Dragon Ball, Vol. 1: Volume 1  (English, Paperback, Toriyama Akira)

When a young girl comes looking for a magical Dragon Ball, the young Goku joins her in an epic adventure which will change his life forever. Revisit the magic and wonder of Akira Toriyama’s classic shonen manga series, Dragon Ball with this first volume: The Monkey King!

Summary of the Book

Son Goku lives alone by a mountain, in a tiny hut. He constantly speaks to a mysterious orange ball with four stars inside, believing it to contain the soul of his recently deceased grandfather. Goku hasn’t seen any other human being in his entire life, and all he knows is the martial arts that his grandfather taught him. He spends his time practising his skills and collecting food to eat. His idyllic life in the mountains is threatened when he spots a strange metal monster speeding towards him. Luckily, he overpowers the creature, not knowing that it is a car. Goku hasn’t seen a car before, and he continues to attack it, stopping only when the driver fires a bullet at him. The bullet bounces off his hard head and Goku almost retaliates. The driver comes out of the car and explains that the “creature” is a vehicle used for transport and that she is a girl. Goku doesn’t quite know what a girl is, but his grandfather had told him that he must treat them with respect. Bulma, the girl, introduces herself and explains that she is looking for a strange orange ball. She takes two out of her bag and shows them to Goku, who realizes that they look just like the orange ball in his home. He takes Bulma to his home, and she tells him that these balls are the legendary Dragon Balls. There are seven in all and anyone who manages to collect them all gets a wish from the Eternal Dragon. Curious and a little adventurous in his own right, Son Goku accompanies Bulma on this adventure, not realizing that this is going to change his life, and the fate of the universe for ever.

About Akira Toriyama

Akira Toriyama is a Japanese mangaka and game artist best known for his work on Dr. Slump and the Dragon Ball series.

Toriyama-sensei, as his peers and fans admiringly call him, is one of the most widely acclaimed people in his field, and he has inspired the work of several notable mangaka. He won the 1981 Shogakukan Manga Award for best shonen or shojo manga with Dr. Slump and designed the characters for the Dragon Quest series of video games.

The Dragon Ball series was adapted into two anime series entitled Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z. The series continues to be aired in many countries across the world, and it is considered a definitive example of the shonen genre.

Collector’s Note

This issue collects chapters 1 to 11 of the original manga series by Akira Toriyama.