Kajika

Kajika is an intriguing short story by Toriyama.

Story - 5

The narrative isn't particularly special or astounding, but that's perfectly fine. It revolves around Kajika striving to become stronger and rescuing a girl. Fans of Dragonball will find many similarities here.

Art - 8

The artwork is exceptional, with all scenes depicted clearly and beautifully.

Character - 5

The characters aren't profoundly deep, but they aren't terrible either. Most are somewhat generic, yet this doesn't detract significantly from the experience.

Enjoyment - 7

I found reading Kajika quite enjoyable despite its fairly standard plot and characters. The story included some interesting twists and maintained my interest without any dull moments.

Overall - 6

If you enjoyed Dragonball before the Z era, you're likely to appreciate Kajika as well. Therefore, I definitely recommend it.

STORY:

Kajika is the tale of a boy named Kajika on his journey to become human again. As a Fox-man, Kajika possesses immense strength and unique abilities. One day, he encounters a girl and rescues her from a group of villains. After defeating them, Kajika uses his special power to cleanse their evilness. He learns that the girl, Haya, was targeted because she holds a rare Dragon Egg. The egg was originally stolen by a gang leader named Gibachi from Ronron Island, and Haya took it from him. Now, Gibachi seeks to kill Haya and reclaim the egg. Grateful for her rescue, Haya asks Kajika to help her return the egg.

In his childhood, Kajika was cruel and heartless. He once killed a fox for no reason, which led to the fox's spirit cursing him, transforming him into a Fox-man. Cast out from his village, Kajika was told that the only way to break the curse was to save 1,000 lives. The fox’s spirit, Gigi, decided to accompany Kajika on his quest. Once they save 1,000 lives, Kajika would revert to being human, and Gigi would regain its form. After five years, they are just ten lives away from achieving this goal. Despite his great strength, it is revealed that Kajika’s true powers are suppressed by his Fox-man form.

As they head to Ronron Island, they discover why Gibachi desires the egg so desperately. Legend says drinking a baby dragon's blood grants incredible power. Though unverified, the baby dragon's blood contains Dragomin, enabling rapid growth. If consumed by a human, unimaginable consequences could follow.

However, Haya concocts an excuse to leave the quest, fearing Gibachi. Now, Kajika and Gigi must return the egg alone, but they face a new threat: Isaza, a renowned assassin hired to hunt them down.

VERDICT:

This Akira Toriyama creation earns another thumbs up. Toriyama masterfully crafted a story that captivated readers' minds. It was deeply touching and maintained my interest throughout.

Evidently, Toriyama drew inspiration from his Dragon Ball roots when designing characters’ powers and skills. Although not overwhelmingly powerful, their abilities evoke memories of Dragon Ball. Each character was well-developed and perfectly integrated into the narrative.

Like other Toriyama manga I've read, this one delivers valuable messages. By paying attention, you can learn life lessons or ways to improve yourself.

This manga kept me engaged and entertained, which is why I recommend reading it.

Kajika is an intriguing one-shot manga by Toriyama. Released shortly after Dragon Ball, the influence of Dragon Ball is still strongly felt in this work, which isn't a bad thing at all. The storytelling here seems more polished from the start compared to the early days of Dragon Ball, though there's not much to directly compare between the two.

Overall, it feels too short and could benefit from an additional 2 or 3 volumes. The story appears somewhat rushed towards the end, and the world-building isn't as detailed as in Dragon Ball, something that developed over time. I believe if Toriyama had expanded on this further, it could have turned into a very interesting narrative. It would have been fascinating to see this connect with the Dragon Ball universe, although realistically, Toriyama is likely quite tired of that world by now.