Only a legend can truly understand what goes on in the mind of another legend. Akira Toriyama left his mark on the world as one of the greatest mangakas in the world with a legacy left for many to follow through. For the creator of Dragon Ball, his was a world so immersive that every corner of the world found itself connected.
When legends meet others with potential just as magnificent as their own, they recognize it. Toriyama was no different, finding himself enamored by the artistic prowess of one mangaka who left no stone unturned in expressing the subtly of his work through an even more captivating story. When it came to the art, even Toriyama had to admit that Takehiko Inoue was on another level, one that was too ambitious for the Dragon Ball mangaka to reach.
Akira Toriyama Bowed His Head to Takehiko Inoue
Speaking with each other during the Weekly Shonen Jump 50th Anniversary Commemorative Special, Akira Toriyama and Takehiko Inoue opened up about their artistic styles. Both of them have quite unique art styles when it comes to their mangas. Reading Vagabond or Slam Dunk would give fans a different feeling as compared to those reading Dragon Ball or Dr. Slump. There is a sense of serenity that goes in one while a thrill that thrives in another.
Inoue Sensei’s illustrative sense isn’t something acquire through practice. You might pick up a design skill through study, but when it comes to sense, some things are beyond reach. It’s almost as if you’re born with it.
Akira Toriyama focused on how talent, skill, and innate abilities are very different things. The skill of drawing can be acquired but its understanding isn’t something that can be absorbed like one would do with illustrations. Inoue’s work stood out in this exact sense for him.
It held a certain prowess, one that couldn’t be mimicked lest it was properly understood. Even Toriyama himself admitted that to try and capture the art of subtlety like Inoue would be an impossible feat to accomplish.
Takehiko Inoue’s Humble Admission
He may get his fair share of well-deserved praise, but Takehiko Inoue is too humble to admit to his own talent. After seeing the immense compliments being thrown at him by Akira Toriyama, the author admitted that things weren’t as smooth sailing for him as they seemed. Especially when it came to the concluding parts of Slam Dunk, he found himself in a slump, drowning in an overflow of ideas.
I had a lot of trouble when I first started out and during the last year of my serialization. When I got the match against Sannoh High School, I thought I would just end the series there. But then I started getting all of these ideas for more things I wanted to include, and then I slowed down the pace. But those are the only times I remember that were difficult.
Inoue admitted that he had intended for Slam Dunk to end much earlier than it actually did, only to be bombarded with ideas he could not help but pen down. Despite Akira Toriyama crediting his artistic skills to be innate, the author admitted that he had an immensely difficult time when he started out and especially during the end of his manga as well.
Things weren’t as smooth as they seemed, moreover, Slam Dunk taught him how to perfect his art style gradually and with patience. The end result was something that left even the most legendary mangakas in awe.
Slam Dunk and Dragon Ball can be read on Viz Media.
