Akira Toriyama is one of the very few seasoned artists who carved their niche in the shonen genre. There is no doubt that the manga industry is indeed harsh and perilous in its approach. But it only gets worse with time.
From burnout to poor health, most mangaka aren’t exempt from its brutality. And Toriyama was no exception to this either. What came as a shocker was his overworked schedule that prevented him from reading his manga.
Goku in a still from the 1986 anime | Credit: Toei Animation
In a rare interview, Toriyama revealed his reasons for not reading Dragon Ball. And though this might rile fans up, it all makes sense considering the decades of painstaking effort.
This also ties in well with the franchise’s road to success and glory. Like most shonen series, its fame stands pivotal for the Japanese anime as well as manga industry in more ways than one.
Akira Toriyama on why he doesn’t read his manga
It’s either put up or shut up when it comes to the manga industry. Like most manga artists, Akira Toriyama wasn’t isolated from this notion in any case. He worked relentlessly on his manga despite the setbacks and pitfalls.
And since we’re talking about the serialized manga, it is another hellhole altogether. It is no joke considering the ever-present dread of deadlines and mental rush. But we have barely scratched the surface with this one.
Goku in a still from the Z anime | Credit: Toei Animation
In retrospect, he almost pushed himself to the edge with his series. This is true for an instance where he almost broke his tendons during the serialization process. It also reflected on the industry’s bizarre work ethic in every sense.
But what would ultimately leave fans flabbergasted is that the mangaka didn’t read his work. He opened up about this during his 2004 tour in Leipzig, Germany.
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In a lost interview translated by Derek Padula, Toriyama revealed his busy schedule. When asked if he reads his manga, he said:
Not usually. I read Dragon Ball for the first time while working on the new cover artwork for the Japanese Dragon Ball Kanzenban Edition. I just have too much to do to read all my manga.
With a schedule involving just two hours of sleep, it is nothing short of a nightmare. He even confessed that it felt like he was ” going to die” at one point.
But this did have a silver lining to it as well, no matter how problematic that sounds. His dream of creating a super manga may have been a foreshadowing for the franchise in one way or the other.
Dragon Ball as a “Super” manga
While Dragon Ball is deemed the “Father of Big 3” it is more than an expression. Rather, it influenced the genre greatly in many aspects. Be it action, martial arts, tropes, or characters, the series was phenomenal.
Despite it being a bestselling manga, what boosted the franchise’s fame was the anime. The 80s saw a surge in the popularity of anime and manga. Toriyama’s series was among those who jumped on the bandwagon for better.
Kid Goku in a still from the DAIMA anime | Credit: Toei Animation
In the Leipzig interview, Toriyama revealed his aspirations to work on a “Super” manga. Whether he was referring to the Super series or a masterpiece work is unknown. But one thing is certain for sure.
After almost decades of painstaking efforts, his work stands exemplary in terms of originality and novelty. Be it rivalry or friendship, his series paved the way for major tropes in shonen storytelling.
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Even after his demise, his legacy lives on through his stellar work. Indeed, the mangaka left no stone unturned in carving Dragon Ball as a “Super” series.
Dragon Ball is available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video. The manga is available for reading on Shueisha’s Manga Plus app.
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