The Dragon Ball franchise was not made in a day. Akira Toriyama had to dedicate a significant portion of his time to the franchise’s creation. Since it was published under Weekly Shonen Jump, the mangaka had to wrap up a chapter within a week. It was a hectic schedule, and he was not the only one suffering.
There are several mangaka who suffer from over-burdening of work, even in the modern generation. The heavy schedule often causes health issues, like Yoshihiro Togashi and Eiichiro Oda. But the Black Clover creator, Yuki Tabata, managed to escape those harsh conditions with a simple trick.
Akira Toriyama Had To Work Under Harsh Conditions
Akira Toriyama was involved with Weekly Shonen Jump for more than a decade. He spent eleven years serializing the Dragon Ball manga. After its end, he was so tired that he decided to take retirement from being a mangaka. Moreover, his editor, Kazuhiko Torishima, was infamous for making the late mangaka work harder. Even when Akira Toriyama had inflamed tendons, the editor used one of the most absurd excuses to make him write two chapters a week.
During an interview with Takehiko Inoue, Toriyama said,
Torishima-san said I had to do two chapters in one week or I’d be too late. I was exhausted from having just finished some manga, so I replied that I could barely move my hands due to inflamed tendons. He told me to try writing my name, and I said, “Of course I can write my name!” Then he said, “If you can write your name, then you can draw manga!” What kind of logic is that?! [laughs].
Drawing manga chapters with inflamed tendons could further worsen the mangaka’s conditions. The deadlines often take away the fun and excitement with which the manga artists begin their journeys. Like Toriyama, Yoshihiro Togashi also suffered from an aggressive work schedule.
Spending multiple hours at studios caused him back pains, which became so serious that he had to take long hiatuses in between his work. The Black Clover mangaka seems to have escaped those harsh conditions by changing his publishers and gaining a comparatively better work-life balance.
Yuki Tabata’s Idea Could Have Benefitted Countless Manga Artists
Akira Toriyama faced great difficulties coping with the hectic schedule, but Yuki Tabata might have found a way around it. Black Clover is one of the most popular Shonen manga of the modern generation. It had gained a massive fan following due to its narrative and slightly dark nature. However, the manga went on a hiatus in August 2023 since it was changing its publisher. The manga shifted from Weekly Shonen Jump to Jump Giga. Black Clover resumed in December 2023.
At Jump Giga, the pressure is minimal, and the mangaka can spend time with his family. Previously, he barely had time to visit his family, but now he can take a walk with his daughter to kindergarten. After getting out of the rat race, he also has time to call and have a peaceful talk with his friend Kohei Horikoshi. Black Clover is his masterpiece, but he never wanted to suffer because of it.
Every parent wants to spend time with their children, but the schedule makes it difficult for him to have a life outside of being a manga artist. With Jump Giga, he might take a bit longer to wrap up the manga, but he will have enough time to tie up every loose end. The work culture of the anime and manga industry is quite brutal, but somehow, Yuki Tabata was able to break away from its shackles.
Black Clover and Dragon Ball is currently available to watch on Crunchyroll.
