MY RAMBLING THOUGHTS ON TORIYAMA AKIRA

TONY T. - Writer, 4th Year, Economics and Data Science

Toriyama Akira’s Dragon Ball is a work which has had a major impact on me. In fact, under some lens it might be the most impactful piece of Japanese media on my life–the numerous Dragon Ball articles I wrote throughout my time as a staff writer on Konshuu should be enough evidence of this. Ironically, I’ve always felt that Dragon Ball GT, the non-canon spinoff sequel to the Dragon Ball Z anime (which adapts the last twenty-six volumes of Toriyama’s manga) was the series’ true finale. There’s something about its conclusive tone which gels with me. I go more in depth on this within this article I wrote in 2021. Feel free to read it, but in summary, GT completes the character arc of Son Goku.

Over the course of the original Dragon Ball, the reader/viewer observes Son Goku grow from a child exploring the world to a man coming to terms with his background to a (somewhat) wise elder guiding the next generation. It’s a hero’s journey/coming of age narrative, only extended further into the proverbial hero’s life. In turn, GT concludes with a view into a world far enough in the future where Goku is but a distant memory. With Goku and Mr. Satan immortalized in statue as heroes who saved the world, GT further extends the parable by illustrating how one can have impact beyond their years, specifically highlighting the two characters who (in my opinion, I defended Mr. Satan in a 2022 article) have the most compelling journeys to obtaining some notion of ‘greatness’. This is further emphasized in the GT special episode wherein a descendant of Goku is forced on a journey which results in him developing a respect for Goku, a man long since passed. There’s a slightly metatextual nature to this as well. In universe, the future characters in universe celebrate these heroes for saving their world, but for the viewer of GT in 1997, Son Goku likely represented something larger than merely a fictional character originating from a comic book written by a man who made his initial fortune off of poop jokes.

In that last sentence, I described the impact of Goku using language that confines the ‘audience’ to likely a very specific subset of the global population, but in truth, Son Goku is likely one of the most influential fictional characters of all time. You don’t need to look very far to find athletes, musicians, or even key world figures who cite Dragon Ball or Goku as being inspirational in the cultivation of their talent.

I don’t claim to have known Toriyama, and heck, I may be accidentally disrespecting him by writing about him within the context of a work which, famously, he only had limited involvement in. Still, GT does not exist without Dragon Ball, and I find that I resonate heavily with its existential perspective. GT is the perfect culmination of the series which it belongs to as it demonstrates the soul, or at least some essence, of Goku living on spiritually and figuratively beyond his mortal coil. When Goku waves goodbye at the end of episode 64, I read it to be a temporary goodbye, an acknowledgement that while we may not be able to truly interact with him, his impact is felt. It’s a beautiful demonstration of how we should all live life, attempting to better this world for all people living within it and for those that will one day inhabit it.

In writing this article, I’ve struggled with trying not to reduce Toriyama Akira to merely “the man who created Dragon Ball”. Heck, there’s a full Konshuu article I wrote on Toriyama’s Dr. Slump two years ago arguing for its merits beyond its association with its younger sibling. To remember him merely for his most popular work would be confining him to but a part of his existence. I merely write about Dragon Ball because it’s the easiest medium through which I can express my appreciation for the man and attempt to celebrate his legacy. Even if I have plenty of criticisms regarding some of his later output, Toriyama’s impact on the world is unique. I’ve stretched this vague (and likely insipid) metaphor out long enough, so I’ll just say it. Toriyama Akira is GT’s Goku. He was an individual whose actions influenced millions and quite possibly billions of individuals in this world, for the better. When he passed, we lost a man whose presence actively improved societies in every part of Earth, and thus his presence will be missed. Till we meet again.