Almost Didn't Appear in the Dragon Ball World... The Story of Akira Toriyama and His Editor [Japanese Side]

"Farewell! Bulma, Trunks, and... Kakarot."

This is Vegeta's sacrificial scene, known as one of the iconic moments in Dragon Ball. Although I belong to the generation of One Piece rather than Dragon Ball, I still remember shouting "Enerug?pa" and trying to shoot energy blasts when I was young, and stomping around in Super Saiyan mode when angry. I even recall playing a game inspired by Dragon Ball during my school days.

Recently, with the passing of Akira Toriyama, the original creator of Dragon Ball and Dr. Slump, a wave of global mourning has spread. In South Korea, sales of Dragon Ball manga books have suddenly surged, showing that many people are reminiscing about their childhood memories.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

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In Japan, articles that interviewed him and those around him during his lifetime have been re-reported. Particularly noteworthy is Kazuhiko Torishima, the editor of Weekly Shonen Jump who discovered Akira Toriyama. It is widely said that without him, there would have been no Arale from Dr. Slump or Dragon Ball. Today, we share selected stories about Akira Toriyama and his close editor Kazuhiko Torishima.

Akira Toriyama was originally a company employee. He graduated from the Design Department of Aichi Prefectural Technical High School in 1974 and joined an advertising company as a designer. Although he liked manga, he did not pursue it as a career. In 1977, he quit his job and debuted as a manga artist in 1978 through the weekly magazine Shonen Jump. The person who discovered him was the rookie editor Kazuhiko Torishima. Thanks to his insight, Torishima also gained fame as a "legendary editor."

Editor Kazuhiko Torishima who recognized the true value of Akira Toriyama. (Photo by Hakusensha)

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The Tokyo Shimbun previously reported an interview with Torishima about how he discovered Akira Toriyama. The story goes like this: At that time, Toriyama had quit his job and was looking for a new one because he had parents to support. He liked drawing and was considering whether to become a manga artist or an illustrator. One day, he saw a manga contest while at a caf? in Nagoya where he lived. He drew a manga aiming for the prize money, but by the time he finished, the contest period had passed. So, he submitted it to Shonen Jump, which selects manga every month.

The work he submitted was a parody of Star Wars. Usually, parodies are excluded from awards, so it was certain to be rejected. However, editor Torishima saw it among the rejected manuscripts and volunteered to be in charge. Since their names might be confusing, I will refer to Torishima as the editor from now on in this article.

Besides the drawings, his handwriting was very beautiful and stylish. Above all, the manuscript was very clean. Usually, manuscripts get messy after multiple corrections and handling, but Toriyama’s manuscripts were exceptionally clean. Coupled with his dislike of losing and straightforward work style, the two joined forces to create masterpieces like Dr. Slump and Dragon Ball.

There is also an interesting anecdote about the two. Originally, Toriyama planned to feature Arale from Dr. Slump only in the first chapter. The editor suggested, "It would be better to make Arale the main character," but Toriyama insisted that the Slump doctor who created Arale should be the protagonist. The editor then proposed a reader survey: if Arale ranked high, she would become the main character. Up to that point, manga only featured male or older male characters, so they thought a cute character like Arale could gain great popularity. Indeed, the survey showed Arale ranked high, and she became the main character, narrowly escaping disappearance after the first chapter. As a penalty for teasing Toriyama, the editor was used as the model for the villain Dr. Mashirito in Dr. Slump.

The appearance of Dr. Mashirito from Dr. Slump. (Photo by Dragon Ball Wiki)

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The same goes for Dragon Ball. When Toriyama was stuck on ideas for a new series, the editor noticed he was enjoying Jackie Chan’s martial arts movies at work and suggested a kung fu manga. Toriyama refused, saying, "I hate fighting. Besides, how do you draw bad guys?" After some persuasion, he started the Dragon Ball serialization.

Because Toriyama disliked fighting, Dragon Ball initially had a strong comedic and fantasy tone. Although it gained early popularity, interest waned to the point of nearly stopping serialization, prompting the editor to intervene again. The editor said, "Isn't Son Goku a character who wants to get stronger? You should keep having him fight rivals," leading to the creation of the simple character Son Goku who wants to become stronger. Originally, the lines were drawn softly, but they changed to sharp and dynamic strokes.

Because of this, Toriyama later reflected on Dr. Slump and Dragon Ball, saying, "Honestly, if you ask if they are my taste, they are not at all." He said he preferred drawing silly and funny stories rather than battles. The 'Sand Land' series, which will be released in South Korea on the 20th, is a manga that reflects his personal taste and hobby.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

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Of course, the editor’s keen eye was important, but Toriyama’s effort was unmatched in the industry. Although he might seem like a genius manga artist, he was actually known as a strict rule follower. In an old interview with Asahi Shimbun about the long serialization of Dragon Ball, when asked if he had any rules for drawing over 10 years, he said, "I always met deadlines. When I worked at an advertising company, I saw firsthand how many people are inconvenienced if deadlines are even slightly delayed."

When Dr. Slump was at the height of its popularity, he humbly said, "People around me make a fuss, but I’m just honored. It’s not such a great manga, so I don’t feel pressured," showing a humble attitude toward creation.

He especially upheld the philosophy that manga should bring joy to everyone. Toriyama said, "The role of my manga is to be consistent entertainment," and "If people have a good time with my manga, it’s okay if nothing else remains." Asahi Shimbun evaluated, "The world is beginning to realize the magnitude of what this man, who was thorough in his professionalism, left behind." Upon the passing of the original creator Toriyama, his closest editor mourned, "Thank you for 45 years. You were the greatest manga artist."

We hope that Toriyama, who left so many memories along with joy, continues to create enjoyable and fun works even in heaven.

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