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Dragon Ball evokes mixed emotions in me. There are anime and manga classics like Dragon Ball. The story paved the way for many others that followed. One of the most inspiring mangas ever. It receives praise and notoriety, which I respect.

Eventually, I realized this wasn't right for me. This manga inspired several favorite series along with many others, so I read it. Despite this, I was extremely disappointed.

I am going to start with my praises of the series. Despite its age, the choreography and paneling still hold up fantastically for shonen fans. The comedy usually hits, although I smirk most of the time. While self-discovery themes are relatively well-done, I usually am not captivated by them.

Now for the negatives. To me, a story needs SOMETHING to captivate me and make me care about the characters. I can't find it in this series. Typically, the arcs revolve around Goku and crew looking for dragon balls and having adventures along the way, with no stakes. Toriyama's efforts to make repetitive scenarios unique and creative are minimal.

A lot of sexualization of women & weird perv jokes. Master Roshi did not appeal to me in the anime and I do not care for him here either! Overall, this is a good volume. There are still plenty of jokes in Dragon Ball and the story moves along rapidly, but it is finally picking up the stuff we know and love.

It contains many inappropriate references, which makes me caution readers under the age of 18. As of right now, I’m not sure if I’ll continue.

A fictionalized retelling of the Pendle of The Witch Trials of 1612, inspired by true events. Sharratt’s Pendle is a town where Grandmother Bess and Granddaughter Alizon live below the poverty line. Locals suspect them of bad things happening to them because they are poor and vulnerable. To feed their small family, Bess provides healing, herbal remedies, and fortune-telling. Her craft is also being taught to Alizon and her neighbor Anne. The situation worsens as a magistrate manipulates Alizon into admitting to witchcraft.

Towards the end of the book, I wasn’t sure what I felt.

It explores the interesting idea of a thin line between religion and superstition, but does not provide a real conflict between the two. The book's treatment of accused women's witchcraft cannot captivate.

The author never explains the familiars. They seemed unnecessary to the plot. I found this story to be very relational, and I enjoyed the emphasis on friendship, family, and loyalty. Also, the author handles the arrests and trials of the suspected witches. She presents an accurate portrayal of the legal system in that era in her text.

The bad news is that it wasn’t the right choice for me.