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The contiguous run of the 22nd Tenkaichi Budokai arc, through Demon King Piccolo, all the way to the end of the 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai, has every right to be considered the best run of manga ever produced. It is impossible to put down once started, and a masterpiece.
81 chapters in total, and i can think of two legitimate nitpicks amongst it all (the ultra divine water, and my slight boredom at the first HALF of the God vs Yamcha fight). Can you imagine writing 81 chapters of a manga in a row that all flow so well and are so pristine?
Again, 81 chapters. Feb of 1987 to September of 1988, almost 2 whole years and not a beat missed. It really cant be overstated how on the ball Toriyama and crew were at the time.
The 22rd Tenkaichi Budokai really *should* be the best tournament arc in all of DB. It might be if it werent for how great the following tournament was. These older chapters really did give such respect to every fighter. We knew the inevitable final bout, but everyone was worthy.
The Demon King Piccolo arc flows so seamlessly from the previous arc, and is filled with so much hurt and turmoil for Goku. The closest we got to that before this was Tao Pai Pai, but somehow this turn is sold so well.
And, of course, the iconography of this arc is almost unparalleled.
The 23rd Tenkaichi Budokai doesnt link in *quite* as fast, but its draw is just as great. Goku training with god, every power player on earth coming together, and seeing the fruits of years of training is satisfying.
One aspect I particularly enjoy is the level of respect & resilience that Krillin is given here. Like I said before, we know Piccolo is stronger, & that Piccolo vs Goku is inevitable. But rather than absolutely dominating Krillin to show the new bads strength, we get a good fight
And of course... what in the world more could possibly be said of the Piccolo vs Goku fight. Truly one of the all time greats, without a second of downtime.
Really, truly, the Dragon Ball manga is an absolute masterpiece work of art, and these 3 contiguous arcs are maybe the best and most consistent set of the whole franchise.
