Yamcha

Infobox animanga character
name = Yamcha
series = Dragon Ball


caption = Yamcha by Akira Toriyama
first = "Dragon Ball", volume 1, chapter 7
"Dragon Ball", episode 5
last =
creator = Akira Toriyama
voiced by = See Voice actors
born =
nickname =
alias = Zedaki (Harmony Gold dub) [cite web|url=http://templeotrunks.com/media/lost_dub/index.html|title=Harmony Gold USA Dub Names|accessdate=2008-05-19] Yamucha

age =
gender = Male
species = Earthling
death =
relatives = Puar (companion)
paux1 name =
paux1 = nihongo|Yamcha|ヤムチャ|Yamucha is a fictional character from the "Dragon Ball" universe created by Akira Toriyama and developed into a media franchise, which consists of a series of manga, anime, soundtracks, movies, television specials, video games, and other collectibles. He is introduced as a thief and started out as an antagonist of Son Goku but eventually reforms and becomes an ally and Z Fighter. His constant companion is Puar. Yamcha's name is identical to the Cantonese pronunciation and spelling of "yum cha" (literally "drink tea"), referring to a gathering to drink tea and eat dim sum. [cite web|url=http://www.discoverhongkong.com/eng/gourmet/tea/index.jhtml|title=Yum cha culture article|accessdate=2008-01-30] [cite web|url=http://www.experiencefestival.com/a/Yum_cha/id/1957458|title=Experiencefestival article on Yum cha|accessdate=2008-01-30] His "seiyū" is Tōru Furuya. In the English dub, he is voiced by Ted Cole and later Christopher Sabat. [cite web|url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=243|title=Anime News Network Voice Cast|accessdate=2008-08-28]

Creation and conception

When Toriyama decided to create the "Dragon Ball" manga, he used Chinese author Wu Cheng'en's "Journey to the West" as a prototype for his own series. cite book |title=Manga Design |chapter=Akira Toriyama |first=Julius |last=Wiedemann |editor=Amano Masanao (ed.) |publisher=Taschen |date=2004-09-25 |pages=p. 372 |isbn=3822825913 ] cite book |last=Clements |first=Jonathan |authorlink=Jonathan Clements |coauthors=Helen McCarthy |title=The Anime Encyclopedia: A Guide to Japanese Animation Since 1917 |date=2001-09-01 |publisher=Stone Bridge Press |location=Berkeley, California |isbn=1-880656-64-7 |oclc=47255331 |pages=pp. 101-102 |edition=1st ed. ] The role prototype for Yamcha was Gojō, the river monster, from Toriyama's one-shot series "Dragon Boy". [Interview with Toriyama, "Shōnen Jump" (Japanese volume 23, issue #59); 11-1986] Gojō was based off of Sha Wujing, the bandit from the "Journey to the West" that eventually joins the heroes' side. When translated from Chinese into Japanese-language, Sha Wujing becomes Sa Gojō.

Yamcha's name is identical to the Cantonese pronunciation and spelling of "yum cha" (literally "drink tea"), referring to a gathering to drink tea and eat dim sum. [cite web|url=http://www.discoverhongkong.com/eng/gourmet/tea/index.jhtml|title=Yum cha culture article|accessdate=2008-01-30] [cite web|url=http://www.experiencefestival.com/a/Yum_cha/id/1957458|title=Experiencefestival article on Yum cha|accessdate=2008-01-30]

Appearance

Yamcha's appearance stays relatively the same for the majority of the series, although his clothes and hairstyle are changed several times. ["Dragon Ball" manga, volume 1, chapter 7] ["Dragon Ball" manga, volume 3, chapter 34] ["Dragon Ball" manga, volume 10, chapter 113] ["Dragon Ball" manga, volume 14, chapter 166] ["Dragon Ball" manga, volume 18, chapter 209] ["Dragon Ball" manga, volume 28, chapter 329] ["Dragon Ball" manga, volume 28, chapter 337] ["Dragon Ball" manga, volume 36, chapter 431] ["Dragon Ball" manga, volume 42, chapter 519] Many of Yamcha's hairstyles are also used by Son Gohan at various points in his life. ["Dragon Ball" manga, volume 18, chapter 209] ["Dragon Ball" manga, volume 28, chapter 330] ["Dragon Ball" manga, volume 42, chapter 519] During the Android Saga, Android #19's scanner reads that Yamcha is 183 centimeters tall and weighs 68 kilograms. ["Dragon Ball Z", episode 126: "Killers Without a Trace, Who are the Artificial Humans?"] Yamcha is shown to be a baseball player in the anime filler material for "Dragon Ball Z". This was suggested by Toriyama. [cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0868066/bio|title=Biography for Akira Toriyama|accessdate=2007-12-14|publisher=Internet Movie Database] The first kanji Yamcha has on his clothes "" stands for "happy" or "music". After training with Master Roshi, he takes the turtle kanji "" as a sign of respect. ["Dragon Ball", volume 10, chapter 113] Later, after training with King Kai, he wears both "Kame" and "Kaio" kanji. He wears them the opposite way Goku did, "Kame" on the back, "Kaio" on the chest, except in "" where he wears the "Kaio" kanji on the back and "Kame" on the chest. ["Dragon Ball Z: The Tree of Might"]

Summary

Yamcha enters the series early in "Dragon Ball" as a young bandit in a desert. ["Dragon Ball", volume 1, chapter 7 ] He ambushes Goku, Bulma, and Oolong as they are traveling through his territory and attempts to rob them of their money and "hoi poi" capsules. ["Dragon Ball" manga, vol. 1, chapter 9] He also becomes a student under Roshi and loses a long-held fear of women through his relationship with Bulma. ["Dragon Ball" manga, vol. 3, chapter 35] Yamcha also enters the 21st, 22nd, and 23rd "Tenkaichi Budokai" along with Goku, but loses in the first round of each tournament, to Jackie Chun (Roshi), Tien Shinhan, and Shen (Kami) respectively. ["Dragon Ball" manga, volumes 3, 10, and 15, chapters 37, 118, 175]

In the Saiyan Saga, Yamcha is killed along with Tien, Chiaotzu, and Piccolo in a battle against a fictional race called the Saiyans. He is killed when a Saibamen grips onto him and self-destructs. Yamcha goes on to train with King Kai in the afterlife just as Goku did, growing greatly in power. ["Dragon Ball Z" manga, vol. 5, chapter 261] Through King Kai, he is able to witness his friends battles on Planet Namek; when Goku is thought to have been killed in the destruction of the Planet Namek after defeating Frieza, Yamcha relays the information to everyone through his girlfriend Bulma. He is returned to life 130 days later from a wish to Porunga and continues to live at Capsule Corp with Bulma and, after the two finally end their relationship, she and Vegeta enter a long-term relationship. ["Dragon Ball Z" manga, vol. 12, chapter 337]

During the Android Saga, Yamcha is the first to encounter Android #19 and #20, and is left for dead when #20 absorbs his "chi" and drives a hand through his chest. ["Dragon Ball Z" manga, volume 13, chapter 337] He is later revived by a Senzu bean and takes the heart-diseased Goku home to get his medicine after the Super Saiyan loses to #19. Yamcha later joins the others in the Cell Games and teams up with Tien to protect the weakened Goku from the Cell Juniors, before loosing to them. ["Dragon Ball Z" manga, volume 18, chapter 408] Following Cell's defeat at the hands of Gohan and Goku's death, Yamcha and the others return to their peaceful lives. In the alternate timeline of the Cell Saga, like most of the Z Fighters, Yamcha was killed in the encounter with the androids. ["Dragon Ball Z: The History of Trunks"]

By the time of the Majin Buu Saga, Yamcha has given up fighting and goes to the 25th "Tenkaichi Budokai" with the others to be a spectator and also meet Goku, who is given a day to return from the Other World. ["Dragon Ball Z" manga, volume 20, chapter 432] Yamcha is later killed again when Majin Buu turns him into chocolate and eats him, along with Krillin, Bulma, and the other allies. During Goku and Vegeta's battle against Buu, Yamcha is brought back to life by the Namekian Dragon Balls, and he and the others on Earth give their energy to Goku's Super Spirit Bomb, which he uses to destroy Buu and restore peace to the universe. ["Dragon Ball Z" manga, volume 26, chapter 515]

In "Dragon Ball GT", Yamcha makes two cameo appearances. ["Dragon Ball GT", episodes 40, "Piccolo's Decision" and 64, "Until We Meet Again..."] In the final episode of "Dragon Ball GT", Yamcha is seen fixing his car in the middle of a desert, possibly returning to his vagabond life with Puar.

Abilities

.

Like most characters in the series, Yamcha has the ability of flight, which he uses many times throughout the story.

Appearances in other media

Video games

Yamcha is a playable character in the following "Dragon Ball"-related video games:
* ""
* ""
* ""
* ""
* ""
* ""
* ""
* ""
* ""
* ""
* ""
* ""
* ""
* ""
* ""
* "" - as a card

He also appears as a Boss/NPC in the following:
* "Dragon Power" (named "Lancer" in the English translation)
* ""
* ""
* ""
* ""
* ""

Live action movies

Yamcha also appears in an of the . Here he is known as Westwood. He joins Monkey Boy, Sparkle, Turtle Man and Seeto in the quest to destroy King Horn and his powerful warriors. [cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0122050/|title=Dragon Ball: Magic Begins|accessdate=2008-01-30|publisher=Internet Movie Database] He will also be played by Korean pop singer Joon Park [http://blogs.ign.com/McKlyde/ Live-Action DBZ info., "McKlde's Live-Action DBZ movie blog", 2007-12-14.] in the upcoming film "Dragonball", for which James Kyson Lee also auditioned. [cite news | title = Heroes' Lee Auditions for Dragon Ball Z Movie | publisher = Anime News Network | date = 2007-11-11 | url = http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2007-11-11/heroes-lee-auditions-for-dragon-ball-z-movie | accessdate=2008-02-06]

Reception

Yamcha, along with Tien, has been described as "under-utilized", but still a "fan favorite". [cite web|url=http://www.daizex.com/guides/transformations/budokai/index.shtml|title=Daizex|accessdate=2008-07-02] His anti-hero beginnings also contributed to the characters popularity. [cite web|url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2007-12-16/live-action-dragonball-film-casts-bulma-mai-yamcha|title=Anime News Network|accessdate=2008-07-02] Park, who plays the part of Yamcha in "Dragonball", sees him as an ironic and humorous character, [cite web|url=http://dbthemovie.com/2008/05/22/more-scans-yamcha-and-chi-chi-revealed|title=DBlive-action|accessdate=2008-07-02] and finds it his dream role. [cite web|url=http://dbthemovie.com/2008/07/04/exclusive-jump-sq-august-issue/|title=Dragon Ball Live action official Interview|accessdate=2008-09-18] Furuya, the character's "seiyū", designates Yamcha as one of the characters by whom he was inspired to create his music, as well as one of the top six favorite characters he voiced. [cite web|url=http://musicjapanplus.jp/specialfeatures/?action=detail&sf_id=31&page=4|title=Music Japan Interview|accessdate=2008-07-03] Yamcha officially premiered in the United States when "Dragon Ball Z" first aired in September 1996 on The WB Television Network, [cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0214341/|title=Release date on IMDB|accessdate=2008-07-03] and later in the manga when "Shōnen Jump" began United States distribution in January 2003. [U.S. "Shonen Jump", volume 1, issue 1] [cite web|url=http://www.icv2.com/articles/news/1696.html|title=ICv2 on distribution of Shonen jump at the time|accessdate=2008-07-03] T.H.E.M. Anime Reviews notes that the character has had a heavy development throughout "Dragon Ball" and "Dragon Ball Z". [cite web|url=http://www.themanime.org/viewreview.php?id=565|title=T.H.E.M. Anime Reviews on Dragon ball|accessdate=2008-09-27] Anime News Network takes note of resemblance of scars between Yamcha and Himura Kenshin, but also observes that their meaning is quite different. [cite web|url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/answerman/2003-03-28|title=Answerman of Anime News Network|accessdate=2008-09-27]

Many pieces of merchandise have been released under his name and in his likeness. This merchandise includes, but is not limited to, T-shirts, [cite web|url=http://www.amazon.com/yamcha-Sleeve-T-shirt-Large-White/dp/B000HUB5JI/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=apparel&qid=1213670983&sr=8-7|title=Amazon.com|accessdate=2008-06-16] mugs, [cite web|url=http://www.amazon.com/DAS-I-Love-yamcha-Mug/dp/B000HNGHOI/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1213670983&sr=8-5|title=Amazon.com|accessdate=2008-06-16] caps, [cite web|url=http://www.amazon.com/I-Love-Yamcha-Embroidered-Cap/dp/B0019QSO2K/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=apparel&qid=1213671981&sr=1-2|title=Amazon.com|accessdate=2008-06-15] DVDs, [cite web|url=http://www.amazon.com/Dragon-Ball-Fortune-Teller-Yamchas/dp/B000068MD3/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=video&qid=1213670983&sr=8-4|title=Amazon.com|accessdate=2008-06-16] and action figures. [cite web|url=http://www.amazon.com/Dragonball-Yamcha-Puar-Collectible-Figure/dp/B0000V70PW/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1213670983&sr=8-1.|title=Amazon.com|accessdate=2008-06-16] [cite web|url=http://www.amazon.com/Dragon-Ball-Z-Great-Saiyaman/dp/B000PU7CCE/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1213670983&sr=8-2|title=Amazon.com|accessdate=2008-06-16] Yamcha has also been featured in the "Dragon Ball Z Collectible Card Game". [cite web|url=http://www.dbccg.com/card-database/warriors-return-set/wa-002-yamcha |title=Dragon Ball CCG|accessdate=2008-06-16]

References

Bibliography

*"Dragon Ball" manga, Volume 1 — ISBN 1-56931-920-0
*"Dragon Ball" manga, Volume 2 — ISBN 1-56931-921-9
*"Dragon Ball" manga, Volume 3 — ISBN 1-56931-922-7
*"Dragon Ball" manga, Volume 10 — ISBN 1-56931-848-4
*"Dragon Ball" manga, Volume 15 — ISBN 1-59116-297-1
*"Dragon Ball" manga, Volume 16 — ISBN 1-59116-457-5
*"Dragon Ball Z" manga, Volume 5 — ISBN 1-56931-934-0
*"Dragon Ball Z" manga, Volume 12 — ISBN 1-56931-985-5
*"Dragon Ball Z" manga, Volume 13 — ISBN 1-56931-986-3
*"Dragon Ball Z" manga, Volume 18 — ISBN 1-59116-637-3
*"Dragon Ball Z" manga, Volume 20 — ISBN 1-59116-808-2
*"Dragon Ball Z" manga, Volume 26 — ISBN 1-42150-636-X

External links

* [http://www.absoluteanime.com/dragon_ball/yamcha.htm Profile] at http://www.absoluteanime.com/
* [http://dragonball.wikia.com/wiki/Yamcha Yamcha] at [http://dragonball.wikia.com/wiki/Main_Page "Dragon Ball" Wikia]
* [http://www.dragonballz.com/index.cfm?page=characters&type=&id=49 Yamcha] at http://www.dragonballz.com/