Dragonball: 3-in-1 Edition

Gr 5–8—Son Goku, a monkey-tailed young martial artist, is enlisted by scientific adventurer Bulma as she attempts to locate seven "dragon balls" and be granted a wish. While they quickly gather the orbs, they fight a variety of other chancers and eventually enlist in a tournament of strength. The artwork may seem primitive compared to more modern manga, but the action is still briskly and breezily paced. In fact, the central premise is dispatched with some haste, and subsequent setups are similarly tied up as the author seems impatient to move on to whatever new idea has captured his fancy. As a naïf, Goku lends himself to a certain kind of elementary humor. With immature protagonists and mild gross-out jokes throughout, this series should be aimed squarely at elementary-aged kids, but the sexual innuendos make that a difficult recommendation. The publisher indicates that this is the original "uncut and uncensored" content, but the gap between Japanese cultural mores and parental expectations of a tie-in to a popular cartoon are still wide enough that some readers may be surprised. Indeed, American controversy about the content has been going on for more than a decade. The art is actually quite restrained with regard to sexuality, even with the occasional appearances of Goku's laughably rendered genitals. It is more likely the cavalier manner in which the bawdy humor involves a combo of teenaged girls, elderly letches, and prepubescent boys that readers may find worrisome.—Benjamin Russell, Belmont High School, NH