The anime and manga industry has been shocked by the demise of the legendary mangaka Akira Toriyama, who created Dragon Ball, one of the biggest entertainment franchises in the world and also one of the most popular anime series. His work has entertained millions of people and also served as an inspiration for many other manga creators.
Fans all over the world are mourning his death and expressing their love for the creator. His influence on spreading the anime and manga industry all over the world can’t be measured. There are still some projects that will be released soon to commemorate the work of the legendary mangaka.
However, many Toriyama fans might not know that the creator who inspired millions and whose work is referenced in many other anime and manga series was influenced by another global celebrity. The individual in discussion is global actor Jackie Chan. Toriyama was a big fan of Jackie’s movies and has even used them as a reference for making Dragon Ball.
Akira Toriyama is a Big Jackie Chan Fan
According to Bird Land Press magazine, Toriyama met Jackie Chan in 1986 when he came to Japan for the filming of My Lucky Stars. Toriyama then got a chance to meet the legendary actor and then he expressed his views about the actor which were later shared by TheDaoofDragonBall.
Toriyama stated:
“I met with a man I really admire, Jackie Chan. He turned me into the biggest adoring fan!!Well, perhaps only second to my wife. I mean, he is the world famous Jackie Chan!! It even made me freeze up—I didn’t know what to do. It was the first time I’ve ever been like that!! Apparently, I really get a kick out of meeting people who I’ve seen on TV and in movies.”
According to the mangaka he really admired Jackie and meeting the actor froze him up. Toriyama even stated that he is the second biggest fan of the actor and the first is his wife. The feeling he got from meeting Jackie had him excited and he stated that he liked meeting people who he has seen on TV and in movies.
Akira Toriyama Used Jackie Chan As Reference For Dragon Ball
One of the initial pages of the magazine which was titled “AKIRA TORIYAMA VS JACKIE CHAN” a speech bubble by Akira Toriyama stated: “I used Jackie’s movies as a reference when making Dragon Ball!!” Jackie’s influence on Toriyama’s work has been quite evident since the beginning of the series.
Toriyama’s Dragon Ball not only uses Martial Arts but also adds a comedic element to the fights and the main character which at the time, only one actor had mastered greatly and it was Jackie. To express his love for the actor Toriyama even drew an illustration of Jackie Chan in his signature style. He depicted a scene from Jackie’s movie Armour of God (1986).
Jackie has also been inspired by Toriyama’s work. In the same interview, the actor stated that he took influence from Dr. Slump when he was making his movies. In the movie My Lucky Stars, Jackie even dressed as Dr. Slump’s character Arele-Chan to honor Toriyama and his work.
