Summary
New manga creators must prioritize individuality and pride in their work, according to the advice of industry icon Akira Toriyama. Toriyama praised the quality of modern manga but criticized the author's lack of originality and boldness. To succeed, manga authors must break free from limitations and create boldly, like Toriyama did with Dragon Ball.
New manga creators would be wise to follow the advice of industry icons such as Dragon ball'S Akira Toriyama. Creating a global cultural phenomenon proves that Toriyama understands what it takes to succeed in the extremely competitive manga business. Although Toriyama tragically passed away in 2024, he left behind some wisdom for modern authors to absorb.
In a 2018 conversation with Weekly Shōnen Jump celebrating the 50th anniversary of the legendary manga anthology, Toriyama and Slam Dunk creator Takehiko Inoue discussed a range of topics related to their manga, its history and development. in the business as well as their thoughts on the future of the industry, with particular emphasis on Weekly Shōnen Jump's role in the development of manga worldwide. The speech was uploaded to the popular fan site Skullknight.net by a member named Hitoshura.
At the end of the conversation, Toriyama and Inoue were asked to say a few words to new and potential manga creators hoping to get a contract with Weekly Shōnen Jump. Toriyama's immediate answer to this question was:
I have a feeling that while the quality of work is increasing, individuality and pride in one's work is decreasing.
Toriyama points out the main problem of modern Manga
While praising the increasing quality in the industry, Toriyama also criticized the lack of personality.
Although the answer is brief, its significance is significant. First, as a veteran mangaka who grew up during the most important periods of modern manga, Toriyama believes that there has never been a better quality of product in the industry than now. After all, Toriyama's art style essentially revolutionized the industry, so he is well qualified to judge that modern manga is of a higher standard than previous generations.
On the other hand, while Toriyama complements the skills of modern manga creators, he also questions their pride in their work and their drive for originality. Toriyama suggests that modern manga authors are less proud or satisfied with their work – or at least to a lesser extent than previous mangakas. This may be a consequence of the expansion of media, possibly at the expense of originality. Additionally, modern authors may be less willing to take risks or go against their editors' suggestions, as Toriyama once did.
Toriyama's suggestions on what manga authors should do
Despite his criticism of modern manga authors, Toriyama still offers his suggestion on what they can do to fix this situation: they need to be “crazy.” Of course, Toriyama is not suggesting that authors need to be crazy to have pride and originality. Than, Toriyama wants them to free their imaginations from whatever limitations are holding them back and use what they find to create creative content so boldly and uniquely mesmerizing that it makes the reader believe that the author is one of a kind.
Indeed, although Toriyama's works may not be considered “unique” by modern standards, they break with tradition greatly. His art and composition were unlike anything seen before, and Dragon Ball created much of the tropes found in shounen today. For the creator Dragon ballTherefore, an author who wants to catch the eye of Weekly Shōnen Jump and have a successful career must not only possess excellent technical skills in art and storytelling but also have stimulating creativity. The thinking and spark of the rebellious and crazy spirit created Akira Toriyama he is legendary
Source: Skullknight.net