The April 4, 2024 edition of the Akira Toriyama Archives gave fans another detailed look at Dragon Ball's rich history. This time, Kid Goku's chapter illustration revealed more about the state of the series at the time than fans might have thought.
As shared by the official Dragon Ball website, the illustration mentioned below comes from Chapter 9 of the original Dragon Ball manga, which was first released in 1985. In the story titled “Dragon Balls in Danger!!”, Goku, Bulma and Oolong spend the night inside Capsule Corp's campsite. not knowing that the Yamcha Desert Bandits are following them. Oolong, frustrated by Bulma's bossiness and intrigued by the wish-granting power of Goku's Dragon Balls, tricks them into drinking a sleeping tonic.
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Chapter 9 of the manga continues as the shape-shifting Puar tries to lure the group out so Yamcha can steal the dragon balls, and Oolong is forced to play the hero by disguising himself as Bulma. Yamcha, who thought he had found the Dragon Ball under a towel, was shocked to realize that it was actually Bulma sleeping… just out of the shower. Overwhelmed by his own impure thoughts, Yamcha retreats and the Dragon Balls are saved.
Akira Toriyama and Dragon Ball aim for comedy, not just action and adventure
For fans accustomed to the dramatic and action-oriented plot of Dragon Ball Z, this humorous and somewhat adventurous episode of Dragon Ball may seem out of the ordinary. However, the late Akira Toriyama was primarily a humorous manga artist, as seen in his early work such as Dr. Slump and Go! Go! Ackman. As stated on the official Dragon Ball website, the illustration for Chapter 9 “perfectly encapsulates what Dragon Ball was at the time” with a fantastical image of Kid Goku using his Power Pillar as a magnificent dragon flies behind him (interestingly, Bulma is pictured in the lower right with a gun). According to the website, this Kid Goku illustration became the basis for promotional artwork for the anime series, which was first released a year later in 1986.
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The Akira Toriyama archives unearthed another gem from DB's past: a rare drawing of Goku created for the Official Dragon Ball Carddass Guidebook.
While Dragon Ball fans have experienced more stories with Goku as an adult than as a child, the development of the adult Goku's design was not smooth sailing. For those who want to relive the early days of Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Daima will turn main cast members like Goku and Vegeta back into children. Meanwhile, parents who want to share their love of anime with their children can buy children's clothing modeled after Goku's famous martial arts uniform.
Source: Dragon Ball official website
