Emperor Pilaf Saga, vols. 1–2

Goku is a strong, naive boy with a monkey tail who lives alone in the mountains with the Four-Star Ball his grandfather left him. Bulma shows up hunting the seven Dragon Balls, which grant any wish, and they set off together. Along the way they pick up shape-shifting Oolong, the bandit Yamcha and Puar, and Master Roshi, who gives Goku the Flying Nimbus and shows off the Kamehameha. Emperor Pilaf wants the balls to rule the world and captures the group. Before Pilaf can make his wish, Oolong asks for a pair of panties. In their cell, Goku looks at the full moon, turns into a giant ape and wrecks the castle. His friends cut off his tail, and the group splits up.

1. Behind the scenesIt grew out of Dragon Boy

   Before Dragon Ball, Toriyama ran Dragon Boy, a two-part story in Fresh Jump in 1983 about a martial arts kid escorting a princess. It went over well and grew into the series.

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2. Behind the scenesJourney to the West, with Dragon Balls

   The base is the Chinese classic Journey to the West: Goku is the Monkey King, Bulma is the monk Sanzang, Oolong is Zhu Bajie and Yamcha is Sha Wujing. Toriyama swapped the Buddhist scriptures for seven Dragon Balls. Editor Kazuhiko Torishima picked the novel because it was free to use and its Chinese setting was rare in manga at the time.

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3. Behind the scenesHis wife named the Kamehameha

   Toriyama had the pose for the attack but no name. His wife, Nachi Mikami, suggested Kamehameha, after the Hawaiian king, figuring a historical name would be easy to remember.

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4. Behind the scenesThat tail was a chore

   Toriyama gave Goku a monkey tail to make him stand out, then admitted it was a pain to draw. That's why he loses it early in the story.

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5. Behind the scenesShu used to be Soba

   Toriyama first named Pilaf's dog henchman Soba. When the anime staff asked his name, he said Shu, forgot the original, and kept Shu in the manga.

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