Akira Toriyama is one of the most famous mangakas of all time, and the movie adaptation of his favorite manga sandjust premiered at San Diego Comics, achieved a feat far beyond his most famous work, The Dragon Balls. Originally released in 14 chapters, Sand Land is reviving 20 years after the original manga was published. A high-quality movie, video game and toy line is being released to honor the legacy of the beloved manga. Although the shadow of the Dragon Balls still looms, the Sand Land film’s premiere at San Diego Comic-Con 2023 firmly proves that the original Sand Land manga is the real work of Toriyama.
Taking place in a post-apocalyptic world, Sand Land follows a human sheriff named Rao, a demon prince named Beelzebub, and a fellow demon named Thief. Together in a stolen tank, the trio search for a source of water that can change the world for both humans and demons. Unfortunately for Rao, Beelzebub and Thief, the human king of the Sand Land wants all the water for himself and will do whatever he can to stop the heroes from saving their people. That plot seems simple, and it certainly is, but that doesn’t mean Sand Land doesn’t have brains.
Sand Land is a visual feast with lots of fun
On a visual level, Sand Land uses a seamless blend of 3D and 2D animation to create a distinctive look that captures Toriyama’s artwork beautifully. Just at the presentation level, Sand Land is a perfect combination of music, animation and art design at key moments that will make the audience howl with excitement. There’s just a charming aura about the movie and its characters. There may be a lot of action, but Sand Land’s best moments are all based on developing its three central characters. Although the demon prince Beelzebub may be the face of the series, it is Rao that is the heart and mind of the story.
Haunted by his experiences in the war over 40 years ago, Rao is a different type of protagonist than Toriyama fans may be familiar with. Rao’s experience of killing during the war made him a changed man, so by the time of Sand Land, he had pledged not to take the lives of others. This gives the film’s action sequences an almost puzzle-like element as Rao rushes into overthinking every possible non-lethal way to take down his opponents.
Sand Land reflects Akira Toriyama’s post-Dragon Ball career
It’s fascinating to look at this and wonder how much Rao reflects Toriyama’s own experience with Dragon Ball. After more than a decade of drawing action manga, it’s safe to say that Toriyama’s next big project is almost a complete subversion of his most famous series. Far from the Saiyans who aspire to fight, Rao is just an old man who wants to help his people without hurting anyone. If Rao reflects Toriyama’s burnout after the Dragon Balls, then Beelzebub is the flip side. Although Belz insists that he is the most evil person in the Sand Land, his pure heart and optimistic bright eyes are endearing. Nothing captures the endearing spirit of Toriyama’s work more than the relationship between Rao and Beelzebub.
If there’s anything wrong with Sandstone, it’s entirely due to the film’s lack of significant female characters. Given the hit-or-miss quality of the way Toriyama often writes about women in Dragon Ball, this may be for the best, but it’s still worth noting that there’s exactly one named female character and she never even appears on screen. While this may not be an issue at all for some viewers, it’s a shame that women can’t join the fun.
Nothing beats Dragon Ball’s legacy, but Sand Land is ultimately tighter and better combined. Like the manga it’s based on, the Sand Land movie is a lighthearted story that gets straight to the point. Any fan of Toriyama owes them to watching Sand Land. The film premieres August 18 in Japan and will be released in the United States sometime in 2024. San Diego Comics the premiere of sand solidify the manga’s legacy with Akira Toriyama’s outstanding achievements.