Dragon Ball Chapter 4: They Call Him...the Turtle Hermit! Review
Medium: Comic
Release date: 12/11/1984
Review date: 11/29/2024
Score: 5/10
Alright, my concern over how slow the plot of “Dragon Ball” was moving was a little unfounded, by Chapter Four we’ve already met Bulma, learned about the Dragon Balls, met Master Roshi and the turtle, and seen Goku obtain Kinto'un, so this little story is absolutely trucking now. How do I feel about Master Roshi being an old ass pervert who tries to get teenage Bulma to flash him her underwear? I don’t know man… I mean, not great, but I also know that character dynamic isn’t going away, and while I certainly don’t want to pretend it's not there I know I’ll also sound like a broken record if I keep bringing it up every time it happens. You can sit there and shout “cultural differences, cultural differences, you’re just being insensitive!” all you want, but it doesn’t change the fact this stuff is just creepy and weird, and was creepy and weird when the manga first debuted too. I don't know, if someone told me they were turned off of “Dragon Ball” by all the weird underaged perversion, I’d completely understand.
The bit about the Immortal Phoenix being dead when Roshi tried to summon it was funny, as was Bulma not being able to ride Kinto'un because she doesn’t have a pure heart, but she does apparently have an uzi? Alright Bulma, you do you. By the end of the chapter we’re already at the location of another Dragon Ball, putting this entire adventure on track to be done by Chapter 10 or so, which is frankly crazy knowing just how long it and its sequel series go for.