Animation · blog · Manga · Proxymité Japon ·

Curse of the Blood Rubies Movie - Dragon Ball

Dragon Ball: Curse of the Blood Rubies (originally simply called Dragon Ball ) is the first film based on the Dragon Ball franchise originally created by Akira Toriyama. It premiered in Japan on December 20, 1986, at the Toei Manga Matsuri Film Festival. Curse of the Blood Rubies is the first in a series of alternate continuities in the Dragon Ball series.

A new character, King Gurumes, replaces the antagonistic role of Emperor Pilaf from the original manga. He adapts Goku's encounter with Bulma, None Oolong, None Puar, None Yamcha , and Master Roshi in his adventure in search of the Dragon Balls.

Summary

The narrator recounts the legend of the Dragon Balls: they are seven orange balls with red stars. Currently, the Dragon Balls are scattered across the Earth, but according to prophecy, if all seven are gathered, the Dragon Shenron will emerge from his fiery lair and grant a wish to the one who summoned him. Once the wish is granted, the Dragon Balls will scatter again throughout the world to allow another person to retrieve the magical balls.

In search of the Blood Rubies, King Gurumes' soldiers destroy the lands and homes of the farmers in their kingdom. Two soldiers, Bongo and Pasta, are also tasked with finding the Dragon Balls, as Gurumes has transformed into a giant purple monster due to the curse of the Blood Rubies. He currently desires the Dragon Balls so he can simply remove the curse. Meanwhile, Pansy (Penny in the 1995 dub), a rebellious girl, decides to find help after Bongo brutally beats her father for defending her.

Goku is an active young boy with a monkey's tail living in the wilderness of Mount Pazou. He was taken in by his adoptive grandfather Gohan, who raised him and trained him in martial arts. He possesses a mystical staff called the Power Pole, which can grow and shrink on command. He also possesses the Four-Star Dragon Ball.

Goku soon meets a short-haired teenage girl named Bulma, who is searching for the Dragon Balls using her Dragon Radar. She runs into Goku and notices another plane (piloted by Bongo and Pasta) heading straight for them. He tells Bulma the story of Grandpa Gohan and the gift he left for Goku after his death, the Four-Star Dragon Ball.

Bongo and Pasta steal Goku's Dragon Ball upon their arrival and leave him a gold coin as "payment." Bulma and Goku chase Pasta and Bongo as they run away. Just as the group is about to catch up to them, Pasta shoots them and they begin to fall from the sky. Goku saves Bulma by moving her to a nearby cliff with the Power Pole while he manages to jump into a river.

At night, they go looking for food in the woods and discover Oolong (a shapeshifting monster) aggressively approaching Pansy. Oolong runs away as soon as he discovers Goku's strength after destroying a large tree. Goku chases him and knocks him out with his Power Pole and discovers that Oolong's true form is a pig.

Oolong panics when he realizes they have landed in Desert Bandit Yamcha's territory. At that moment, Yamcha and his buddy Puar charge Goku's group. Goku fights Yamcha while the latter uses special moves like his Wolf Fang Fist. Their fight, however, stops when Bulma returns.

Since Yamcha is afraid of women, he and Puar retreat and spy on the group from afar. Pansy tells the group about her people's predicament and how they must find Master Roshi and the Dragon Balls. Yamcha and Puar overhear this conversation and decide to try to take the Dragon Balls for themselves.

After arriving on Master Roshi's island, the group discovers that Yamcha has defeated them and tricked Master Roshi into believing Goku is a thief. To test him, Roshi summons the Flying Nimbus, a magical cloud that only sincere people can ride. Goku rides the cloud and proves himself to Roshi. Yamcha flees, defeated, but vows he will return.

Bongo and Pasta appear and take the group's two Dragon Balls, destroying Roshi's house in the process. In a fit of anger, Roshi uses a Kamehameha to demolish the submarine, though the two still manage to escape. Pansy then asks Roshi for help in defeating King Gurume. However, Roshi declines and assures her that Goku and Bulma are there to help. At King Gurume's castle, King Gurume rejoices at Pasta's arrival with the last of the Dragon Balls.

The King's Air Force attacks Goku's group as they approach King Gurumes' castle, and Goku begins an aerial battle with Bongo. Goku defends himself from Bongo's attacks and manages to launch an attack that destroys his plane. Puar and Yamcha arrive to infiltrate the palace and meet with the others.

Yamcha is attacked by Pasta, who cannot defend himself due to his fear of women, so he runs away. Goku knocks Bongo against a wall with his Power Pole, causing them all to land in the throne room. King Gurumes' curse has caused him to grow to a gigantic size, which seems to overwhelm the group. He crushes Bongo and then attacks Goku for the final Dragon Ball.

Goku uses the Kamehameha, which he copied from Master Roshi. After learning that Gurume kept the other Dragon Balls in his stomach, Bulma throws the last Dragon Ball into Gurume's mouth. Shenron then appears, bursting out of Gurume's body. Pansy wishes for her land to be beautiful and peaceful again. Shenron makes the soil fertile and removes the Blood Rubies. Gurume's curse is lifted, and he becomes a small, hairless man. Goku returns the coin to Pasta and goes to Master Roshi's house to train.

New characters

King Gurume (or Gourmeth): Once a human ruler, he became power-hungry after finding the Blood Rubies, causing his kingdom's economy to collapse. He reverts to human form after the confrontation with Goku.
Pasta/Aldevia/Raven and Bongo/Major Domo: King Gurumes' subordinates who are searching for the Dragon Balls. Pasta is a red-haired female soldier while Bongo is a tall, muscular man.
Pansy (or Penny): A young girl seeking Master Roshi's help to help her village ruled by King Gurume.