Dragon Ball Manga Volume #7.





   _Dragon Ball_ #7: Akira Toriyama developed this series, in the

tradition of his well-known (in Japan, anyway,) Dr. Slump.  The sex and

toilet humor was toned down a bit in Dragon Ball, but it still has more

than its share of silly, etchie jokes and characters talking directly to

the reader.  The first few volumes emphasized the old Monkey King legend

references very heavily, which continues to a lesser extent later on.

Most notably: Son Gokuu (name of both main characters,) Gokuu's

expanding staff, the tail (and Gokuu's tendency to turn into a

were-monkey when he sees the full moon,) the flying cloud, etc.  There

are currently 34 volumes, and the series will probably continue to appear

in the weekly magazine, Shonen Jump, for a long time.

   [fa:vxxx -- First Appears in Volume xxx.]



Character List:

   Yellow Taisa: RR's remaining commander, in charge of the western

              regions.  The only non-human commander (drawn as a tiger.)

              [fa:v7]

   Tao-pie pie: The Chinese kung-fu master with a braided pony-tail, and

              the words "kill you" on the back of his jacket.  One of

              Gokuu's most formidable foes, and one of the few that

              repeatedly shows up in later episodes after he's been killed

              off.  Favorite mode of transport is to chop down a tree,

              throw it, and then leap on it to fly away.  [fa:v8,

              although is mentioned several times in volume 7.]

   Bora:      The huge American Indian that guards the land beneath a

              certain tall tower.  [fa:v7]  His son is named Upa.



Fighting Styles and attacks:

Janken -- actually the Japanese name for "scissors/paper/stone."

       Gokuu punches (stone) and the proper counter is a block (paper.)

Kamehame-ha -- A power blast.  Originally, Kamesennin was the only one

       that could do this, after 50 years of training.  Gokuu picked it

       up just by watching.  (Kame means "turtle".)  Jackie Chun is the

       third person to have been seen using this attack.  Later on, a

       number of other characters start using it.

One Pattern -- A fake, where the attacker moves so fast that an

       after-image is left behind.  Gokuu has been able to leave three

       images of himself.  First used by Jackie Chun.



Other notes:

Dragon Ball -- The 7 mystical balls that, once brought together, will

       summon the great Dragon God.  This god will grant one wish before

       departing, and causing the balls to fly apart to different

       locations across the world.

Dragon Radar -- The device Buruma built to help locate the Balls.  She

       gives the Radar to Gokuu after the Tenkaichi-budoukai.

Tenkaichi-budoukai -- The big battle that establishes the strongest

       fighter in the world, at any given time.  Usually has a cash

       prize.

Zenii -- What passes for money in this world.  The symbol is a backwards

      "$".

Red Ribbon -- The evil organization that spans the globe.  Originally

      headed by Red Sousui, who is later killed.  Very interested in

      obtaining the Dragon Balls for their own use.

Penguin Village -- This is the home for all of the characters from Dr.

      Slump.  Gokuu chases Blue Shogun into Penguin village in volume 7.

      It's a lot funnier if you are already familiar with that manga.





Story:

   Volume 7

   [Note: The inside flap has a picture of Toriyama wearing sunglasses

and a mask over his mouth, holding a baby who also has a mask and

sunglasses.]

   The leader of B Team is on Kamesennin's island, and demanding the

Dragon Balls from "the doctor."  One of the guards goes inside the

house, but only finds Ranchi.  Kamesennin didn't know that Buruma had

forgotten the balls on the island.  Since he's going to be killed after

handing over the Balls, the old man decides to fight.  After trashing

most of the men, one remaining guard takes Ranchi hostage.  But,

Kamesennin's turtle holds a branch under her nose, Ranchi sneezes,

and...  Kushami takes umbrage at having been called a "shit-woman" --

kicking the fallen man, spitting on him, and giving him the finger.  The

last remaining soldier is seen trying to escape, and quickly agrees to

remove the fallen bodies from the island.

   Meanwhile, in the undersea tunnels, Gokuu and friends surface in a

cave and run down a corridor.  Blue Shogun gets a radio message saying

that B Team has been wiped out.  Gokuu wants to know why they're running

from RR, and turns to make a stand (Kuririn and Buruma want to kee

running, since the soldiers have machine guns.)  However, Blue Shogun

calls his men back, telling them that B Team had been defeated by one

old man and a girl.  Gokuu doesn't understand why no one wants to fight

him.  Buruma tells him to keep moving.  But, the tunnel gets dark, until

Gokuu finds a light switch.  This makes everyone wonder who had been in

these tunnels before them.

   Buruma is puzzling this out, when Gokuu surprizes her by wearing a

skull he'd found from a nearby corpse.  Blue sends one of his men out to

spy on the heroes, and Kuririn realizes that this place had been the

hideout of an infamous band of pirates, and that there's probably a

treasure chest down here somewhere.  The spy radios this information

back, and Blue considers the possibility of getting the Dragon Ball,

Radar AND fabulous wealth.  Kuririn leads the way, and ignores the

strangeness of the corridor he's approaching.  Until he steps on a

switch that fires a spear right over his head.  The only way across is

to jump over the switches, which Gokuu demonstrates.  Kuririn is still

portrayed as a buffoon, and does almost make it past the switches before

triggering another spear.  Both boys growse about Buruma's inability to

make the leap herself, and Gokuu has to use his bo to carry her over.

   Blue catches up to his spy, who says that the group is right around

the corner.  Blue decides to surprise the heroes, and orders his men to

rush them.  He's counting his treasure already, but is interrupted by

the cries of pain from his men.  They'd triggered the traps, and one

corpse helpfully states that A Team has been completely wiped out.  Blue

reasons that the pirates would have a way to bypass the trap, and finds

a secret button that reveals another passage way.

   Gokuu and company happen into the submarine docking bay, and marvel

over the size of the equipment, before Gokuu notices a sound.  Blue

thinks that he's been discovered, but the boy states that the intruder

isn't human.  They're attacked by a guard robot that Buruma thinks is a

ghost, until Kuririn corrects her.  They fight the guard, then Gokuu

states that he'll take care of it while Kuririn takes Buruma away from

the dangerous bullets.  Blue chases after the two, and Gokuu kicks the

robot into the water.  He's pulled in by the robot's tail, and given a

painful shock before he breaks the tail off.  Swimming out ahead of the

robot, Gokuu uses his bo to get some altitude, then leaps down for a

Janken punch.  The robot is destroyed, Gokuu says "Peace, peace, peace,"

in victory.  He then races after the others.

   Kuririn notices that the island is starting to tremble.  They reach a

t-corridor, and decide to take the right turn because the Radar

indicates that's where the Ball is.  Blue shuffs out the arrow Kuririn

puts on the floor, and makes a new arrow pointing left.  Gokuu comes up,

sees the arrow, and runs off in the wrong direction while Blue watches.

The earthquakes are getting stronger (probably caused by the explosion

of the robot,) and the two stop at a dead end.  Their only choice is to

strip down and go swimming.  Blue isn't very happy with the idea of

getting wet, but he continues to follow them.  Gokuu's deadend contains

a trapdoor that drops him on what he thinks is a big cuttlefish.  The

octopus corrects him, stating that it's been a long time since it's been

fed.  Gokuu wants to keep moving, but the octopus grabs him and softens

him up by hitting him against the wall a few times.  Then, Gokuu weakly

says that he'd like to give the octopus a "fun thing."  It wants to know

what the fun thing is, and the boy says, "kamehame-ha."  The octopus

doesn't understand, but is quickly blasted.

   Kuririn and Buruma surface in another grotto, near the treasure

chest.  But, they don't have time to marvel at the contents before Blue

claims it for Red Ribbon.  Buruma falls for the hunk, and quickly learns

that he's a fag, and he tells them not to call him that.  Kuririn

expects a quick fight, and waits to Blue to attack.

   Gokuu decides that it really was takoyaki (grilled octpus) and has a

snack break.  He hears a scream, that could be Buruma or Kuririn, and

(after Kuririn gets beaten up a little more,) decides to investigate

the source of the second scream.  Buruma tells the runt to quickly

finish off Blue, so he uses "one pattern" to fool Blue and get in a good

kick.  The sight of his own blood causes Blue to go insane, and he

resorts to his secret technique -- Chounouryoku, a form of hypnosis

which paralyzes Kuririn.  Blue then has fun beating up the shrimp prior

to killing him.  Buruma is quaking with fear, expecting to be the next

victim, while Blue notices that the earth tremors are getting stronger.

Deciding to use her femine wiles on Blue, Buruma discovers that the

fighter actively HATES women.  When she states that she's really a guy

in disguise, Blue gets interested and she runs off in terror.  Before

Blue can pound in Kuririn's head with a rock, Gokuu leaps out of the

pool.  Buruma fills him in, and the two fighter square off.  Gokuu gets

in the first couple of shots, then as Buruma shouts out her warning,

Blue uses Chounouryoku.  Blue gets revenge, but the tremors are

worsening.  So, he uses a capsule to get a shotgun, and demands to know

where the Dragon Ball is.  Buruma slowly says that the Radar indicates

that the Ball is in another pool.  Blue decides to kill the three

despite his earlier assurances, and Buruma screams about how such a

beautiful, kind maiden as herself is about to be cruelly killed (Kuririn

isn't impressed.)  Before he can pull the trigger, though, a mouse runs

out and Blue recoils is horror (which breaks the spell on Gokuu.)  Gokuu

uses Janken, knocking Blue against the wall.  Rocks are falling from the

ceiling now, so Gokuu gets the location of the Dragon Ball (it really

was in the pool that Buruma pointed out,) and he tells the other two to

escape and he'll meet up with them later.  Gokuu finds the Ball, and the

mouse that saved him (he returns the favor.)

   Kuririn and Buruma reach the sub docking bay, but are cut off from

their own sub by a cave-in.  So, they settle for one of the pirates' old

mini-subs, and find that the engine still works.  Blue tries to take the

treasure chest, but is buried by another cave-in.  With the mouse still

in his mouth, Gokuu rushes past the rocks, while Buruma tries to leave

without him.  Kuririn won't let her, but the mini-sub is about to pull

away from the dock as Gokuu runs up.  In the sub, Gokuu pulls the mouse

out, and is happy to see that it is still in good shape.  The falling

rocks are starting to panic Kirirn, so Buruma assures them that they'll

get to open sea safely.  Except, they run out of fuel.  So, Gokuu hands

over the mouse (Kuririn wants to know why he has to hold a mouse,) and

before people can stop him, Gokuu uses Kamehame-ha to blast the mini-sub

out of the tunnel.  Then, he calls Kintoen and takes the group to the

nearest island.  Behind them, Blue surfaces, still alive.

   Gokuu says "That was close," Buruma agrees, adding that it's a good

thing that Gokuu is a friend of hers.  Kuririn bemoans the loss of the

treasure, but Buruma pulls a huge diamond out of her shorts.  Those two

comment on it's value, and Gokuu remembers to check the Dragon Ball --

still not his grandfather's.  He plans on continuing his quest, which

Buruma objects to because of the danger from RR.  Kuririn suggests that

they take one of RR's flyers and seek out Kamesennin's advice.  Blue

shows up on the same island, which is a RR base, and grabs a flyer of

his own.  While inspecting the diamond, Kuririn starts sniffing it (the

little sukebe knows where it's been hidden,) and has to prevaricate when

Buruma asks why.  Blue is just waiting for his chance.

   Kamesennin is stunned that the group wants him to sell the diamond,

which they estimate to be worth a few million zenii.  They fantasize

over that that can buy, forgetting that Kushami is with them.  She

steals the gem at gunpoint and flies off (Buruma hadn't met Kushami

before.)  Buruma wants the gem back, and can't understand why no one's

chasing after it.  Blue finds Gokuu's "hidden hideout" and drops in with

some rope (he has very strong legs, and we can see why the cave

collapsing on him didn't faze him.)  Gokuu want the other Balls and

Buruma wants a plane capsule.  But, Kushami took the only plane, and

they're stuck on the island, which pleases Blue.  Kuririn warns the old

man about Red Ribbon, but he already knows about them.  That's when Blue

uses his mental powers to cause the ropes to tie up the good guys.

They're surprised to find that he's still alive.  Blue goes into the

House, where he gets the Balls.  They can't break free of the ropes, and

when Blue comes back out, he leaves a little "bomb-chan" with a 5 minute

timer, next to them on the beach.  He then uses a capsule to get another

plane.  Buruma yells out that she really wants to become a RR soldier,

but Blue says that RR doesn't hire women for that.  So Kamesennin says

that he'll volunteer to join.  Blue answers that they have 4 minutes

left, and he flies off.

   Everyone is panicking when Ranchi returns.  She thinks this is some

kind of game.  She's told to throw the bomb away, but it's too heavy for

her.  Instead, she cuts Gokuu's ropes and he throws the bomb away with a

few seconds to spare.  Our hero then calls for Kintoen and rushes off to

get the Dragon Balls back.

   This is where the book focusses on Penguin Village.

      Akane -- Arale's classmate and friend

      Arale -- Senbe Norimake's powerful, but naive girl robot

      Senbe -- AKA - Dr. Slump.  Inventor and dirty young man

      Piske -- Tarou's childish little brother

      Tarou -- Akane's ex-boyfriend, school drop-out

      Ga-chan -- One of a pair of flying dinosaur hatchlings.

      Su-perman -- A rip-off of Superman.  The character uses pickled

               plums to gain power, and has a hiragana "su" character on

               his chest.

      Yamabuki Sensei -- Arale's teacher, and now Senbe's wife.

      Turbo -- Senbe's floating son.  Super genius.



   It's now summer vacation in Penguin Village, and Akane wants to know

what her friend's plans are.  One guy wants to continue his martial arts

training, the others are going to do stupid things.  Tarou comes along

with another girl, saying that he has a date -- ruining Akane's mood.

All through this, Senbe keeps popping up, giving a peace sign.  He says

it's because they haven't appeared in Shonen Jump for so long.  Later,

everyone else starts acting the same way (including the martial artist's

parents,) and Akane yells that her mother had better not start giving

peace signs (her mother doesn't understand the problem.)  Arale says

goodbye to people, and is about to return home when something overhead

attracts her attention...

   Gokuu demands the Balls back, Blue just laughs and goes faster.

Gokuu catches up, to Blue's surprise.  Our hero tries to use his bo to

smash the flyer, but Blue swerves away in time.  Blue is getting angry,

so he cuts the engine to let Gokuu catch up.  Then he turns them back

on, expecting to fry Gokuu.  However, his gloating is interrupted by the

mountain he crashes into.  Gokuu lands lightly in front of Arale, who

wants to talk.  But, the boy is in a hurry, and rushes off on Kintoen.

This causes Arale and the two G-chans to chase after.  Blue is

staggering from the wreckage, muttering about revenge, when Gokuu

appears.  So, he hides and leaves to reach Red Ribbon HQ.  The wreckage

seems to be devoid of Dragon Balls, and Gokuu's getting angry as the

three strange kids he'd met earlier show up again.  He's impressed that

this girl can run faster than Kintoen can fly.  Arale wants to play, but

Gokuu again rushes after Blue Shogun.  Then, circling overhead, he

complains about not being able to locate the villain.

   Some distance away, Blue is trying to commandeer the car of

Su-perman.  Luckily, there's a phonebooth nearby, and the normal human

runs in to change into his super identity -- which Blue has never seen

before.  Su-perman eats an umiboshi, and gives Blue fair warning.  Blue

laughs, destroys the phonebook, and asks where he can find the nearest

airplane.  Su-perman quickly states that the nearest plane is at Senbe

Norimake's, and gives his car to Blue to help him out.   He then gloats

over having made his particular patch of land safer.

   Gokuu is getting very frustrated, until he remembers the Dragon

Radar, but it's busted.  Gokuu asks if Arale knows Kamesennin's

location; of course, she doesn't.  He complains about the radar being

busted and Arale replies that Senbe can probably fix it.  She wants to

ride the cloud too, and Gokuu is surprised to find that she's pure of

heart enough to do so.  They fly off, and everyone has a good time.

   They stop at the house, where Senbe is tuning his plane.  Arale

points out Senbe, and the boy thinks she means Yamabuki-sensei.  The

real Senbe is identified, and looks at the broken radar.  Being told

that the radar can locate Dragon Balls doesn't help Senbe any.  he opens

up the device and is stunned by its complexity.  He's even further

humiliated at hearing that the device was built by a woman.  Then, Blue

drives up to the house.

   Senbe gives the device his best shot, but it's Turbo who can

understand the thing and can fix it.  Blue finds the plane, and Gokuu.

Senbe hands the repaired radar over, and congratulates himself on being

the greatest inventor in the world.  Then, Gokuu notices that according

to the Radar, the Balls are very close.  When he looks up, he sees Blue

holding a knife to Arale's throat.  Gokuu wants the Balls back, but Blue

uses his chounouryoku on him (Turbo recognizes the technique.)  Yamabuki

wonders if Blue is a friend of Gokuu's ("Wrong! He's a bad guy!!").

Blue takes the radar, puts it his pocket, puts the balls in the plane,

and prepares to kill Gokuu with a palm tree.  This is when Senbe tells

Arale to use her "pro wresting" moves on the bad guy.  The robot does

this very happily, and sends Blue into orbit.  Turbo breaks the spell on

Gokuu.  Gokuu is impressed that Arale is so strong (she says that the

G-chan's are also strong, as is Obotchiman.)  Gokuu gets the Dragon

Balls, but remembers that Blue had the Radar.  He's upset by this state

of affairs, until Turbo asks for permission to use pieces of the plane

to build a new one (based on what he'd seen when doing the original

repairs.)  Gokuu is happy, Senbe is proud, and Kintoen appears to

continue the quest.  Gokuu suggests that Arale enter the next

Tenkaichi-budoukai, and then flies off.  Senbe still doesn't understand

what it was all about.  Finally, Blue is on the phone, saying that he

has the Radar.  However, when told to return right away to RR HQ, he

stammers about this little problem he has (there's a pyramid in the

background.)

   Riding Kintoen, Gokuu checks the Radar, hoping that the next Ball

will have the 4 stars that mark it as his grandfather's.  Black tells

Red that Gokuu is heading west, which is Yellow's domain.  Red orders

that Yellow Taisa be alerted.  This land is called Seichi Karin, and it

has a peculiar tower reaching up into the clouds.  Yellow is demanding

that the Indian turn over his Dragon Ball, and the Indian warns the

invaders that he'll kill them to protect his land.  One thug sneaks up

from behind, and Upa warns his father.  The thug dies and Yellow tells

everyone to fire.  But, the bullets just bounce off the Indian, who

trashes them.  Yellow escapes, and Chichi-ue starts clening up the

grounds.  Black receives a radio message from Yellow, and is chastized

by Red for behaving above his position.  Red tells Yellow to take the

kid has a hostage, and if he fails, Tao-Pie Pie will be brought in (with

orders to kill Yellow AND the Indian.)  So, Yellow turns off his engine,

glides in, and grabs Upa.  Chichi-ue is about to hand over the Ball to

keep Upa from being killed, when Gokuu hears Upa's call for help.  Gokuu

eventually recognizes the symbol on the side of the plane, and smashes

it.  Upa lands safely on Kintoen, Black comments that Yellow has failed,

and Red decides to commission Tao-Pie Pie.









                                                -- Curtis H. Hoffmann

                                                   June 5, 1993