journey to the west goku

Akira Toriyama Based 'Dragon Ball' on This 400-Year-Old Story

Who originally had a power level over 9,000?

The Big Picture

• Dragon Ball draws heavy inspiration from the classic Chinese novel, Journey to the West , which remains influential even after centuries.
• Son Goku is based on Sun Wukong, the powerful Monkey King from Journey to the West , who accompanies the monk Tang Sanzang on his journey.
• Other characters in Dragon Ball , such as Bulma, Oolong, Yamcha, and the Ox-King, also have parallels to characters from Journey to the West .

Son Goku of Dragon Ball isn't just Earth's greatest protector; he's also one of the most recognizable characters in all fiction. For both Western and Eastern audiences, his unruly spiky hair, bright orange gi, and positive-yet-diligent personality make him one of the most beloved figures in media. Goku has become a symbol in his own right, representing the power of determination and the strength of a purely good heart, but the source of inspiration that led to his creation is likewise an incomprehensibly entertaining and captivating being, known as Sun Wukong .

As with many great fictional works, the origins of Dragon Ball can be traced back to mythical legends and classic folk tales that have endured the wear of time. Dragon Ball 's visionary creator, Akira Toriyama, to whom the world is bidding a sorrowful farewell , based a significant portion of his story, character designs, and thematic elements on the classic Chinese novel, Journey to the West. Despite being written over 400 years ago, Journey to the West remains prevalent and impactful in modern writing, with its influence apparent in almost every corner of Toriyama's hit series, with plenty of parallels and allusions that tie the two beloved stories together, despite the four centuries of time that stand between them.

Dragon Ball

Son Gokû, a fighter with a monkey tail, goes on a quest with an assortment of odd characters in search of the Dragon Balls, a set of crystals that can give its bearer anything they desire.

What Is 'Journey to the West' About?

Akira Toriyama took heavy inspiration from the classic Chinese story, Journey to the West . The novel, considered one of the most influential and significant pieces of literature from China, was first published in the 16th century, but its impact is felt even centuries later. Journey to the West is based on the pilgrimage of a Buddhist monk named Xuanzang who traversed across the land to retrieve sacred texts, after much trial and tribulation. The novelization of this journey follows a monk called Tang Sanzang, likewise in search for sacred Buddhist texts, but contains fantastic and mythical elements that made the adventure an enduring literary piece.

To aid in his journey, Tang Sanzang is accompanied by magical characters such as Sun Wukong, Zhu Bhajie, and Sha Wujing, each distinct in ability, appearance, and personality. On their quest, the heroes must overcome fearful monsters and traverse dangerous landscapes as they search for the sacred texts. Though the story was written with allegories and metaphors connected to China during that time period, it nonetheless endures in popularity because of its universal themes about human determination and the captivating fantasy elements that would serve as inspiration for countless works written generations after . Journey to the West itself would spawn several modern adaptations that recounted the story of Tang Sanzag, including several films and television series. But despite not being a direct adaptation of the original story, Dragon Ball is a strong contender for the best successor of the legacy of this Chinese novel.

Son Goku Takes Inspiration From the Legendary Monkey King, Sun Wukong

The foremost allusion to Journey to the West in Dragon Ball is apparent in the latter's main character: Son Goku . Goku is based on Sun Wukong, also known as the Monkey King , a powerful being that accompanied the monk Tang Sanzang on his journey for the sacred texts. Sun Wukong is one of the most powerful beings in existence, a magical and immortal monkey with dozens of fantastic abilities and strength that surpasses practically all others. Like Wukong, Goku is powerful and energetic, bearing an unbelievable amount of strength and talent unmatched by anyone else in the series. If Goku were just a strong person with a tail, that would already be an excellent reference to Wukong, but Toriyama solidified the inspiration even further with Goku's transformation into the Great Ape, punctuating the similarities between him and the Monkey King.

Sun Wukong's inspiration doesn't end there, as several magical artifacts from the old Chinese story were also adapted in Dragon Ball . Like Goku's Power Pole, the Monkey King possessed a staff capable of dramatically changing its size at the user's command. Both monkey-related characters also rode magical flying clouds, as Goku's Flying Nimbus was based on Wukong's similar cloud and ability. And don't let the fact that Goku is an alien separate his birth from Wukong either. Goku's space pod that he was sent to Earth in as a baby bears a surprisingly stone-like appearance as a direct reference to Wukong's own birth, as he came to life after bursting from a magical rock.

'Dragon Ball's Supporting Characters Are Also Inspired by ‘Journey to the West’

The connections to Journey to the West are not limited to Goku alone, as many of the major players in the earliest arcs of Dragon Ball are parallels to characters from the Chinese novel. Since Sun Wukong is the breakout character from the tale, some of these allusions may be less apparent at first glance, but the inspiration is there nonetheless. Bulma serves as the proxy for Tang Sanzang, despite being the furthest image of a Buddhist monk that one can possibly become. However, Bulma's search for the legendary Dragon Balls is, at its core, taken from Tang Sanzang's retrieval of the sacred Buddhist texts .

Dragon Ball's Oolong is based on Zhu Bajie, a shape-shifting pig spirit that was the second of Tang Sanzang's disciples after Sun Wukong. Both characters are also known for their gluttonous and lustful personalities. The third of Tang Sanzang's allies was Sha Wujing, a man-turned-demon who is later redeemed when he accompanies the monk on his travels. In Dragon Ball , this role is taken by Yamcha, who was similarly first depicted as a villain, before quickly becoming one of Goku and Bulma's close allies. In addition to their narrative similarities, Tang Sanzang and Yamcha also had strong ties to the desert and martial arts — which can be easy to forget because of how far Dragon Ball has evolved since the days when Yamcha was able to best Goku in a fight . The Ox-King from Dragon Ball shares the same exact name as a character from Journey to the West , as well as a similar home to his namesake. Both Ox-Kings resided on flaming mountains, a unique location that solidifies the relation between the two.

'Dragon Ball Z's Android Family Tree Explained

Akira toriyama moved further away from 'journey to the west' with 'dragon ball z'.

Toriyama's writing in early Dragon Ball didn't just take design choices and naming conventions from Journey to the West , but also took inspiration from its narrative structure and thematic elements. Each character modernizes the role first established by their source material from several centuries earlier. For instance, viewers more familiar with Dragon Ball Z and further sequels may not even know that Bulma was actually the active character at the start of the series. It's her search for the Dragon Balls that sets the story in motion , and Goku is recruited to help her accomplish that goal. In Journey to the West , Wukong is depicted as supernaturally powerful, even compared to his staunchest allies and fiercest rivals, much in the same way that Goku is established as a formidable force, even as a child. They could both be considered "over-powered," but that's exactly the point. Oolong's selfish vices and Yamcha's face-turn are likewise the necessary foils to Goku's pure-of-heart personality and Bulma's determination, exactly like the characters they were based on.

As Dragon Ball progressed (even just in later arcs, not even accounting for DBZ and beyond ), the story evolved beyond its original source of inspiration. The narrative shifts away from the search for the Dragon Balls and characters rise and fall in relevance as the series evolves into one of the most important pioneers of the shōnen battle anime genre , becoming the predecessor to several generations of anime , much in the same way that Journey of the West did for Toriyama.

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Dragon Ball

• View history

Dragon Ball ( ドラゴンボール , Doragon Bōru ) is a Japanese manga by Akira Toriyama serialized in Shueisha 's weekly manga anthology magazine, Weekly Shōnen Jump , from 1984 to 1995 and originally collected into 42 individual books called Tankōbon (単行本) released from September 10, 1985, to August 4, 1995.

• 1.1 Summary
• 1.2 Production
• 1.3 Plot and Evolution
• 1.4 Recurring Themes
• 2 Story arcs
• 3.1 Censorship
• 3.2 VIZBIG editions
• 4.1 Kanzenban
• 4.2 Digest Edition
• 4.3 Digital Color Edition
• 4.4 Full Color comics
• 4.5 Dragon Ball (3-in-1 Edition)
• 5 Relation to the anime
• 6.1 Son Goku
• 6.2 Other characters
• 7 Influence on other series
• 8.1 Dragon Ball
• 11 References
• 12 Site Navigation

Overview [ ]

Summary [ ].

The story of Dragon Ball follows the life of Son Goku , a monkey - tailed boy loosely based on the traditional Chinese folk tale Journey to the West , from his life and adventures as a child all the way up to being a grandfather. During his life, he fights many battles and eventually becomes (arguably) the strongest martial artist in the universe . He is not without help, however: the comic boasts a large ensemble cast of martial artist heroes and villains which provide the conflict that drives the story.

Production [ ]

Main articles: Dragon Boy and The Adventures of Tongpoo

Logo for the Dragon Ball manga

After the success of his previous manga Dr. Slump , Akira Toriyama wanted to break from the Western influences common in his other series. When he began work on Dragon Ball , he decided to model it loosely on the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West .

Dragon Ball was a redeveloped version of a one-shot manga series he made: Dragon Boy , which was initially serialized in Fresh Jump and released in a single tankōbon volume in 1983. This short work combined the comedic style of Dr. Slump with a more action-oriented plot and paid homage to famous martial art actor Jackie Chan. Toriyama notes that his goal for the series was to tell an "unconventional and contradictory" story.

Originally not all that popular when first released, after the Emperor Pilaf arc, Akira decided to write in a World Martial Arts Tournament , a trend in manga that was very popular at the time. Akira Toriyama had also been told by his editor, Kazuhiko Torishima , that Goku was considered "quite bland", and thus Master Roshi was brought back and Krillin was introduced in the series. [1]

Plot and Evolution [ ]

Main article: List of Dragon Ball manga chapters

Kid Goku as seen in the manga

A unifying component of the plot accompanying Goku's progression as a martial artist is his search for the eponymous Dragon Balls . They are one component of the universe, but are not the focus of most of the plot lines of the title. The Dragon Balls themselves are seven magical orbs which are scattered across the world. When assembled, they can be used to summon Shenron , the dragon who will grant one wish within its limit. After the wish is granted, the Dragon Balls are scattered again across the world and become inert for one year. In times past, it would take generations to search the world and gather the Dragon Balls. At the beginning of the story, however, a 16-year-old genius girl named Bulma invents a Dragon Radar to detect the Dragon Balls and makes the process far easier than it was originally intended to be.

The story of Dragon Ball unfolds gradually over 11 years of publication. The tone and the style of the stories gradually changes to reflect the tastes of the readers and the editors of Shōnen Jump in Japan. The early volumes of the manga (chapters 1-134) are primarily humorous fantasy stories, but they contain some minor sci-fi elements, much like Dr. Slump . Notable fantasy elements include not only the monkey boy Goku and the Dragon Balls themselves, but also many talking animal characters, unlikely martial art techniques, and identifying characters as gods and demons. Despite the fantasy elements, the world does contain highly advanced technology including hoi-poi capsules, space-saving capsules which are pocket sized but can store almost any object (including cars, planes and even houses) and other "near future" objects. The overall mood of the earlier volumes is light with few deaths and an emphasis on adventure and humor.

A subtle but significant change in mood begins after Goku's best friend Krillin is killed (the first of many deaths in this arc). This begins the King Piccolo arc (chapters 135-194) in which the manga enters a darker tone compared to its earlier volumes. This arc would more or less define how later arcs would be structured.

Dragon Ball fully transforms into an action based shōnen manga at the onset of the Saiyan arc (chapters 195-241). Starting with introduction of Goku's first son ( Gohan ), things begin to take a much more serious and harder sci-fi approach. Many characters which were previously implied to have mystic origins, including Goku and Piccolo , are revealed to be aliens from other planets. Advanced space travel, alien threats, and powerful cyborgs and androids take center stage instead of more fantastic villains.

Super Saiyan Goku as seen in the manga ( Full Color )

After the defeat of Vegeta , and the conclusion of the Saiyan arc, the survivors of the vicious Saiyan attack head off to the planet Namek to resurrect their friends. This begins the Frieza arc (chapters 242-329). The Frieza arc is noteworthy for introducing the first Super Saiyan (Goku), now a staple of the series. It also sets the tone for more awesomely powerful characters. For example, the antagonist Frieza is first said to have a " power level " (the series' futuristic measure of a fighter's speed and strength, i.e., one average human is listed as 5) of 530,000. He then transforms into a more powerful form, at which point his power level is over 1,000,000. After two subsequent transformations, he reveals that he is still only using a fraction of his full power.

The Android arc (chapters 330-420) introduces Future Trunks , a mysterious Half-Saiyan Half-Human from a destroyed future world where all of the Z Fighters are killed by evil, seemingly unstoppable war machines called Androids , and the enigmatic and villainous Cell who is made from the cells from most of the heroes as well as some of the villains. This arc is notable for being the only arc in which Goku does not defeat the main villain; instead, it is his son Gohan who defeats Cell. In this arc, Gohan surpasses the level of Super Saiyan and reaches the stage of Super Saiyan 2 in order to defeat Cell.

After Goku's death he is allowed to keep his body and train in the Other World . Seven years pass and Goku gets stronger while Gohan's power decreases. Fortuneteller Baba allows Goku to return to Earth for a single day which marks the start of the Majin Buu arc (chapters 421-519) which is the final arc of the manga. The beginning of this final arc concentrates on a teenaged Gohan. All the male Saiyans manage to reach the level of Super Saiyan at least (including fusions). Gohan can still use Super Saiyan 2, while Goku and Vegeta obtain this transformation as well. And the final level of the Super Saiyans, Super Saiyan 3 , is reached by Goku, and later Gotenks . A considerable number of fusions also take place to add to the series, allowing Goten and Trunks to fuse resulting in Gotenks, Goku and Vegeta fuse to create the single most powerful character in Dragon Ball : the invincible Vegito . During this series, Majin Buu destroys earth and even manages to increase his own power by absorbing Gotenks, Piccolo and Gohan. Majin Buu also succeeds where the villains Vegeta, Frieza and Cell had previously failed and destroys Earth. Earth and everyone that was on it when it was destroyed are restored using the Namekian Dragon Balls, and Kid Buu is destroyed by Goku's Spirit Bomb only after taking on Goku, Vegeta, Mr. Satan and Good Buu .

Kid Buu was reincarnated into a human being of pure good called Uub and Goku, Vegeta, Mr. Satan and the Good Buu return to Earth and returned to Earth to reunite with their friends and families. Ten years later, Goku asks Good Buu to cheat so Goku and Uub can have a match, after the match Goku decides to go to Uub's village and train Uub to his potential so that one day they can have a match to decide who is the strongest fighter in the universe (currently Goku). Uub's village later receives money from Mr. Satan. To say goodbye the heroes that appear in the manga (excluding minor characters), everyone waves to the readers and a large "THE END" sign is seen floating.

After completing this series, Toriyama had a break before making gag manga called Nekomajin . This story features many elements and a few characters from Dragon Ball , including characters such as Majin Buu, Vegeta, and Goku.

A Korean MMORPG that serves as a follow-up to the manga, Dragon Ball Online , was developed with Bandai Namco Games and NTL. The game acts as a sequel to the manga with Akira Toriyama having supervised all aspects of the game, from storyline and setting to character and location designs. In a press conference in South Korea on February 14, 2008, Kazuhiko Torishima, the director of Shueisha at the time (and Toriyama's first editor), stated that Toriyama had immersed himself in creating character designs and providing editorial supervision for the game for the past five years. Two of the main villains of the game, Mira and Towa, were created by Akira Toriyama himself.

Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods and Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection ‘F’ have been said to be an expansion to the manga, as well as the new arcs of Dragon Ball Super , due to Toriyama's involvement in the production writing their respective scripts.

Recurring Themes [ ]

For all its martial arts bravado, the story of Dragon Ball centers primarily around a theme of redemption, generally through exposure to the "pure" ideals of Goku and Gohan . Nearly every major character in the manga entered the series as a villain but was, through one method or another, converted to the side of good (often, this would entail a temporary team up to defeat a greater foe, but somehow the former enemies rarely found the motivation to begin fighting again). This theme was evident from the beginning (with the conversion of Yamcha , Oolong , and Puar ) and continued even to the last saga (with the acceptance of Majin Buu). This style of redemption is not unique to Dragon Ball (it is often seen even in American comic books), but it is significant that it persisted even through other major shifts in style and tone.

One of the biggest themes in Dragon Ball is its subversion and criticism of popular tropes that were present in the fighting genre at the time of the manga's inception. For instance, the protagonist Goku is initially shown as a young, idiotic, and cheery boy whose actions are selfishly motivated rather than altruistically, contrasting with the idea of a brooding muscular hero who acts almost exclusively to protect the innocent and uphold justice. The story is kept lighthearted for its first few sagas through the use of the slapstick and vulgar/sexual humor that defined Akira Toriyama's previous work, a large step away from the sensationalized graphic violence that works such as Fist of the North Star , Devilman , and JoJo's Bizarre Adventure were infamous for; said graphic violence would ironically become increasingly common as Dragon Ball progressed, though slapstick does manage to return to the scene during the Majin Buu arc. Dragon Ball 's setting is also a whimsical combination of fantasy and science-fiction that helps set it apart from the dark atmospheres of other fighting manga, and uses heavily stylized visuals with a more cartoonish look than its gritty and realistically detailed counterparts. Even in the later portions of the story, the manga continuously deconstructs popular elements of the fighting genre, such as constant unreliability of power levels being a less-than-subtle jab at the concept of grading characters based on their strength, and the occasional failure of forms presented as unrealistically powerful is a clear criticism of conventional portrayals of them. Furthermore, the idea of ki techniques, even immensely powerful ones such as the Kamehameha , being accessible to quite literally anyone with sufficient training (as shown with Krillin, Yamcha, Tien Shinhan , and Videl ) seems to purposely counter how other manga portray them as a sort of entitlement that only select individuals are capable of utilizing. Overall, despite being commonly considered the definitive archetype for the modern fighting manga, Dragon Ball serves to be a clear deconstructive parody of the genre as it existed at the time of its publication.

Story arcs [ ]

• Dragon Balls Quest Saga ( ドラゴンボール探さがし編 , Doragon Bōru Sagashi Hen , lit. "Hunt for the Dragon Balls Arc") ( chapter 1 - chapter 23 )
• Turtle School Training Saga ( 亀仙人修行編 , Kamesen'nin Shugyō Hen , lit. Turtle Hermit Training Arc) ( chapter 24 - chapter 31 )
• 21st World Martial Arts Tournament Saga ( 第21回天下一武道会編 , Dai-Nijūichi Tenka-Ichi Budōkai Hen , lit. The 21st Number One Under Heaven Martial Arts Gathering Arc) ( chapter 32 - chapter 54 )
• Red Ribbon Army Saga ( レッドリボン軍編 , Reddo Ribon Gun Hen , lit. Red Ribbon Army Arc) ( chapter 55 - chapter 96 )
• Fortuneteller Baba Saga ( 占いババ編 , Uranai Baba Hen , lit. Fortune-Teller Baba Arc) ( chapter 97 - chapter 112 )
• 22nd World Martial Arts Tournament Saga ( 第22回天下一武道会編 , Dai-Nijūni Tenka-Ichi Budōkai Hen , lit. The 22nd Number One Under Heaven Martial Arts Gathering Arc) ( chapter 113 - chapter 134 )
• King Piccolo Saga ( ピッコロ大魔王編 , Pikkoro Daimaō Hen , lit. The Great Demon King Piccolo Arc) ( chapter 135 - chapter 165 )
• 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament Saga ( 第23回天下一武道会編 , Dai-Nijūsan Tenka-Ichi Budōkai Hen , lit. The 23rd Number One Under Heaven Martial Arts Gathering Arc) ( chapter 166 - chapter 194 )
• Saiyan Saga ( サイヤ人編 , Saiya-jin Hen , lit. Saiyan Arc) ( chapter 195 - chapter 242 )
• Frieza Saga ( フリーザ編 , Furīza Hen , lit. Freeza Arc) ( chapter 243 - chapter 337 )
• Androids Saga ( 人造人間編 , Jinzōningen Hen , lit. Artificial Humans Arc) ( chapter 338 - chapter 356 )
• Cell Saga ( セル編 , Seru Hen , lit. Cell Arc) ( chapter 357 - chapter 420 )
• High School Saga ( ハイスクール編 , Hai Sukūru Hen , lit. High School Arc) ( chapter 421 - chapter 429 )
• 25th World Martial Arts Tournament Saga ( 第25回天下一武道会編 , Dai-Nijūgo Tenka-Ichi Budōkai Hen , lit. The 25th Number One Under Heaven Martial Arts Gathering Arc) ( chapter 430 - chapter 445 )
• Majin Buu Saga ( 魔人ブウ編 , Majin Bū Hen , lit. Majin Boo Arc) ( chapter 446 - chapter 519 )

English distribution [ ]

The first issue of the Dragon Ball comic in North America

In the US, the manga was first released as two American-style comic books: Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z starting in 2000. (The split corresponds to the two different anime series, though the original Japanese manga does not distinguish between them. See below.) This style of release was unsuccessful owing to its large size and expensive cost ($2.95 for an issue of 2, later 3, chapters), and both series were canceled in 2002. The Dragon Ball Z comic was transitioned into a launch title for the new US edition of the Shonen Jump anthology, starting in January 2003. In parallel to these releases, Viz Media released the 42 volumes (nearly matching the first Japanese Tankōbon (単行本) set) in English. Viz titled the second part of the manga Dragon Ball Z to reduce confusion for American audiences.

Censorship [ ]

As previously mentioned, the Dragon Ball manga is published as both "Dragon Ball" and "Dragon Ball Z" in American editions. Originally, both of these releases were censored for nudity and some graphic content. By the end of 2004, all "Dragon Ball" manga had been released almost uncensored ( Mr. Popo 's lips were removed), including re-releases of the previously censored volumes 1 through 3. The "Dragon Ball Z" manga remains censored, although many volumes (prior to volume 17) are technically uncensored since they did not contain any objectionable material.

• Mr. Popo's lips and other dark-skinned characters were edited because of complaints made by Carole Boston Weatherford.
• Middle fingers were edited into fists.

In 2006, Viz began releasing a second, A-rated (All Ages) edition of the series sans some nudity and profanity.

• The name Mr. Satan was edited into "Hercule" (the same as Funimation 's edited anime dub).
• Firearms were edited into "laser blasters", though a pistol -armed robber was able to shoot a character without being censored.
• Alcohol, drugs and sexual innuendo were edited.

VIZBIG editions [ ]

The first volume of the Vizbig Edition

In 2008, Viz began releasing the VIZBIG editions of both Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z . These releases were larger in size and had 3 volumes put together in each book that featured color in some of the chapters that Akira Toriyama originally put color in. These releases are also edited for content to make the series more family oriented.

Re-editions [ ]

Kanzenban [ ].

The 34 kanzenban volumes

The manga was re-released in Japan from December 4, 2002, to April 2, 2004, in a 34-volume collection named Kanzenban (完全版), which all have new original covers, original color artwork from the series' Weekly Shōnen Jump run, and a slightly rewritten ending for the last chapter . The Kanzenban volumes can also be seen in the credits of Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods .

Digest Edition [ ]

The Dragon Ball Digest Edition was established in 2008 to celebrate the series' 30th anniversary by re-releasing the Dragon Ball manga the same way as it was serialized in Weekly Shōnen Jump.

Digital Color Edition [ ]

With the series already well-established in the world of print, thanks to the original tankōbon releases (including their 2009 refreshed versions), the kanzenban releases, and the various animation comic releases, Shueisha decided to move on to the next untapped Dragon Ball market: digital releases. Shueisha began testing the idea of releasing a digitally colored version of the Dragon Ball manga on their Manga Online website in June 2009 but stopped abruptly in November 2009. In total, they released the first 23 chapters in full color for free, all of which appear to have been reused in these subsequent digital Color Edition releases. However, on October 12, 2012, just prior to returning to a full color release, Shueisha released all 42 tankōbon volumes of the series digitally under the Jump Comics Digital line. These Monochrome Edition releases are near-identical reprints of the original gray scaled tankōbon volumes published between 1985 and 1995, although with a reduced purchase price (¥368, or ¥350 plus tax).

Full Color comics [ ]

Colored Dragon Ball manga announced in the February 2013 issue of V-Jump

It was re-released in Japan again, in a full color edition called Dragon Ball Full Color this time, starting with three volumes covering the Saiyan Saga on February 4, 2013, and five volumes covering the Namek Saga / Frieza Saga on April 4, 2013. [2] It was later followed by six volumes covering the Androids Saga / Cell Saga and six volumes covering the Majin Buu Saga , with the first three volumes of the Androids/Cell arc released on April 4, 2014 (two days before Dragon Ball Kai returned with the Majin Buu Saga on Japanese TV), volumes 4–6 released on May 2, 2014, and Majin Buu Arc volumes 1–3 and 4–6 on June 4, 2014 and July 4, 2014 respectively. Each volume contains 17 chapters on 248 pages, with the first three comics covering chapters 195 to 245 (chapters 195- 211 for vol.1, 212 - 228 for vol.2, and 229 -245 for vol.3). The cover images are colored montages of various title pages ( chapters 202 and 219 for the first one, 217 and 227 for the second one, and 231 for the third). All three Saiyan Arc volumes include a two-page colored section called "Enter the Dragon Ball " which recaps the story and characters of the beginning of the manga series (i.e., Goku's childhood arcs). Another recurring feature in each volume is the " Dragon Ball Q&A" section, with a few questions answered by Shueisha and the others answered by Akira Toriyama. The colored chapters were also published in the North American edition of Weekly Shōnen Jump , debuting in the February 4, 2013, issue and ending with chapter 245 in the February 17, 2014, issue. Viz Media later released the three Dragon Ball Full Color volumes covering the Saiyan Arc in the U.S. on February 4, April 1, and June 3, 2014, respectively; these volumes have a larger size than regular manga and are about the same size as an American graphic novel or comic book. [3]

"Enter the Dragon Ball " section

The color edition chapters of the first 16 volumes are available in digital format and in Japanese since February 4, 2013, as well as on Dentsu's YouTube channel MANGAPOLO since February 5, 2013, with the applicable languages being Japanese and English. [4] Those colorized versions of earlier chapters are divided up in three arcs: Goku Training Arc ( volumes 1 – 4 ), Red Ribbon Army Arc ( volumes 5 – 9 ), and King Piccolo Arc ( volumes 10 – 16 ). The digital version of the Cell Arc was digitally released on September 4, 2013, in eight volumes that cover chapters 330 to 420 .

The Boyhood Arc of Dragon Ball Full Color was published in Japan between January 4 (Volumes 1-4) and February 3, 2016 (Volumes 4-8), and the entire King Piccolo Arc was published in four volumes on March 4, 2016. Viz Media released the five volumes covering the Frieza Arc of Dragon Ball Full Color in the U.S. between May 6, 2016, and January 3, 2017.

Dragon Ball (3-in-1 Edition) [ ]

On June 4, 2013, Viz Media released "Dragon Ball (3-in-1 Edition)" which collects the first 3 original Dragon Ball volumes in a smaller size than the "VIZBIG" edition. Thirteen more 3-in-1 volumes were released by Viz between September 3, 2013, and September 6, 2016. This release features the same cover artwork as the Kanzenban volumes (though not all of them, since this release consists of 14 volumes as opposed to 34). Unlike the Kanzenban and "VIZBIG" releases, however, the 3-in-1 Edition does not feature any color chapters. This release was also notably Viz's first to have the entire manga published under the "Dragon Ball" moniker instead of using the "Dragon Ball Z" moniker for the latter half of the story. Although the back cover advertises this release as being "uncut and uncensored" some minor censorship is still present such as editing profanity and some middle finger gestures. (Possibly due to the company reusing the censored Kanzenban and VIZBIG volumes' English translated pages to print the pages to the VIZBIG release and forgetting that those pages were censored.)

Relation to the anime [ ]

Both the Dragon Ball (DB) and Dragon Ball Z (DBZ) anime are based on the same original Dragon Ball manga. Dragon Ball follows Goku's adventures as a child up to his marriage, which are the sagas that arguably have the most fantasy and humor elements. Dragon Ball Z continues the story 5 years after Dragon Ball leaves off, with the introduction of Goku's young son named Gohan and the arrival of a new, more powerful foe such as the Saiyans and other new villains such as Frieza, Cell, and Majin Buu and follows Goku's adventures as an adult. Dragon Ball GT was a project started by Toei Animation to continue the story where Dragon Ball Z left off with Goku being turned back into a child by Emperor Pilaf using the Black Star Dragon Balls and is not part of the original manga, due to Akira Toriyama ending the original manga in 1995.

There are additional differences between the Viz Media 's English translation of the manga and Funimation 's English dub of the anime. For example, the character of "Kuririn" in the manga is retranslated as "Krillin" in the Funimation dub . Similarly, the male members of the Son family (i.e., Son Goku , Son Gohan ) lack their surname, "Son". In general, Viz's translation of the manga is considered to be a closer translation of its source material, as factors such as mouth movement are not taken into consideration.

The "Z" in Dragon Ball Z is rumored to have many meanings. The official meaning, as stated by the author, is that the letter was chosen because it was at the end of the alphabet, echoing Toriyama's desire that the series would end soon. Other, fan-given "Z" theories include the naming of the ensemble group of main characters as the " Z Fighters " (or "Z Warriors") in episode titles and promotional materials (they are never referred to that way in the anime itself) or based on the " Detekoi Tobikiri ZENKAI Power! " theme song in the ending credits. It is notable that the "Z" of Dragon Ball Z is pronounced "Zetto" in the first Japanese opening, Cha-La-Head-Cha-La. This is because the romanized letter "Z" is pronounced "zetto" (ゼット). It has been spelled as "Zed" by some, however, in Japanese, kana that represents a consonant plus vowel, especially when pronouncing a foreign word, is often pronounced in a clipped manner (sounds somewhat similar to French, where "e" indicates the full pronunciation of the preceding letters, which are otherwise silent). This is why it sounds like Hironobu Kageyama is saying "Zed"; he simply isn't pronouncing the "o" at the end of "Zetto" (this is also common in Japanese pop songs, which typically match each note with one "kana" pronunciation; pronunciation as sung is sometimes clipped to make the lyrics fit the music properly). Conversely, in Japanese, the series is pronounced "Doragon Bōru Zetto".

Throughout most of the writing of the manga, the anime (which started airing just two years after the manga started and ended only a year after the former) was being written and produced just behind the point where the manga was being concurrently published. While this led to getting the episodes released rapidly, the pacing resulted in a large amount of " filler " material needing to be added to the anime to flesh out the episodes to keep them from catching up. There are many instances in the anime where backstory added in the anime was accepted in the manga; most notably, the character of Bardock (Goku's father) was originally an anime-creation who was made canon in the manga after Toriyama became impressed with him and his backstory. Even with filler, the anime would sometimes get ahead of the manga, revealing characters a week before Weekly Shonen Jump published the manga version; Android 16 was revealed in the anime a week before he was shown in the manga, TOEI having gone after sketchings of the new manga issue Akira provided them before the issue was inked and published. These brief inconsistencies were corrected as swiftly as possible, usually through entire episodes of filler, extending a fight for another solid episode so the manga could get ahead of the anime again, and only crop up very briefly before being corrected. Original air dates from the list of Dragon Ball Z episodes can be compared with the list of Dragon Ball manga chapters ' original Japanese publishing dates for more insight on these curious discrepancies during the original run of the anime and the publications of the manga in WSJ.

Relation to Journey to the West [ ]

Dragon Ball characters depicted as Journey to the West characters ( Toriyama - The World & Daizenshuu 1 )

Journey to the West is a novel in Chinese literature from which Dragon Ball is inspired. There are many parallels between the two works.

Son Goku [ ]

Based upon Sun Wukong. Son Goku (そんごくう） is the Japanese reading of Sun Wukong's name. Goku's Nyoibo (or Power Pole ) comes from Sun Wukong's magic staff the Ruyi Jingu Bang that can change to any size anytime he sees fit. His Kinto'un ( Flying Nimbus ) is another item that Sun Wukong has. Goku finds himself in a place reminiscent of the pillars of Buddha's palm, the location where Sun Wukong's rampage was finally put to an end.

Other characters [ ]

• In the original story, the priest, Xuanzang and his company search for the legendary Buddhist scriptures in the West. In Dragonball , Bulma and her company search for the legendary Dragon Balls .
• The equivalent to Xuanzang of the original texts is Bulma in Dragon Ball (though later, it can be argued to be the role of Krillin ).
• The equivalent to Zhu Wuneng of the original texts is Oolong in Dragon Ball .
• The equivalent to Sha Wujing of the original texts is Yamcha in Dragon Ball.
• The Ox King is based on the identically named character in Journey to the West ; in the original story, the Ox King was one of many demons who attempted to eat Xuanzang's flesh as a means of achieving immortality. Likewise, both Ox Kings were encountered in a castle on a flaming mountaintop. The Bansho Fan that appeared in Dragon Ball was also how Sun Wukong put out the flames surrounding the castle.
• In addition, Broly's attire in his original incarnation was based in part on how Sun Wukong appeared as "the Handsome Monkey King", and Broly's more bloodthirsty disposition resembled how Sun Wukong was originally characterized as resorting to wanton violence and murder.

Influence on other series [ ]

Main article: List of Influences on Popular Culture

• In the anime Excel Saga , Nabeshinlll teaches Pedro and Sandora to reach a certain powerful afro level, similar to the level of Super Saiyan in Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball GT . They also must use a technique called the Nabehameha , a direct parody of Goku's signature Kamehameha blast.
• In the manga Eyeshield 21 , Yukimitsu performs the Taiyô-ken while dressed as Tien Shinhan .
• In the OVA Puni Puni Poemy , Poemi is shown with a collection of Dragon Balls .
• In the manga Yu-Gi-Oh! , the main character, Yugi Mutou, relates the Millenium Puzzle's power with wishes granted by the Dragon Balls. Also, in the anime version, there is a Dragon Ball shown on a poster.
• In the Sonic the Hedgehog series, Sonic must collect the seven Chaos Emeralds, similar to the Dragon Balls. Once collected, Sonic turns into Super Sonic, a transformation similar to that of a Super Saiyan.
• In the manga Bastard!! , there is a part of the series where Angels evolving/powering up was a tribute to the wacky Fusion Dance of Gotenks .
• In an episode of Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi , Sasshi fights in a martial arts match while dressed as Bruce Lee, and near the end, transforms to a Super Saiyan and performs a yellow version of the Kamehameha.
• In Masakazu Katsura's manga DNA² , the main character can turn into a Super Saiyan-like state, gaining golden hair and the ability to use special abilities.
• In the Gambere Goemon games Goemon can transform into the "Sudden Impact" state, in which his hair grows bigger, and its color becomes yellow.
• The manga series Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo had many references to Dragon Ball and a one-off chapter making a parody of it. It had Tokoro Tennosuke and Don Patch recreating the first battle between Goku and Vegeta respectively, but the order and development is messed up.
• Masashi Kishimoto states in his manga Naruto that he was influenced by Toriyama, as he has always admired Toriyama's works. Kishimoto included a picture of Arale he drew in elementary school. Small references to Dragon Ball are also occasionally made in Naruto ; such as manga episode 150 "Start of the training", on page 7, Chiaotzu 's "mask" can be found between other masks for sale in a store. Also, in Naruto , the name of the 4th tailed beast is "Son Gokū", which is also the name of the main character of Dragon Ball . To further the connection, its last host was named Roshi, which could be a nod to Master Roshi.
• Eiichiro Oda, the author of One Piece , stated in an interview that he was a big fan of Dragon Ball . He stated that it was Toriyama that influenced him and that he holds Dragon Ball in high esteem. Toriyama is a self-professed fan of One Piece , which he was introduced to by his children. Both artists ended up creating the collaboration manga Cross Epoch featuring both Dragon Ball and One Piece characters.
• The manga Struwwelpeter: Die Rückkehr has a lot of references to Dragon Ball , beginning with the cover and the title claim resembling that of Dragon Ball Z . There are also a lot of easter eggs like a Dragon Ball lying in the garbage.
• In the manga Black Cat , the character Sven has a cell phone charm of Frieza's head.
• In the anime School Rumble , there is a scene in which Harima Kenji transforms into a Super Saiyan-like form and fights with Karasuma Ooji.
• In the anime Sgt. Frog , the character Momoka is split into a good and evil version of herself and reunites the two halves in a synchronized swimming team, spoofing the fusion dance, and the narrator even states "I do love it when they reference DBZ". Another episode of Sgt. Frog , insects invade, and the character Tamama fights them off in a battle very Dragon Ball Z -esque and similar to that of the one between Goku and Vegeta during the Saiyan Saga .
• The anime MM! has a parody of the Spirit Bomb wherein the protagonist Sado Taro gathers a large ball of energy created from the power of all the perverts on the planet. He is also in a state parodying the Super Saiyan.
• Kurisu Makise from Steins;Gate uses the online alias of "KuriGohan and Kamehameha".
• In The Fairly Oddparents TV movie "Channel Chasers", an animated show called Maho Mushi , one of Timmy's favorite shows, is presented as "extremely violent" (referencing a common criticism of the anime from moral guardians during its American airing). When it is first mentioned, a character with black hair, a scouter and armor appears on the TV screen (referencing Vegeta). When Timmy and Vicky arrive at Channel 298, Maho Mushi begins broadcasting, both characters engaging in a final fight that references the final match of the 23rd World Tournament . Vicky's outfit is similar to Piccolo Jr's, while Timmy's is similar to Goku's. Vicky has fangs which further link her to Piccolo. Timmy, on the other hand, has facial features that resemble Krillin's, perhaps owing to his short height. Also, Oolong can be seen in the audience. There is also two brief scenes where Cosmo accidentally fires a ki blast, first piercing a wall and then knocking away a vendor, after pointing out how anyone in the show can use ki attacks (a joke about the prevalence of ki in the later chapters of Dragon Ball ).
• In The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy episode "Chicken Ball Z", Mandy is shown to eat a Chicken-Ball which makes her transform into a Super-Saiyan.
• In the Kids Next Door episode "Operation: R.E.P.O.R.T.", Number 4 relates his fight with the Delightful Children From Down The Lane to Goku's fight with Frieza in a flashback.
• In the Chowder episode "Shnitzel Quits", Shnitzel briefly turns into a Super Saiyan-like state, and he gets stronger.
• In the Teen Titans Go! episode "Starfire The Terrible" Robin's hair is that of Goku in his normal form
• In two episodes of The Amazing World of Gumball, Super Saiayns are referenced. The first, titled "The Others," Gumball says this: "All I have to do is harness the power within, and I'll turn into a Super Saiyan," and proceeds to scream loudly, similar to how the Saiyans do when powering up into Super Saiyan form. Then, his tail grows longer, and he exclaims that that wasn't exacly the transformation he was hoping for. The second episode referencing Super Saiyans was titled "The Pest," where Gumball briefly turns into a Super Saiyan-like state, donning the yellow hair and aura. His face also becomes more "buff" looking.

Dragon Ball [ ]

See also [ ].

• List of Dragon Ball manga chapters
• Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection ‘F’ manga
• Dragon Ball 30th Anniversary Special Manga
• Dragon Ball Super manga
• List of extra images in manga pages
• Dragon Ball Super Gallery

Gallery [ ]

References [ ].

• ↑ "Interview with Kazuhiko Torishima ", Daizenshuu 2 , 1995
• ↑ V-Jump #2, 2013
• ↑ Viz Media at Anime Expo, California, July 2013
• ↑ Dentsu's YouTube channel MANGAPOLO

Site Navigation [ ]

Screen Rant

Dragon ball super's goku black is a genius callback to goku's mythic origin.

Goku Black was a controversial villain, but his role in the story hearkens back to the original inspiration for Dragon Ball: Journey to the West.

Fans of Dragon Ball Super certainly know that the series originally was inspired by the Chinese classic, Journey to the West , with Goku being a direct parallel to that story's Sun Wukong. Few, however, realize that the trend of drawing from Journey to the West even applies to characters from Dragon Ball Super , in particular Goku Black.

Many original Dragon Ball characters, such as Oolong, Puar, and even Bulma were counterparts to Journey to the West characters which shared similar roles. As Dragon Ball gradually became its own thing, these similarities diminished, but the characters who were drawn from the classic tale remained a part of the world. By the time of Dragon Ball Z , the story had completely diverged, and it seemed no other elements of Journey to the West would likely make it into the series. However, as it turns out, Dragon Ball Super 's villain Goku Black actually bears a number of similarities to a villain from the epic: The Six-Eared Macaque.

Goku Black is Dragon Ball 's Take on a Journey to the West Villain

"Goku Black" was originally a Kai in training known as Zamasu, who became obsessed with Goku and, with the help of time travel and the Super Dragon Balls, managed to steal his body in order to create his vision of paradise. Of course, Zamasu's vision of paradise meant killing all mortals, and he got his start in Future Trunks' timeline, killing as many Earthlings as possible. Through further time travel, the present-day Goku is able to face down this impostor, and while Goku Black proves a very deadly foe , Goku ultimately wins by invoking Zeno, the supreme god of the Dragon Ball multiverse.

In Journey to the West , the Six-Eared Macaque is a monkey, like Sun Wukong, who possesses some godlike powers thanks to his six ears. The Macaque spends almost the entire story in disguise as Sun Wukong, impersonating the monkey so perfectly that only Buddha can tell the two apart. The Macaque craves power and envies what Sun Wukong has, and the two ultimately have a climactic battle in front of Buddha, before Buddha captures the Macaque and forces it to return to its true form.

Goku Black's Original Inspiration Makes Him A More Interesting Villain

The Six-Eared Macaque in the story is a representation of Sun Wukong's dark side, much as Goku Black is a far darker version of Goku. Goku Black mirrors the Six-Eared Macaque's role almost perfectly: he has supernatural powers, he steals the hero's identity, and victory is ultimately only possible by invoking a far more powerful being. While Goku Black 's presence in Dragon Ball Super is a bit late compared to most Journey to the West -inspired characters, there's no denying the similarities the arc had with its classic origin, and in a way, represents Dragon Ball returning to its roots, if only for a moment.

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The drama is a modern adaptation of the famous Chinese story Journey to the West. It follows the monk Sanzo Hoshi and her three disciples--the monkey king Son Goku; the half-man, half-pig Ch... Read all The drama is a modern adaptation of the famous Chinese story Journey to the West. It follows the monk Sanzo Hoshi and her three disciples--the monkey king Son Goku; the half-man, half-pig Cho Hakkai; and the water demon Sagojo--as they travel to Tenjiku (India) in search of Buddh... Read all The drama is a modern adaptation of the famous Chinese story Journey to the West. It follows the monk Sanzo Hoshi and her three disciples--the monkey king Son Goku; the half-man, half-pig Cho Hakkai; and the water demon Sagojo--as they travel to Tenjiku (India) in search of Buddhist sutras of enlightenment.

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Journey To The West: The Chinese Inspiration Behind Dragon Ball

A monkey with superhuman strength and supernatural combat skills always carries with him a sacred scepter and has the ability to walk on clouds. He is also able to change his appearance. His only weakness? His tail. 

Sounds familiar?

Although this might sound like the description of a very popular cartoon character, this is the description of an ancient Chinese legend, thousands of years old, the archetype of a hero that has been adapted and adopted by many cultures and that has served as the inspiration for novels, plays, manga, anime, and video games: Sun Wukong.

Journey to the West: From Sun Wukong to Son Goku

Sun Wukong is the main character in the Chinese literature classic, Journey to the West, which follows the adventures and hardships faced by buddhist monk Xuanzang in his long journey to India, a pilgrimage made in search for illumination and to recover the sutras (sacred texts in the buddhist tradition) to bring them back to China. Throughout his journey, Xuanzang is provided with three protectors: a demon who has natural abilities in water combat (Sha Sheng), a pig (Zho Wuneng), and Sun Wukong, a monkey.

The original version of this anonymous story dates back to the 16th century and has a hundred chapters, with the first seven exploring Sun Wukong’s background, when he was known as the King Monkey. His origin is supernatural, and the story explains how this monkey learns from his master; his abilities go from shape-shifting to becoming immortal.

Along his journey, Sun Wukong acquires a scepter that gives him the ability to shape-shift as well as other abilities, like controlling the fur on his body and transforming into objects or living beings, and walking on clouds. 

After facing several Chinese gods and defeating them, The Monkey King challenged the Jade Emperor, the ruler of the heavens and maximum authority in the Chinese pantheon. For this, he was locked up by Buddha himself for a period of 500 years, until he offers himself as Xuanzang’s servant in exchange for his freedom.

It is no coincidence that Goku –the main character in Dragon Ball, a manga created by Akira Toriyama, one of the industry’s living legends– and Sun Wukong share so many common traits. Both stories include some iconic symbols and an unstoppable search for an object that gives meaning to the journey, as well as super human abilities and a kinship with monkeys.

However, as the manga and the TV series became more and more popular, the story of Goku diverted from the original, and little by little, it strayed from the story in Journey To The West; but in order to understand the origin of the sayajin, you definitely need to go back to Sun Wukong.

Do you know the true story of an iconic popular character? Click here to send a 400-word article and for the chance to appear in our website!

For more articles about popular culture and cool stories click here: The Best Most Irreverent Thanksgiving Cartoon Episodes To Laugh Your Ass Off 15 Feminist Lessons You Can Learn From The Powerpuff Girls Why I Relate To SpongeBob More Now Than In My Childhood

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Journey to the West: A 400-Year-Old Tale

Molly Thanrongvoraporn recently interned in the Department of Public Affairs and Marketing at Freer|Sackler.

There will always be a special place in my heart for Journey to the West . It’s a magical tale that has captivated both children and adults for centuries. Growing up in a half-Thai, half-Chinese household, I couldn’t escape its spell. How could anyone resist the fantastic journey to India undertaken by a Buddhist monk, an invincible magic monkey, a gluttonous pig monster, a humble fish monster, and a quiet dragon-in-disguise horse? Oh, the good old Saturday mornings of sitting around the table watching the Monkey King defeat demons. It makes me nostalgic!

Journey to the West (aka Journey ) is one of those stories that brings together East Asian people of all ages, especially when you’re partly Chinese. My grandmother and I are able to discuss the same story even though we were born fifty years apart. As one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature, Journey was adapted into many forms, ranging from Beijing opera to animation spin-offs. My earliest memory of it is the 1988 film  Doraemon: The Record of Nobita’s Parallel Visit to the West . As I was growing up, television series, cartoons, and movies telling this tale were released every few years to people who knew the story by heart. Regardless, we all rejoiced with every new version we could find.

The one element of the novel that appears most frequently in popular culture is the Monkey King, Sun Wukong. Many actors have tried their hand at portraying the character. Just this year, Donnie Yen starred in  The Monkey King , a new adaptation made with a big budget and plenty of special effects. Although the entire story is loosely based on Journey , Akira Toriyama ’s Dragon Ball protagonist Son Goku is heavily influenced by Wukong. Goku has the same name (but in Japanese), rides on a cloud, carries a magic staff, and had a monkey tail as a kid.

My favorite Wukong is the one and only Hong Kong comedy king, Stephen Chow , who created a bombastically funny version in Jeffrey Lau’s A Chinese Odyssey series. Focusing on how one may suffer with love and lust, the loose adaptation traces Wukong’s journey of self-redemption from an arrogant lying individual to a faithful follower of the Longevity Monk. Chow’s Wukong has set a high standard for any future adapters of the tale.

Catch Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons on Friday, August 15, at 7 pm, and A Chinese Odyssey Parts I and II at 1 and 3 pm on Sunday, August 17, at the Freer. These films conclude the 19th Annual Made in Hong Kong Film Festival, cosponsored by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Washington, DC.

Read Molly’s previous post on Hong Kong films .

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Goku Midnight Eye Is One of Anime's Best Takes on Journey to the West

More than a simple martial arts story, Goku Midnight Eye is an explosive cyberpunk action adaptation of the classic Chinese tale.

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Goku midnight eye is an adaptation of journey to the west, goku midnight eye’s heavy cyberpunk aesthetic is what makes it so memorable, goku midnight eye took a radically approach to its source material than other anime.

• Journey to the West is a classic Chinese novel that combines comedy, fantasy, action, and historical drama.
• Goku Midnight Eye is a unique cyberpunk anime adaptation of Journey to the West with a heavy cyberpunk aesthetic.
• Goku, the protagonist of Goku Midnight Eye , shares similarities with Sun Wukong from Journey to the West and possesses incredible powers.

Of all the classic Chinese novels, Journey to the West is arguably not just the most famous, but the most influential. Combining comedy, fantasy, action, and historical drama into a single narrative, Journey to the West tells the tale of a monk who travels far from his home in China in search of Buddhist sutras. While this basic premise may seem difficult to adapt for Western audiences, the sheer scope of the story and its colorful cast of characters gives Journey to the West impressive longevity. Some of the most popular anime series of all time have used Journey to the West as a template, but few have taken such a unique approach in adapting the classical tale as Goku Midnight Eye — a classic cyberpunk anime action extravaganza .

Goku Midnight Eye was originally a manga series by Buichi Terasawa that was published in 1987 by Gentosha. The series ran for three volumes in Japan and was increased to four in the US. The manga series was well received, but it wasn’t until 1989’s OVA adaption of the story that it fully came into its own. Directed by Yoshiaki Kawajiri of Wicked City , Demon City Shinjuku , and Ninja Scroll fame, Goku Midnight Eye is a perfect extension of Kawajiri’s hyper-stylized and sensuous animation style. Just like the manga before it, Goku Midnight Eye takes the classical Chinese tale and injects it with hefty doses of science fiction action.

How a Magical Weapon from Journey to the West Connects Dragon Ball & Naruto

To fully appreciate the references and themes in Goku Midnight Eye , it is important to understand exactly what Journey to the West is. Journey to the West was written in 1592 during China’s Ming dynasty and is largely attributed to Wu Cheng’en. There has been dispute over the years as to the validity of Cheng’en’s authorship, but regardless of the discourse surrounding it, it is generally agreed upon that Cheng’en is the author of the text. The most interesting fact about Journey to the West is that it is actually based on the exploits of a real person. Xuanzang, a 7th-century monk from Jingtu Temple, went against the orders of Emperor Taizong of Tang and decided to travel west in search of more accurate translations of Buddhist scriptures. Xuanzang’s travels took him as far west as modern-day Afghanistan and Pakistan, and he even lived in India for many years before finally returning home. Despite leaving against the Emperor’s wishes, Xuanzang was able to return to China safely and received great celebration upon his return. He recorded his travels in the book Great Tang Records on the Western Regions ; many of the artifacts he brought back home with him, as well as his writings, were preserved in the Big Wild Goose Pagoda. The stories that Xuanzang recounted became immensely popular and quickly became integrated into local folklore after he died in 664.

Journey to the West is a narrative written in one hundred chapters that are separated into four parts. Each part of the narrative covers different material, focusing on different characters and narrative themes. The first part of the story is the most famous and most commonly adapted into modern stories. The first section of Journey to the West focuses on the character Sun Wukong. A monkey born from a stone atop Flower Fruit Mountain, Sun Wukong is the incarnation of wild impulse and mischievous adventure. Sun Wukong is determined to travel the world so that he may discover the Tao and achieve immortality. Throughout his adventures, Sun Wukong learns 72 methods of heavenly transformation, acquires a powerful staff known as Ruyi Jingu Bang that possesses wondrous powers, gains a cloud that can carry him great distances, and gets into countless misadventures with the gods. Of all the characters and stories in Journey to the West , it is Son Wukong that most modern adaptations take the largest influence from, influencing famous series such as Dragon Ball , One Piece , and Goku Midnight Eye .

Saiyuki Journeys West Once Again In New Anime Series

Goku Midnight Eye is a two-part OVA that follows the adventures of hardboiled detective Goku Furinji in the super distant future of 2014 Tokyo. The first OVA pits Goku against a mysterious malefactor who forces people into committing suicide. As the number of people affected by this unknown force grows to an alarming rate, Goku’s old police friend, a woman named Yoko, comes to him for help in finding the source of the suicides. Goku discovers the source of the bizarre murder-suicides: a beautiful woman armed with hypnotic peacock feathers. Nearly succumbing to her powers, Goku makes the snap decision to remove his own eye in order to escape her. As grievous an injury as it may be, Goku is given an incredibly powerful cybernetic eye implant and is armed with a special staff. Goku’s eye allows him to remotely access and hack into any digital interface on the planet and perform advanced telemetry at will. His staff is almost indestructible and can be extended or shortened to any length he desires. Newly equipped, Goku battles his way to the evil force commanding the woman.

The second OVA, set shortly after the events of the first, features Goku battling against an unstable and seemingly unstoppable cyborg super soldier. The soldier's sister, Ryouko, implores Goku to help her stop her brother before he can commit any further atrocities—but lurking at the center of it all is a dire conspiracy, violent lies, and a lethal confrontation with the truth. Goku utilizes his cybernetic eye to amazing effect, manipulating electronic devices as needed, hacking into security systems on a whim, and gaining intel that aids him in his investigations. Goku himself is a highly skilled martial artist and detective whose street smarts and wherewithal save his life countless times over. He’s an archetypal bachelor who chose a life of solo crimefighting over a personal life, but Goku is still a loyal friend and heroic detective who chooses to use his wondrous powers for good.

Black Myth: Why Journey to the West is PERFECT For Video Game Adaptations

The most famous adaptation of Journey to the West is Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball . A young alien boy falls to Earth and is raised by a kind old man. When the boy, Goku, grows older, he embarks on a wild and colorful adventure to collect all seven of the legendary Dragon Balls, objects said to be capable of granting their possessor any wish they desire. Dragon Ball works so well because Goku is incredibly similar to Son Wukong, being a monkey-boy hybrid himself. Goku also wields an extendable staff and rides on a cloud. Another famous anime that took heavy inspiration from Journey to the West is Eiichiro Oda’s One Piece . The main character, Monkey D. Luffy, shares a connection with the Monkey King, Son Wukong. Both characters are remarkably similar in personality, too, as they both are brash and impulsive. The character Crocodile can turn into sand, a power Son Wukong gains by eating divine peaches in the original tale. Goku Midnight Eye ’s influences are quite obvious: Goku uses an extendable staff and gains superhuman powers from his special eye. He, too, is similar to Son Wukong, as both are known for their impulsive personalities and penchants for violence.

Even without the Journey to the West influences, Goku Midnight Eye is still an amazing sci-fi anime. It wears its cyberpunk aesthetics well, with the Tokyo of 2014 being appropriately gritty and neon-soaked. Many of Goku’s foes are absolutely unforgettable to behold, such as the peacock woman and the motorcycle woman who fires lasers from her mouth. While it might seem rather unnecessary to tie Journey to the West references into a cyberpunk action detective story, the scope of the story allows it to be molded so easily into brand-new concepts. Goku Midnight Eye tells the story of a man who embarks on a journey of personal discovery and growth while fending off impossible odds and beings that are from the natural world. Fitting the wondrous powers and hot temperament of Son Wukong onto a future detective sounds like it would be a mess, but it works so well. For fans of explosive cyber action and classical literature alike, Goku Midnight Eye delivers in every way .