Dragon Ball: That Time I Got Reincarnated as Yamcha by Dragongarow Lee Genres: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Isekai Intended Age Group: Teen Publisher: Viz/ Shonen Jump Edition: Paperback ISBN: 978-1-9747-0371-5 Rating: 3/5 AmazonBarnes&NobleCrunchyrollThriftBooks
Description from the Book
A Dragon Ball fan’s Greatest dream is getting to live in the Dragon Ball universe and fight alongside Goku and his friends! One particular fan thinks he’s living the dream when he suddenly dies and is reborn in the Dragon Ball world, but he’s in for a rude awakening when he realizes he’s been reincarnated as everyone’s favorite punching bag, Yamcha!
Personal & Info
I grew up watching Dragon Ball religiously and playing all of the games I could get my hands on. It had a huge impact on my life, but these days I’m not interested in anything made after the release of GT. This book was given to me as a gift, and it was the first time I was excited about anything Dragon Ball related in a long time.
I think this manga is more likely to be enjoyed by people already familiar with the Dragon Ball universe. It would be more difficult to follow story elements if the reader doesn’t know anything about the series or the original plot.
Characters
Yamcha is the main character, or in this case, an unnamed protagonist in the body of Yamcha. A Dragon Ball superfan, to be more specific.
Several characters appear throughout the book, but most of them only have brief appearances since the story focuses on Yamcha. If you’re familiar with Dragon Ball, just think of the gang from the Saiyan Saga, and that pretty much covers it.
Story & Thoughts
This was actually more serious than I was expecting. I thought it was going to be a hard core comedy, and I would have been okay with that. It’s not super funny, but it does have some laughs. The focus is more about Yamcha crushing on Bulma and using his fan knowledge of the series to try hard not to die in any of the events that would normally threaten his life.
Part of me was hoping that Yamcha would overcome Goku’s level of power and steal the show somehow, but realistically, that’s not possible for a human. Wishful thinking, I guess. I was a little worried when I heard Yamcha’s intentions, at first. Trunks is one of my favorite characters in the series. If Yamcha succeeded in what he wanted, then my favorite character would no longer exist. I don’t know if I would like a Dragon Ball world where Trunks was never born.
I never read the manga for Dragon Ball or Dragon Ball Z, but I get the feeling this uses the terms and names from that version. Some are spelled different than the TV versions or just completely different words (probably the Japanese ones).
Overall, I give this manga a soft three out of five. I like it enough to say that I enjoyed it. The story is so fast paced it covers Dragon Ball, the saiyan saga, AND the Cell saga, all in one tiny book. I think if it were longer, it could probably make a really good action drama romance series. That’s a spin on the series I would love to see. Regardless, the book is a fun and quick read that triggers all the right kinds of nostalgia. It almost makes me want to collect the manga for the parts of the Dragon Ball universe that I know I like.
I wasn’t actually expecting to have many manga for a haul this month. I thought I’d have maybe four. Obviously, I ended up with more than that. A pleasant surprise. Everything in this haul was purchased new from various sources or received as gifts, except for one manga.
Light Novels
Bofuri: I don’t Want to Get Hurt, so I’ll Max Out My Defense, Vol. 2
This book was gifted to me by the same friend who initially recommended the series and also gave me the first volume. I have seen some of the anime since reading the first book, but not the manga. Based on what I’ve seen of the anime, I think the light novel is the better version. I couldn’t read certain information in the anime without having to pause many times, because it seems like the anime doesn’t consider the forum posting as important as the light novels do. The forum posting parts are so wholesome. I feel like that’s one of the many reasons I like the light novel as much as I do.
I plan on reading this series long term, but it’s not a high priority on my collection list. The reviews for it will likely not be frequent. This one is also twice as thick as the first book, so that’s nice.
Just a warning, the light novels for this series are bound with flimsier paper than usual. If you so much as set it down wrong or drop it on the floor from a small height, there is a strong possibility it might tear. I’m two for two on that, so far.
What is it?
A funny and interesting VRMMORPG themed series.
Heaven Official’s Blessing: Tian Guan Ci Fu, Vol. 1
I’m dipping my toes into the danmei genre. I read the first volume of The Scum Villain’s Self Saving System and really liked it. This series is by the same author, so I got the first book to try. If I like both series, I’ll expand more deeply into the genre. So far, I’m optimistic.
What is it?
A historical BL (danmei) of some kind.
Manga
Ai Ore, Vol. 1
This is the only pre-owned manga in my haul. I bought it in the same store as some of my pre-owned novels the same month, in one of the same stores. The manga section of the store was closed the day a friend and I were shopping. We kept checking back in to see if they’d opened it. When we were finally allowed to enter that area, I felt like it would be rude not to buy something, since we kept asking about it.
The selection was pretty small, but this manga stood out to me. It’s pretty thick, like twice the size of a regular volume, and it’s a gender queer romance. It was half cover price, so I figured why not?
What is it?
A romance with two gender queer characters and a rock band.
Cat + Gamer, Vol. 1
This book was gifted to me from my wishlist. It’s about someone who gets a cat and uses their video game knowledge to help them learn how to take care of it. It sounded super cute when I came across it, so I’m looking forward to reading it. I think it’s great how many slice of life series about cats there are these days.
What is it?
A cute series about a gamer who adopts a cat and has no idea how to take care of it.
Daemons of the Shadow Realm, Vol. 3
Volume one hooked me. As a fan of Fullmetal Alchemist, this series does not disappoint. I’m excited to read this volume. I hope it keeps going strong. This is probably a series I’ll be collecting long term.
What is it?
An action adventure featuring spiritual duo companions and special powers as well as a generations old feud.
Dragon Ball: That Time I Got Reincarnated as Yamcha
I was a huge Dragon Ball fan when I was growing up. I’m generally not a fan of the modern stuff for it, though. My preference was for Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, and I’m one of those weird people who actually likes Dragon Ball GT. So, I don’t pay much mind to anything Dragon Ball these days.
THIS, however, is a gift I received that I am absolutely excited to read. After reading the description and flipping through the pages a little, this manga seems hilarious, and I love the concept. It’s definitely on my short list of things to read in my immediate pile of manga.
What is it?
A stand alone isekai story that, I strongly assume, is a comedy.
Fangs, Vol. 2
I like volume one of this series, but it’s definitely not for everyone. It’s not exactly a happy series. I thought this was the final volume, but I did some quick checking, and people are saying there is likely more to come, because there’s supposedly a cliff hanger. Now I have concerns, because this volume came out two years ago and I don’t see any release information anywhere about a third volume. I’ll definitely be reading this soon to find out for myself. It’s on my short list pile.
What is it?
A vampire BL romance with some depressing themes.
Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, Vol. 6 & 7
I’m still a little behind on volumes for this series. I’m hoping to catch up before I get around to watching the anime. The other day, I saw volume ten came out, so I’m not too far behind on the English releases.
Reviews for the volumes I’ve already read can be found in the index section.
What is it?
A fantasy story about an Elf mage coming to terms with how long her lifespan is compared to those around her.
Moriarty the Patriot, Vol. 1
I’m a fan of mysteries and Sherlock Holmes, so this series has been on my list of things to try for a while. This copy was gifted to me, and I’m looking forward to reading it. I don’t know anything about the contents, but I’m aware of who Moriarty is. I don’t think I’ve actually read any Sherlock Holmes stories that had Moriarty in them, though, so I don’t actually know a whole lot about the character, aside from them being Holmes’ rival. The only exposure to Moriarty I’ve had was the TV show Elementary, where if I remember right, Moriarty was a woman.
What is it?
A mystery series featuring Sherlock Holmes’ rival, Moriarty.
Soul Eater: The Perfect Edition, Vol. 2
I love Soul Eater, but my first exposure was the anime. I hear the manga is significantly better. Either way, I already planned on getting the manga. The perfect editions are hardcovers, and I see no reason not to get a favorite series in hardcover, so these are the ones I will be going with. It’ll likely be a while before I get around to reading them.
What is it?
A fantasy setting where people are trained to be warriors called meisters and wield weapons, that are actually people who become the weapon. They collect tainted souls in hopes of someday turning their weapons into their ultimate form to be used by Death himself. Sometimes this task involves saving the world.
This series is said to be in the same universe as Fire Force, which I have not yet read.
Miscellaneous
Fullmetal Alchemist 20th Anniversary Book
I don’t even really know what’s in this book. I just saw a 20th anniversary book was being released and I had to have it for my Fullmetal Alchemist collection. It’s approximately the same size as the hardcover editions of the manga, so it should look nice next to them on the shelf. I’ll likely read this after I get around to rereading the series.
What is it?
A collectable anniversary book with extra comics and information pertaining to the main series.
