Movies News Talk
Hidden treasure deserving of more attention is Akira Toriyama's 14-chapter manga series Cowa! Although it might have some resemblance to Dragon Ball, Cowa! is a singular and interesting narrative with great narrative technique and a deft examination of monster clichés.
Dragon Ball aficionados will surely identify the humorous fight scenes in Cowa! which recall the early years of Goku's travels. Though not a martial arts manga, Cowa!'s battles are resolved humorously, much as in the early Dragon Ball conflicts. Toriyama deftly employs his established power systems despite the lighthearted tone to make the battles interesting and exciting. Like most of Toriyama's early work, Cowa! also employs a lot of juvenile humor.
Cowa! is an adventure series, much as early Dragon Ball is. Traveling across the human city, the main group of monsters meets different obstacles and aids in family overcoming of injustice. Inspired by Dragon Ball's well-known themes—such as overcoming challenges and serving others in need—this general storyline finds roots.
Characters in Cowa! mirror some of Dragon Ball's legendary figures. Like Puar, the adorable floating ghost Jose Rodriguez can change into objects. Under some circumstances, the main character, Paifu, changes into a terrible monster that reminds one of the Great Ape or Oozaru transformation. The way Cowa! approaches the werewolf moon cliché shows a deft subversion of the venerable monster weakness.
Moreover, several characters—including Majin Buu, with his rubbery consistency—and even Dabura have clear similarities to Dragon Ball enemies. The way Cowa! presents Dabura greatly affects the "Fortuneteller Baba" type character who later defies expectations.
Beyond its connections to Dragon Ball, Cowa! stands out for deft use of "showing" rather than "telling." Early chapters gently and disturbingly introduce the Monster Flu, the impetus for the events of the narrative. The story seems rather relevant since this slow disclosure reflects the actual experience of the COVID-19 epidemic.
This narrative approach defines exactly what a monster is in this universe so that readers may see them in their daily life before they come upon the human world. Originally seeming normal by human standards, Paifu and his friends challenge the conventional image of monsters and highlight the innocence of children.
The narrative looks at the complicated dynamic between people and monsters. Although the monsters are usually nice and sympathetic, people are shown as a mixture of good and bad. Human banished to the monster planet, Mako Maruyama epitomizes this duality and shows his compassion despite his terrible past. This juxtaposition makes readers consider the actual meaning of "monster."
Cowa! is finally evidence of Akira Toriyama's creative brilliance. As a stand-alone masterpiece, it proves its value since it shows his capacity to create interesting tales with sympathetic characters and provocative ideas.