DRAGON QUEST: THE ADVENTURES OF DAI
Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai is based on the well-known RPG video game franchise Dragon Quest. Although this focuses on the main protagonist Dai, a boy who lives alone on the monster island of Dermline. The story holds true to those found in the gaming franchise. The manga is one of Shonen Jump`s bestselling series of all time with millions of copies sold. So there is nothing to wonder at, as to why Viz picked up the series for re-release.
Written by: Riku Sanjo
Art by: Koji Inada
Supervision by: Yuji Horii
The Adventure Begins.
It has to be said that the plot is nothing new and it is pretty basic fanfare. A young boy called Dai with mysterious powers dreaming of becoming a hero sets out on adventures where he makes friends and becomes stronger. Now, this is a basic concept found in most adventure/RPG constructs. What sets the story apart from so many others is the use of plot twists. There is a lot of plot twists to be found throughout the pages of Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai. This is not necessarily a bad thing but can become a bit monotonous. Why? because it takes away from the surprise element that is usually found within a decent adventure outing. I am not saying that this is a bad read or that it is lacking anything.
As the story element rests squarely on the shoulder of the characters, there is a slew of charismatic protagonists, good and solid supporting characters, and amazing chemistry between all of them. I believe everybody that picks up this manga will relate to at least one of these characters if not a handful of them. The baddies, are well bad and they do not dwell on the reasons behind their action, they are here to propel the story forward, and they do not feel it necessary to overindulge in a reason as to why they are being evil. They just are, and sometimes that is enough.
The Art and Style of Dai`s Adventure.
This is a strange one for me, as you can actually see the art style take a more serious approach as the series continues. Like the artist evolved as the characters did. In the first couple of pages, the art might seem to be a bit silly or drawn for a comedic effect. But, as the series continues the facial expressions and the personalities of each of the characters come more to the forefront, and a more serious approach to drawing these characters takes over. If you going to compare it to more recent manga art, you will be left feeling a bit disappointed. However, just keep in mind that the series’ original run was 1989-1996. And the style of the art would have fitted in perfectly.
Final Thoughts.
Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai, succeeds in telling a rather entertaining story. It has to be said that at least for me there were a lot of elements that reminded me of Dragonball which looking back at it was entertainment enough. Should you read The Adventures Dai? if you loved the games and enjoyed the anime then this should be a good read for any fan of the franchise.
Score: 6.5