Dragon Ball began its serialization in 1984 and since then has become one of the greatest manga and anime ever. Akira Toriyama’s masterpiece was adapted into an anime in 1986 and came to be known as the godfather of the Big Three. While its popularity has been on an uptrend since its inception, the mangaka did not want to write the manga in the first place.
Toriyama revealed that there was a particular reason why he did not want to write the story. Initially, Kazuhiko Torishima requested him, and he rejected him because he did not want his hobby to become his work. He was not ready to become a professional mangaka yet.
Akira Toriyama Never Wanted To Write Dragon Ball
Akira Toriyama passed away on March 1, 2024, leaving everyone grief-stricken. He was respected by the anime and manga community for creating the Dragon Ball franchise. The franchise is worth more than $23 billion and has multiple awards under its belt. But none of these would have been possible if not for Kazuhiko Torishima. He approached Toriyama to write Dragon Ball since he was fond of kung-fu movies, but initially, he rejected it.
“Torishima-san knew that I was pretty fond of kung-fu movies, like the ones with Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee, and would watch them over and over again on video. So he said to me, “If you like them that much, why don’t you try drawing one?” That’s what started it. (laughs) And, uh, as an individual, I really didn’t want to. (laughs) That’s ’cause kung-fu movies were something I watched because I liked them, so I didn’t really want that to become work — that sort of thing.”
Fortunately, Toriyama agreed to write Dragon Ball, and soon it earned worldwide popularity. He took his editor’s words by heart and implemented his love for kung fu in his magnum opus. The inclusion of martial arts made it even more likable, and he also named a character based on Jackie Chan. While some people love to turn their passion into work, Akira Toriyama did not want his hobby to turn into work.
Dragon Ball Became Akira Toriyama’s Identity
Akira Toriyama earned worldwide recognition after creating Dragon Ball. What he rejected initially became his identity. Every anime fan has at least once heard the name Dragon Ball. The mangaka became so attached to his creation that he was involved with it till his last day. His first manga under Torishima was Dr. Slump. It was also a great anime with a unique plot.
Toriyama wanted to slip away from the typical Shonen protagonist, but his love for kung fu made him create one of the most buffed characters ever. He was worried whether he would be able to draw a kung fu story just the way he imagined. There was always a fear within him since he did not want to ruin his favorite things. But in the end, everything turned out perfect. Sometimes, people require a Torishima-san in their lives to encourage them to work on their hobbies.
Akira Toriyama’s last work was Dragon Ball DAIMA. The story follows an antagonist who turns the Z warriors into children. Now, it was up to them to find the individual responsible for the evil deed. Dragon Ball DAIMA is scheduled to be released in October 2024. It will be available to stream on Crunchyroll.
Dragon Ball can be streamed on Crunchyroll, and the manga is available on Viz Media.
