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've worked in a kitchen a little and I thought it was a good show.
So far Kitchen Nightmares has been the only kitchen show I've enjoyed, aside from like OG iron chef and some high level cooking contests. Kitchen Nightmares is absolute pure catharsis. Maybe it's the trailer but the vibe I got was very saccharine...for lack of a better word. I'm not sure what the tone is but it's one I've seen before that bugs me. I also have a whole thing with the Anthony Bourdainification of cooking in the public eye or the eye of other cooks, you aren't an artist you're an assembly line worker and should be unionized as such. These sorts of romanticizations of kitchen workers as poor artists has only hurt and propagandadized line cooks against their own interests and have elevated chefs (managers) to a higher status where they think they're movie directors now. The Menu was also super cathartic and the only media to depict cooking for a job in a way I'm certain someone writing it actually worked backnof house for some time. Writers work front of house cause they're in college where putting on a happy face and bullshitting people is their college gig and they see back of house and broadly stereotype it in the same way they do every other invisible working class job. As either gruff voiced angry people or people with big Hollywood food making dreams because every career trajectory must mirror thst of a TV writer. It's common to everything but cause every writer spent a summer waiting tables they think they can write restaurant workers.
Back of house: "I'd like to cook good food working reasonable hours with breaks and a livable wage"
Owner: "Sounds like you'd like to microwave Sysco meat at an unfathomably high speeds for 12 hours until the ding noise haunts your dreams for just below minimum wage."
You should give it a shot. It really hits home at the idea of kitchens being a high stress environment that can be a chaotic living hell or a highly structure well oiled machine which is a different kind of hell.
Its also well written dialogue and well rounded characters and really well shot.