Dragon Ballmay be Akira Toriyama’s creation, but even he doesn’t know everything there is to know about the series. Fortunately, he’s long had the aid of one ofDragon Ball’s biggest fans throughoutDragon Ball Super’s run, and now the franchise may be in the hands of this long-time fan–his artist, Toyotarou.
Toyotarou is well known to have been a super fan ofDragon Ballfor decades now, as it’s believed he was responsible for the popular 2000Dragon Ballfan manga,Dragon Ball AF. Toyotarou began working with Toriyama onDragon Ball Superin 2015, originally as an artist but gradually taking on more writing and storyboarding duties while working off an original story created by Toriyama. Toriyama became very trusting of Toyotarou’s skill, and would allow him to make some changes to the story, often for the best.
Now, with Toriyama having passed away, it seems likely that Toyotarou will be spearheadingDragon Ball Superby himself.
Toyotarou is Even More Knowledgeable About Dragon Ball Than Toriyama
Toriyama Praises Toyotarou’s Encyclopedic Knowledge of the Series
In an interview fromDragon Ball Supervolume 4,as translated by Kanzenshuu, Toyotarou was asked about adding in his own ideas to Toriyama’s original draft of the story. Toyotarou says, “Ultimately things need to head towards the conclusion indicated by Toriyama-sensei’s original draft, but during that process I want to give various characters things to do… …At times like that, I depart slightly from the script, but I guess you could say I’m faithful to its essence.” Toriyama, in response, then says, “I welcome it! After all, you know far Ballthan I do.”
Toyotarou, as someone who started as a fan, has the kind of in-depth knowledge of the series that enables him to help get important character moments right. Toyotarou specifically calls out Vegeta, for example, saying that showcasing his stubbornness helps to emphasize the appeal of his character. He has an understanding of the characters that allows him to go even beyond Toriyama’s original draft of the story, and add in those moments which help makeDragon Ball Superfeel likeDragon Ball. Knowing that Toyotarou was responsible for many of these moments certainly allays some fears of continuing the manga after Toriyama’s passing.
While no one can fully replace Akira Toriyama and his unique perspective as the creator ofDragon Ball, having an incredibly dedicated fan take over, particularly one who has also spent almost a decade working alongside Toriyama and learning from him, is basically the ideal situation. EvenDragon Ball’s biggest fans can acknowledge that Toyotarou clearly knows his way aroundDragon Balllore, and his involvement in the series has apparently led to some of its greatest moments–later in this same interview, for example, Toyotarou explains that he was responsible forhaving Goku and Vegeta fuseto defeat Zamasu.
Toyotarou is well-equipped to take on the role ofDragon Ball Super’s sole creative voice, having learned directly from Toriyama while also possessing the detailed knowledge that only true fans know.
Dragon Ball
From the creative mind of Akira Toriyama, Dragon Ball is a mega multimedia franchise that spans back to the 1980s. Dragon Ball expanded quickly, starting as a serialized manga for Weekly Shonen Jump in Japan. It made its way overseas via manga and an anime adaptation that is enjoyed worldwide. Dragon Ball was the initial starting animated series that followed the adventures of the young Son Goku as he sought after the Dragon Balls. These mystical orbs would grant the wish of any who gathered them together. Then, the series would branch off into the immensely popular Dragon Ball Z, which followed Goku as an adult and featured high-intensity battles and Goku’s never-ending search to be the strongest. The series has also enjoyed several popular video game adaptations and continues to release several new animated series and theatrical films up to the recent popular Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero.
