Akira Toriyama is the Godfather of anime, having taken the manga and anime industry to great heights. His works need no introduction, as Dragon Ball has become the very face of the industry, with Son-Goku being the most popular protagonist in all of anime.
However, before establishing anime as one of the main forms of entertainment around the world, the mangaka was stuck in a 9-to-5 job, which made him feel quite miserable. As a result, he decided to take a leap of faith by following his passion for being a manga artist.
In an exclusive interview, Toriyama-Sensei shared his thoughts and the problems he faced during that period, inspiring us to follow our passion no matter how difficult things can get.
Akira Toriyama Shares His Innermost Thoughts Before Becoming a Cartoonist
There’s no denying that Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball is the one Shonen series that has been hailed as the title that has taken the manga and anime industry to great heights and has even inspired the next generation of manga artists like Eiichiro Oda, Tite Kubo, Masashi Kishimoto, and many more.
However, it is not just limited to mangakas because, even though Toriyama-Sensei is not among us, he keeps inspiring his fans to pursue their passion. In an old interview, translated and shared by Kanzenshuu, the Dr. Slump author got candid about his real job before working as a mangaka.
Toriyama-Sensei stated that back in his “early 20s,” he used to work at an “advertising agency,” and he was constantly “stuck for ideas.” However, one fine day he made an impulsive decision to quit his job and become a mangaka.
He said,
What made me become a cartoonist was, back in my early 20s, I worked at an advertising agency. Well, I was always late and eventually quit, but I quit without thinking at all about what I’d do after that, so I was running out of money fast. So I’d borrow cash from my mom: “I wanna go to a café, so could you lend me 250 yen?” Like that.
Toriyama-Sensei added,
Like that. And at the café, I was reading a comic magazine, and there was an ad for a contest with a cash prize. And I was really into manga back in elementary school, so I figured, why don’t I draw something? Now, I sent it in because I wanted the prize money, but it got turned down.
However, the mangaka did not lose hope as he talked about how he transitioned into a professional manga artist and became the Godfather of Anime.
Akira Toriyama’s “Competitive Spirit” Made Him the Greatest Mangaka to Ever Live
There’s no denying that Toriyama-Sensei’s Dragon Ball is a popular franchise that has been running for several decades, with several additions like Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball GT, and DBS, along with several animated films, merchandise, and video games.
However, none of this would have ever existed if Toriyama-Sensei lost heart after losing the contest. In the same interview translated via Kanzenshuu, the legendary artist told how he used to feel like “being a big fish in a small pond,” but he did not let his “competitive spirit” get extinguished and soon made his professional debut. He said,
“What the—?”, I thought, being a big fish in a small pond — and from then on, out of the competitive spirit that comes from being a novice, I thought, “In that case, I’ll keep drawing until I get the prize!” Except in the end, I made my professional debut without ever getting that prize money. That’s how I started out.
Nevertheless, the mangaka emphasized how he never decided to quit in the middle because he was immensely passionate about making a name for himself for something he was immensely proud of, and he used to draw from a very young age.
With the mangaka tragically passing away earlier this year, at the age of 68, his last work, Dragon Ball DAIMA, is set to release in October 2024, just a few months from now. The series will be canon and showcase the Z-Fighters in their kid form.
Dragon Ball Super can be streamed on Crunchyroll.
