Q & A with Derek Padula

There are only a handful of Dragonball books on the market, and each of them focuses on trivia and factoids. The Dao of Dragonball delves much further into the series and looks at it from a historical and philosophical mindframe. The cultural assumptions made by the author Akira Toriyama for the Japanese audience are in many instances left unexplained to Western audiences. This book explains the entirety of Dragonball's untold secrets. It serves as the perfect companion to the manga or anime and can work as an introductory text book in highschool or university level classes focused on Japanese pop culture.

Dragonball Z / GT is one of the world's most popular Japanese animations (anime) and comic books (manga). It was created in the mid-80's and finished in 1997, and Dragonball consists of nearly 500 syndicated episodes and 18 feature films and TV specials. Innovative at it's time and still quite influential, Dragonball is almost single handedly responsible for introducing anime to Western audiences on a mainstream level. I recommend the following for a quick understanding of Dragonball's history and presence:

• Daizex's Newbie Guide
• Official Dragon Ball Z Site

The Dao is a term from Chinese culture and religion. It is described as "The Way," or "The Path." This term encompasses one complete system of spiritual cultivation, and is placed in contrast or in tandem with "The Law." The Dao of Dragonball uses this term to describe the complete history and culture of Dragonball's spiritual perspective.

By practicing Chinese martial arts, Tai Chi, Qi Gong, Falun Dafa, studying Chinese culture and philosophy, and of course by watching an endless amount of Dragonball. All of these influences in my life came together in The Dao of Dragonball.

The Dao of Dragonball consists of three parts. The 1st is a historical look at the creation of the series and it's author, Akira Toriyama. The 2nd is a cultural and spiritual analysis of each aspect of the show. The 3rd delves into the metaphysical and "serious questions" such as, "Is Goku a Bodhisattva?" and "What is Goku's method for attaining enlightenment?" In total it runs around 350 pages.

You can get your very own copy of The Dao of Dragonball right here as a downloadable Dragonball e-book.

At this time the book is not available for hard copy purchase. I don't have enough money to publish the book myself, and a publisher has yet to pick it up. Please Contact the Author if you are interested in publication or would like some sample chapters.

With your help in downloading the e-book I will be able to self-publish a hard copy. Thank you!