Dragon Ball Z "It's Over 9,000!" When Worldviews Collide

I like the analysis between Goku and Vegeta but some things aren't mentioned, like how Vegeta wins both fights against Goku (First had Yajirobe cut off his tail, and in Buu Saga, Goku would have run out of power quickly in super saiyan 3). Vegeta also fought through his son Trunks, who was better than Goten, (Goku's son).Lastly, the shameless plugs at the end for Dao of Dragonball Z made me sick of it.Overall, it is an amazing experience until the end because it breaks down Frieza's classist society to determine a person's worth by gauging power levels at birth as a fatalist sign whereas Goku proves it wrong by the over 9000 meme. I also liked the part with Captain Ginyu knowing about the concealment of power levels, (unlike most of Frieza's goons who cannot see anything past their scouters), though the book doesn't mention that neither one could've beat him on their own due to his body swapping technique.At least it explains the super saiyan process of having to break character: Goku by having to be merciless (at first) with Frieza (should have mentioned toying with him like Vegeta does with his weaker opponents before putting them out of their misery). However, it explains Vegeta's transformation very well; the storm he fought and being so exhausted, he have up on having to rival Goku and just wanted to let everything go.

Loved this book, I am a huge fan of the series and this book gives great insight into the hit series. Definitely recommend to any fan or anyone curious about dragon ball.

Takes a bit for the site to let me write a review sometimes. I love this book and how in-depth it is about Goku and Vegeta’s rivalry and how we see their views from a real-world perspective.

I've been a big, female DragonBall fan for many years now. I've bought the english version and read it (I'm german) and have to say I really enjoyed reading. I was interested in the analysis of Dragon Ball and I wasn't disappointed.And I find the result of the author really outstanding! "It's Over 9,000!" is a lot about the development of the famous meme "It's Over 9,000!" And then there is the big main conflict in DragonBall Z: the everlasting contest between Kakarot & Vegeta - and, in short, Padula brings out the best of these topics :-)I especially liked the fact that you have a different kind of view on the manga and anime (such as the epic fight against Freezer on Namek) when you finished reading - exciting book! And I also want to buy the next volumes.

Essentially the first part covers how an internet meme comes to fruition second part (which is the bulk of the book compares the worldview of of eastern spirituality (Goku) versus an almost nihilistic viewpoint (Vegeta). And the last part which is short essentially advertises the authors blog which is worthwhile to read in its own right. The 100 or so pages are a great reanylisis of the series from the perspective of persona clashing and the book doesn't delve too deeply into the issues but rather the constant character development that opposing worldviews may provide. Personally I thought it was a nice little read but at the same time would have appreciated a deeper analysis of the issues which may or may not be covered in the authors other work "The Dao of Dragonball" which is in itself a signifigantly longer text.

Much like anything mainstream, "Dragon Ball Z" has had its share of lovers and haters. One of the most common criticisms is that the series lacked character development, a complaint that also dumbfounded me because the characterization has always been one of the series biggest selling points for me.Although "Dragon Ball Z" has a wide cast of character, this book focuses much on two characters: rivals Goku & Vegeta. The two of them have literally been through everything together: tried to kill each other (more than once), saved each others lives (more than once), and even fused together!What's most appealing about the book is the author goes in-depth the two characters psych to explain why they are the way are, why they changed, and what made them so appealing to fans across the world.The book is a short, but easy-to-follow read that shows that "Dragon Ball Z" is more than just big muscle dudes fighting each other. At an easy affordable price, I would recommend this book to anyone who likes DBZ.

Ever since I was a little kid I knew there was a reason I gravitated towards this. Now as I become wiser and older, I see just what the culture of Akira Toriyama was about. The subtle and powerful when harnessed energies of chi/qi/ki are the essences of life. The vital forces. It's amazing to see how this entire culture has permeated this beautiful comic.Mixed in with the physical and mental fitness and toughness of these characters, it's like a superhero, except that it is achievable. In real life.

Wonderful book! It is a quick read, but full of great information. Derek does a fantastic job of taking a deeper look into the different Dragon Ball characters, namely Goku and Vegeta. Reading this book made me look at Dragon Ball in ways I have not seen it before, and gave me a MUCH deeper understanding of Vegeta, and what makes him who he is.Derek also ties DBZ into everyday life. Showing that the show and manga are not simply action stories, but have powerful messages on how people can better themselves.If you are a Dragon Ball Z fan, this book is a must own!

Book was bent , as if someone had read it already and wasn't delicate with it , also corners slightly damaged so losing a star for being damaged.The book itself is an OK read, if you're a big life-long Dragonball fan you won't really learn much.It's mostly just about how the saiyans and Freeza force have one mindset where they judge everyone and everything by the number on the scouters and their society is all about who's got more power over the rest and relying on technology and stuff in battle. While Goku is all about Nurture or Nature. But Vegeta believes in his eletist Nature that his dad and Freeza instilled in him in different ways.If you are a die hard fan there isn't a lot to learn but still interesting but if you're more of a casual fan or just getting interested in the franchise then this book will be great for you and teach a lot about the opposing philosophies of the earthlings and the bad guy aliens( saiyans , Freeza etc) and should find it be an interesting read. But for someone who for the past 20 years has been following and more understanding the story through the many games (we need Tenkaiichi 4, big time) anime originally in English and then later in Japanese as the English dub is heavily censored and edited, and then more recently I've read manga and have watched a bunch of Geekdom101, Saiyan Scholar , MasakoX and TotallyNotMark videos amongst others, then this book is like a recap of what you've already learned with a few little pieces of bonus information.Not a waste of money if you're a knowledgeable fan but folk who arent dragon ball crazy will get a lot more bang for their buck so to soeak.Also the book is very thin and floppy , if most of your shelf is manga this will look out of place.So definitely more recommended to the less seasoned fans of the series , but that's just a theory, AN AMAZON THEORY lolol

Really good book. Amazing I can say. Truly cli wait little bit but 5 stars deserve book.

Like good

Ich bin seit vielen Jahren ein großer, weiblicher DragonBall-Fan und das auch jetzt noch im Erwachsenen-Alter. Das es dem Autor dieses Buches, Derek Padula, offenbar genauso geht und hier ein Fan tiefer in die Recherche und Analyse gegangen ist, hat mich interessiert & zum Kauf von "It's Over 9,000!" als gebundenes Buch bewogen.Und ich finde das Ergebnis wirklich hervorragend! Hauppthemen sind die Entwicklung des berühmten Internet-Memes "It's Over 9,000!" und der große Hauptkonflikt in DragonBall Z, der ewige Wettstreit zwischen den Saiyajin Kakarott & Vegeta - und, kurz und knapp: Padula holt das Beste aus diesen Themen raus :-)Das englischsprachige Buch liest sich auch für Nicht-Muttersprachler flüssig und einfach, ist intelligent geschrieben und nie trocken. Besonders gefallen hat mir, dass man Geschehnisse aus dem Manga und Anime (wie z.B. den Kampf gegen Freezer auf Namek) nach der Lektüre zum Teil ganz anders betrachtet - spannendes Buch!!! :-)

Dieses Buch ist ein perfekter Einstieg in die Welt hinter der ersichtlichen Welt von Dragonball. Wenn man langjähriger Fan von Dragonball ist und etwas tiefer in die Materie einsteigt, erkennt man schnell die tiefere Symbolik und die Bedeutung hinter vielen Dingen die Mangaka Arika Toriyama in sein Magnum Opus verarbeitet hat. In diesem Buch wird besonders auf die gegenteiligen Weltsichten der Protagonisten Goku und Vegeta eingegangen und welche Bedeutung kleine Dinge wie das Meme "it's over 9000" in Dragonball haben. Dieses ist eines von 1000 Beispielen von Kleinigkeiten die sehr viel Aussagekraft besitzt schaut man etwas genauer auf die Serie.Dieses Buch ist ein perfekter Einstieg, die Welt von Dragonball auf seine tiefere Symbolik und seine Wurzeln in der ostasiatischen Kultur zu untersuchen und viele Hintergründe zu verstehen. Die Serie wirkt in einem ganz anderen Licht sobald man hinter die Kämpfe, Muskeln und de Ki-Angriffe schaut. Dadurch ist dieses Buch sowohl für Leute geeignet, die diese Sichtweise noch nicht in betracht gekzogen haben und für Hardcore-Fans die dadurch vielleicht neue Sichtweisen erlangen oder in ihrem Wissen gefestigt werden. Ein Kritikpunkt wäre jedoch, dass für ebengenannte Hardcore-Fans das erste Kapitel des Buches, welches sich einzig und allein mit dern Wurzeln des Internetmemes beschäftigt, langweilig sein könnte da diese Fans mit der Herkunft vertraut sein sollten. Zusätzlich ist dieses Buch ein perfekter Einstieg in Padulas Schreibstil und in seine Perspektive der Serie, die sehr auf die kulturellen und humanistischen Aspekte fixiert ist.Somit ein "must-read" für Dragonball-Fans!