Akira Toriyama is one of the most influential names in the world of manga and anime, recognized mainly for being the creator of Dragon Ball, one of the most iconic and revolutionary series of this genre. Toriyama had been regarded as one of the authors who changed the history of manga, as his works are highly influential and popular, particularly Dragon Ball, which many manga artists cite as a source of inspiration.
Born on April 5, 1955, in Nagoya, Japan, Toriyama has stood out for his unique drawing style and his ability to tell captivating stories that have captured the imagination of audiences around the world.
From a young age, Toriyama showed an interest in drawing, but it wasn't until after dropping out of college and working at different jobs that he decided to pursue a career in manga. His talent was soon recognized, and in 1978, he published his first serialized work, "Wonder Island," in Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine.
Toriyama found early success in the manga industry with the creation of the popular “Dr. Slump” series in the late ’70s, winning a Shogakukan Manga Award in 1981 and supervising two subsequent anime adaptations. However, that acclaim was nothing compared to “Dragon Ball,” a continuation of his kung fu movie-influenced “Dragon Boy” one-shot. First published as a serial in 1984, “Dragon Ball” has grown to become one of the best-selling manga series ever. It’s also credited as popularizing the medium of manga across the globe, further bolstered by its various anime adaptations’ enduring audience in Western countries.
An artist who largely worked outside the public spotlight, Toriyama’s work extended beyond “Dragon Ball” throughout his life, especially after taking a smaller creative role with the property in the ’90s. His other credits include various one-shot manga runs, as well as character designs for video game classics like “Chrono Trigger” and the “Dragon Quest” series.
Toriyama returned to “Dragon Ball” in the 2010’s, with the manga artist receiving a screenplay credit on the film “Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods,” then the first “Dragon Ball” feature adaptation in nearly 20 years. He has stayed involved with the property throughout its recent run of film productions, including the most recent, 2022’s “Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero.”
Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama dies at 68
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I never watched or read Dragonball, it was a bit before my time and not popular in my country. But I've always appreciated how much people love it, and its so iconic. I've seen so many clips of Goku going super saiyan, I've hear so many people speak fondly of watching Dragonball as a kid, I've seen countless memes, I've seen Vegeta's speech about becoming super saiyan, I love the ultra instinct theme, and I adore how popular Goku is in Latin America, how seeing a painting of Goku in a sombrero at a restaurant assures you that it is authentic. I just saw a post compiling the biggest mangakas of today sharing their thoughts on Toriyama, and even though I never got into Dragonball, it really touched me.
Rest well
Dragon Ball is really big in Latin America, the dubs are really good and full of character due to the localization
For me, the thing about Toriyama's art is that it's always incredibly interesting and striking, and his eye for cool details is unmatched. I watched and read Dragon Ball and DBZ as a kid, but It's Toriyama's craft and style that I find really compelling as an adult, more than the story. Someone on twitter said that any random picture he drew can be one of the coolest things you've ever seen, and it's totally true. Looking through the Dragon Ball manga, he crafts comics so that everything moves and flows and is always fun to look at, in a way that IMO is on par with Carl Barks or Herge or (obviously, since he was such a huge influence on him) Osamu Tezuka.