The TRUE inspiration for Super Saiyan.

[Scott]

I present to you all the manga Shutendouji by Nagai Goh:

Spoiler

Created by the same guy who made iconic manga like Devilman and Mazinger Z, it was serialized in the Weekly Shounen Magazine from 1976 to 1978. The series combined traditional Japanese folklore with science fiction. Like most Nagai works, it was full of bloody violence and nudity (as you might know, Nagai was the one who popularized the ecchi genre). Anyway, you know how Gokuu's hair spikes up when he's a Super Saiyan? Check this out:

Spoiler

The protagonist you see there is Shutendoh Jiroh, a 15-year-old high school student who happens to be a demon. When Jiroh transforms, his hair spikes up and he grows horns.

I'm sure some of you are thinking right now, "Well, his hair doesn't change color, so it's not that similar", but wait. The manga was adapted into a series of OVAs from 1989 to 1991. Here's a scene from the second OVA:

The second OVA came out in 1990. Super Saiyan debuted in 1991. Checkmate, famalam.

And if for some reason, you want to say, "B-but Gokuu doesn't have a sword", as if that changes anything (it doesn't change a thing lol, but let's pretend it does for the sake of argument):

Spoiler

XD. For the record, Super Saiyan Future Trunks debuted in 1991, too, same year as Super Saiyan Gokuu.

 

[Scott]

@Cenas bald spot
@SSJ2
@Papasmurf
@Warmmedown
@Mystic
@Yoshi
@theallpowerfulpuipui
@GSM123
@Sovran Nila

 

[Cenas bald spot]

 

[Scott]

 

[Fantastische Hure]

Thread sucks & no truth to it.

 

[Yoshi]

Gold fighters have been a concept in eastern fiction for a long time I believe.

 

[Scott]

Gold fighters have been a concept in eastern fiction for a long time I believe.

Show me another transformation that turns you blonde fam

 

[Warmmedown]

Yeh but that guy's not a saiyan

 

[Warmmedown]

If you found that yourself, props. Even if it's not el true inspiration

 

[Warmmedown]

Show me another transformation that turns you blonde fam

Super Sonic and Launch from DB

 

[Warmmedown]

Actually Launch came before that other one's OVA. They ripped off DB.

 

[Scott]

Super Sonic and Launch from DB

Super Sonic came much later

Actually Launch came before that other one's OVA. They ripped off DB.

In that case, Cutie Honey (1973, also made by Nagai Goh) was what popularized changing your hair to transform. The main character had a blonde form. And she was female like Lunch too lol

But blonde Lunch's hair doesn't spike up. Shutendouji's hair spikes up when he turns demon in the original 1976 manga. In the 1990 second OVA, he also turns blonde on top of that, so he looks exactly like Super Saiyan.

OVA came out July 1, 1990. This was a week before Tree of Might came out in Japan on July 7, 1990.

The next DBZ movie was Lord Slug (aka Super Saiyan, Son Gokuu). We know it entered development around the time Tree of Might and Shutendouji OVA 2 came out in July 1990 based on what we know of how DBZ movies were made back then (after one movie is released, they spend around 2 months on the script for the next one, which then enters production).

Lord Slug comes out on March 9, 1991. Gokuu turns Super Saiyan in the manga on March 19, 1991. It's been 8 months since Shutendouji OVA 2 by this point.

ergo Toriyama ripped it off famalam

 

[Warmmedown]

Very plausible

 

[Scott]

Oh, actually, it turns out that Shutendouji's hair turned blonde in the manga, too.

Spoiler

Bruh, the whole time, Nagai Goh was the one who came up with powerful golden hair transformations. All the way back in the 70s.

And you know, it's pretty obvious that the Z in Dragon Ball Z comes from Mazinger Z, which was the first anime/manga to use Z in its title. After Mazinger Z in 1972, there was Mobile Suit Z Gundam in 1985. So, Z titles were a thing in Japan. If not for Nagai doing it first, then Toriyama wouldn't have done it.

 

[Warmmedown]

@Cenas bald spot what do you think