which then went to Hell with Kaioshin getting everyone to drop the entire event and to worry about Buu, and things becoming the same boring action that plagued the previous 150 chapters).

Still have a good 60 chapters to go until I finish this thing, and I can see why it's popular, but it goes way downhill once you get to the Zed section of the series.

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If you wanna serious manga, go read seinen not db

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MILESTONES
1st: Death Note

Why would anyone bump 5-year-old stuff? The answer is:
The King Piccolo Saga beginning in Vol 12
https://dragonball.fandom.com/wiki/King_Piccolo_Saga


There. Topic answered and OP still uses the site. Moving on.

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I also read EU/US comics and am a librarian.
Manga-Masters, My ANN-Lists + Imdb