Dragon Ball changes lives. That could be no clearer than with my current guest, Joshua, a Dragon Ball fan who relied on Goku to persevere.

A 23 year old man on the brink of suicide, the dark valley of life, he felt he had nothing left.

But he had Dragon Ball.

And that was all he needed.

How did Dragon Ball help Joshua pull through? Read on to discover the power of a positive spirit!

The Love for Dragon Ball Begins

Joshua's childhood bedroom wall

Derek: Hi Joshua, thank you for taking the time to come on board and be the second guest of Dragon Ball Fan Focus. The first one with Monica went really well and now I want to share your insights with other Dragon Ball fans.

Joshua: Yeah, I enjoyed the first one and just your site in general. I like how you take a cerebral approach to what is really, you know, a show for 14 year old boys.

I love Dragon Ball, have always loved it, and will always love it.

I appreciate when someone can see past surface level assumptions. There is a lot more to it.

Derek: Thanks. I think I’m showing people something they’ve never seen.

When did you first start watching Dragon Ball?

Joshua: The first time I saw it I was 9 years old at my grandparent’s house. My cousin and I got up early and were watching cartoons on Saturday when it was still on syndication on the old WB Network. It was the episode where Goku is training in his spaceship as its coming to Namek, he’s got his legs tied up to the ceiling and he’s doing situps.

Once I was introduced to the characters, I really got hooked. Especially the character of Goku, who remains my favorite to this day.

Goku is Joshua’s Ideal Hero

"Goku the Hero" by Soiden on DeviantArt

Derek: What made you want to watch the episodes so many times?

Joshua: It had to have been how I connected to Goku.

He’s pure. He’s an ideal, in a way. Goku can’t really exist in the same way that a Christ figure can’t really exist, because it’s too good.

You see these types of characters crop up in fiction, from Superman to the various pagan religious figures. These god men are so pure, so good, that everyone around them improves just from being around them.

Derek: Right. That’s an astute observation.

Darkness Leads to Light

Derek: You have your own website called Dragon Blog. There are a lot of Dragon Ball sites out there, but yours is unique. How would you describe the goal or purpose of your site, and where did the idea come from? You mentioned in your comment on Monica’s article that you started the site as “self medication.”

Joshua: Well, yes.

I recently had to move back home because I lost my apartment and my job along with it. I didn’t want to hang out with anybody and was not in a good place, at all. I didn’t want to talk to anyone, see anyone, or have anything to do with anything.

Initially the thought was, I want to rewatch all of Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, and Dragon Ball GT, straight through in its’ canonical order, because I had never been able to do that before. I either get stuck at the Artificial Human Arc because it is SO boring, or I just watch Dragon Ball and don’t watch anything else because Dragon Ball is my favorite.

Derek: Wow.

Joshua: Then I had the idea to do the blog so I could track my progress.

Derek: How long ago was this?

Joshua: Almost a year ago. It will be a year ago on May 25^th.

Derek: Okay. So you were at home, living with your parents, and it sounds like you were very depressed.

Joshua: I wasn’t happy about anything in my situation.

Derek: You didn’t have a girlfriend or friends coming by?

Joshua: See the thing is, I could have, but I shut everyone out.

If there’s somebody who just hates the shit out of themselves, you’re not going to want to be around them. I get it. I don’t harbor grudges against anybody. My social life has improved a MILLION percent since then.

Derek: That’s good, I’m glad to hear that. So you were in a state of depression, very introspective and by yourself, in your room. All you have is Dragon Ball there. So what happens?

Joshua:

Derek: Wow.

Opening the Door and Rising Up

Joshua: I posted the blog a couple episodes in, on Reddit, on the r/anime sub Reddit. The r/dbz one didn’t exist yet. I told them what I was doing. The response was interesting because it was positive!

Most of the comments were, “You’re going to do an episode a day? You’re going to be doing this until you’re an old man! You should really bump that up to 4 episodes a day.”

Derek: Dragon Ball is famous for being an incredibly long series. What did you have in mind? You know how long it is. It’s like running a marathon. But you just said to yourself, “I’m going to do it.”?

Joshua: That’s basically my approach. I’m just going to do it rather than sit around thinking about doing it.

Derek: Haha. But the most important thing is that you took the first step. And immediately you started feeling better. I find that very telling of the path of personal change.

Joshua: Oh yeah. Absolutely. I’ve done a lot in the past year since having the blog that I’m realizing more and more just how easy it is to pull yourself out of a funk if you just have the thought to do it.

Derek: That’s good advice. There might be other people out there who are going through the same thing right now. Is there a particular aspect of Dragon Ball that you think helped you through your depression?

Joshua: I think there are a few aspects of it. The first is my emotional connection to it, for having lived with it for more than half my life at this point. Dragon Ball is such an integral part of who I am and such a big thing that I love. For starters that’s always going to make me feel better.

And there are a lot of self improvement themes in Dragon Ball. It’s about Kung Fu and training and being the best.

It’s very encouraging to watch Goku and Kuririn run up those steps with Muten Roshi. Goku is huffing and puffing and is like, “I don’t think I can do this man, I’m going to run back down, or take a nap.” And Muten Roshi says, “Your grandpa used to do this every day.” And Goku is like, “Well I guess I’m doing this every day then!”

Derek: And it’s a great lesson in life to keep taking one step after another.

Joshua: The other thing is that it’s funny. It makes me laugh. That always makes you feel better!

Derek: That’s awesome. I completely agree. I know there are different mentalities in the world. Some people say that human beings cannot change once they reach a certain age. They get a fixed mentality and that’s it, and then those notions get stronger and stronger. But I have always been of the belief that people can change and do change. Dragon Ball is maybe the reason for that, or maybe I always felt that way and then Dragon Ball reaffirmed that idea again and again.

Joshua: I have to agree. If you’re doing anything right in your life, you’re always evolving and taking in new things.

Derek: So it’s safe to say that Dragon Ball is a meaningful series to you?

Joshua:

Derek: What has it been like to connect with other Dragon Ball fans, especially when you’re in that depressed state, when you’re by yourself in a room with a closed door, but you have a computer with a blog, and there are readers interacting with you. How did you feel?

Joshua: It shocked the shit out of me that anyone cared. That anyone would read what’s really just me rambling about every Dragon Ball episode. That people would even care about it.

Son Goku Endures

Derek: For someone who has never seen Dragon Ball, what would you say to recommend it? Why do you think someone should watch Dragon Ball or Dragon Ball Z?

Joshua: The first thing, do you like being entertained? That is an obvious yes for everybody.

Especially in Dragon Ball before we get to Dragon Ball Z. Dragon Ball is very much about being the best, self improvement and winning the tournament. Beating that unbeatable guy. Whether it’s Piccolo Daimao or Ivan Drago, it’s the same essential thing.

Derek: That’s fascinating because I’ve always been a huge fan of Rocky.

Joshua: Yeah, I love the Rocky movies, and it’s the same feeling I get from them. Watching this guy go from being nothing to being the greatest. Going the distance. I think Goku does that a lot during Dragon Ball, a bit during Dragon Ball Z and then it kind of levels off in the middle.

Derek: If I would compare the characters I’d say they’re both hard headed, kind of simple, and they go through a lot of hardships, and the way that they improve is by enduring. There’s a quote from Rocky VI, Balboa, where he says, “It’s not how hard you hit, it’s how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done!”

Joshua: And that is Goku’s essence. I was just watching the episode, Pathos of Freeza. It’s one of my favorite episodes. A lot of the beginning of the episode is just Freeza beating on Goku. But of course that is the same episode that ends with Goku beating Freeza SO badly that he starts chucking discs at him.

Goku takes every hit and shrugs it off, whereas every time Goku hits Freeza it beats him down that much more. So even though they appear to be equal, Goku is taking every hit in stride whereas Freeza is letting it frustrate him more and more.

Derek: Somehow Goku is able to endure all that and keep going. I think that’s the secret to his character.

Finding Your Inspiration

Derek: Do you think there are other Dragon Ball fans out there who have been inspired by the series, or received an emotional or spiritual pick-me-up when they were down?

Joshua: There has to be. It’s too geared towards that for there not to be. It’s too much of, for lack of a better term, a feel-good show.

Goku beats Piccolo Daimao, manages to get his friends back, everything works out in a way that is inspiring.

The Perfect Story

Derek: Why do you think that 15 years after the series concluded in 1997, there are still so many Dragon Ball fans across the world, and is still so successful?

Joshua: To bring it back to the beginning, I think it’s the perfect chemical compound for the type of story it is, or just a story in general.

Like your last fan interview, with Monica. Her favorite character was Vegeta. I like Vegeta, but I don’t think he’s even close to one of my favorites. But there are so many people who love Vegeta and get that out of the series.

Derek: It’s like there’s a character for everybody.

Joshua: Definitely. Whether it’s Piccolo, Gohan, any of the kids, Chaozu, Tenshinhan, or Yamcha. There’s just so many of them there. It’s a great show! It’s great, and that’s why people love it.

Derek: You’ve been a fan for a long time and you know a lot about the series, but if there were one question you’d like answered about Dragon Ball, what would it be?

Joshua:

Derek: Hahaha.

Joshua: Why did he feel that was necessary? Why couldn’t King Cold himself just go to earth? Why do we have to have a still-alive Freeza and UNDERCUT everything else that had just happened in the entire series?

Derek: That is an interesting question.

Joshua: I’m sure there’s no good answer for it. Toriyama would be like, “Who’s Freeza?! I don’t know who you’re talking about.”

Derek: Yeah, he tends to forget.

Appreciating the Fans

Derek: I really appreciate you coming on and speaking with me. It’s nice to connect with other Dragon Ball fans in a way that leads to a meaningful discussion and also produces new insights. It’s not just an internet debate.

Joshua: Thanks, man! That’s kind of what I’m always looking for in Dragon Ball discussion boards, really. They tend to, I’m not going to be too broad, they do tend to devolve into screaming. Which is kind of like the show!

Derek: Yeah, I was about to say. Sort of makes sense.

Joshua: I enjoyed it.

Derek: Thanks, Joshua.

Take a Moment

Dragon Ball had an enormous impact on Joshua’s life. It’s fair to say that without Dragon Ball, he may no longer be here.

Stories like Joshua’s make it perfectly clear that Dragon Ball has the power to change lives. It’s a power that gives us an inner strength to look within, grow and mature. To endure hardship and be determined to reach the next level. It’s the ultimate power of spirit!

Be sure to visit Joshua’s Dragon Blog website and congratulate him on his 1 year anniversary!

Has Dragon Ball ever inspired you to be better, to endure and keep up the fight? Leave your comments below.

Post from: The Dao of Dragonball Blog

Dragon Ball Fan Focus – Joshua

Today I introduce a new series called Dragon Ball Fan Focus, where one lucky Dragon Ball fan is interviewed and featured on The Dao of Dragon Ball.

My guest for the very first Dragon Ball Fan Focus is Monica, a young film student from Michigan who believes that she can win a debate against any other Dragon Ball fan, including the boys!

Is that a lofty claim, or can she really walk the walk? And what is it like for her to be a fan of a series made for young boys?

Let’s dive right in to the interview and find out what makes Monica such a unique Dragon Ball fan.

Dragon Ball Fandom Lives Eternal

Before our interview, Monica shared a bit about herself on the Dragon Ball Z sub-Reddit forum on Reddit.com, called r/dbz. It’s a fun community of like minded (and sometimes not so like minded) Dragon Ball fans from all over the world.

She told enough to make me intrigued and now here we are.

Derek: Hi Monica. Thanks for being the first Dragon Ball fan to be featured on The Dao of Dragon Ball.

You are from Michigan, right? Can you tell me a little about yourself?

Monica: I’m from Plymouth, Michigan but I haven’t lived here my whole life. I grew up around here and moved to South America when I was really little. That was the first place I started watching Dragon Ball, it was in Spanish.

Derek: You speak Spanish? I don’t know very much about the South American dub.

Monica: Yeah, fluently. It’s pretty good. I’ve been to South America a couple times and they have a lot of anime there. It’s all dubbed really well and they translate the theme songs, which they don’t do in the US, they make up their own theme songs here, which is stupid.

Derek: Which dub do you prefer?

Monica: I usually watch the English version, and I have a reason for that too. I’ve watched some of the Japanese version, but I watch the English version because they add in some things, certain character developments that I like. They do a good job with it.

Derek: Sometimes they fill in the characters personality, especially with Vegeta.

Monica: Yeah, and he’s my favorite character!

Derek: When did you start reading The Dao of Dragon Ball website and what do you think of the idea behind it?

Monica: I think it’s an interesting idea to go into the back stories, because there are a lot of things in Dragon Ball based on something else, like the Rabbit in the Moon article.

Derek: Have you learned anything from the site?

Monica: I read a lot of Dragon Ball Z in Shonen Jump, and they put history things into there, about that stuff, which led me to look into more of it. So I’ve looked at some of the Japanese history myself, and being interested in anime I’m like, “Hey, that’s in Dragon Ball!”

Derek: Right! You can see the correlations. That’s how the project started.

When you first told your story on Reddit you mentioned that when you were a child you used to wake up on Saturday mornings and watch the show with your little brother, but your dad decided it was too violent to watch. Can you tell me that story?

Monica: We were right in the Ginyu Saga when Vegeta kills Burter and Recoome, who aren’t dead yet, and my dad saw that and was like, “Oh, he just broke his neck!” Haha, and he decided that wasn’t appropriate for us, since I think I was still in 4^th grade.

But I still had some friends who watched it and they would all tell me the stories. I was amazed to hear that Krillin had hair!

Derek: So you didn’t get to the see the rest of the show until you grew up, you said about 8 years later?

Monica: I had dabbled in it a little since then because I had friends who liked it, but I had never seen it all the way to the end until I was much older, in high school.

Derek: Then a friend bought you the first and second seasons and rekindled your repressed love for the series. What happened then?

Monica: Right. I watched the entire thing on a straight marathon, all the way through! With all of the filler and long power up sequences it’s perfect to sit down and watch while you do homework. Every time I was doing something else I’d turn it on. As soon as Season 2 [aff] was over I was like, crap, I’ve got to get the next one. Haha.

Vegeta, Confidence and Pride

Derek: Why does Dragon Ball hook you? What’s your favorite aspect?

Monica: I think people seriously underestimate the story of it. Everybody gets involved with the long power up sequences and muscle bound characters and they forget that there’s an actual storyline going on, and the characters are quite involved in the story.

Derek: Yeah, it was tragic. Is he your favorite character because of how he changes or do you identify with Vegeta?

Monica: I like his character development and how he changes, but also how true they stay to his character. I know Akira Toriyama didn’t really intend for him to be a main character. He just threw him in and then kept him going.

Derek: Right, because the fans liked Vegeta and wanted him to stay.

Monica: Yeah, because of Akira Toriyama not liking him very much, he remains a bad guy all the way through to the end. I really like that because it’s something you don’t usually see. He’s the reluctant good guy the entire time. He hates everyone! Haha.

I like the tenacity of his character and I do identify with him a lot. My favorite thing about him is that he’s not always the best, but he’s always trying to be.

Derek: Do you feel that way about yourself?

Monica: I play hockey and I like to compete. Being a girl in a men’s sport I kind of feel that no matter what I do I’ll never be good enough, so I can relate to that.

Derek: So you’re always pushing yourself to be better?

Monica: Yeah. I said in my submission that I wanted to get a tattoo of the Saiyan crest. I’m a film student and a lot of my teachers are telling me “You’re not confident enough,” and Vegeta is a really confident character, so I feel like if I had that it would remind me to be more confident.

Monica shows off a drawing of the Royal Saiyan Crest tattoo

Derek: I see. I was going to ask what that symbol meant to you and now I understand.

You mentioned that you’re a woman playing hockey in a men’s sport. Dragon Ball also has a reputation for being geared toward young men. It is the quintessential example of a Shonen (Young Boys) manga and anime. And according to my 2012 reader survey, 91% of the readers of this website are male. What do you think of that? Is Dragon Ball a boy’s club, or is it universal?

Monica: It’s geared a lot towards guys. All of the main characters are guys. There are a couple female characters but they don’t do much, except maybe Bulma. Chi-Chi is just Chi-Chi. Haha. They don’t glorify them very much. 18 is really the only, oh and Videl is pretty cool too I guess. But they don’t glorify the women, which I guess I should have a chip on my shoulder about but I really don’t because it’s Dragon Ball Z!

I know a lot of girls who like it, like my roommate in college, she loves it now too. As a Shonen show it’s geared toward guys for a reason. I can understand why there aren’t a lot of girls who like it, but I feel like there’s a whole genre of girls who would, if they give it a chance.

Derek: I agree. You said that you’re a hardcore fan, you’ve got the Majin Vegeta hat, the Goku clothes and everything. Are boys ever surprised to find out that they’ve been talking to a girl about Dragon Ball, and especially when they’re proven wrong in debates or specific points of trivia online?

Monica: I try to point out that I’m a girl on r/dbz as much as I can.

But people don’t seem to like when I point out that I’m a girl because they seem to think I’m doing it for attention. They’re surprised, not because I’m a girl, but more so because I’m pointing it out!

Derek: You said that Vegeta is your favorite character and he inspires you to push yourself harder. Has Dragon Ball changed your life in any other way?

Monica: I think that’s probably the biggest way.

You can’t sit there and watch these guys go through all this stuff and then continue to watch television. I watch a couple episodes of Dragon Ball Z and then go to the gym.

Derek: I hear ya. I was religious about working out when I was really into watching the show. I was doing Kung Fu training for 3 hours a day, sparring and Tai Ji. Then I’d come home, shower, eat, and then watch DBZ on Adult Swim and work out again. It was mad.

Why do you think that 15 years after the series concluded in 1997, that there are still so many Dragon Ball fans, and it is still so successful?

Monica: It really is one of those cult shows. It has iconic things going on, the Kamehameha and stuff. People still make jokes about it, and when someone makes a Kamehameha joke, then everybody goes, “Oh yeah, Dragon Ball, I’m going to go back and watch that.”

Because it’s such a long running series and there are so many things to joke about and relate to, it has stood the test of time.

Derek: I think it’s something a lot of young adults grew up with and now it’s a language that we all speak and understand. When you mention Dragon Ball or one of those simple things like the Kamehameha, you instantly understand each other. “Oh, you grew up with Dragon Ball, too?” There’s a connection formed and then you can laugh about it.

If there were one question you’d like answered about Dragon Ball, what would it be?

Monica: I would like to ask Akira Toriyama why he shit’s on Vegeta so much in the Buu Saga!

Derek: Haha. Any idea what he might say?

Monica: I think he would say that he was never a huge fan of Vegeta and that was probably his reasoning for it. Vegeta just gets thrown around so much more than you think he should against Buu.

Derek: You’re right, he does take a pretty hard beating. But seeing Goku fight against him and win is the catalyst for his ultimate admittance that Goku is #1. It’s the ending of his character.

Monica: Right, but it was Vegeta’s idea of how to beat Buu.

Derek: True. The universe would have died without Vegeta. That’s a fact.

Monica: Haha.

A Hardcore Dragon Ball Fan

Derek: There are these terms, “hardcore” or “true” fan. Do you believe in those terms, and if so, what do you think they mean?

Monica: Yeah, I do. I’ve had a lot of seriously philosophical discussions with fans. I haven’t met a single fan that I haven’t been able to talk into a corner about Dragon Ball Z, because I watch it all the time. They’re all guys, too.

Would Majin Vegeta be able to beat Super Saiyan 3 Goku? Why, why not? If you can seriously lay your arguments out and have a hardcore, bloodthirsty discussion about stuff like that, then you’re a hardcore fan.

If you’re like, “Oh right, I saw him that one time when he had the “M” on his head,” it’s like, “Get out of here, you’re bush league.”

Derek: Haha. That was all of my questions, Monica. Is there anything you’d like to ask me?

Monica: I saw you had the ebook online. Is the book going to be published physically?

Derek: Yes. First as an ebook so I can generate the funding for the physical book. The people who pre-order the ebook now will get the 3 bonus chapters for free plus a physical copy signed by me when its published, as an incentive to pre-order it and support the project.

I just got another pre-order today from a person named “Majin.” So that’s pretty cool.

I really appreciate you taking the time to speak with me and answer so honestly. I think a lot of people are excited about this series and this was a great way to start.

Monica: Thanks for interviewing me. I told all of my friends I was going to be interviewed on a website!

Derek: Yeah, please share the link to the page with your friends.

Monica: Thanks. Bye!

Focusing on the Fans

What a fun way to start the series!

What do you think of Monica’s story? Her father wouldn’t let her watch Dragon Ball, but years later she received the first two seasons as a gift and fell in love with DBZ all over again!

She seems like a pretty big fan, wouldn’t you say?

Are you a huge fan of Dragon Ball? If so, what’s your story?

Leave a short version in the comments below. If I decide to feature you, then we’ll set up a time to talk.

Tell the world why you’re a Dragon Ball fan and become the next guest on Dragon Ball Fan Focus!

Post from: The Dao of Dragonball Blog

Dragon Ball Fan Focus – Monica

Dragon Ball Z was at its peak of popularity in the early 2000′s. At that time, Goku and the other characters of DBZ were assimilated into African American culture.

One of the results was a transformation of the characters into “black” versions of Goku, Vegeta, Piccolo and the other main characters.

There was a popular website that sprung up to specifically showcase this perspective of African American Dragon Ball fans. It was called DaBlackGoku.com.

The site ran from 1999 to 2003. It stopped being updated shortly afterward and then got lost to time.

Luckily I was able to find the site in the Internet Archive and download the pictures that were still accessible. I now have over 320 Black Goku pictures.

Then I went through a selection process, picked the best ones, color corrected and cropped them into today’s art gallery.

Since I had already showcased a few in the original The Black Goku article, they won’t be repeated.You can read more about the phenomenon there.

This gallery is different from the others in the Dragon Ball Art series. It’s not about displaying beautiful art. The idea is to show people how Goku and friends were assimilated by children and teenagers in the late 90′s and early 2000′s to become “black.”

A lot of the art is really unprofessional. Some of it’s a little better. None of it is exceptional. But the quality is irrelevant. It’s the message behind its creation that matters.

The fact that it EXISTS is worth sharing. You can’t find this anywhere else on the internet. That alone makes it valuable.

The sociological message behind it makes it even more fascinating. Try looking past the technical side and into the philosophical side. Why was this art created? Where did it come from? Who made it and why does it exist?

What you see here is a time capsule of Dragon Ball fandom. A thin slice of a sub culture within a sub culture.

Anime was on the rise but wouldn’t become “mainstream” until around 2004. Yet these fans took Dragon Ball to their hearts and produced something the world had never seen…

A Black Goku.

The Black Goku Art Gallery

“Mr. Popo. By most views he seems to be a pretty normal guy, but look at it another way. Mr. Popo though fragile looking has out… d after god after… and this porob… er end. Could … po is acctu… true god?”

Da Black Goku is Back!

Dragon Ball Z had a far reaching and profound impact on African American youth, and Da Black Goku website was only a single manifestation of its effect. Just the tip of the iceberg.

The series is still fondly remembered by millions of fans today, including Wu-Tang founder, The RZA, as he talks about in his book, The Tao of Wu [aff].

You can see a connection between the two in the image with Majin Vegeta, where instead of having the Majin “M” on his forehead he has the “W” symbol of the Wu-Tang Clan.

I can’t help but wonder, if Da Black Goku website were around today, what type of art do you think would be up there?

Fortunately there was so much great fan art that I couldn’t showcase them all in one post, so stay tuned for another Black Goku art gallery in the future!

Post from: The Dao of Dragonball Blog

Dragon Ball Art – The Black Goku

The subject of the panel is “The Spirituality of Dragon Ball.”

Here’s the official description:

Exciting!

It’s an hour long show and there will be time at the end for questions. Plus you’ll be able to meet me in person. Who’d want to miss out on that, right?

The poem on the image above says:

“Coming…

I Am Coming Over the Mountain for You
I Am Coming Through the Stars and the Sky
I Am Coming Out From Where I Am
I Am Coming for You…”

That means I want the room packed with Dragon Ball fans. Let’s do this!!

Even if you don’t live in California, get on your Immortal Dragon and fly there!! The world is counting on you!!!

More info about the convention can be found at the AM² website, along with the other panelists mentioned on Anime News Network.

Post from: The Dao of Dragonball Blog

The Spirituality of Dragon Ball Premiering at AM2 Convention

Alternative art is difficult to define and is a subject of much debate. I define it as the creative artistic license of established characters or places.

The art takes what you already know and transforms it into something new.

But how do we distinguish “alternative” art from any other fan art? To me, what makes a piece alternative is the feeling I get inside. It has to grab me and make me think, “Oh, now that’s different!”

And that’s what you’ll find in the following images.

Created by fans from across the world, each is in a unique artistic style. Even though they depict the same characters we all love, they’re done in such alternative ways that it really grabs your attention.

For example, the image above is titled “Vegeta Over 9,000″ by Sparky del Ireland, and is a modern twist of the Over 9,000 scene from Dragon Ball Z.

Remember, if you’d like to see more of these, please Like the article on Facebook (the button is at the top of the article) and leave comments at the end. Otherwise how else am I going to know?

Now let’s jump into these Dragon Ball inspired alternative works of art!

Dragon Ball Alternative Art

“Majin Vegeta” by melhell84

“Goku” by dodoithu

“Broly” by kzbulat

“Androids 18, 17″ by kzbulat

“Goku SSJ” by kzbulat

“Recoooooome” by Hellhause

“Dragon Ball Z in Manhua” by toriman-28

“Goku” by nevreme

“DBZ Heroes v2″ by c-dubbkitari5

“DBZ Villains” by c-dubbkitari5

“Bulma” by angelcano

“Goku Kaiohken vs Vegeta Ozharu” by javas

“GOKU” by kadlamalice

“Piccolo” by Pronton Liot

“Dragon Ball Piccolo” by GODTAIL

“Dragonball Tyaozu” by GODTAIL

“Dragon Ball Kamesennin” by GODTAIL

“Re Imagigne Goku” by AlexDeB

“Son Goku” by kadlamalice

“Vegeta SSJ4″ by RedVio

“Recoome” by Gold Copper

“Mirror” by Kamikaze-666

“Monkey Boy is So Tired” by rizaturker

Alternative Views

There are as many views on Dragon Ball as there are individual artists. Two artists can depict the same character in completely different ways, and yet still capture the spirit of Akira Toriyama’s original intentions.

Or maybe they purposefully go in an altogether different direction and yet we’re still able to see how Dragon Ball inspired their art.

I have too many favorites, including the big close up of Recoome’s face and the blue and green Goku. Not to mention the gender-bending Goku and Vegeta!

Which ones do you like the most? And remember, if you want more, Like the article on Facebook and leave comments, because it’s the best way to show your support.

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Dragon Ball Art – Alternative

The original Dragon Ball series was inspired by ancient cultural concepts and paradigms written about in ancient China, inspired itself by Indian religions and native Daoism.

It has been logical that on The Dao of Dragon Ball blog I have focused my efforts on culture, history, spirituality and philosophy.

But with the beginning of Dragon Ball Z we are quickly introduced to aliens, other planets, space travel, evil scientists and artificial humans. The series becomes more outlandish and influenced by science fiction with every passing saga.

If I were to avoid this aspect of the series, then a complete understanding of the Dragon Ball mythos would be impossible.

There have been several scientific books written about other pop cultural series, such as The Physics of Star Trek [aff], which I greatly enjoyed, and The Science of Star Wars [aff].

Why hasn’t there been anything written about the science of Dragon Ball?

It seems I’ll be the first to do so, however, I’m not a trained scientist, so what can be done?

Instead of writing articles filled with heavy mathematical equations or argumentative posits, I will introduce the scientific elements while integrating modern technological equivalents from our real world. These will serve as stepping stones that show how the science of Dragon Ball can be found in our modern world, or is on the way to becoming more like the Dragon World every day.

Then I’ll present them in a sociological, psychological, cultural and analytical framework that makes it easy to understand and relate to.

Now what content can we discuss?

Dragon Ball and Scientific Discussions

From what I can tell, nobody else in the world has discussed these issues, and I’m happy to be the first, because there are so many wonderful subjects to delve into.

For example:

What is Ki?

What is a Scouter? Do they exist in real life and can Ki be quantified?

How does Hoi-Poi Capsule technology function?

What material is Saiyan armor made of? Is there a modern equivalent?

What is the relationship between mind and matter?

Are Artificial Humans (Androids, Robots, Cell, and Cyborgs (such as Mecha Freeza and Tao Pai-Pai)) a scientific possibility?

Do gravity chambers exist, and can human beings survive training in them?

Which is superior, Science or Spirit?

Are scientists ethically responsible for the ramifications of their scientific work? Must they create good (Bulma), or is evil (Dr. Gero, Dr. Wheelo) simply a matter of perception?

Is it likely that aliens exist, and if so, will they appear humanoid?

Will personal space travel ever be possible, ala the Saiyan Space Pod?

Is time travel possible, and what are the ramifications of doing so?

Can the body survive physical transformations?

What is the Big Ghetti Star? A robot or an organic life form?

What is Cell, and could such a creature really be given birth in a laboratory through gene splicing?

If Ki were proven to exist, how would this change our view of the world around us, and the laws of physics?

And many more, such as discovering the limits of human potential and then breaking those limits through technology.

Ground Breaking Science

When it comes to the science of Dragon Ball, what would you like to learn?

There are so many possibilities, and I want to hear from you.

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The Science of Dragon Ball

You’re in luck, because over 50,000 of them visit The Dao of Dragon Ball every month, and the site now supports advertising.

Read the advertising page to learn about your advertising options and the going rates.

For starters, we’re talking about a 91% focused demographic of young men in their late teens and 20′s that are interested in anime, martial arts, philosophy, culture, and Japanese entertainment.

Secondly, they are heavy internet users and hardcore Dragon Ball fans, having been fans of the series on average for more than 10 years.

Thirdly… well, just go and read the advertising page already, why don’t ya?

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