22.12.2022
Welcome back to Dragon Ball-ism: Toriyama Showcase—the series where we discuss Akira Toriyama's various short stories and one-shot works! This time, we're returning once again to the Neko Majin series for Akira Toriyama's Neko Majin Z 4!
Neko Majin Z 4
Published in the January 2005 issue of Monthly Shonen Jump.
This is the fourth installment of the "Neko Majin" series of one-shot stories that were published in Weekly and Monthly Shonen Jump from 1999 to 2005.
The series stars a standout member of the strange, cat-like race known as Neko Majins who has a talent for martial arts, and its stories combine light-hearted gags and Toriyama-style silliness with over-the-top battles!
Neko Majin had always been bursting at the seams with Dragon Ball references and parodies, but Z 4 takes the cake with a literal Dragon Ball character appearing right on the front cover!
One day, a young buddy of Neko Majin happens across Dragon Ball's Majin Buu, who he initially mistakes for his feline friend due to their astonishing resemblance!
Although surprised that the creature before him isn't Neko Majin at all, the boy also doesn't appear to know who Majin Buu is.
Being the mischievous pink troublemaker he is, Majin Buu tries to give the boy a fright by triggering a massive explosion with his spit!
However, the boy is unmoved, stating that his pal Neko Majin is capable of such feat as well!
Majin Buu is enticed by the idea of fighting against someone as absurdly powerful as himself, and before the two part ways the boy agrees to call him the next time he sees Neko Majin.
Immediately after Majin Buu leaves, Neko Majin himself arrives on the scene!
But then, a rabbit-like creature known as Usa Majin appears and confronts Neko Majin!
Apparently, Usa Majin had been increasing his power by going around and stealing the sources of the Neko Majins' power: their Majin-damas!
This time, Usa Majin has stolen Neko Majin's cherished Goku figure—which was not only a special present that came included with the "Dragon Box" but also had its production supervised by Toriyama himself—as a hostage to try and get his cowardly paws on his Majin-dama!
That figure really exists, you know! The Dragon Box is a DVD box set that includes all 153 episodes of the TV anime and comes with a special Tenkaichi Budokai diorama figure set!
The figures are an extremely rare piece of Dragon Ball memorabilia with designs based on specially created illustrations by Akira Toriyama himself, so any fan would leap at the chance of adding it to their collection!!
That despicable Usa Majin... To steal such a precious figure and hold it hostage is enough to turn not only Neko Majin but all Dragon Ball fans in the universe against it...!!
But we digress; The DVD box was only available via reservation, and there was even only a limited amount of them created, so for Neko Majin to have one himself, he might actually be one of the biggest Dragon Ball fans of all of us!
However, we soon find out that Neko Majin actually sees Goku not as a mere character in his favorite anime but as his martial arts master!!
Willing to give anything to have his master's figure back safe and sound, Neko Majin coughs up his Majin-dama and hands it over.
Now completely powerless, Neko Majin has no way to stand against Usa Majin, but just as things are going from bad to worse, the young boy calls out to Majin Buu!
In a flash, Majin Buu touches down on the scene like a superhero here to save the day! Mistaking Usa Majin for Neko Majin, Majin Buu unleashes an Earth-shaking punch that sends the villain rocketing backward!
The real question is: will the Goku figure be alright?!
If you want to find out, be sure to check out the Neko Majin Z 4 comic!!
This site includes machine-translated texts. Please be aware that you might find some unusual expressions that are difficult to understand.
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