A Japanese family came visited my house last weekend. With them was 12yr old boy. I have a huge manga collection (all inJapanese), about 2000 volumes. He asked if he could read them and I was like sure. Later, I check on him and to my surprise he’s reading the DB. Turns out he’s a big DBS fan but didn’t know DB or DBZ existed. I had copies of the whole DB series so I gave it to him. He was so happy. Seeing him reading in the corner snickering, sometimes laughing out loud brought a smile to my face.
I would say it suffers from making Goku seem to special with goku and krillin having a big increase to rival and compete with the strongest marital artist, due to having no foresight toriyama states is the strongest Martial artist without thinking that Goku in only 8 months can somewhat rival him, I'd also the training in the series was by far the worst. Training is shown to be complete and utter physical, toriyama does make it interesting with the training program, Roshi shouldn't even be considered a master since he didn't teach the 2 anything (I know that's the whole gag of the Roshi training, you expect for the student to be taught actual marital arts but this doesn't happen, what doesn't make sense that the turtle style actually has moves and techniques that krillin and Goku learned off screen), Roshi should never have been stated to be the strongest marital artist when Goku only 8 months of training can rival him, which is a perfect example of toriyama improvisation that blasts him in the face. 21st tournament Roshi should have wiped the floor with goku, it feels like toriyama can only praise Goku when he's facing off the strongest of the verse. The entire 21st tournament should have been the preliminaries and once Goku gets to the first round after barely defeating his opponent in the final he should have been defeated with little difficulty showing Goku isn't the strongest around in a nice and easy way, expect Goku almost defeated Roshi stated to be the strongest. This continues with tao being the greatest assassin only to be low diffed by Goku after training with korin for 1 week, only getting power amp as well, he didn't learn anything new or had to switch his fighting style he just became stronger and defeated tao. Then for some reason tien came by who for some reason is just stronger than tao, and the never mentioned shen. Another problem is that we don't get to see any training from Goku or anyone post roshis training it's always been off screen by toriyama for literally no reason (besides 'shock value'), which is just pure laziness. Yamcha never gets his time to shine as well as Bulma since most of the show is just pure tournament battles which leads to everyone not fighitng to be cast away, tien did nothing in the king piccolo arc to any degree of success, he did nothing in the 23rd tournament as well as krillin who at best was given a small compliment by king piccolo.
@@nani4249I am absolutely fine with Goku being special. That's kinda his whole thing in OG. Can't just take that away. Goku also overtook Roshi because he's special.
@@Xeno574 yeah but look at krillin by the time he's at the 22nd tournament he was more powerful than Roshi was back then, along with yamcha, it escalated it's power to fast with introducing Roshi as a the strongest Martial artist out there and then for krillin to press him and Goku to rival him. It's the whole point of goku's character that he is like that but not krillin's or yamcha's, who only after 4 years of training could have defeated a man in his peak who has been training for literal centuries, the power creep showed up when tao appeared and it escalated to z, by toriyama thinking only 1 chapter ahead and even sometimes not that.
@@nani4249 I kinda agree about the Krillin thing. In hindsight, it's kind of weird how Krillin had grown in strength so fast. Goku makes sense because he is a saiyan who recieved zenkai boosts from his near death experiences and is just naturally more adept to fighting due to his race being built for it. But Krillin is just a normal human and he became so strong so fast. It makes Krillin look like some Ultra prodigy, which we know he isn't.
@@jantheking7028 along with the fact that escalated that quickly when he was only 16 years old, it makes sense why he was so small in his life considering the years upon years of weight lifting when he was 12 (weight lifting doesn't really decrease height as a kid but krillin's training was definitely to intense for someone so young). Mr miyagi and roshi do get compared but I think they're completely different, miyagi focuses on technique amps and control while roshis didn't teach his students anything, if krillin and yamcha left with goku by the time the fortuneteller baba arc happened the characters would just be stronger. Then the fact Roshi "trained", in preparation for the 22nd tournament and got almost 2 time powerlevel wise stronger which makes absolutely no sense. Krillin and the human z fighters canonically have been consistently higher than the saiyans base forms ever since the Frieza arc, which makes no sense. I still stand by my point with goku needing to be defeated during the earlier rounds of the tournament with characters who would show up later, the tournament should have gone like the hunter x hunter tournament where Goku would have been dog washed by everyone there, I feel mark really praises dragon ball too much.
With retrospect, I think it's very powerful that the only two times that Goku fights out of anger or hate in the original story come at the cost of Krillin's life. Tambourine and Frieza
Krillin doesn't get nearly enough credit. The fact that he was able to keep up with a Saiyan Child as a Human Child himself is insane, considering how easily Goku stomps his first few foes. (combat ready adults)
He also kept up pretty well with Piccolo Jr, who was the 2nd strongest being on Earth at the time. Enough for Piccolo to comment how he was hard to deal with
But it's not the same piccolo he was born from his ascets or soul piccolo is different he can throw up eggs with mionis in them the demon king piccolo is stronger but if he used his full power it shortnes his life span
23:45 I JUST REALIZED!!! Roshi’s lesson for his students hinged on them losing the tournament so that they realize they must continue to grow and improve, BUT, this theme continues throughout all of DB. Goku is famous for losing almost every major fight he is in throughout DBZ. He didn’t defeat Vegeta, Ginyu, Cell, Black, Jiren, etc. Sure, he had plenty of wins (minor wins), but many victories were because he had help and he always sought to improve himself which is why he’s always training to be better (a lot of “wins” often resulted in Goku being completely beaten to a pulp, btw). Roshi’s lessons stick through the entire franchise.
@@pn2294 I agree. A perfect character can be interesting, but their drive and struggle to improve is such a huge driving force for their development and for the show as a whole.
There's only two moments in fiction that get me crying no matter how many times I see or hear them, the first is when Uncle Iroh is singing at the end of "Tales of Ba Sing Se", and the other is seeing Goku reunite with his late Grampa Gohan.
When my much younger brother told me he was a huge Dragon Ball fan I got excited and started talking about my favourite OG Dragon Ball moments. Much to my dissapoint, his statement "I've watched all of Dragon Ball" meant he only watched Z and S. He did not even know what I was talking about
@@rivershen128 I know some might say it's because Dragon Ball wasn't re-aired like DBZ was, but nowdays you surely can make the change of going on crunchyroll to watch if you really want to be Dragon Ball fan, so yeah, it's sad that the young generation state that they are tryhard fans of dbz but don't even know it's beautiful origins
Dragon ball is probably my favorite part of the series. The whole idea of a child saving the world from a demon king was so inspiring to me as a kid. The idea was definitely redone in z with gohan defeating cell. I love the Chinese art style and the use of martial arts. It was much more down to earth than z (literally). I also love the humor from og dragon ball. It’s interesting to me thinking back to how z is much more serious than dragon ball.
Fun fact! Toriyama did a quick blurb about boss rabbit and apparently he's immortal and likely just floating around space after the moon was blown up lol
@@MrHomelessHobos when gas and Goku were chasing each other throughout the universe, I swear there was a panel with boss rabbit looking on in the background. Maybe there wasn't, but I remember him being there
I knew the Grandpa Gohan part was coming and... I still cried. Everytime! I can't cry of sadness or of evil, horrible things that happen to people. But purity like this, it gets to me and chokes tear out.
Watching this series again after learning of Toriyama’s passing fills me with such somber joy. The story is genuinely outstanding and timeless. I hope he is proud of the legacy he left behind ❤
Apparently I am part of the rare 6% of your audience that is female. I guess that explains your sponsors hahaha. Keep up your reviews please Mark!! Theyre amazing ♥️
I started watching the dragon ball franchise 15 years ago from DBZ and never watched DB but just last year decided to finally read the DB manga and was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed just reading the martial arts and even the comedy of the original manga. Also the panelling was really good and made the reading experience so smooth.
The thing I like about Dragon Ball is how unique the tone of each series. They all have a very different tone that makes watching each of them a unique experience. Original dragon ball was primarily a comedy manga with an incresed focus on action as the series went on. DBZ had a very serious and action oriented tone with a large amount of deaths and heavy emotional moments. DBS is a combination of the DBZ and DB tone, incorporating many elements of comedy, but it gets serious quick when a villain shows up.
OG dragon ball has something the later iterations don't have. It has charm. I've bought the og manga and I have had a blast reading through it. Even more crazy is just how well the manga holds up. It's beautifully drawn, and the panels are super clear and easy to understand. There's some interviews with toriyama in there and he admits that he was lazy, so he didn't draw much beyond what was needed, but it gave him a distinct style that was easy to understand.
he learned to draw smarter not harder, which actually made his art better. Altough he also does it for his stories and that doesn't always go that well...
I think one of the most overlooked things about Dragon Ball is how much wisdom is hidden within the comedy. Even something seemingly silly like Krillin’s fight with Bacterian highlights what they were trying to learn from Roshi all along: Krillin’s weakness was in his mind, and that’s all he had to overcome to win. The Giran fight is the opposite of that: Giran’s weakness was his arrogance, assuming this child would go down quick, but ending up humbled in surrender. This happens all the time in Dragon Ball, where something played for laughs still encapsulates the wisdom underpinning the entire story.
Really want to appreciate this even more now with Toriyama's truly devastating passing. This amazing series that he created is one of the core foundations of my childhood and I'm completely honored and humbled that I was able to grow alongside my childhood hero, Son Goku. Thank you, Tori-Bot for this amazing story that will forever be a part of my soul. Rest In Peace.
I'll never forget my 1st time watching Dragon Ball. It was 1996 when I was stationed in Fort Brag, North Carolina. It was part of Funimations animation block with Samurai Pizza Cats and Eagle Riders( Gatchaman/Gforce). Since then I got more and more into the lore thanks to the Japanese imported games and raw manga available as low as $2 a book! I thank Dragon Ball for getting me into such a fun and exciting story that had me delve deeper into anime and manga later!
Holy crap, I’m from Fayetteville, NC. I can vouch for that Funimation block!! 1996 and watching Dragon Ball in a small town inspired me to approach life like Son-kun. Always be happy, but never be satisfied in life. Stay optimistic but always seek self improvement when life throws crazy obstacles in the way
As a Onepiece fan I always find it interesting how many story elements are lifted directly from dragonball. Onepiece really did take the best aspects of it. This is why I hate when modern anime fans hate on dragonball. It formed the base of all shonen.
@@game84cube My point exactly. It's just that the two that I've mentioned are often being ignored or forgotten when it comes to their contribution to shonen manga/anime.
54:00 This is way more iconic than Freeza's chair-thing. There are plenty other characters that fly in chair but Tao Pai Pai is the only character I've seen to traverse in such unique manner.
Yeh that was one of those moments that has you like "Omg.. Impressive af... How could a man pull off such a feat?" even tho it's a cartoon. It was basically one way of telling us that he is so strong and resouceful that physics does what he tells them to do. DB is simply better.... They lost all the nuance in the series. Imagine having Frieza turn up at the front door of someone's house, underneath the roofing, so you basically have to pass him by if you want to get out... These are things filmmakers love to include... It's like standing between someone and their escape route, in horror or irl... The guys in DBZ have forgot about time and space because the series is just a bunch of drawings and names to them now, not characters, people and places. These day it wouldn't matter even if we had personal and realistic tension between characters... Goku would teleport out of the house and make you fight him in front of a very typical, plain blue sky... -so his animators- I mean... so his people were not in danger of the cross-fire -_- (which is also boring cos now public safety is one less thing to worry about or thank the characters for maintaining. I plan on making anime that are treated like movies turned into cartoons. To pull that off I'll need to make up for the lack of eccentricity taken out of the art style. Why not just make a movie then?? Cos anime can get even better if it find the right balance between reality and crazy... Akira was amazing for this. They had world-busters in there who moments prior were making viewers cringe by stepping on glass... Just so much attention to detail has been lost. This is why I always say they should lookto DB Episodes and the movies, where battles were more grounded, gritty and personal. We still haven't even seen the best of DBZ. Remaking it should not ivolve slapping the Kai art style on recreated moments but totally redesigning everything apart from what is already great, so we can get much more character from all the same heroes, places and themes. I promise to make this my life's work. Might never happen but if it does, people won't know what hit them. DB shouldn't make a good Shonen anime, it should be an unmissable story that can rival the very best in the world.
@@Mrbread02177 Oh, I've read enough (until Punk Hazard IIRC - it was years ago after all). OP is crazy in every aspect (silly crazy like Gomu Gomu no Baka, as well as super cool crazy, like Whitebeard's lack of scars on his back for examples). DB is all serious nowadays (and when it tries to be silly, it failst almost every time).
Tien was legit the basis of piccolo and vegeta. A man with great pride burdened by his superiors who eventually is redeemed through fighting goku and becomes one of his allies (I'll always love that one cover with tien resting his arm of goku's head). He's even the starter of the evil goku trope: He's a prodigy with abnormal traits (goku wasn't considered a saiyan in og dragon ball) who eventually finds tutelage under a older mentor and befriends a smaller person also training there, only tien was lead down a dark path by shen.
Let me disagree. First of all Tien wasn't a villain of same style as Vegeta and Piccolo, those guys were killing people to achieve their goals and they did find redemption not through fight with Goku, but through meeting common enemy, Raditz for Goku and Piccolo, Freeza for Vegeta and Goku. While Tien broke some legs... Yes, Tien is burdened with pride by his masters, but it didn't stuck in his head, remember that even before meeting Goku, Tien had a good side - he cares about Chaotzu like good older brother. Also keeping his pride not as murderer, but as master of martial arts was important to his progress shown in 23 Rd tournament. After that he became just a spectator, up to one scene in Cell arc. Vegeta kept pushing himself beyond limits thanks to his pride...
@@alexzero3736 tien also kept pushing his limits, he never stopped training, the only problem is that he was ignored because of plot and for some reason he didn't think it was worth going into the time chamber.
@@ProjektTaku well, he did continue to train - yes, but at what level? The best training he got was at king Kai planet, after that he trains only with Chaotzu, who's style Tien know very good (obviously) and who is like twice weaker than Tien in base. While Vegeta opened his SSj and Piccolo kept up with Sayians... That's why I think Tien didn't not enter the Time chamber - he was not ready. Although, I agree that there is some plot, or to be more accurate - Toriyama fault, just like with Yamcha and Kuririn ( who got shine in DBS). Toriyama just kinda forgot who Tien was in original DB, and kept him around as plot device.
Yes!! He's not only the original blueprints that would be refined in Piccolo and Vegeta's characters, but I never realized how much of a foil he can be read as for Goku until you pointed it out! That's so cool! Tien is so ridiculously underrated, I love what the story did with him back here in og db
I spent about 8 month of 2021 mostly in bed trying to recover from severe heart failure. Age 27 and already battling mental health concerns. I spent a lot of time recovering and watching Dragonball again. I felt guilty. if friends or family asked how I was and how i was spending my time, i was too embarressed to tell them I absolutely love the Dragonball world and am watching it. Because well it's for kids and animated. This video gave me a lot of relief in that you can be an adult and appreciate DB of for all it's unapologetic wackiness and at it's core, a character piece about how young and naive, but special Goku, interacts with a world he doesn't understand through the only way he knows how. Thank you for putting me at ease and reminding me that being an adult doesn't mean closing your heart to whimsy and adventure.
Well, i used to have mental problems at age of 20 (second year in college). I missed whole year, i did not brash my teeth, lost some weight...(I recognizeg the problem some year later)
I’m 22 and idk where you’re from but I’m from Ireland and watching anime is literally the norm here. Even the so called popular people are big anime fans. There’s nothing to be ashamed about.
Dragon Ball is and was a masterpiece of its time. The fact that it told a consistent story without the need for insane transformations and universal-scaled powers is what always made me like it. The fact that, as a viewer, you can feel the tone shifting and almost growing with the audience is what gives it so much charm, and it really hasn't aged badly for how some of the humour is
My biggest regrets that nobody ever seems to mention are the decision to move away from the fantastical aspects of the series/ the journey to the west based inspiration, and also the loss of the adventure feeling it once had. For me that’s what makes One Piece or even something like YuYu Hakusho so great. It’s not just fight after fight in generic location.
@@jamaaldagreatest2748 It still had some sense of adventure in Z, Gohan, Krillian and Bulma all heading to Namek together trying to get the Dragon Balls and overcoming all these obstacles in their way but there was something different about it, the tone is more serious and everything had gotten a sci-fi explanation eg. why Goku has a tail, his super strength, origin, villains like Piccolo are just aliens not a demon etc,
The biggest failure in all of Z was not having Vegeta see Launch go "super saiyan" over a sneeze. Particularly before he achieved the form himself, but after seeing Trunks with it. It could've been a legendary gag, lol.
@propheinx2250 the biggest failure of Z period was cutting Launch. She was a hilarious bit that doesn't get enough credit. I'm just picturing Raditz show up on the island, she comes strolling out, sneezes and then Raditz just shits a brick
I think this is where anime like Jojo's Bizarre Adventure have an advantage over the Dragon Ball franchise, because Dragon Ball ends up relying more and more on power scaling, whereas Jojo, while it definitely has that, is more focused on the sheer variety of powers that have to be overcome, where many fights are like interesting puzzles and you don't have to worry near as much about power creep. I had no idea where you could possibly take Dragon Ball after Z, and yet they somehow managed it with Super, and now after Super when you've reached even beyond the level of gods, it's again a question of where you could possibly go from there short of essentially a power scale reset. As a writer myself, I think that, while in the short term, individual fights are harder to write in a Jojo style because you have to come up with unique gimmicks and solutions, I think it's the right way to go if you want to create a longer term story, because eventually power creep is going to destroy you if you go the Dragon Ball route.
2:23:05-2:24:26 Unfortunately, this moment is lost in the English Dub of the anime. Originally, Goku says that he'd be in trouble if Piccolo could grow even bigger. Piccolo thinks this is an opportunity and does just that, but it's all a setup for Goku to fly into Piccolo's mouth and retrieve Kami. But in the English Dub, Goku just says that Piccolo's size won't help him win the match, and Piccolo says something like "that was just a lucky throw!" before growing again.
One of my favorite reviews he has done. I love OG Dragon ball even though I started with Z first. I just can't get over how much I love kid Goku's design so much
@@kanetsugu21 he is compiling the reviews from the various videos he did last year into one video. He literally did that for GT last week. How do you not get that?
@@mandalorianhunter1 I clearly didn't know that, hence my confusion. No need to be rude with your "how do you not get that" comment. Believe it or not, but not every viewer follows youtubers like a religion.. so it's actually very reasonable to not know that. lol
@@kanetsugu21 It's funny when assholes like you come with passive aggressive comments like your original one and then get defensive when called on it. I been following Mark for years now so I really like his content and mostly puts out a video once a week. You being here means you are either subscribed or checking out his channel. If you are the former then you should know this already if you saw what last week's video was. Lol it's so funny y'all always come back with the "I don't follow TH-cam religiously" comment which is BS because he posted this early which means you were up early to click on the video and then scroll to the comments to bother someone. Please get off my post and stop being a douche.
I actually really love his Older teen design a lot too. His Piccolo Jr. Look is absolutely "I'm an adult now" while still keeping that lovable childish vibe that made Goku such an enjoyable character.
The meteor combo is one of the most underrated moves in all of dragonball. It's part of a lot of games, and when playing games like tenkaichi, my friends who havent seen dragonball treat it like a throwaway rush attack, while for me, this attack is what ended piccolo jr! Well... at least untill piccolo shot back and goku headbutted him xD
I remember watching Dragonball on cartoon network when I was a kid. I was interested in it cause I loved DBZ, and man a lot of parts in DB stays with me rent free even though its been decades since ive seen it.
This is if not one of the best videos you have ever produced, at least the most emotional I have ever seen. Today is my birthday and Goku's journey has really shaped my life. Nowadays people don't see it as much and prefer characters like Vegeta (or cool charaters) but Goku should that you should always try your best, be kind, train hard and smile even when the going gets tough. Thank you for this upload and the editors for respecting the music and source material (I grew up with the latino version) and it hit the right spot in my heart today. Cheers Mark!
Here again after the passing of Toriyama... Mark... thank you for putting all of my thoughts on Dragon Ball into words in this and in your other reviews. Truly, this show is an absolute treasure and it will never leave my heart.
Also the one thing I think this was missing was the Styles that were presented. I love how when Chi Chi was reintroduced, she was fighting within Turtle Style...as Roshi commented. Which would've been a more aggressive variation of the style with rush downs and fakes. She represents Goku without a ton of training.
That makes a lot of sense too. Ox King would have been the one to train her and he seems to favor weapons when we see him do stuff. When she's little, Chi-Chi still fights in that style but utilizes weapons to go along with them. Makes me wonder if that change to the style would hamper it further in something like the tournament.
Seeing as how most Dragon Ball media is focused on flashy transformations and power levels I forgot what made this franchise great in the first place. Watching this video made me remember what I strive to be and what my goals should be. Thank you Mark for the video and for reminding me why I love Dragon Ball. I'll proceed to take Roshi's teachings to heart and eat well, sleep well, train well, and be better tomorrow than I was Today. I hope everyone who reads this has an Amazing day.
1:43:25 I completely disagree on your view regarding how the Mafuba technique was used, and believe that you misunderstood the intention of it. Dragon Ball as a series was about constantly pushing yourself and getting stronger through hard work in order to overcome challenges and obstacles in your way. The Mafuba technique however, is something that completely goes against the ideals of the series. Rather than overcoming the challenge, you're just putting it off for later and hoping someone else can do it for you. In the end, sealing the Demon King Piccolo wasn't going to save the day, because that's just forcing the next generation to deal with your mistakes and shortcomings. And hell, that's literally what happens as a result of using the Mafuba technique to seal him away in this arc
Yamcha's early DB design was amazing, man (they all were tbh). I loved drawing him as a kid. What a shame that he became such a joke of a character as the series went on. Same goes for Tien, although to a lesser extent. Better be forgotten than constantly humilliated, I guess.
I could be wrong but I think Tien was the least liked character in Japan because he was Chinese. Yamaha and Krillin basically got forgotten although Yamaha much more
@@oldtrash108 I don't see Yamcha or Tien chopping off saiyan tails, do you? And Yajirobe survives up to the end of the Future Trunks timeline through the androids, even through the assaults of Goku Black... food for thought.
@@oldtrash108only because Yajirobe doesn't train seriously. You forget that he was strong enough to kill one of Piccolo's spawn. How did Tien and Krillin do against Piccolo spawn again? If Yajirobe weren't lazy he'd easily be the strongest human.
@@Drums_of_Liberation such a flawed logic. Krillin killed multiple Saibaman (stated to be as strong as Raditz) so by your logic Krillin would be stronger than Goku.
Man, just watching your video I laughed till I cried. When Krillin pretended to throw the rock, Goku's reaction, even the funny way they run, all of it takes me back.
9:35 check out the wiki. In an interview in the Dragon Ball: Adventure Special, Akira Toriyama states that Monster Carrot and his henchmen were drifting through space after Jackie Chun destroyed the moon. And in Draon all Super Manga on an extra page, Monster Carrot and his mob watch from the moon as Merus flies past. This indicates that eventually managed to return to the Earth's Moon which had since been restored.
Dragonball is my favourite part by far. I love the tournaments (that acually complete) and all the crazy adventures in between with each arc maturing along with Goku.
Its always an interesting re-read because I keep forgetting how Goku solves some of the situations. Like when he defeats Piccolo with all of his limbs broken.
The 23rd tenkaichi budokai truly is arguably the best arc in all of dragonball, Z, GT, or Super. It's really amazing, and the Goku vs. Piccolo Jr. fight is just incredible.
On the Ultra Divine Water plot point, I think its not as egregious as it was portrayed. Mostly because the existence of a magical water that could increase your power was the entire 'legend' behind Korin's tower and its challenge. That it turned out to be true after all only makes Goku's choice earlier on in the Red RIbbon saga feel like he's earned Korin's respect and trust in undertaking this trial by fire for the sake of saving the world, and avenging the loss of his loved ones. Had the magical water never been hinted at previously, it could be different, but as it stands, Toriyama did a bait and switch on the idea that the water didn't exist and that the challenge was what gave Goku strength, while in this instance Goku is both desperate enough and clouded by emotion that he takes this gambit that is only suggested by Korin because of Goku's previous heroics and sense of fairness.
Yeah I overall think he’s a bit too harsh towards the King Piccolo arc and think he missed or misinterpreted quite a few parts of it But hey opinions are opinions
Love this deep dive into Dragon Ball. I would love a video comparing all the tournaments across Dragon Ball, Z, and Super to point out where they were amazing or what they lacked compared to others.
I was lucky enough to watch the original DB when it aired (the uncensored version), kinda gives a lot more weight to adult Goku's strength and what it took to get there. Not to mention the gut punch when he gets the crap beaten out of him even after over a decade of training. My least favorite arc has to be the RR army, they're just non-descript villains excluding some exceptions. My favorite is probably the climb to the top of Kami's tower, that was an adventure for sure back then. I can still remember the exact time I first watched the fight between Goku and Tenshin Han at the budokai, that's some nutty nostalgia.
every time i see gokus grampa i think of my own a miss him very much, he used to watch anima with me when i was little and he was cool with Tonami, born in 1924 and lived a long time and he like all the stuff i watched including one piece, GiTS, Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo.
It has just occurred to me that Goku ends his fight with Piccolo Jr. by doing the very thing that he was constantly criticized for doing when he was younger: being headstrong and rushing in, just in a literal sense by propelling himself like a rocket to headbutt his opponent.
The original dragon ball really was one of a kind. Watching this kinda dumb but kind kid annihilate monsters and take down a massive evil army while also participating in martial arts tournaments was really fun. Just the first step in the massive legend that dragon ball would one day rise to become
I read the Dragonball manga about a year ago. Not only was it a good story, but it helped add context to a lot of Z. Raditz being stronger than King Piccolo, Krillin's death by Frieza, Gero's revenge. It also gave me insight as to who the returning characters in Z are. This truly is a masterpiece and anyone who dare call themselves a Dragonball fan must read or watch the original series to understand Goku or the others.
Awesome! Happy Thanksgiving, Mark! If anyone hasn't gotten into Dragon Ball, for sake of time, I'd previously recommend checking out your Dragon Ball 4 part series review, and then get into Dragon Ball Z , so this amazing to see. The Red Ribbon Army arc to the Freeza arc was peak Dragon Ball for me (and the reason why Dragon Ball was my favorite fictional story besides Lord of the Rings), but one of the most definitive moments is Master Roshi going under cover as Jackie Chun in the first tournament to help Goku on a humble trajectory. God bless you, and have a joy-filled week!
Honestly, it's better to just recommend the original Dragon Ball. It is shorter than Z, and if the person likes it enough to go through with it, the person WILL want to see Z.
@@RiddleSnowcraft I agree that's the best way, but I'm just thinking for people that don't have the money or a library to read it. Or if they want to get into the Japanese anime, watching Mark's videos would help. I think people will be turned off by the lack of depth of Goku's character early on, following a kid protagonist in general, and the more pervy humor. I respect the source material so I'd want to get in from the start though! A reason why I consider Spider-man the best superhero is that people can enjoy going from the 1962 Stan Lee Steve Ditko origins compared to Batman and Superman where Superman was unreadable for me due to boredom in the original 1930s comics but it picked up in the 40s (the Mr. Mxyptlzlk issue is great!) and then I lost interest. Batman is alright but doesn't really become a unique character until Robin comes in, and I still haven't finished the original Bill Finger Bob Kane run. I've tried reading and skimming through around 100 issues of Batman from the start and tried to continue because I wanted to know the original characterization since I want the most authentic versions of characters but kept loosing interest. Thanks for reading my life story analogy. haha Goku was my favorite fictional character so I'd like to recommend everyone start from the start! Hope you're having a good weekend!
I watched the videos as you released them last time, and I once again sat through the whole thing. Dragonball was truly a thing of wonder, and that little TFS section just makes me want a Dragonball Abridged.
It really is an outright shame so many Dragon Ball fans haven't witnessed that epic Roshi VS Goku battle from the first tournament arc, literally reframes Master Roshi from being the silly old geezer into a legitimate bad ass
The fact that it told a consistent story without the need for insane transformations and universal-scaled powers is what always made me like it. The fact that, as a viewer, you can feel the tone shifting and almost growing with the audience is what gives it so much charm
I was literally watching this video this morning and when I finished it 15 mins later the articles came out saying that toriyama had passed away . So sad rip you were the greatest
Good God, I had no idea how dirty later Dragonball would do Tien Tenshinhan until now. These are fights and stories within stories that actually seem to matter more than "Change color, yell harder, fire blue deathray. Win." There are actual exchanges of creative moves and counters, and it makes breaking out the dangerous mystic super-moves actually have tension instead of being mere spectacle.
RIP Akira Toriyama… words honestly can’t describe how important dragon ball is and how much impact this man has had in our lifes, with his amazing, funny and beautiful mangas and art. I could go on forever about how much I love his work and the inspiration he brought to many things we also love. Despite bad times and how sad I am mentally and other worry’s and struggles I’ve had and still deal with dragon ball was always there to be one of the things to make me better and push to keep me going, wether it was though training, incredible battles or overcoming and passing what seem to be impossible limits. I’m super grateful for the happiness he has brought to me and many other over the years. We will never forget the legacy and legends he has created. Idk where he is now but I only wish him the best, same for his family, friends, people he worked with and the community. Goodbye and Thank you… 🐉
I'm personally a fan of the early piccolo arc, finished watching the whole series a few weeks ago and it's the first and only time in the show where Goku is legitimately scared of the person he's fighting with, in his first fight with piccolo. And the Spanish dub in particular (No idea about the English one) has a very good scene where Goku has his plan laid out and is about to land his punch, but then he's caught and the music just stops dry.
One of my favorite lines from Goku as a kid was, after their training with Roshi, during the Martial Arts Tournament, after beating his opponent easily, he tells Krillin "maybe we should push back a little, we're a bit too strong" and he's done it ever since
Wonderful videos!! This one was a definite treat. I love the original Dragonball series. I just rewatched it again a few months ago so I can rewatch Z. Almost done with the buu saga but have been watching these videos instead! I love you insight and your philosophy. I cannot wait to read the manga as well! Looking forward to your super and gt review!
I'm from Denmark and grew up with the OG Dragon Ball. I cannot imagine how confusing Z would be without the amazing background. OG Dragon Ball is to this day still my favourite part of the entire Dragon Ball series, which I love very much. Amazing analysis yet again, Mark :)
It's kind of common for kids shows here to just not give context at the start of a show and just dump the viewer into a world. Early anime dubs did this a lot where they condensed or summarized early episodes so that they could jump right to the "good stuff" because they think it's too slow and kids don't care about context and worldbuilding.
I love how every time Monster Carrot is shown on screen, Calamity Ganon's theme starts up and it cracks me up every time! Also, you totally hit the nail on the head regarding Toriyama's skill at being able to draw 3D action and visuals! I've never been able to put my finger on it but that is totally why I always loved his work! Just an absolute epiphany right there!
Fun fact, in Dragon Ball Adventure on GBA, Devilman's beam doesn't instantly kills Goku but if you play as Krillin and get hit by it, you get instantly killed. Just a small detail but that stays true and actually canon since Krillin can't be on Nimbus
Watching through the original Dragonball was one of my favorite things to do. Seeing goku’s childhood before any super saiyan anything was known. Seeing him start from zero to what he is now, that was amazing
Wow......just......wow......this somehow came on autoplay (which I normally skip to choose what I want to see) and this nostalgic trip through the early years of dragonball just blew my mind! Your attention to the details - your knowing which details to hone in on - show your true fanmanship of the series and that's what made this such a joy to watch.
Hey Mark, could you ever do a possible slight look at Akira Toriyama’s Manga Theatre? I’d imagine it’s something you’ve already own if not referenced from time to time so i’d like to hear your opinion on the collection of older works he’s made before Dragon Ball.
Truly the dragon ball earth is very diverse. Like it houses humans, furries. Dinosaurs, magic, saiyans, demons, namek people, freezas, gods, etc, also the city architecture is very unique.
My journey started from DB and over the years i’ve rewatched the series multiple times. Each time transforming me back to the kid i was while watching it!
Head to keeps.com/notmark to get 50% off your first order of hair loss treatment!
I WAS JUST READING DRAGON BALL!!! Thanks, Mark!
Please review dbz next ty
Totally not mark can you make a review about Boruto manga?!
Totally not mark can you pls do a review of yu yu hakusho?
👍 👍
A Japanese family came visited my house last weekend. With them was 12yr old boy. I have a huge manga collection (all inJapanese), about 2000 volumes. He asked if he could read them and I was like sure. Later, I check on him and to my surprise he’s reading the DB. Turns out he’s a big DBS fan but didn’t know DB or DBZ existed. I had copies of the whole DB series so I gave it to him. He was so happy. Seeing him reading in the corner snickering, sometimes laughing out loud brought a smile to my face.
that's absolutely adorable.
You meant "borrowed", right??
I would never give my DB(Z) manga away, if I still had them (gave them to a cousin of mine, though) :D
God that's so weird to think there's kids who only Dragonball super
@@SeksBott69 right? I'm not even 30 but that makes me feel old
I'm barely 20 and the thought of someone who knows about DBS straight up not knowing Dragonball exists breaks my brain
The og Dragonball is ridiculously underated containing a lot of the franchise's greatest material
I would say it suffers from making Goku seem to special with goku and krillin having a big increase to rival and compete with the strongest marital artist, due to having no foresight toriyama states is the strongest Martial artist without thinking that Goku in only 8 months can somewhat rival him, I'd also the training in the series was by far the worst.
Training is shown to be complete and utter physical, toriyama does make it interesting with the training program, Roshi shouldn't even be considered a master since he didn't teach the 2 anything (I know that's the whole gag of the Roshi training, you expect for the student to be taught actual marital arts but this doesn't happen, what doesn't make sense that the turtle style actually has moves and techniques that krillin and Goku learned off screen),
Roshi should never have been stated to be the strongest marital artist when Goku only 8 months of training can rival him, which is a perfect example of toriyama improvisation that blasts him in the face.
21st tournament Roshi should have wiped the floor with goku, it feels like toriyama can only praise Goku when he's facing off the strongest of the verse.
The entire 21st tournament should have been the preliminaries and once Goku gets to the first round after barely defeating his opponent in the final he should have been defeated with little difficulty showing Goku isn't the strongest around in a nice and easy way, expect Goku almost defeated Roshi stated to be the strongest.
This continues with tao being the greatest assassin only to be low diffed by Goku after training with korin for 1 week, only getting power amp as well, he didn't learn anything new or had to switch his fighting style he just became stronger and defeated tao.
Then for some reason tien came by who for some reason is just stronger than tao, and the never mentioned shen.
Another problem is that we don't get to see any training from Goku or anyone post roshis training it's always been off screen by toriyama for literally no reason (besides 'shock value'), which is just pure laziness.
Yamcha never gets his time to shine as well as Bulma since most of the show is just pure tournament battles which leads to everyone not fighitng to be cast away, tien did nothing in the king piccolo arc to any degree of success, he did nothing in the 23rd tournament as well as krillin who at best was given a small compliment by king piccolo.
@@nani4249I am absolutely fine with Goku being special. That's kinda his whole thing in OG. Can't just take that away.
Goku also overtook Roshi because he's special.
@@Xeno574 yeah but look at krillin by the time he's at the 22nd tournament he was more powerful than Roshi was back then, along with yamcha, it escalated it's power to fast with introducing Roshi as a the strongest Martial artist out there and then for krillin to press him and Goku to rival him.
It's the whole point of goku's character that he is like that but not krillin's or yamcha's, who only after 4 years of training could have defeated a man in his peak who has been training for literal centuries, the power creep showed up when tao appeared and it escalated to z, by toriyama thinking only 1 chapter ahead and even sometimes not that.
@@nani4249 I kinda agree about the Krillin thing. In hindsight, it's kind of weird how Krillin had grown in strength so fast. Goku makes sense because he is a saiyan who recieved zenkai boosts from his near death experiences and is just naturally more adept to fighting due to his race being built for it. But Krillin is just a normal human and he became so strong so fast. It makes Krillin look like some Ultra prodigy, which we know he isn't.
@@jantheking7028 along with the fact that escalated that quickly when he was only 16 years old, it makes sense why he was so small in his life considering the years upon years of weight lifting when he was 12 (weight lifting doesn't really decrease height as a kid but krillin's training was definitely to intense for someone so young).
Mr miyagi and roshi do get compared but I think they're completely different, miyagi focuses on technique amps and control while roshis didn't teach his students anything, if krillin and yamcha left with goku by the time the fortuneteller baba arc happened the characters would just be stronger.
Then the fact Roshi "trained", in preparation for the 22nd tournament and got almost 2 time powerlevel wise stronger which makes absolutely no sense.
Krillin and the human z fighters canonically have been consistently higher than the saiyans base forms ever since the Frieza arc, which makes no sense.
I still stand by my point with goku needing to be defeated during the earlier rounds of the tournament with characters who would show up later, the tournament should have gone like the hunter x hunter tournament where Goku would have been dog washed by everyone there, I feel mark really praises dragon ball too much.
With retrospect, I think it's very powerful that the only two times that Goku fights out of anger or hate in the original story come at the cost of Krillin's life. Tambourine and Frieza
It's a very relatable sentiment.
not sure if you watch super, but they did the same thing when Zamasu brags about killing Chichi and Goten
@@jourdansarpy4935 did you think he wouldnt react that way? Goku would look so stupid if he didnt
He 100% fights zamasu out of anger
Beerus too. With his famous "I won't let you destroy my world" line
@@jourdansarpy4935 he said original story.
Krillin doesn't get nearly enough credit. The fact that he was able to keep up with a Saiyan Child as a Human Child himself is insane, considering how easily Goku stomps his first few foes. (combat ready adults)
That child had a power level of 2. If it was Vegeta or even Raditz, he'd have destroyed Krillin's life.
@@Shubham-qm3zu What about Nappa?
@@Renji9031 I can't name every saiyan child born with kakarot here. Just assume everyone else's name.
He also kept up pretty well with Piccolo Jr, who was the 2nd strongest being on Earth at the time. Enough for Piccolo to comment how he was hard to deal with
@@Alienldr That was when he grew up. I am talking about the time when they first met and trained with Roshi.
Having Vegita cover up Bulma's nudity as a censor was a stroke of genius. Great job Editor!
Gives me a lot of "DON'T SHOW YOUR KIDS THAT" from Robbie Rotten vibes.
Just making sure his future wife is safe
And continuing that, Lazuli covers up Krillin’s butt when he farts on Bacterium
There's no way little Goku would have ever guessed that King Piccolos son would one day be babysitting his own granddaughter. 😂😂
I don't think anyone did.
And training his own son for a year
Piccolo practically raised Goku's own son lmao
But it's not the same piccolo he was born from his ascets or soul piccolo is different he can throw up eggs with mionis in them the demon king piccolo is stronger but if he used his full power it shortnes his life span
Not like Toriyama ever thought it would get that far!
23:45 I JUST REALIZED!!! Roshi’s lesson for his students hinged on them losing the tournament so that they realize they must continue to grow and improve, BUT, this theme continues throughout all of DB. Goku is famous for losing almost every major fight he is in throughout DBZ. He didn’t defeat Vegeta, Ginyu, Cell, Black, Jiren, etc. Sure, he had plenty of wins (minor wins), but many victories were because he had help and he always sought to improve himself which is why he’s always training to be better (a lot of “wins” often resulted in Goku being completely beaten to a pulp, btw). Roshi’s lessons stick through the entire franchise.
Didn't beat Beerus for sure
Which is why it’s annoying when people complain about Vegeta being weaker than Goku
@@rexdawn7 Oh yeah lol slipped my mind.
@@pn2294 I agree. A perfect character can be interesting, but their drive and struggle to improve is such a huge driving force for their development and for the show as a whole.
wait what bout frieza
There's only two moments in fiction that get me crying no matter how many times I see or hear them, the first is when Uncle Iroh is singing at the end of "Tales of Ba Sing Se", and the other is seeing Goku reunite with his late Grampa Gohan.
God this is incredibly real
Why did you had to remember me of tales of ba sing se , now im crying again
leaves from the vine
@@baaa838falling so slow
Or goku telling Upa, he'll bring his dad back
The fact that you got Team Four Star to voice that Popo scene was beautiful. 😭❤️ Thank you for that!
Ong I needed that 😂
A sign of things to come
@@ComicWriter-ml3qt you have to respect the peck order
@@betochiwasit goes you, the dirt, the worms in the dirt, kami... Then popo 🙂
Hiiiiiiii.....
Who else is rewatching this series in commemoration to Akira Toriyama?
✋Right here friend, rip Akira Toriyama you will be missed
year of the dragon gained its king, snake way has a new challenger running down it 🕊️
I’ll be reading the entire manga then binging the show after. Ironically, I was planning to do that in the near future anyway.
I'm rereading the manga and watching Mark's videos after each storyline.
I also started reading the manga due to Akira Toriyama’s passing. I’m up to the Z portion. I loved the OG Dragonball manga. :)
It amazes me that a lot of Dragonball Z & Super fans have not read or watched the original Dragonball, it was such a masterpiece
When my much younger brother told me he was a huge Dragon Ball fan I got excited and started talking about my favourite OG Dragon Ball moments. Much to my dissapoint, his statement "I've watched all of Dragon Ball" meant he only watched Z and S. He did not even know what I was talking about
@@rivershen128 I know some might say it's because Dragon Ball wasn't re-aired like DBZ was, but nowdays you surely can make the change of going on crunchyroll to watch if you really want to be Dragon Ball fan, so yeah, it's sad that the young generation state that they are tryhard fans of dbz but don't even know it's beautiful origins
Dragon ball is probably my favorite part of the series. The whole idea of a child saving the world from a demon king was so inspiring to me as a kid. The idea was definitely redone in z with gohan defeating cell. I love the Chinese art style and the use of martial arts. It was much more down to earth than z (literally). I also love the humor from og dragon ball. It’s interesting to me thinking back to how z is much more serious than dragon ball.
Fun fact! Toriyama did a quick blurb about boss rabbit and apparently he's immortal and likely just floating around space after the moon was blown up lol
Didn't he make an appearance or two in the Granolah arc? I totally recall seeing him there.
@@greninjasn what are you talking about
@@MrHomelessHobos when gas and Goku were chasing each other throughout the universe, I swear there was a panel with boss rabbit looking on in the background. Maybe there wasn't, but I remember him being there
@@greninjasn gas and goku chasing each other throughout the universe? You’re trolling.
@@greninjasn I think it was merus in the galactic patrol arc
I knew the Grandpa Gohan part was coming and... I still cried. Everytime! I can't cry of sadness or of evil, horrible things that happen to people. But purity like this, it gets to me and chokes tear out.
Don't watch Naruto, one piece or any other anime, if you cry during that moment which is actually good you'll actually die
That’s actually something I’ve never thought about but react in the same way.
There’s just something so endearing about purity
@@thecapn3560 there is, keep it in mind always 🙂
If I where to recomend a version of it, watch the Latin spanish dub version of it, the voice actress nails that moment
@@andrewsd.r.7180 I'm looking for it but can't seem to find it. Any tips on how to search for it, like some spanish words would help.
Watching this series again after learning of Toriyama’s passing fills me with such somber joy. The story is genuinely outstanding and timeless. I hope he is proud of the legacy he left behind ❤
In toriyama’s honor, I’m currently rewatching the whole series lmao, it just feels different without toriyama in the world
He changed the world of anime/manga bro. He's left an outstanding legacy 🙏
I cry 😭
Apparently I am part of the rare 6% of your audience that is female. I guess that explains your sponsors hahaha. Keep up your reviews please Mark!! Theyre amazing ♥️
Makes me wonder why that is the case. I guess that Dragon Ball appeals more to males?
@@damsen978Shonen manga is written to appeal to teenage boys in particular. Hence the largely male audience. Many of us guys grew up with Dragonball.
I started watching the dragon ball franchise 15 years ago from DBZ and never watched DB but just last year decided to finally read the DB manga and was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed just reading the martial arts and even the comedy of the original manga. Also the panelling was really good and made the reading experience so smooth.
Super agree. Nothing makes me laugh as hard as Goku punching Yamcha so hard in the face he bounces off and shatters the paneling.
W pfp
The thing I like about Dragon Ball is how unique the tone of each series. They all have a very different tone that makes watching each of them a unique experience. Original dragon ball was primarily a comedy manga with an incresed focus on action as the series went on. DBZ had a very serious and action oriented tone with a large amount of deaths and heavy emotional moments. DBS is a combination of the DBZ and DB tone, incorporating many elements of comedy, but it gets serious quick when a villain shows up.
Watch it.
I will FOREVER respect TNM for reuniting TFS for one final scene, regardless of how short is was!
Time Stamp for the scene?
@@mfrebel7831 1:55:35 ish start
@@JuFated God bless you
Wdym reuniting? there still making videos
properly establishing the PECKING ORDER
OG dragon ball has something the later iterations don't have. It has charm.
I've bought the og manga and I have had a blast reading through it. Even more crazy is just how well the manga holds up. It's beautifully drawn, and the panels are super clear and easy to understand.
There's some interviews with toriyama in there and he admits that he was lazy, so he didn't draw much beyond what was needed, but it gave him a distinct style that was easy to understand.
Charm and substance go a long way. Chacterization and very personal stories will always be the best.
he learned to draw smarter not harder, which actually made his art better. Altough he also does it for his stories and that doesn't always go that well...
I think one of the most overlooked things about Dragon Ball is how much wisdom is hidden within the comedy. Even something seemingly silly like Krillin’s fight with Bacterian highlights what they were trying to learn from Roshi all along: Krillin’s weakness was in his mind, and that’s all he had to overcome to win. The Giran fight is the opposite of that: Giran’s weakness was his arrogance, assuming this child would go down quick, but ending up humbled in surrender. This happens all the time in Dragon Ball, where something played for laughs still encapsulates the wisdom underpinning the entire story.
Really want to appreciate this even more now with Toriyama's truly devastating passing. This amazing series that he created is one of the core foundations of my childhood and I'm completely honored and humbled that I was able to grow alongside my childhood hero, Son Goku. Thank you, Tori-Bot for this amazing story that will forever be a part of my soul. Rest In Peace.
Having Vegeta being the censor for the Bulma scenes was perfect
I'll never forget my 1st time watching Dragon Ball. It was 1996 when I was stationed in Fort Brag, North Carolina. It was part of Funimations animation block with Samurai Pizza Cats and Eagle Riders( Gatchaman/Gforce). Since then I got more and more into the lore thanks to the Japanese imported games and raw manga available as low as $2 a book! I thank Dragon Ball for getting me into such a fun and exciting story that had me delve deeper into anime and manga later!
Holy crap, I’m from Fayetteville, NC. I can vouch for that Funimation block!! 1996 and watching Dragon Ball in a small town inspired me to approach life like Son-kun. Always be happy, but never be satisfied in life. Stay optimistic but always seek self improvement when life throws crazy obstacles in the way
As a Onepiece fan I always find it interesting how many story elements are lifted directly from dragonball. Onepiece really did take the best aspects of it. This is why I hate when modern anime fans hate on dragonball. It formed the base of all shonen.
Not even just that, it was a genuinely great piece of storytelling
Hey now, Kinnikuman is the pioneer of Shonen anime tropes. Dragon Ball just perfected them
@@game84cubeSaint Seiya and Hokuto no Ken should also be given credit
@jesseowenvillamor6348 hey, there can be more than one grandparent
@@game84cube My point exactly. It's just that the two that I've mentioned are often being ignored or forgotten when it comes to their contribution to shonen manga/anime.
watching this after hearing about Toriyama's passing... Thank you for creating such in depth reviews for this series.
54:00 This is way more iconic than Freeza's chair-thing. There are plenty other characters that fly in chair but Tao Pai Pai is the only character I've seen to traverse in such unique manner.
Yeh that was one of those moments that has you like "Omg.. Impressive af... How could a man pull off such a feat?" even tho it's a cartoon. It was basically one way of telling us that he is so strong and resouceful that physics does what he tells them to do.
DB is simply better.... They lost all the nuance in the series. Imagine having Frieza turn up at the front door of someone's house, underneath the roofing, so you basically have to pass him by if you want to get out... These are things filmmakers love to include... It's like standing between someone and their escape route, in horror or irl... The guys in DBZ have forgot about time and space because the series is just a bunch of drawings and names to them now, not characters, people and places. These day it wouldn't matter even if we had personal and realistic tension between characters... Goku would teleport out of the house and make you fight him in front of a very typical, plain blue sky... -so his animators- I mean... so his people were not in danger of the cross-fire -_- (which is also boring cos now public safety is one less thing to worry about or thank the characters for maintaining.
I plan on making anime that are treated like movies turned into cartoons. To pull that off I'll need to make up for the lack of eccentricity taken out of the art style. Why not just make a movie then?? Cos anime can get even better if it find the right balance between reality and crazy... Akira was amazing for this. They had world-busters in there who moments prior were making viewers cringe by stepping on glass...
Just so much attention to detail has been lost. This is why I always say they should lookto DB Episodes and the movies, where battles were more grounded, gritty and personal.
We still haven't even seen the best of DBZ. Remaking it should not ivolve slapping the Kai art style on recreated moments but totally redesigning everything apart from what is already great, so we can get much more character from all the same heroes, places and themes. I promise to make this my life's work. Might never happen but if it does, people won't know what hit them. DB shouldn't make a good Shonen anime, it should be an unmissable story that can rival the very best in the world.
Until BotW speedrunners at least XD
that’s how a fighter casts teleport
If you think that's impressive, try reading one piece
@@Mrbread02177 Oh, I've read enough (until Punk Hazard IIRC - it was years ago after all). OP is crazy in every aspect (silly crazy like Gomu Gomu no Baka, as well as super cool crazy, like Whitebeard's lack of scars on his back for examples).
DB is all serious nowadays (and when it tries to be silly, it failst almost every time).
Tien was legit the basis of piccolo and vegeta.
A man with great pride burdened by his superiors who eventually is redeemed through fighting goku and becomes one of his allies (I'll always love that one cover with tien resting his arm of goku's head).
He's even the starter of the evil goku trope:
He's a prodigy with abnormal traits (goku wasn't considered a saiyan in og dragon ball) who eventually finds tutelage under a older mentor and befriends a smaller person also training there, only tien was lead down a dark path by shen.
Let me disagree. First of all Tien wasn't a villain of same style as Vegeta and Piccolo, those guys were killing people to achieve their goals and they did find redemption not through fight with Goku, but through meeting common enemy, Raditz for Goku and Piccolo, Freeza for Vegeta and Goku. While Tien broke some legs... Yes, Tien is burdened with pride by his masters, but it didn't stuck in his head, remember that even before meeting Goku, Tien had a good side - he cares about Chaotzu like good older brother. Also keeping his pride not as murderer, but as master of martial arts was important to his progress shown in 23 Rd tournament. After that he became just a spectator, up to one scene in Cell arc. Vegeta kept pushing himself beyond limits thanks to his pride...
@@alexzero3736 tien also kept pushing his limits, he never stopped training, the only problem is that he was ignored because of plot and for some reason he didn't think it was worth going into the time chamber.
@@ProjektTaku well, he did continue to train - yes, but at what level? The best training he got was at king Kai planet, after that he trains only with Chaotzu, who's style Tien know very good (obviously) and who is like twice weaker than Tien in base. While Vegeta opened his SSj and Piccolo kept up with Sayians... That's why I think Tien didn't not enter the Time chamber - he was not ready. Although, I agree that there is some plot, or to be more accurate - Toriyama fault, just like with Yamcha and Kuririn ( who got shine in DBS). Toriyama just kinda forgot who Tien was in original DB, and kept him around as plot device.
Yes!! He's not only the original blueprints that would be refined in Piccolo and Vegeta's characters, but I never realized how much of a foil he can be read as for Goku until you pointed it out! That's so cool! Tien is so ridiculously underrated, I love what the story did with him back here in og db
@@bananasinfrench yeah, wish my boy got some spotlight once in a while.
I spent about 8 month of 2021 mostly in bed trying to recover from severe heart failure. Age 27 and already battling mental health concerns. I spent a lot of time recovering and watching Dragonball again. I felt guilty. if friends or family asked how I was and how i was spending my time, i was too embarressed to tell them I absolutely love the Dragonball world and am watching it. Because well it's for kids and animated. This video gave me a lot of relief in that you can be an adult and appreciate DB of for all it's unapologetic wackiness and at it's core, a character piece about how young and naive, but special Goku, interacts with a world he doesn't understand through the only way he knows how. Thank you for putting me at ease and reminding me that being an adult doesn't mean closing your heart to whimsy and adventure.
Well said!! Happy and proud of ya.
Well, i used to have mental problems at age of 20 (second year in college). I missed whole year, i did not brash my teeth, lost some weight...(I recognizeg the problem some year later)
dont be bad for watching shows that are made "for kids and animated"
dont be one of these people who think adults only have to watch "adult shows"
If it makes you happy then who cares. Truly life is too short to not enjoy what you enjoy.
I’m 22 and idk where you’re from but I’m from Ireland and watching anime is literally the norm here. Even the so called popular people are big anime fans. There’s nothing to be ashamed about.
Dragon Ball is and was a masterpiece of its time. The fact that it told a consistent story without the need for insane transformations and universal-scaled powers is what always made me like it. The fact that, as a viewer, you can feel the tone shifting and almost growing with the audience is what gives it so much charm, and it really hasn't aged badly for how some of the humour is
My biggest regrets that nobody ever seems to mention are the decision to move away from the fantastical aspects of the series/ the journey to the west based inspiration, and also the loss of the adventure feeling it once had. For me that’s what makes One Piece or even something like YuYu Hakusho so great. It’s not just fight after fight in generic location.
@@jamaaldagreatest2748 It still had some sense of adventure in Z, Gohan, Krillian and Bulma all heading to Namek together trying to get the Dragon Balls and overcoming all these obstacles in their way but there was something different about it, the tone is more serious and everything had gotten a sci-fi explanation eg. why Goku has a tail, his super strength, origin, villains like Piccolo are just aliens not a demon etc,
The biggest failure in all of Z was not having Vegeta see Launch go "super saiyan" over a sneeze. Particularly before he achieved the form himself, but after seeing Trunks with it. It could've been a legendary gag, lol.
@propheinx2250 the biggest failure of Z period was cutting Launch. She was a hilarious bit that doesn't get enough credit. I'm just picturing Raditz show up on the island, she comes strolling out, sneezes and then Raditz just shits a brick
I think this is where anime like Jojo's Bizarre Adventure have an advantage over the Dragon Ball franchise, because Dragon Ball ends up relying more and more on power scaling, whereas Jojo, while it definitely has that, is more focused on the sheer variety of powers that have to be overcome, where many fights are like interesting puzzles and you don't have to worry near as much about power creep. I had no idea where you could possibly take Dragon Ball after Z, and yet they somehow managed it with Super, and now after Super when you've reached even beyond the level of gods, it's again a question of where you could possibly go from there short of essentially a power scale reset. As a writer myself, I think that, while in the short term, individual fights are harder to write in a Jojo style because you have to come up with unique gimmicks and solutions, I think it's the right way to go if you want to create a longer term story, because eventually power creep is going to destroy you if you go the Dragon Ball route.
1:33:50
Turning krillins death into an analog horror actually gave me chills
I thought it was just nostalgic remembrance
2:23:05-2:24:26 Unfortunately, this moment is lost in the English Dub of the anime. Originally, Goku says that he'd be in trouble if Piccolo could grow even bigger. Piccolo thinks this is an opportunity and does just that, but it's all a setup for Goku to fly into Piccolo's mouth and retrieve Kami. But in the English Dub, Goku just says that Piccolo's size won't help him win the match, and Piccolo says something like "that was just a lucky throw!" before growing again.
and that’s why I read
One of my favorite reviews he has done. I love OG Dragon ball even though I started with Z first.
I just can't get over how much I love kid Goku's design so much
How did you watch a 2 hour review in 2 minutes?
@@kanetsugu21 he is compiling the reviews from the various videos he did last year into one video. He literally did that for GT last week. How do you not get that?
@@mandalorianhunter1 I clearly didn't know that, hence my confusion. No need to be rude with your "how do you not get that" comment. Believe it or not, but not every viewer follows youtubers like a religion.. so it's actually very reasonable to not know that. lol
@@kanetsugu21 It's funny when assholes like you come with passive aggressive comments like your original one and then get defensive when called on it.
I been following Mark for years now so I really like his content and mostly puts out a video once a week. You being here means you are either subscribed or checking out his channel. If you are the former then you should know this already if you saw what last week's video was.
Lol it's so funny y'all always come back with the "I don't follow TH-cam religiously" comment which is BS because he posted this early which means you were up early to click on the video and then scroll to the comments to bother someone.
Please get off my post and stop being a douche.
I actually really love his Older teen design a lot too. His Piccolo Jr. Look is absolutely "I'm an adult now" while still keeping that lovable childish vibe that made Goku such an enjoyable character.
The meteor combo is one of the most underrated moves in all of dragonball. It's part of a lot of games, and when playing games like tenkaichi, my friends who havent seen dragonball treat it like a throwaway rush attack, while for me, this attack is what ended piccolo jr!
Well... at least untill piccolo shot back and goku headbutted him xD
It's one of my favorite moves in the series.
I remember watching Dragonball on cartoon network when I was a kid. I was interested in it cause I loved DBZ, and man a lot of parts in DB stays with me rent free even though its been decades since ive seen it.
Same, some iconic scenes just pop up in my head randomly
I was watching this just yesterday, using it as a podcast for work. Who could have said that the next I would wake up to such tragic news...
Gotta say I also LOVE the Grandpa Gohan scene. I always found it a bummer we didn't get more chance for that in Z with all the dying and what not.
This is if not one of the best videos you have ever produced, at least the most emotional I have ever seen. Today is my birthday and Goku's journey has really shaped my life. Nowadays people don't see it as much and prefer characters like Vegeta (or cool charaters) but Goku should that you should always try your best, be kind, train hard and smile even when the going gets tough. Thank you for this upload and the editors for respecting the music and source material (I grew up with the latino version) and it hit the right spot in my heart today. Cheers Mark!
Happy Birthday! Glad Goku was so influential on you. Hope you have a good weekend full of smiles.
Love you mark! So respectful while being critical. A true fan
Facts
Facts
Here again after the passing of Toriyama... Mark... thank you for putting all of my thoughts on Dragon Ball into words in this and in your other reviews. Truly, this show is an absolute treasure and it will never leave my heart.
Also the one thing I think this was missing was the Styles that were presented.
I love how when Chi Chi was reintroduced, she was fighting within Turtle Style...as Roshi commented.
Which would've been a more aggressive variation of the style with rush downs and fakes. She represents Goku without a ton of training.
That makes a lot of sense too. Ox King would have been the one to train her and he seems to favor weapons when we see him do stuff. When she's little, Chi-Chi still fights in that style but utilizes weapons to go along with them. Makes me wonder if that change to the style would hamper it further in something like the tournament.
Seeing as how most Dragon Ball media is focused on flashy transformations and power levels I forgot what made this franchise great in the first place. Watching this video made me remember what I strive to be and what my goals should be. Thank you Mark for the video and for reminding me why I love Dragon Ball. I'll proceed to take Roshi's teachings to heart and eat well, sleep well, train well, and be better tomorrow than I was Today. I hope everyone who reads this has an Amazing day.
yawn get on with the fights in dragon ball already.
1:43:25 I completely disagree on your view regarding how the Mafuba technique was used, and believe that you misunderstood the intention of it. Dragon Ball as a series was about constantly pushing yourself and getting stronger through hard work in order to overcome challenges and obstacles in your way. The Mafuba technique however, is something that completely goes against the ideals of the series. Rather than overcoming the challenge, you're just putting it off for later and hoping someone else can do it for you. In the end, sealing the Demon King Piccolo wasn't going to save the day, because that's just forcing the next generation to deal with your mistakes and shortcomings. And hell, that's literally what happens as a result of using the Mafuba technique to seal him away in this arc
Yamcha's early DB design was amazing, man (they all were tbh). I loved drawing him as a kid. What a shame that he became such a joke of a character as the series went on. Same goes for Tien, although to a lesser extent. Better be forgotten than constantly humilliated, I guess.
I could be wrong but I think Tien was the least liked character in Japan because he was Chinese. Yamaha and Krillin basically got forgotten although Yamaha much more
Yajirobe's conveniently capable feats can easily be explained, once you accept that he is and has always been the strongest human.
One of the strongest but definitely not THE strongest
@@oldtrash108 I don't see Yamcha or Tien chopping off saiyan tails, do you? And Yajirobe survives up to the end of the Future Trunks timeline through the androids, even through the assaults of Goku Black... food for thought.
@@GUNDAMURX73 I don't see Yajirobe in the tournament of power. both Tien and Krillin would no-diff him
@@oldtrash108only because Yajirobe doesn't train seriously. You forget that he was strong enough to kill one of Piccolo's spawn. How did Tien and Krillin do against Piccolo spawn again? If Yajirobe weren't lazy he'd easily be the strongest human.
@@Drums_of_Liberation such a flawed logic. Krillin killed multiple Saibaman (stated to be as strong as Raditz) so by your logic Krillin would be stronger than Goku.
Man, just watching your video I laughed till I cried. When Krillin pretended to throw the rock, Goku's reaction, even the funny way they run, all of it takes me back.
9:35 check out the wiki. In an interview in the Dragon Ball: Adventure Special, Akira Toriyama states that Monster Carrot and his henchmen were drifting through space after Jackie Chun destroyed the moon. And in Draon all Super Manga on an extra page, Monster Carrot and his mob watch from the moon as Merus flies past. This indicates that eventually managed to return to the Earth's Moon which had since been restored.
Glad to see your King Piccolo review again after it had been in limbo since the Toei incident
Dragonball is my favourite part by far. I love the tournaments (that acually complete) and all the crazy adventures in between with each arc maturing along with Goku.
Its always an interesting re-read because I keep forgetting how Goku solves some of the situations. Like when he defeats Piccolo with all of his limbs broken.
57:32 “scary for any sane human, sure…”
But he’s Goku. He’s insane. From Earth.
The 23rd tenkaichi budokai truly is arguably the best arc in all of dragonball, Z, GT, or Super. It's really amazing, and the Goku vs. Piccolo Jr. fight is just incredible.
I loved the Tien/Goku fight in that tourney too. Seeing him semi-grown up dancing around the guy who he lost to previously was so hype
On the Ultra Divine Water plot point, I think its not as egregious as it was portrayed. Mostly because the existence of a magical water that could increase your power was the entire 'legend' behind Korin's tower and its challenge. That it turned out to be true after all only makes Goku's choice earlier on in the Red RIbbon saga feel like he's earned Korin's respect and trust in undertaking this trial by fire for the sake of saving the world, and avenging the loss of his loved ones. Had the magical water never been hinted at previously, it could be different, but as it stands, Toriyama did a bait and switch on the idea that the water didn't exist and that the challenge was what gave Goku strength, while in this instance Goku is both desperate enough and clouded by emotion that he takes this gambit that is only suggested by Korin because of Goku's previous heroics and sense of fairness.
Who would've thought that the key to the universe's ultimate power was here on earth with the universe's weakest members?
Yeah I overall think he’s a bit too harsh towards the King Piccolo arc and think he missed or misinterpreted quite a few parts of it
But hey opinions are opinions
Love this deep dive into Dragon Ball. I would love a video comparing all the tournaments across Dragon Ball, Z, and Super to point out where they were amazing or what they lacked compared to others.
Dragon ball was my childhood and my introduction to anime I’ll always have love for it
Three things that made me shed a tear in life: Grave of fireflies, Goku meeting his Grandpa, and Goku seeing Android 8 die.
This retrospective, along with the ones for DBZ, GT, and Super, hits way different knowing Toriyama is no longer with us, R.I.P. Akira Toriyama
2.5 hours Mark?? Total madman, can't wait to enjoy it all
oh fancy. Thank you mark for this video!
Downloaded so I don't have to worry about losing it, love falling asleep to this series.
I was lucky enough to watch the original DB when it aired (the uncensored version), kinda gives a lot more weight to adult Goku's strength and what it took to get there. Not to mention the gut punch when he gets the crap beaten out of him even after over a decade of training. My least favorite arc has to be the RR army, they're just non-descript villains excluding some exceptions. My favorite is probably the climb to the top of Kami's tower, that was an adventure for sure back then. I can still remember the exact time I first watched the fight between Goku and Tenshin Han at the budokai, that's some nutty nostalgia.
every time i see gokus grampa i think of my own a miss him very much, he used to watch anima with me when i was little and he was cool with Tonami, born in 1924 and lived a long time and he like all the stuff i watched including one piece, GiTS, Cowboy Bebop, Samurai Champloo.
It has just occurred to me that Goku ends his fight with Piccolo Jr. by doing the very thing that he was constantly criticized for doing when he was younger: being headstrong and rushing in, just in a literal sense by propelling himself like a rocket to headbutt his opponent.
If not for the efforts of the original, DBZ wouldn't even have happened. It's truly an amazing story, so sad most people skip it :(
The original dragon ball really was one of a kind. Watching this kinda dumb but kind kid annihilate monsters and take down a massive evil army while also participating in martial arts tournaments was really fun. Just the first step in the massive legend that dragon ball would one day rise to become
Roshi telling Krillin that he "may never see a fight like this again" hits a little different after everything they both see during Super
I'm 38 and this video hit me hard with nostalgia. Thank you so so much!
So you're as old a Dragon Ball?
I read the Dragonball manga about a year ago. Not only was it a good story, but it helped add context to a lot of Z. Raditz being stronger than King Piccolo, Krillin's death by Frieza, Gero's revenge. It also gave me insight as to who the returning characters in Z are. This truly is a masterpiece and anyone who dare call themselves a Dragonball fan must read or watch the original series to understand Goku or the others.
Awesome! Happy Thanksgiving, Mark! If anyone hasn't gotten into Dragon Ball, for sake of time, I'd previously recommend checking out your Dragon Ball 4 part series review, and then get into Dragon Ball Z , so this amazing to see.
The Red Ribbon Army arc to the Freeza arc was peak Dragon Ball for me (and the reason why Dragon Ball was my favorite fictional story besides Lord of the Rings), but one of the most definitive moments is Master Roshi going under cover as Jackie Chun in the first tournament to help Goku on a humble trajectory.
God bless you, and have a joy-filled week!
Honestly, it's better to just recommend the original Dragon Ball. It is shorter than Z, and if the person likes it enough to go through with it, the person WILL want to see Z.
@@RiddleSnowcraft I agree that's the best way, but I'm just thinking for people that don't have the money or a library to read it.
Or if they want to get into the Japanese anime, watching Mark's videos would help. I think people will be turned off by the lack of depth of Goku's character early on, following a kid protagonist in general, and the more pervy humor.
I respect the source material so I'd want to get in from the start though!
A reason why I consider Spider-man the best superhero is that people can enjoy going from the 1962 Stan Lee Steve Ditko origins compared to Batman and Superman where Superman was unreadable for me due to boredom in the original 1930s comics but it picked up in the 40s (the Mr. Mxyptlzlk issue is great!) and then I lost interest.
Batman is alright but doesn't really become a unique character until Robin comes in, and I still haven't finished the original Bill Finger Bob Kane run.
I've tried reading and skimming through around 100 issues of Batman from the start and tried to continue because I wanted to know the original characterization since I want the most authentic versions of characters but kept loosing interest.
Thanks for reading my life story analogy. haha
Goku was my favorite fictional character so I'd like to recommend everyone start from the start!
Hope you're having a good weekend!
R.I.P AKIRA TORIYAMA
Awesome! I'd been waiting to see the blocked King Piccolo video you included here for ages!
I watched the videos as you released them last time, and I once again sat through the whole thing. Dragonball was truly a thing of wonder, and that little TFS section just makes me want a Dragonball Abridged.
It really is an outright shame so many Dragon Ball fans haven't witnessed that epic Roshi VS Goku battle from the first tournament arc, literally reframes Master Roshi from being the silly old geezer into a legitimate bad ass
The fact that it told a consistent story without the need for insane transformations and universal-scaled powers is what always made me like it. The fact that, as a viewer, you can feel the tone shifting and almost growing with the audience is what gives it so much charm
I was literally watching this video this morning and when I finished it 15 mins later the articles came out saying that toriyama had passed away . So sad rip you were the greatest
Good God, I had no idea how dirty later Dragonball would do Tien Tenshinhan until now.
These are fights and stories within stories that actually seem to matter more than "Change color, yell harder, fire blue deathray. Win." There are actual exchanges of creative moves and counters, and it makes breaking out the dangerous mystic super-moves actually have tension instead of being mere spectacle.
I just finished watching the original Dragon ball and ordered the Kanzenban Manga 😭best timing! I love you Mark!!!
I was missing the king piccolo part. Thank you Mark.
You are amazing.
I listened this 2 hour long reveiw, and this worth your time, thank you!
RIP Akira Toriyama… words honestly can’t describe how important dragon ball is and how much impact this man has had in our lifes, with his amazing, funny and beautiful mangas and art. I could go on forever about how much I love his work and the inspiration he brought to many things we also love. Despite bad times and how sad I am mentally and other worry’s and struggles I’ve had and still deal with dragon ball was always there to be one of the things to make me better and push to keep me going, wether it was though training, incredible battles or overcoming and passing what seem to be impossible limits. I’m super grateful for the happiness he has brought to me and many other over the years. We will never forget the legacy and legends he has created. Idk where he is now but I only wish him the best, same for his family, friends, people he worked with and the community. Goodbye and Thank you… 🐉
I'm personally a fan of the early piccolo arc, finished watching the whole series a few weeks ago and it's the first and only time in the show where Goku is legitimately scared of the person he's fighting with, in his first fight with piccolo. And the Spanish dub in particular (No idea about the English one) has a very good scene where Goku has his plan laid out and is about to land his punch, but then he's caught and the music just stops dry.
One of my favorite lines from Goku as a kid was, after their training with Roshi, during the Martial Arts Tournament, after beating his opponent easily, he tells Krillin "maybe we should push back a little, we're a bit too strong" and he's done it ever since
LOVE the Chrono Trigger music used in places, another fine example of Akira's work.
he only did the characters design but man it did made the game feel more special than it already is
@@multigaming4219 yeah i was referring to the nostalgia it gave me, Crono is SS4 Gogeta 😂
@@TheAuron32 chrono looks more like tapion with goku’s hair while lucca and Marle are literally bulmas💀
@@multigaming4219 ooh good comparisons my dude, i can’t unsee it now lmfao 🤣
This was a fantastic analysis of an underappreciated piece of a legendary story! It makes me want to marathon through classic Dragonball right now!
Wonderful videos!! This one was a definite treat. I love the original Dragonball series. I just rewatched it again a few months ago so I can rewatch Z. Almost done with the buu saga but have been watching these videos instead! I love you insight and your philosophy. I cannot wait to read the manga as well! Looking forward to your super and gt review!
Funnily enough, watching the original Dragonball now with a friend. About to watch episode 100 today.
I'm from Denmark and grew up with the OG Dragon Ball. I cannot imagine how confusing Z would be without the amazing background. OG Dragon Ball is to this day still my favourite part of the entire Dragon Ball series, which I love very much. Amazing analysis yet again, Mark :)
I mean not really, you don't need the original series to know z, due to simplistic nature of dragon ball
It's kind of common for kids shows here to just not give context at the start of a show and just dump the viewer into a world. Early anime dubs did this a lot where they condensed or summarized early episodes so that they could jump right to the "good stuff" because they think it's too slow and kids don't care about context and worldbuilding.
I love how every time Monster Carrot is shown on screen, Calamity Ganon's theme starts up and it cracks me up every time!
Also, you totally hit the nail on the head regarding Toriyama's skill at being able to draw 3D action and visuals! I've never been able to put my finger on it but that is totally why I always loved his work! Just an absolute epiphany right there!
I’m coming here after toriyama died
This series and TFS are the best ways I know to honor him.
Rip Toriyama, watching all these today as tribute
Mr. Satan is at least a 4-time winner of the Tenkaichi Budokai
Fun fact, in Dragon Ball Adventure on GBA, Devilman's beam doesn't instantly kills Goku but if you play as Krillin and get hit by it, you get instantly killed. Just a small detail but that stays true and actually canon since Krillin can't be on Nimbus
Watching through the original Dragonball was one of my favorite things to do. Seeing goku’s childhood before any super saiyan anything was known. Seeing him start from zero to what he is now, that was amazing
I really wish we got to see Grampa Gohan again. It would be awesome for him to get to meet Goku's sons.
Wow......just......wow......this somehow came on autoplay (which I normally skip to choose what I want to see) and this nostalgic trip through the early years of dragonball just blew my mind! Your attention to the details - your knowing which details to hone in on - show your true fanmanship of the series and that's what made this such a joy to watch.
1:55:35 I NEED to see Og DragonBall get an Abridged series.
Hey Mark, could you ever do a possible slight look at Akira Toriyama’s Manga Theatre? I’d imagine it’s something you’ve already own if not referenced from time to time so i’d like to hear your opinion on the collection of older works he’s made before Dragon Ball.
Bro, Dragon ball was my childhood, It made me what i am today, I Thank the franchise for Showing me such glory.
Truly the dragon ball earth is very diverse. Like it houses humans, furries. Dinosaurs, magic, saiyans, demons, namek people, freezas, gods, etc, also the city architecture is very unique.
Rewatching this in 2024, rest in peace Akira toriyama.
Rest in peace GOAT. This work was the beginning of an absolutely legendary series.
Never in my life have i wanted something SO MUCH and never known until i received it!
Is this a meme thing now? Someone else said nearly the same thing
@@HanmaHeiro TFS referente, from Dragon Ball Abridged
@@mfrebel7831 thank you. I had no idea haha
My journey started from DB and over the years i’ve rewatched the series multiple times. Each time transforming me back to the kid i was while watching it!