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The minds behind the manga industry might have unspoken rivalries against each other but there’s one mangaka they all look up to: Akira Toriyama. The Dragon Ball series is the blueprint of a successful shonen manga. He also inspired many to pursue their own unique art style for their series.
One of them is none other than Eiichiro Oda, the creator ofOne Piece.Despite being Toriyama’s rival and competitor for decades, the mangaka couldn’t help but loveDragon Ball.He was inspired by the first volume back when he was in school and continues to be a loyal fan.
So, to Oda’s surprise and delight, he got the opportunity to redraw the final volume of the originalDragon Ballmanga series,Goodbye, Dragon World.TheOne Piececreator expresses his regret for not officially buying the physical volumes while Akira Toriyama was still alive,but his tribute more than makes up for it.
Eiichiro Oda speaks about his love forDragon Balland thanks Akira Toriyama
Akira Toriyamais the undefeated king of the shonen genre with few rivals that can truly threaten his status.Eiichiro Odamight be one of them buthis respect for Toriyamamight stop him from ever declaring the title for himself. The 42nd volume of the original manga forDragon Ballwas released in 1995 and everyone was ready for a new era of the series.
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Eiichiro Oda, the creator ofOne Piece,had the opportunity to redraw the 42nd volume’s manga cover for the 40th-anniversary project named Dragon Ball Super Gallery to honor theDragon Ballseries.
Dragon Ball Volume 42 cover by Eiichiro Odapic.twitter.com/pifrXFWOBz
Inthe artist’s comment on this redrawn cover, Eiichiro Oda looks back on his love forDragon Balland the honor he felt being part of this project:
I bought the first volume of the Dragon Ball manga series when I was in elementary school, but I didn’t buy the second volume! I always read the chapters through WSJ magazine, and when the final volume 42 was released, I went to the bookstore and saw it, but I didn’t buy it!I thank you for giving me this opportunity to redraw it! And now, I wish I could buy this volume while Toriyama-sensei is still alive
The artwork ofOne Piecealso perfectly blends with the originalDragon Ballstylewhich is more on the goofy side.It’s the unseriousness of it that makes it so iconic and Oda nailed it.
Other mangaka contribute to the 40th-anniversary project ofDragon Ball
Other mangaka in the industry gathered to redraw other volumes of the originalDragon Ballseries. Legendary figures likeYoshihiro Togashi,Takehiko Inoue,Kohei Horikoshi, and many more contributed to the Dragon Ball Super Gallery.
DRAGON BALL Volume 5 by Yoshihiro Togashi (HUNTERxHUNTER).This is part of the DRAGON BALL Super Gallery Project to commemorate the 40th Anniversary of the series. Every month, different mangaka will redesign one of the 42 covers of the series until November 2024.pic.twitter.com/LphHo2UWMO
DRAGON BALL Volume 29 by Takeshi Obata (DEATH NOTE).This is part of the DRAGON BALL Super Gallery Project to commemorate the 40th Anniversary of the series. Every month, different mangaka will redesign one of the 42 covers of the series until November 2024.pic.twitter.com/de2YNhe7MM
DRAGON BALL Volume 13 by Kohei Horikoshi (My Hero Academia).This is part of the DRAGON BALL Super Gallery Project to commemorate the 40th Anniversary of the series. Every month, different mangaka will redesign one of the 42 covers of the series until November 2024.pic.twitter.com/kgVwaDIICO
DRAGON BALL Volume 32 by Koyoharu Gotouge (Kimetsu no Yaiba).This is part of the DRAGON BALL Super Gallery Project to commemorate the 40th Anniversary of the series. Every month, different mangaka will redesign one of the 42 covers of the series until November 2024.pic.twitter.com/9uoxf9A26V
Each redrawn version of every volume displays their unique art styles and how they seeDragon Balland chooses to commemorate Akira Toriyama’s legacy.
For a $50M Dragon Ball Movie, Akira Toriyama Chose That Particular Time Period Because “Almost all the cast members are at MAX strength”
It’s undoubted how much of an influence and legend the late creator ofDragon Ballis. In a competitive industry where art and storytelling come together, Akira Toriyama will always be remembered for his legacy and contribution.
Dragon Ball Zis available on Crunchyroll.
Bidisha Mitra
Articles Published :802
Bidisha is an Anime Content Writer at FandomWire with over 700 published articles. With over 7 years of writing experience, she’s versatile and adept. When she’s not writing, she’s also a voice actor on the side.Bidisha is currently continuing to learn Japanese and gets more fluent everyday. Her expertise is One Piece, Bungo Stray Dogs, and Haikyuu, but has been watching anime for over a decade. She was previously a Content Writer reviewing the latest Kpop music.
