Recently, it was announced on the official Dragon Ball website that the legendary Japanese manga artist Mr. Akira Toriyama, who created the manga “Dragon Ball” and “Dr. Slump,” has passed away at the age of 68. Since childhood, he has loved drawing and has released many beloved works, even forming his own studio “BIRD STUDIO” (バードスタジオ).
Before entering the industry, he had been working part-time as an illustrator. Later, he happened to see a call for new manga works in “Weekly Shonen Magazine” magazine, aiming to win a prize of 500,000 yen, he started creating manga. Unfortunately, he missed the deadline, but he continued to submit his work. Although he never won an award, he received comments from the editor-in-chief, which encouraged him to continue creating. Before becoming a manga artist, he also released works under his real name “Akira Toriyama,” with the thought that “it definitely won’t become a bestseller, so I don’t plan to use a pen name.” Later, this became his biggest regret, and he even used “Kisaku Mizutani” as a pen name.
His works are not only popular in Japan but also loved by people all over the world. In 1978, he made his debut in the 52nd issue of “Weekly Shonen Jump” with “Wonder Island,” followed by the success of “Dr. Slump.” His second major work, “Dragon Ball,” also received high praise and was adapted into anime and movies. These works have become his representative pieces.
On his creative journey, he has also received numerous awards, such as: the 27th Shogakukan Manga Award in 1981 – Shonen Shojo Division (“Dr. Slump”), the 4th Cultural Media Arts Festival in 2000 – Digital Arts Division Grand Prize (“Dragon Quest 7: Warriors of Eden”), the 2006 Japan Media Arts 100 Selection – Manga Division (nomination for “Dragon Ball”), the 40th Angouleme International Comics Festival in 2013 – 40th Anniversary Special Award, and the 2019 French Order of Arts and Letters Chevalier.
Let’s review and take a closer look at some works together~
“Dr. Slump (Dr.スランプ / Dr. Slump)”
“Dr. Slump” is Akira Toriyama’s debut work, released in the 1980s, and is a story belonging to the genres of science fiction, comedy, and shonen manga.
The story tells of a Dr. Sekijiro Kajiki who thinks he is a genius in a remote village, wanting to create a robot that looks like a real person. However, he accidentally creates a different robot named Arare, leading to a series of absurd and implausible storylines. Each character in the story is beloved by the people, including: Kogoro, Koji, Dr. Sekijiro (IQ Doctor), Teacher Yamabuki, Baby (Milk Candy No. 4), Kusaguri, and Harumemememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememememem
Due to the funny style of the comic world, the pleasing and cute character appearances, it became popular. Later, it was adapted into a TV anime produced by Toei Animation. In the mid-80s, it was also broadcasted on TVB in Hong Kong, with Anita Mui singing the Cantonese version of the theme song. The lyrics “Xiao Yun and Xiao Ji are very important” became a well-known phrase, leaving a deep impression.
The story of “Dr. IQ” has had a significant influence on later Hong Kong and Japanese manga and TV movie creations.
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The story tells of seven “Dragon Balls” scattered around the world, and by collecting all seven Dragon Balls, one can summon Shenron to grant a wish. The protagonist, Son Goku, is brought out of the deep mountains by Bulma and together they embark on a journey to find the seven Dragon Balls. Initially, the characters and story are based on Chinese dragon legends and “Journey to the West,” such as Son Goku, the Power Pole, Ox-King, and the Basho Fan, with some characters named after Chinese food. The iconic move of Goku and Master Roshi, the “Kamehameha,” has become a well-known phrase passed down through generations, with a profound influence on the world of anime and gaming.
“Dragon Ball” leans towards a humorous, adventurous style, with a light and interesting story that has been popular worldwide for a long time. Its popularity remains high to this day, and it continues to regularly release related merchandise such as anime and games.
The “Dragon Ball” series has even been adapted into a Hollywood live-action film called “Dragonball: Evolution,” released in 2009 and directed by James Wong. Stephen Chow was involved as a producer, with Canadian actor Justin Chatwin playing the protagonist Goku and Chow Yun-fat portraying Master Roshi. However, due to the many changes made to the original content, the film received negative reviews from fans.
“Sand Land: The Series”
In recent years, there have been many adaptations, such as the upcoming “Sand Land: The Series,” which is set to officially premiere exclusively on Disney+ this spring. The story is based on Akira Toriyama’s most popular short stories, “Dragon Ball” and “Dr. Slump,” and is co-produced by animation companies Toei Animation, Wind Animation Studio, and ANIMA, known for their expertise in producing 3DCG animation. This is also a highly anticipated work by Akira Toriyama.
Returning to the classic comic “Desert Adventure” in a fantasy world, entering the barren and water-scarce desert world, embarking on a new adventure, leading the audience back to the fantasy world created by Akira Toriyama!
Akira Toriyama is not only a legendary manga artist in Japan, but also has a profound influence on Hong Kong comics, becoming a childhood memory for many Hong Kong people, such as the Dragon Ball culture still affecting many people.
Although he has passed away, his creations will continue to be loved by people and carry on as classics.
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“Dragon Ball”
“Dragon Ball” is Akira Toriyama’s most famous work. He began creating it in 1984, serializing it in Shueisha’s “Weekly Shonen Jump” magazine. The series consists of a total of 42 volumes, which became extremely popular among manga fans after its serialization. From 2002 to 2004, a complete edition of 34 volumes was released, followed by a full-color edition starting in 2013. It was later adapted into an anime, which first aired locally in 1986. The anime series include “Dragon Ball” (original), “Dragon Ball Z,” “Dragon Ball GT,” “Dragon Ball Super,” and “Dragon Ball movies,” all of which are considered classics to this day.
The story tells of seven “Dragon Balls” scattered around the world, and by collecting all seven Dragon Balls, one can summon Shenron to grant a wish. The protagonist, Son Goku, is brought out of the deep mountains by Bulma and together they embark on a journey to find the seven Dragon Balls. Initially, the characters and story are based on Chinese dragon legends and “Journey to the West,” such as Son Goku, the Power Pole, Ox-King, and the Basho Fan, with some characters named after Chinese food. The iconic move of Goku and Master Roshi, the “Kamehameha,” has become a well-known phrase passed down through generations, with a profound influence on the world of anime and gaming.
“Dragon Ball” leans towards a humorous, adventurous style, with a light and interesting story that has been popular worldwide for a long time. Its popularity remains high to this day, and it continues to regularly release related merchandise such as anime and games.
The “Dragon Ball” series has even been adapted into a Hollywood live-action film called “Dragonball: Evolution,” released in 2009 and directed by James Wong. Stephen Chow was involved as a producer, with Canadian actor Justin Chatwin playing the protagonist Goku and Chow Yun-fat portraying Master Roshi. However, due to the many changes made to the original content, the film received negative reviews from fans.
“Sand Land: The Series”
In recent years, there have been many adaptations, such as the upcoming “Sand Land: The Series,” which is set to officially premiere exclusively on Disney+ this spring. The story is based on Akira Toriyama’s most popular short stories, “Dragon Ball” and “Dr. Slump,” and is co-produced by animation companies Toei Animation, Wind Animation Studio, and ANIMA, known for their expertise in producing 3DCG animation. This is also a highly anticipated work by Akira Toriyama.
Returning to the classic comic “Desert Adventure” in a fantasy world, entering the barren and water-scarce desert world, embarking on a new adventure, leading the audience back to the fantasy world created by Akira Toriyama!
Akira Toriyama is not only a legendary manga artist in Japan, but also has a profound influence on Hong Kong comics, becoming a childhood memory for many Hong Kong people, such as the Dragon Ball culture still affecting many people.
Although he has passed away, his creations will continue to be loved by people and carry on as classics.
