“With a single image, he paints a picture of an entire world.”
This is how manga artist Toyotarō described Akira Toriyama, the great artist, author, and character designer who passed away on March 1, 2024. Toriyama is best known for his groundbreaking series, Dragon Ball, but his contribution to manga, anime, and video games goes far beyond that.
Toriyama was born in Nagoya, Japan, and started his career as a designer. At the age of 23, he drew his first comic and submitted it to Shueisha’s Young Jump Award. His first submission was rejected but his second caught the eye of Kazuhiko Torishima, who became his first editor. In 1980, Toriyama’s first serial manga, a gag/sci-fi series called Dr. Slump, began. Dr Slump launched Toriyama’s career in many ways and showcased his humor, imagination, and love of parody. The manga ran from 1980 to 1984 and was awarded the Shogakukan Manga Award in 1982. It was Toriyama’s first award, but by no means his last.
In 1984, Toriyama began what would become his most famous work: Dragon Ball. Fans loved the action-packed, visually captivating, and character-driven series. Now one of the most influential franchises in anime history, Dragon Ball spawned multiple manga series, anime adaptations, movies, video games, collectibles, and a recently announced theme park. Toriyama’s creation is full of fantasy, adventure, comedy, and martial arts – partly inspired by his love of Jackie Chan movies. His characters are instantly recognizable, compelling, and human and beloved by generations of fans.
Toriyama was determined not to conform to fans’ and critics’ expectations or demands. His characters have influenced other major anime, including One Piece and Naruto. Eiichiro Oda, the creator of One Piece, described Toriyama’s impact and legacy in a touching tribute after his death. He said, “For not only mangakas but also creators in various industries, the excitement and emotion of the time of Dragon Ball serialization must have taken root in their childhood. His existence is like a big tree.”
In a 2017 interview with Forbes, Toriyama said that he was “no good at doing the same thing over and over.” Thanks to this, his career was diverse and far-reaching. In 1986, he became the character designer for the role-playing video game Dragon Quest. He held the position for 37 years and worked on 12 Dragon Quest games. He brought the characters to life and gave them distinct personalities. His colorful, dynamic style perfectly suited the fantasy adventure genre. Dragon Quest XII marks Toriyama’s last game and will no doubt be an emotional experience for fans.
Over the course of his long career, Toriyama continued as a mangaka. He created many one-shot and short series such as Cowa!, Go! Go! Ackman, and SAND LAND. At the time of his death, he was heavily involved in the SAND LAND original net animation. The series has been hailed by critics as “one final masterpiece.” His other active projects included the Dragon Ball Super manga, created by Toriyama and illustrated by Toyotarō, and the anime series, Dragon Ball Daima. Toriyama spoke enthusiastically about both pieces of work. Regarding Dragon Ball Daima, he said, “This time, I’ve created not only the story, but the world, the characters, the mechs, all sorts of things.”
It is impossible to capture the full extent of Toriyama’s legacy. He was a driven, intelligent, wickedly funny person whose imagination and illustrations had lasting impacts on his fans, critics, and colleagues. Interviews over his 44-year career demonstrate the infectious humor that brought his work to life. His love of the ridiculous enabled him to push the bounds of what was expected. As far as he was concerned, the essence of “simple shōnen comics from a long time ago” was “Silliness wins!” In Dr. Slump, he created a character of himself, Tori-Bot, who draws chapters, makes models, and gets rejection letters from his editor.
Toriyama always wanted to encourage young manga creators. In an interview in 2018, he said authors should “have pride and add a little originality that only they can provide… I’d like to run across a manga that makes me think, ‘this author must be nuts!’” A man who described himself as “fundamentally fastidious and fickle”, he repeatedly put his whole heart and soul into each project, before launching into another no one could have anticipated.
After hearing of Toriyama’s death, Eiichiro Oda, creator of One Piece, said “It is too early.” There are no better words for this loss. We will miss him for the work he created and for work he did not have the chance to finish. His legacy will continue to be celebrated in manga, anime series, video games, and more. Thank you, Toriyama-san. Rest in peace.