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Before the end of 2023, I finished watching the Dragon Ball series. It was the first time I watched the Japanese anime more than 20 years after I bought the last edition of Dragon Ball manga series.
In Brazil, when we talk about Dragon Ball, fans immediately correlate to the huge success of Dragon Ball Z, especially between the end of 1990s and the beginning of 2000s, when Freeza, Cell and Majin Boo saga aired. At that time, I usually bought magazines explaining the incredible ki forces from Saiyajins, dedicated hours drawing warriors like Goku and Vegeta, and played imaginary fights with my friends while we discussed which of them was the most powerful (Goku, of course).
Sadly, the experience watching the first Dragon Ball series wasn’t as good as I expected, because I only had access to the censured version from Globoplay. I understand that, for kids, Master Roshi (or Mestre Kame, as famously known in Brazil) attitudes could be completely erratic and sexist, but that compromised the joyful experience I had reading manga. Too bad that I lost all the 32 editions I bought…
In different ways, Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z remain as fundamental influences on my childhood and puberty.
At first, adventures with kid Goku helped me see a world divided by goods and bads. But, if you pay attention to those episodes, it clears out that Goku is only seeking new challenges to become the most powerful warrior in the world. Yes, that journey continues through Dragon Ball Z (expanding that desire to be the powerful warrior in the galaxy), but I cannot forget that the enemies also shared the same objective: for example, Tao Pai Pai appearing after received a bomb in the air or the return of the evil Piccolo Daimaoh, who saved his legacy into an egg containing his child.
Piccolo (son) and Goku had the most intense battle of all – even compared to Dragon Ball Z series. But I was shocked to see Goku giving him the god's seeds, giving hope to Piccolo for a new challenge. Several years later, as enters Dragon Ball Z, Piccolo was in charge of taking care of Goku’s son, Gohan, establishing one of the most affective friendships of the entire series.
Dragon Ball Z introduce me to prince Vegeta and a lot of new characters, most of them interesting villains, like the badass Freeza, the articulated Cell, and the crazy and nihilistic Majin Boo, which, in the end, was fragmented into one good and one evil.
Between all those epic fights, Dragon Ball Z presented new worlds and new forms of greed. Freeza, Cell, and Majin Boo are all villains, but they have different motivations: fear, joy, and, in the case of Majin Boo, probably some kind of destiny to be born that way. Those difficulties strengthen the relation between Goku and Vegeta, without sacrificing the competitiveness they had against each other.
Exploring duality with the characters, showing us new villains and greed, and fascinating us with different forms of power were part of the incredible joy of watching Dragon Ball. I also reinforce the power of friendship, creative adventures, and a world with so many possibilities, that have inspired new versions of the series until now.
I have a brother 21 years younger than me, and he recommended to make a Shen Long tattoo on my arm. I will probably follow his advice, forever thanking Akira Toriyama for his incredible legacy even in my adulthood.
Rest in peace, Akira!