Dragon Quest: Dai no Daibōken

Dragon Warrior: Dai's Great Adventure
ドラゴンクエスト - ダイの大冒険
(Dragon Quest - Dai no Daibōken)
Manga
Written by Riku Sanjo
Illustrated by Koji Inada
Published by Shueisha
Demographic Shōnen
Magazine Weekly Shōnen Jump
Original run 19891996
Volumes 37 (List of volumes)
TV anime
Directed by Nobutaka Nishizawa
Studio Toei Animation, Nippon Animation
Network TBS
Original run October 17, 1991September 24, 1992
Episodes 46 (List of episodes)
Original video animation
Directed by Nobutaka Nishizawa
Studio Toei Animation, Nippon Animation
Released 19911992
Runtime 35 minutes each
Episodes 3 (List of episodes)
Anime and Manga Portal

Dragon Warrior: Dai's Great Adventure (ドラゴンクエスト - ダイの大冒険 Doragon Kuesuto - Dai no Daibōken?, lit. Dragon Quest - Dai's Great Adventure), is an original manga based in the fantasy world of the video game series Dragon Quest. It was originally created as a two-chapter short story titled "Derupa! Iruiru!". Its subsequent success led to the three-chapter sequel "Dai Bakuhatsu!!!" (Dai Explodes!!!), and later the serialization of Dai no Daibōken.

The manga later spawned an anime series, which would be the second one based on the Dragon Quest franchise, Dragon Quest: Yuusha Abel Densetsu (known in America simply as Dragon Warrior), being the first.

Contents

Plot

The story starts with a young kid named Dai remembering a story told to him by his adoptive grandfather, the monster magician Brass, about the defeat of the Demon King Hadlar by the hands of a hero known as Avan.

After the defeat of the Demon King Hadlar, all of the monsters were unleashed from his evil will and peace reigned supreme around the world once again for 10 years. Some monsters and demons moved to the island of Delmurin to live in peace. Dai, the young protagonist of the series, is the only human living on the island. Having been raised by the kindly monster magician Brass and with his best friend, the monster Gome, Dai grows up to dream of becoming a hero. The true story begins when a very special person arrived at the island to meet with Dai: Avan, an instructor of heroes who came to the island to teach Dai, by request of Leona, a princess who was previously saved by the boy.

Avan offered Dai a full week of difficult training which would create a hero out of him. Having just learned the second of the three secret sword techniques of Avan, Dai's training was interrupted by the Demon King Hadlar, believed to be dead. Hadlar announced to Avan that he worked for an even more powerful evil king who resurrected him, the Great Demon King Vearn. Weakened by the spells he used to help Dai on his training, Avan nevertheless confronted Hadlar. To protect his students and destroy Hadlar at the same time, he cast a spell called "Megante" (Sacrifice) which required the caster's own life force to be used. Sadly, the spell did not destroy the Demon King as Avan had planned and Dai, Pop, Brass and Gome were left to fend for themselves. Only the awakening of a hidden power within Dai, symbolized by the appearance of a strange mark on his forehead, saved the day, causing Hadlar to flee. Dai decides to leave the island with Pop to avenge Avan and defeat the Demon King and his master to bring peace back to the world.

Characters

Disciples of Avan

Other Main Characters

Minor Characters

The Demon Lord's Army

The Demon King Hadlar's army is split into six different groups so as to maintain control over their vast numbers. Every group is used to conquer others with the Sorcerer Regiment being the exception since it exists more for studies and experiments to help further the Demon King's plans and to make the already impressive army even more powerful. This army was created by the Demon Lord Vearn to conquer the surface world of humans.

Hundred Beast Regiment: (Animals type, Plant type, Insect type, etc.) A tribe of complete admonitions, wielding this unfathomable power, conquest would be as easy as taking an uninhabited field.

Leader: Beast King Crocodine (see above)

The Undead Knights Regiment: (Skeletons, Zombies, Undead, etc.) A legion of soldiers who have transcended death, warriors of slaughter who send man to hell!

Leader: Leader of the Undead Knights Hyunckel (see above)

Ice and Fire Demon Regiment: (Flame, Blizzard, Lava Men, Glacier Men, Bomb Rocks, etc.) Sweltering flames and freezing snowstorms, frightening destroyers who burn everything and freeze the soul!

Leader: Fire and Ice Commander Flazzard

Sorcerer Regiment: (Mage type, Madou Savoru, Druid, Mad Hand, Devil's Eyeball, etc.) A regiment of mages proud of their immense magic power, no human mage can stand up to that sorceries power!

Leader: Ghost Bishop Zaboera

Super Dragon Regiment: (Dragon, Sky Dragon, Snake type, etc.) A regiment of the largest monsters, their battle power is number one of all the six regiments.

Leader: Dragon Tamer Baran

Shadow Regiment: (Shadow Knights, Wraiths, Wandering Armor, Smoke, etc.) Shadow attackers who attack their enemy without revealing their form, animated by a soul they received from the demon lord, they stain the world with darkness!

Leader: Shadow Fighter Myst-Vearn

Hadlar's Guardian Knights (Shinei Kidan no Hadlar)

The personal bodyguards of Hadlar Leader of the Demon Lords army. Hadlar created them from chess pieces made of Orihalcon (a substance that is resist to magic and can only be damaged by something made of orihalcon). They serve as replacements for the defeated leaders of the six regiments. Since they were created like Flazzard their core must be destroyed in order to defeat them, the core is located in the left chest just like a humans heart. The knights have a sense of camaraderie amongst themselves willing to help their fellow knights when necessary.

Media

Manga

The manga was first released as the short story "Derupa! Iruiru!" in Weekly Shōnen Jump issues 25 and 26 of 1989. Issues 35-37 included the short story "Dai Bakuhatsu!!" and the serialization of Dai no Daibōken began that same year in issue 45. It continued on for seven years before ending in volume 52 of 1996's Shōnen Jump. The manga was collected into 37 Tankōbon volumes. Later it was re-released as a Jump Remix with interviews and other extras included. It was then released into 22 Bunkobon volumes. Near the end of its serialization a Perfect Book was published which collected some of the art of the series along with trivia, and new information.

Anime

Produced by Toei Animation and Nippon Animation, the anime adaptation of Dragon Quest: Dai no Daibōken premiered in Japan on TBS on October 17, 1991 where it ran for 46 episodes until its conclusion on September 24, 1992.

The series uses two pieces of theme music, both composed by Koichi Sugiyama and performed by Jirou Dan. "Hurry, Heroes!!" (勇者よ急げ!! Yūsha yo Isoge!!?) is used for the opening theme, while "This Road is My Journey" (この道わが旅 Kono Michi Waga Tabi?), which was the original ending theme for Dragon Quest II, is used for the episodes' ending theme.

Soundtracks

Films

Three theatrical movies were produced based on the Dai no Daibōken TV series, all which premiered at the Toei Anime Fair film festival.

Japanese Title Japanese translation Period it was in the theater
グレート アドベンチャー Great Adventure 1991
アバンの使徒 Disciple of Avan 1992
新生6大将軍 The Reborn 6 Commanders 1992

References

External links