Renowned manga artist Toyotarou recently shared insights into the collaborative process with Dragon Ball franchise creator Akira Toriyama, shedding light on Toriyama’s final correction for the latest chapter of Dragon Ball Super.
In a Twitter thread dated March 27, Toyotarou revealed his initial concept for the concluding page of Chapter 103 of Dragon Ball Super alongside Toriyama’s revised version.
While Toyotarou’s original depiction showed the protagonists simply flying away after picking up young Pan from kindergarten, Toriyama’s input led to a subtle yet significant change:
Piccolo turned back to wave and smile before departing. Toyotarou described Toriyama’s alteration as akin to “Piccolo saying goodbye to his kindergarten teacher.”
User SupaChronicles, who provided the translation of Toyotarou’s post, highlighted the artist’s gratitude towards Toriyama, quoting him as saying,
“So it was not with that intention that I drew Piccolo. But I can’t help but add another meaning to it. Toriyama-sensei, thank you very much for your hard work. To think that I was able to work with you for 9 years is like a miracle.” Toyotarou concluded the thread with a heartfelt tribute, stating, “Thank you very much. I pray for the repose of your soul.”
Akira Toriyama, the mastermind behind the Dragon Ball franchise since its inception in 1984, commenced his manga career with the renowned series Dr. Slump in 1980.
His artistic talent extended beyond manga to character design for various video games, including Blue Dragon, the Dragon Quest series, and Chrono Trigger. Dragon Ball itself emerged from Toriyama’s earlier work, Dragon Boy, serialized in 1983. Toriyama passed away on March 1 at the age of 68 due to an acute subdural hematoma.
In the aftermath of Toriyama’s demise, an outpouring of tributes flooded in from creators, artists, and world leaders, underscoring the profound impact of his contributions.
Notably, French President Emmanuel Macron and actor Justin Chatwin, who portrayed Goku in the ill-fated live-action adaptation Dragon Ball: Evolution, paid homage to Toriyama’s legacy.
Toyotarou, acclaimed for his illustrations in Dragon Ball Super since 2015, embarked on his journey within the Dragon Ball universe with Dragon Ball Heroes: Victory Mission in 2012, an adaptation of the arcade trading card game Super Dragon Ball Heroes.
Despite his extensive involvement in the franchise, Toyotarou’s professional endeavors have remained exclusively tied to Dragon Ball, including notable works such as Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection ‘F’ (2015), Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 The Manga (2016), and Super Dragon Ball Heroes: World Mission (2019), where he crafted the character Sealas.