Mar 26, 2021
Jaco the Galactic Patrolman is a good manga, and it's a good prequel for Dragon Ball. It avoids most of the prequel pitfalls, and the original characters are lots of fun. However, Dragon Ball Minus, which was needlessly tacked onto this manga is complete rubbish and should've never been included.
It's hard to believe that Jaco the Galactic Patrolman and Dragon Ball Minus are both written by Akira Toriyama because they feel so vastly different from each other. Jaco feels deliberate, and carefully thought out as to not trample over the established story of Dragon Ball, and it's impressively consistent for a guy as forgetful as
...
Toriyama (even if he did somehow forget that the currency in Dragon Ball's Earth is Zeni and not Yen).
Dragon Ball Minus is also a pitiful excuse for a manga because it tramples all over a really GOOD pre-existing story for no reason at all. Bardock: The Father of Goku is easily my favorite piece of Dragon Ball media outside of the main story. Even Toriyama himself said it's one of his favorites, so I ask, why the hell would he bother re-telling Bardock's story? Toriyama's tribute to Bardock in the main series, simply appearing for a moment in Frieza's thoughts, was very tasteful and properly shows his admiration for the story, however, if you didn't know that, you would probably think Toriyama hates Bardock the way he tries to paint over him as a character in this story.
Toriyama takes a tragic story about a violent warrior who faces the annihilation of his race and tries to stop the destruction, only to die a nobody in his efforts. Toriyama acknowledges that this is very much a story he could never see himself writing, and this is what makes the Bardock Special such a stand-out moment in Dragon Ball. The Bardock Special takes a man who is 'gifted' the power of foresight and turns this into a tragedy. Dragon Ball Minus writes a story about a man with a random premonition and takes a risk sending his son off to another planet just because he's got an iffy feeling. Not a very compelling story.
The Bardock Special showcases a complex character, not a "good guy" who loves his wife, loves his sons and loves his friends. This guy KILLS FOR PROFIT! I'm disappointed that Toriyama took someone else's idea and tried to turn it into something of his own as if he had ANY unique or clever additions to the story.
Frankly, the abysmal Dragon Ball Minus is something that stands on its own. I think it's incredibly unfair to attach this to Jaco's name, but here we are. Saying this, my score reflects my thoughts on Jaco and Jaco alone.
I recommend Jaco to any Dragon Ball fan, and I HIGHLY recommend Bardock: The Father of Goku, however, I think everybody should stay as far away from Dragon Ball Minus as they can, it's really not worth your time, even if it is a short read.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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