Before becoming a legendary name in the manga industry, Akira Toriyama was just an employee working at a design company, pressured to wake up early in the morning and have to wear neat clothes when going to work… The injustice Being satisfied with his job made him make a bold decision: leaving his stable job to pursue his passion for manga art.
First steps in comedy and a change of direction
Leaving the design company, Akira Toriyama really fell into a difficult situation. The 23-year-old young man decided to venture into the manga universe when he accidentally sat in a cafe, reading a manga book with information “looking for new manga”.
His initial focus was on creating economical stories, perhaps influenced by his talent for humorous dialogue. But it was advice from his editor that made him change his approach.
The editor saw different potential in the young artist and suggested he try creating an action-oriented comic.
Author Akira Toriyama in his youth
Akira Toriyama was never interested in creating Shonen manga
When Toriyama was planning to complete his previous project, Dr. Slump , then his editor proposed a new challenge. It was to create a completely new series in three months’ time.
Before coming up with an idea for Dragon Ball Toriyama and his editor went through several “one-off” projects without success. Finally, inspiration struck and Dragon Ball was born, a comic book series with a martial arts theme that they both believed was worthy of inheriting Dr. Slump .
Dragon Ball was born and brought Akira Toriyama’s name to the world
Contrary to what many people may imagine, Dragon Ball not immediately successful. In the first days after its launch, the series failed even more, almost disappearing in a sea of competitive manga.
But the miracle happened when the series started focusing more on epic battles. Popularity level of Dragon Ball skyrocketed. The turning point was the “Tenkaichi Budokai” arc, which not only captivated the audience but also brought the series to the top of the rankings.
Dragon Ball’s legacy: More than Manga, a global phenomenon
Dragon Ball not only “rose from the ashes” but also recorded important records, achieving legendary status. Today, it is often touted as the anime that paved the way for the genre’s popularity on a global scale.
In short, the career of Akira Toriyama is a series of twists and turns, marked by mishaps, changes of direction and a bit of luck. Amidst all of this, Dragon Ball was born, the series became a global phenomenon.
