by Akira Toriyama, 177 pagesSon Goku, a pint-sized, crazy strong fighter with a monkey tail and some major determination, strives to recover the fourth dragon ball, a memento of his beloved grandfather. Trouble is, people keep stealing it, along with the other six dragon balls scattered across the world, because once they have all seven, the dragon god will appear and grant any one wish before again dispersing the dragon balls around the globe. The collectors will stop at nothing to achieve their desires, and what they desire is wealth, power, world domination...and other ridiculous things I won't spoil here just in case you choose to experience the fun, adventure-filled dumbness for yourself.
Mostly, Dragon Ball is silly. Son Goku is a plucky, innocent, deadly little thing who loves getting stronger and stronger and knocking baddies on their backsides with his signature kamehameha move (taught him by his lecherous, turtle-shell wearing geezer of a master), but not just because it's fun--he has things he needs to do, and usually they're for other people (or critters, or combinations thereof). This volume, for instance, sees him lose a friend to a scary assassin and vow to the one left behind that he'll get vengeance and collect the dragon balls himself so he can wish for the return of the one lost. It also sees him actually finish off some bad guys, something he didn't used to do when the series first started. Sadly, he's learned a few real-life lessons since then. And that's why it's only mostly silly. Every time I pick this series up again, I think it's just fluff and that I'll be rolling my eyes all the way through; but then I read it and find myself giggling and ohnoes-ing and following the adventure so that I'm smiling when I'm done and not at all unhappy with the thought of eventually getting the next one.
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