Summary
- At some point, Toriyama may have wanted to distance himself from manga, leading to changes in his approach to storytelling.
- Toriyama expressed gratitude to those who helped Dragon Ball succeed but may have grown detached from his art.
- Toyotaro could potentially be Toriyama’s successor, indicating that new Dragon Ball stories will likely continue in the future.
Since Toriyama’s death, fans have been wondering about what will happen to Dragon Ball in the future. While it is impossible to predict the future, we can try to understand Toriyama’s views on the series and thus try to guess what is likely to happen likely to happen to Dragon Ball.
In a recent interview with Kosokoso, a Japanese podcast, three Dragon Ball editors, Kazuhiko Torishima, Yu Kondo and Fuyuto Takeda, shared their experiences with the series and their views on the future. Major points of the interview were translated by Enomis, also known as @Venixys.
It Seems Toriyama Wanted to Distance Himself From Manga
Torishima commented that when Toriyama went from being a mangaka to a scriptwriter. He couldn’t refine his ideas as well as before, probably because no one else was reviewing his work. So, he started adding “unnecessary” elements to the stories.
Takeda shared a similar story, stating that Toriyama also often made comments about not wanting to work anymore — as time went on, Takeda wondered if there wasn’t some truth to these comments, which were mostly taken as jokes.
In fact, the editors all shared similar messages about how detached Toriyama was from his art. While this could be a personal trait, it could also be that at some point Toriyama felt fed up and wanted to “quit” his life as a mangaka, as he was probably working under a lot of pressure.
He Was Still Grateful To Those Who Helped The Series To Succeed
While Toriyama may have developed a mixed relationship with his work, he was still grateful to those who helped make Dragon Ball the success it is today, like Masako Nozawa, who voices Goku, Gohan and Gotens in anime. According to Kondo, that is one of the reasons why he continued to accept new proposals.
At some point, however, he stopped proposing projects himself, he would just greenlight ideas that were presented to him, in a passive way, according to Takeda.
In the interview, the editors even criticized Shueisha’s attitude towards Toriyama’s death, claiming it was too sparse and impersonal, and also citing that they didn’t even prepare any official memorial event — this could be a way of respecting his privacy, as Toriyama was a private person, but they felt that they didn’t handle the situation properly.
He Could Be Preparing Toyotaro To Be “His Successor”
Takeda also adds that Toriyama wanted others to do things without expecting creative input from him. This attitude is a bit different from what Akio Iyuko said in a recent interview, that Toriyama got excited about Dragon Ball Daima and ended up writing most of it, but these two are probably talking about Toriyama at different stages of his life (it could also be that Daima was an exception).
Taking this into account, it seems likely that Toriyama would eventually let Toyotaro write new sequel stories without his close involvement — while Toyotaro has been in charge of writing and illustrating Dragon Ball Super, Toriyama still gave plotlines, and revised storyboards before his death. In fact, Toyotaro has stated that Toriyama saw him as a successor, so Super was probably a preparation.
I was impressed when I met Akira Toriyama-sensei. He cheered me up, saying that my work was delicate, and that I was full of ideas. He has chosen me as his successor. It is a great honor.
Thus, it is expected that Toyotaro will be involved in any potential new series, as Toriyama probably shared a lot with him regarding his views on Dragon Ball and its universe.
What Will Happen From Now On?
The editors seem confident that the series will continue to deliver new stories and anime series. Akio Iyuko has also made similar statements in some interviews. So there seems to be a general feeling that the series will continue (and most fans probably also expect it to continue).
However, it has also been reported that Shueisha and Capsule Corporation Tokyo are in a legal dispute over the rights to the franchise. Depending on how it ends, there could be two companies (Shueisha and CCT) working separately on new series, without much coordination.
Iyuko (of CCT) has confirmed that they are working on new projects for the series. Also, Dragon Ball Super will eventually return from hiatus, and it is likely that a sequel to the Super anime will be greenlit at some point.
Shueisha was apparently not involved in the latest Dragon Ball anime, Dragon Ball Daima. Akio Iyuko was the producer of this series.
Dragon Ball is a franchise by Akira Toriyama which follows the adventures of Goku, a powerful warrior who protects the earth with his group of friends. A recent title from the series is Dragon Ball: The Breakers, an action style game where 7 players have to survive being hunted by the Raider.
- Created by
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Akira Toriyama
- First TV Show
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Dragon Ball
- Latest TV Show
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Dragon Ball DAIMA
- First Episode Air Date
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February 26, 1986
- TV Show(s)
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Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball GT, Dragon Ball Super, Dragon Ball DAIMA