Akira Toriyama was the most legendary figure in the anime and manga industry. He is the creator of the Dragon Ball franchise and has gifted the fans several iconic moments through his magnum opus. Unfortunately, the legend passed away on March 1, 2024, and left the fans grief-stricken. He began the serialization of his magnum opus in 1984, two years before the anime started to air.
Akira Toriyama has inspired several mangaka and is one of the key figures to pave the path to success for the business. Even though Toriyama sensei did not have any demand regarding the anime adaptation of his manga, he set one ground rule after seeing it get animated for the first time. He personally asked Toei to take care of it.
Akira Toriyama Wanted Dragon Ball To Be A Fairy Tale
Akira Toriyama was always passionate about his magnum opus. He gave his heart and soul in creating the $23 Billion franchise. When the manga was announced to get an anime adaptation, he did not have any particular demand from Toei. But after the anime aired, he made a demand to Toei. Generally, he does not utter a single word, unless there arises any necessity. But he did mention demanding Dragon Ball to be more like a fairy tale.
During an interview, Akira Toriyama was asked whether he made any demands after Dragon Ball was set to be animated. He said,
“At first, I didn’t say anything specific. I’m not the type to open my mouth much about these things, but after seeing it actually air, I felt that DB should feel a bit more like a fairy tale, so I did mention that bit. Basically, I leave things to [Toei], and only say a little tiny bit when I absolutely have to.”
Dragon Ball is truly like a fairy tale. A baby from a different planet somehow ends up on Earth and grows up to be its strongest protector. He has fought people of his own people, fought the most evil dictator, achieved a legendary form, fought an android, fought a God, and achieved many more feats. But the most important of all is to win the hearts of millions of fans worldwide.
Akira Toriyama Has Always Been Fond of His Creation
Akira Toriyama was a workaholic. Since day one, he has been working hard to bring smiles to the faces of his fans. He has been working for the last four decades. Even before passing away, he was readily involved with Dragon Ball Super along with Toyotarou. Apart from the Dragon Ball franchise, he created Dr. Slump and Sand Land.
Sand Land was adapted into a film in 2023. In 2024, it will be adapted into an anime with 12 episodes. The first few episodes will be directly from the movie, and the rest of the episodes will be an extension of the story. Sadly, Akira Toriyama won’t be present to see his work getting animated. He could have requested the producers to make it into another fairy tale.
