A storyboard is the most crucial part of any series, especially in the case of anime or manga. However, this was not the concern of legendary manga artist Akira Toriyama, who blessed the manga and anime world with the creation of Dragon Ball. This was revealed by the illustrator of the Dragon Ball Super manga, Toyotarou.
Toyotarou has been working on Dragon Ball Super since 2015, and he is probably the biggest Dragon Ball and Toriyama fan in the world. His career started by creating Dragon Ball illustrations, and after the death of Toriyama, many believe that Toyotarou will be the one who continues the remaining story of Dragon Ball in the future.
When Dragon Ball Super got its anime adaptation in 2016, Toyotarou gave an interview where he discussed his relationship with Toriyama and also talked about Toriyama’s mindset regarding the narrative of Dragon Ball Super. He also talked about the things that concern Toriyama the most while working on the series.
Toyotarou’s Working Relationship with Akira Toriyama
While attending the New York Comic Con, Toyotaoru was interviewed by Anime News Network about his endeavor, which involved collaborating with the legendary Akira Toriyama and the release of an anime version of Dragon Ball Super. The illustrator discussed his work routine with Toriyama, as well as how the mangaka guided him when they were working together.
Toyotarou stated:
“Every month, I’ll create a storyboard for him to review, and then he’ll give me input and suggest changes. When I’m working with Toriyama, there are many portions he gives me props for coming up with, but he is very particular about other things and always points them out for me to correct.”
According to Toyotarou, even after working with Toriyama for so long, he was not able to understand the mindset of the mangaka fully. He used to send him a storyboard, and Toriyama would revert back with suggestions and mistakes that he made. He stated that his feedback was the most important aspect of their working relationship, as it helped him understand Toriyama’s process better.
Akira Toriyama’s Main Concern While Working on Dragon Ball
While talking about Toriyama’s mindset, Toyotarou pointed out that the mangaka is not very concerned about the storyline or the narrative of the series. Rather, he would focus on the comedic and humorous elements of Dragon Ball Super. He believed that these aspects played the main role in making a story interesting.
Toyotarou stated:
“First of all, to be honest, I’m surprised that he’s okay with someone like me carrying on his work! The other thing…I thought Toriyama would be more particular about the story, but he’s actually more particular about the gags and the comedic moments! I can tell that he really loves those parts.”
Since Dragon Ball’s beginning in 1984, humor has been a crucial addition to the narrative of the series. In order to expand the perception of Dragon Ball beyond just being an action-packed series, Toriyama frequently interjects humor between significant plot points.
You can watch the Dragon Ball series on Crunchyroll.
