Meet the Artist - Akira Toriyama

Darren Pangan December 14, 2006

Akira Toriyama is a very familiar name to anime fans and it’s that’s no surprise. He is the person behind one of the most popular and most successful manga and anime series ever produced, non other than the Dragon Ball series. Many manga-anime artists are influenced my Mr. Toriyama and that includes the creator of the current anime hit series, Naruto.

Akira Toriyama is a Japanese manga artist, animator, and game character designer. He was born on April 5, 1955 in Kiyosu, a town located in Nishikasugai District, Aichi, Japan. He founded his own comic studio, Bird Studios, which was involved in the production of various mangas and anime series including the three animated Dragon Ball series.

His first ever manga, “Wonder Island” was published on 1978 by Shuiesha in the Weekly Shonen Jump magazine. It wasn’t a big success but his next manga series entitled “Dr. Slump” brought him fame. “Dr. Slump” was published in the same magazine from 1980 to 1984. 1984 was the same year that the “Dragon Ball” manga series came out and became a record-breaking best seller. The Dragon Ball series was animated on February 1986 and became a world-wide hit. Following Dragon Ball was another hit series that was just as successful (probably even more successful) as the first series, “Dragon Ball Z”. There are a lot of talks about Mr. Toriyama wanted to end the Dragon Ball series there but the success was so great that a third part had to happen and then came “Dragon Ball GT”. Akira Toriyama’s participation in this third part is limited and “Dragon Ball GT” wasn’t as successful as the first two.

He didn’t limit himself to anime and manga. He also did some character designs for games like “Dragon Quest” (RPG that came out in 1986), “Chrono Trigger” (1995), and the fighting games “Tobal No. 1″ and “Tobal 2″ that both came out on 1997.

Akira Toriyama is one of the most successful Japanese artists and some anime fans consider him to be a living legend, especially Dragon Ball fans around the globe (including me).

For more information about Akira Toriyama and his works, here are some links you can visit.

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9 Responses to “Meet the Artist - Akira Toriyama”

quaiyum
August 8th, 2007 at 8:45 am

when the hell is there going to be a new series of dragonball z/gt cos im getting fustrated. why not just make dragonball af? when i looked in to it everything looks sorted and planed only thing that was missing were the episodes….

email me at: maq93@hotmail.co.uk
Aaron Agis
January 26th, 2008 at 11:11 pm

hi!! wow!! i cant belive im Actualy texting to one of my Greatest Multimedia graphic artist arts master hero of all time Akira toriyama i mean the! Akira Toriyama!!!! who makes manga Anime Animation cartoons and as well as the video games for it as well wow!!

sorry about that mr Akira toriyama i just cant believe it im talking to you i mean im your biggest followers and your biggest fan of you and of course of your work and wanted to just say its my dream to become one of the next top multimedia Graphic artist arts master in the art of making video games, movies, asian japanes Manga Anime animtion cartoons and as well as other art styles of animation and someday i hope to meet and work with you in japan on many other projects you and i might come up with if i ever get the chance too although im still in school training and studying for this ultimate goal i hope once i get my own companys up and running after finishing school you and i could work together
Junaid Iqbal
March 7th, 2008 at 10:59 am

first of all i want to say thank you because your db series had made my life much more happy and enjoyable. millions of people love db series and i just want to say “why isnt their going to be another series” come on you cant end it . dbz was a great hit and so was db. they were extremely famous or you can say popular. db gt didnt make as much money but i can assure you it wasnt bad. i have seen every episode and every movie ever made in the db series. db gt is great and i loved it. not only me, but there are many more who love it. dont let that finish your db work. it is awesome and you have great talent. your fans around the world are depending on you to continue the series, i will even beg you if i have to, plzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz make a new series. you could just go with db af. it sounds extremely good. ive read some info on it and ive got to say it is pretty interesting. plzz dont end the series. come on you know youll also enjoy and love making the new series .plzzz continue the story and make your fans proud. Thank You!

email me at: pakij786@yahoo.com ( if you have any info plzz contact me.)
JohnSabala
March 24th, 2008 at 3:33 am

Akira Toriyama, Forget the other things you are trying to make, Dragonball made you, so don’t go and kill it and say we should be satisfied, we know how much Dragonball we want. Because it is still popular more than ever, we want to see GOKU and VEGETA reach higher levels, and see the saiyans back training to become Super saiyans, trained by Gohan and the others. And have Goku and Vegeta training with each other, reaching ss5,6,7,8,9, And the ultimate form. If you are goingto put it to rest, at least have more journeys for the Z fighters against GODS. And have Goku and Vegeta reach those levels and vegeta runs Planet Vegeta with all the saiyans and Goku running the galaxies watching over Vegeta and the others. And that Vegeta tells his saiyans to reach levels as high as ss1,2,3,4,5,6, and send them to different quadrents to fight off evil. to rid evil off of every galaxy. And to set peace throughout the universe. at least have them fight off stronger opponants for every time they reach a new level of a oozaru Super Saiyan form. Make Trunks look cool again, and as the same for Gohan, Goten, Vegeta, Uub,Piccilo. We buy the series when it comes out so why not give us what we want, we fans are helping you, so help us Akira. Thank you.
sherry http://
March 26th, 2008 at 11:53 am

lol at the comments.. guys this not Akira Toriyama talking. It’s just a review of his works.
Eduardo
April 13th, 2008 at 9:07 am

yeh same here.. to be honest i was looking into it as well.. I’m a fan i used to draw dragon ball, z, gt..and i was talking to all my friends that where all about DBz/gt and they where so excited about it. and to be honest just to let Akira Toriyama. if he did AF he would make so much money out of it. t makes no sence to stop now. i mean y not go to the extreme make episodes till he cant no more. i bet they’ll excpet it on tv and comics n everything. its just up to him to get started. if puls it off thats his money, he’ll get biiger and he’ll makee us more extremely happier if he did creat Af or wuheva is next. All im asking is to please creat another DB ? because simply i love Dragon Ball and before i die i want to see this happen
Colton Silcox
June 14th, 2008 at 5:09 am

Yo im colton silcox an i have a plot for dragonball R ( ressurection )
i have been working on for a good 5 months now

i have been searching on a way to contact someone who can get me a email or a phone number to toei animation an hoping someone can tell me

my phone number is 352 573 8047

here is my plot i love to take critisicm for the bad an good of my work
take a look

Dragon Ball R ( ressurection )

3212 Are Adeventure Begins with the Birth of
the Saiyin Blooded Prophet Zonda. He is a Full Saiyin
who is the son of Zerkest the Rebel Soldier who has
started a rebellion against The Elite Saiyin Soldiers
who HAve made there own land a dictatorship. The
Rebellion has been going on for nearly 5 years,
seperating there home planet of Vegeta II , its Named
Vegeta II because of there old home planet Vegeta was
destroyed by a Tyrant who took over the saiyin’s named
Freiza. Years Passed an by 3230 Zonda was Finally
old enough to join his fathers Rebellion. But Fate would
have it that by 3231 Zerkest died in the line of duty
fighting the noturious an insane power hungry Dictator
saiyin named Sarzok. Zonda made it his Goal to kill Sarzok
an finally take back his land from the elites. They
happened to be called the elites because of there extreme
power. They were the strongest in there land. Except for
Zonda ofcourse. By A.D 3233 the war had gotton out of
control an it was time to abort. Even though Zonda would
soon have to leave he made it his goal to return 10 times
stronger an free his people an Evenge his Father. He Would
escape with only 3 surviving Rebels. He Told them as they
were sent in shifting space by an escape pod they will go
back elites themself but not just elites, but Super Saiyins
. This was a saiyins hardest an ultimate goal to accomplish
Zonda, Raditz III , Warsaw would become these elites
and free there people. Fate Would Have It They Would Land on Earth
Exactly As Vegeta Raditz Goku And All The Rest Did. Well Raditz III
Zonda, and Warsaw started to blow up towns just to pass the time and
hopefully find a fight to warm them up so they could begin training.
After Destroying the town almost completly a Mysterious creature to
them showed up , ….a namekian. Lookin Just Like Piccolo Just Younger
(later in the show you will find out that it is an offspring piccolo
had just before he died so this piccolo in the show is about 18 or 20.)
Well after they fight piccolo and find him of a challenge they ask him
who his trainer is they find out it is an old turtle hermit names Roshi
on kame house. Master Roshi is a witch in the show and is baba’s
brother so is about 200 years old i would say. Long Story Short they
train under master roshi then in season 2 Arkoh and Arsen two elite
saiyin warriors come to kill these 3 rebels Raditz III , Zonda and
Warsaw. Well Arkoh and Arsen Retreat once they relize they cant win.
Well this is Just A Summary of what i have to say but i have 5 seasons
already made One Is Saiyin Saga, Earth Saga, New Cell Saga and Morphed
Freiza Saga….. I HAVE A HUGE REASON EXPLAINING HOW FREIZA IS ABLE
TO BE IN THE SHOW SINCE HE IS DEAD AND IN H.F.I.L.

Well! this is only the basic plot for the series i have about 5 seasons all ready completed with full detail an an planned out
sarfios
June 18th, 2008 at 7:17 pm

Guys how can i contact with Akira i need to ask him something
Jamie Salmon
July 22nd, 2008 at 4:15 pm

Hi can dicuss something with you Akira so can you contact my on my email. Its jsalm7@hotmail.com please.