The book explores the inspirations of Akira Toriyama’s work in a volume of about 200 pages written by Ignacio Pillonetto.
Super Mario, Micky Mouse, Son Goku … there are few characters that anyone recognizes regardless of the country in which they live, but the protagonist created by the Japanese Akira Toriyama is one of them. His story, however, is inspired by a classic work, that of Sun Wu-Kung. The Monkey King is one of the crucial figures in Chinese literature, portraying him as an invulnerable warrior, whose task is to protect and guard the Tripitaka monk on his long pilgrimage. The publisher Héroes de Papel delves into all these matters with the help of its new book, The Odyssey of the Monkey King: The Origin of Dragon Ball, by Ignacio Pillonetto, a volume that is now available to reserve and that will go on sale next January 20.
“Journey to the West is the classic that inspired Akira Toriyama to create Dragon Ball so many years ago”, they explain in the press release. “Using the Monkey King as a guide, we enter a symbolic universe, where myth, history, Buddhism and pop culture come together in a fantastic collage that reflects how much is hidden behind the figure of Son Goku and the magic balls ”. The book not only collects the mange, but also the different animation series, movies, etc. All of them “combine different cultures and philosophy,” they add. The objective The Odyssey of the Monkey King: The origin of Dragon Ball is to serve as a gateway to the work in which it is inspired.
BOOK NOW ‘The Monkey King Odyssey: The Origin of Dragon Ball’, by Ignacio Pillonetto. A unique journey through the relationship between Dragon Ball and Journey to the West. Limited special edition in EARLY BOOKING for SILVER and GOLD members! Https: //t.co/P18D0o7hAI pic.twitter.com/IGyCJHK9hO
– Paper Heroes 📚 Support BREAK! vkm.is/break 💸 (@HeroesdePapelES) October 16, 2020
All the details about the book
The volume, published in hardcover and in full color, includes original illustrations made expressly for the book. In addition, the work is prefaced by Oriol Estrada, author and popularizer of Japanese culture. Marc Bernabé, translator of Dragon Ball Super, has been interviewed on its pages. If you reserve it on the Heroes de Papel website you will receive an exclusive illustration. As usual, a limited edition will also be released, which comes with the following extras and can only be reserved until October 23:
- Book
- Exclusive illustration print
- Box with special design and luxury finish
- Set of 10 cards with illustrations based on original covers of the Dragon Ball manga
- Numbered certificate
- Bookmark
Source | Paper Heroes (press release)
