Now that Dragon Ball's father, Akira Toriyama, died at the age of 68 due to a stroke (acute subdural hematoma), he is deeply saddened at his departure. For the fans of his work, there is also sadness about his departure, there is fear and uncertainty in relation to several projects and stories in the franchise that are incomplete or in development. Like, for example, Dragon Ball Super and Dragon Ball Daima, among others.
According to Ignacio Sarroca, series producer and specialist in film adaptations, the last word is Akio Iyoku, editor-chief of Dragon Ball. “There are two things that give us hope despite the death and mourning of no longer being able to count on an author who frames our childhood. First of all, Akio Iyoku is the owner of the publisher 'Capsule Corporation Tokyo', which we have the direitos of ' “Dragon Ball Super” and the decisions about what to do with that saga are in their hands. Previously, despite our differences, they are always respectful with Toriyama's vontade, and I hope that now it will not be different,” explains Ignacio.
An excellent example similar to what happened with Dragon Ball Super and Akira Toriyama is what happened with the anime Berserk and the death of its author Kentaro Miura. Nessa situation, um two best friends of him, Kouji Mori, who is also a mangaká/desenhista, created unpublished sketches and were based on conversations with Kentaro to continue developing the story.
“For its time, one of the series' biggest fans, now a friend of Toriyama and Japanese mangaka Toyotaro, has turned to the manga and several projects in which he is working with Akira Toriyama. Let's call him Toyotaro ficou made by ter created or 'fanmade' manga “Dragon Ball AF” And, a few years ago, he received the recognition of the creator of Dragon Ball, who invited him to participate in his story. I believe that Toyotaro will follow the ideas and editorial line discussed with its Akira partner, therefore the result must be satisfactory for the public,” adds Sarroca.
Toyotaro has been the illustrator of the Dragon Ball Super manga since 2015 and also dedicated some words to the death of Akira Toriyama: “I created the manga because I wanted to be praised for Toriyama-sensei. He was everything to me,” he expressed in X.
The mangaka seems to be or more credentialed, considering that they completed ten years working together and that the manga was ready for its end, in accordance with what was declared by Toriyama himself.
What will happen to Dragon Ball Daima?
Dragon Ball is the anime that will release in 2024 as part of the celebration of the series' 40th anniversary. “This particular one has very high expectations, because It would be like Dragon Ball GT 2.0as a difference that Toriyama promised to be very involved in the story to avoid a failure like what GT has at the time”, adds Ignacio Sarroca.
What is planned in relation to this project is that – as it is already very advanced – it is due to be released this year, but perhaps with a slight delay.
Akira Toriyama wrote a letter to the series' fãs defending the decision to make another series in parallel to Dragon Ball Super and promising that its objective was to deepen the mysteries of the world of 'Dragon Ball'. We will have to wait to see if the author finishes the process and transmits the knowledge and secrets that he wanted to capture in the work.
Um uncertain future
“Certainly the world is sad, for all of us who grow up with Toriyama's majestic work, and who still get excited and eagerly await each new product and/or release of the series, it is impossible not to feel that the world is a little more empty “, sad and dark,” Sarroca is moved.
Now I just have to wait. There are many aspects of history that are still not dated. This year we hope to play Dragon Ball Tenkaichi 4 (Sparking Zero) again. It is not known for certain what will happen in the films. Maybe there will be an anime that adapts the Moro and Granola sagas and many more surprises.