Dragon Ball: A Cultural Phenomenon in Vietnam
Dragon Ball is considered one of the most captivating manga series that has ever entered Vietnam, and it has closely tied with the childhood of many generations. To create a fantastic and imaginative universe as seen in the series, the creator of Dragon Ball had to research extensively and also draw inspiration from numerous ideas that he observed in comics.
The most notable influence on Dragon Ball can be traced back to the classic Chinese novel “Journey to the West,” with characters that are largely inspired by this literary work. It’s no surprise that fans can easily recognize the similarities between Son Goku and Sun Wukong.
Moreover, Akira Toriyama, the manga artist, drew inspiration for character designs from many different films he had watched. In one interview, Toriyama revealed that the appearance of the villain Frieza was inspired by a character from a science fiction film titled Aliens, which had a significant impact on him.
In this film, there exists a creature resembling a dragon with a long tail and they are particularly known for their strength, born with qualities that make them nearly invincible in any environment. Toriyama utilized this image extensively in the transformation of Frieza, which shares striking similarities with the aliens in the film.
Thus, the unique attributes of Frieza’s character and the aliens in this film have been a source of inspiration that connects them in a fascinating way.
