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25.08.2022
Dragon Ball-ism Toriyama Showcase #16: Neko Majin Z 3!
Welcome back to Dragon Ball-ism: Toriyama Showcase—the series where we discuss Akira Toriyama's various short stories and one-shot works. It's time for us to check in once again with our good friend Neko Majin, a member of a strange cat-like race who shows off his absurd strength to the powerful enemies he encounters in the Dragon Ball spinoff-ish manga's third installment, "Neko Majin Z 3"!
Neko Majin Z 3
Published in the March 2004 issue of Monthly Shonen Jump.
Neko Majin Z 3 is one of the one-shot "Neko Majin" manga stories that were published in Weekly Shonen Jump and Monthly Shonen Jump between 1999 and 2005. This series became popular thanks to its wall-to-wall Dragon Ball parodies and Toriyama-isms in general.
Peace on Earth Is Threatened by…Vegeta?!
As you might recall, in the previous installment, Onio, the Saiyan who lost to Neko Majin, brought the all-powerful galactic emperor Kuriza with him to help get his revenge. Naturally, they both lost to the feline warrior, but in an unexpected twist, in this chapter they're all happily getting along and enjoying a friendly game of soccer!
While the game is underway, a space pod from the Frieza Force invades earth! In all the excitement, Neko Majin mistakes it for a soccer ball and gives it a mighty bicycle kick, sending it crashing down! And who else should emerge from the pod than the prince of all Saiyans, Vegeta!
It appears he's come for Kuriza under Frieza's orders. Upon hearing this, Kuriza exclaims, "You mean papa?!" Could this mean that Kuriza is actually Frieza's beautiful baby boy?!
Hearing about Neko Majin's amazing strength gets Vegeta's Saiyan blood pumping and raring for a good fight! Neko Majin agrees on the condition Vegeta treats him to a delicious okonomiyaki should the Saiyan warrior lose.
After confirming that Vegeta is even willing to buy him a deluxe okonomiyaki with the works, Neko Majin gets pumped up as well!
Vegeta launches a huge beam out of nowhere, much like the time he tried to force Goku to get serious and fight him with a similar blast that took the lives of dozens of spectators at the Tenkaichi Budokai!
("Dragon Ball" Tale 456)
However, Neko Majin sends the blast right back at his opponent and appears directly behind him!
Surprised at Neko Majin's strength and sensing the tables about to turn, Vegeta transforms into a legendary Super Saiyan! Along with his power level, Vegeta's confidence also skyrockets, similar to the cocky attitude he displayed against Cell before their iconic fight!
("Dragon Ball" Tale 398)
But that all changes when Neko Majin performs his own Super Saiyan transformation!
Growing flustered with all the unexpected developments, Vegeta suddenly pulls out his cell phone and announces he has some urgent business to take care of and leaves just as suddenly as he appeared! We're pretty sure he doesn't even get service in that area…
For someone with so much pride, being in a gag manga with all sorts of absurd twists and turns was apparently too much for Vegeta, causing him to vow, "I am never appearing in a gag manga again!"
Be sure to check out this hilarious comic for yourself and discover all the crazy gags that even caused the mighty Saiyan prince to turn tail and run!
*All comic images are from the Japanese version.
This site includes machine-translated texts. Please be aware that you might find some unusual expressions that are difficult to understand.