It’s been more than 40 years since the initial debut ofDragon Ball, and the series is arguably more popular now than it ever has been. The adventures of Goku and friends have inspired, uplifted, andtaught valuable lessons to generations of fansacross the world. Through its various sagas, iconic heroes and villains alikehave stamped their names onto the public consciousness, immortalizingDragon Ballin pop culture history.
Endlessly imitated, but never reproduced,Dragon Balldefined and permanently altered the shōnen genreduring its initial run. Countless other popular series, likeOne PieceandNaruto, have listed Akira Toriyama’s masterwork as one of their main inspirations, and have found great success in following its lead. There will never be another story likeDragon Ball, but that might just be a good thing.
Akira Toriyama began his professional manga career as a gag artist, producing comedic stories which, as the genre suggests, featured a reliance on gags or running jokes in lieu of any real substance. When it came time to work onDragon Ball, the legendary author approached the series no differently. Writing a story with no end goal, or no plan for what might unfold next, typically reaps disastrous results. Any other artist would likely have crumbled under the weight of their own writing, butAkira Toriyama is a once-in-a-lifetime talent, who wrote a once-in-a-lifetime story.
Akira Toriyama Rarely Planned Ahead
The Genius Author Wrote His Story as He Went
In an age of anime and manga defined by stories with head-spinningly complex lore,Dragon Ballfits right in with its more current contemporaries. An extraterrestrial dictator with universal ambitions that destroys entire planets to prevent his own removal from power somehow leads to a strange, tailed boy becoming Earth’s greatest defender. And that only covers Goku’s origin story. From the outside looking in,Dragon Ballis a masterclass in carefully planned writing.
And Akira Toriyama meant for it to appear that way,despite his trademark lack of carefully planned writing. In truth, the series' author never really looked beyond what his pen was inking, and he would be the first to tell it that way. ForDragon Ball’s 30-year anniversary in 2015,an interview was conducted with Toriyamaabout the creation of the series, in which some telling and humorous answers were given about his writing process.
40 Years On, Dragon Ball’s Future is Still Bright Despite Akira Toriyama’s Loss
While the loss of Akira Toriyama hit Dragon Ball fans hard this year, the future of the massive franchise is still looking bright.
When asked if he ever had any plans for future developments, the author replied, “I had figured that my only option was focusing on battles, but it’s not like I thought about how the story would develop next,” before adding, “Even though I was the one drawing it, there were still times when I was like, ‘Wow, Vegeta’s teaming up with them!'” Toriyama’s own surprise at his story might have been a bit exaggerated, buthis habit of writing the story as he went was confirmed by the man himselfon numerous occasions.
The Cell Saga is famously home to the mastermind’s on-the-fly writing. As later recalled in that same interview,his original vision for the arc’s final antagonist was alteredat least five different times. His editor was unsatisfied with Androids #19 and #20, so Toriyama came back with #17 and #18. The same editor was still unsatisfied, and the author introduced Cell. However, Toriyama didn’t love Cell’s design, and went on to change it twice.
Dragon Ball’s Most Important Change Came From Necessity
Goku’s Smaller Stature Made Fighting Scenes Difficult to Illustrate
Of all the writing decisions to happen on a whim inDragon Ball, the most important came from a need to make the drawing process easier.The series’ focus shifted from adventure to actionwith the introduction of the World Martial Arts Tournament, and in turn, its popularity skyrocketed as well. However, Toriyama faced an issue as more hand-to-hand combat found its way ontoDragon Ball’s pages.
As the artist found out, drawing hand-to-hand combat with stubby little hands is actually rather difficult, andToriyama decided that making Goku bigger would helpDragon Ball’s fighting sequences. It was with no concern for future plot developments that Goku grew up, and yet the story which followed is what cemented its legacy. According to Toriyama, the decision was met with skepticism from higher-ups at Shōnen Jump, but his mind was made up.
Deciding to draw his next chapter before receiving the green light,Goku was aged up andDragon Ballwas never the same. FromDemon King Piccoloto Majin Buu, the franchise enjoyed one of the greatest runs in anime and manga history. Without any proper planning, the mysterious tailed boy who lived in the mountains was made into an icon, and with the introduction of the Saiyan story line, a legend as well.
Goku’s Most Iconic Power-Up Was Drawn to Save Time
The Super Saiyan Look Was a Product of Cutting Corners
Goku’s change into an adult wasn’t the only consequential writing decision to be made out of necessity. During the action-intensive Namek Saga, Akira Toriyama decided to make life easier for his assistant, whose job was to ink Goku’s hair.As a result, the iconic Super Saiyan golden look was born, andDragon Ball’s sleek but striking transformation would influence countless manga artists for years to come.
When storytellers decide to write as they go, the results aren’t always pretty. Though ironically, a large portion of today’s manga and anime which feature such detail-oriented lore and world building have taken inspiration fromDragon Ball. It isn’t often that a series canso effortlessly retain cohesion without any proper planning, and the manga world is better off that the days of writing like Toriyama have passed.
Dragon Ball Just Turned 40, and Its First Chapter Still Feels as Fresh as Ever
Dragon Ball is Akira Toriyama’s most iconic franchise, beloved by millions across generations before anime became globally mainstream.
Dragon Ballhas become legendary over the 40 years since the release of its first chapter, and the likelihood that a series like it manifests itself once again is low. Without the late Akira Toriyama at the helm, it’s almost certain that the story would have suffered from its on-the-fly writing,but special writers are capable of special things. The future ofDragon Ballis uncertain without its creator, but fans can watch the currently runningDragon Ball Daimato experience its magic once more.
Dragon Ball
From the creative mind of Akira Toriyama, Dragon Ball is a mega multimedia franchise that spans back to the 1980s. Dragon Ball expanded quickly, starting as a serialized manga for Weekly Shonen Jump in Japan. It made its way overseas via manga and an anime adaptation that is enjoyed worldwide. Dragon Ball was the initial starting animated series that followed the adventures of the young Son Goku as he sought after the Dragon Balls. These mystical orbs would grant the wish of any who gathered them together. Then, the series would branch off into the immensely popular Dragon Ball Z, which followed Goku as an adult and featured high-intensity battles and Goku’s never-ending search to be the strongest. The series has also enjoyed several popular video game adaptations and continues to release several new animated series and theatrical films up to the recent popular Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero.
