Summary
Dragon BallSuper’s artist Toyotarou has revealed his contribution to the 40th anniversary manga collection with a new cover image, accompanied by a quote which ends with the powerful phrase, “Dragon Ballwill never die.” The quote seems to hint at Toyotarou’s determination to continueSuper, even now that Akira Toriyama has passed away.
X (formerly Twitter) user @SupaChroniclesshared the image of the new cover online, which depicts Buu and Mr. Satan in a car, driving through a snowy landscape. On the cover behind them is a car containing Goku and Eighter, while the group as a whole is being chased by the ghosts of the fallen Red Ribbon Army, who are seemingly emerging from Muscle Tower, one of the Red Ribbon Army’s headquarters. Accompanying the cover was a message from Toyotarou, speaking a bit about his art while also contemplating Toriyama’s original art.
Dragon Ball Super’s Artist is Proud of the Franchise
The cover is part of the “Dragon BallSuper Gallery,” which has been a project to celebrate the franchise’s 40th anniversary, with various well-known artists drawing covers for the project, includingOne-Punch Man’s Yusuke MurataandJojo’s Bizarre Adventure’s Hirohiko Araki. The covers are designed to emulate Toriyama’s art style, leading to some truly incredible works, and Toyotarou’s is no exception. A new take on the classic cover forDragon Ballvolume 39, one could be forgiven for thinking that this was Toriyama’s original.
Each artist has put out a message alongside their cover, and Toyotarou’s message discusses Toriyama himself a bit, as well as Toyotarou’s feelings towards his old sensei. He states that Toriyama was never too proud of his own work, a trait which Toyotarou admired in the man. He ends with congratulations to the series on 40 years, and by saying, “Now and forever, Dragon Ball will never die.” The line certainly has a defiant quality to it, suggesting that Toyotarou is committed to keepingDragon Ballalive, and with it Toriyama’s memory.
WithDragon Ball Super’s fate still up in the air to some extent, it’s a bit of a relief for fans to know that even in spite of the loss of Toriyama, Toyotarou, at least, is still as dedicated toDragon Ballas ever. As hard as Toriyama’s death has been for fans, one can only imagine how difficult it’s been for Toyotarou, who looked up to Toriyama as a mentor. It’d be understandable if he wanted to take a break fromDragon Ballfor a while, but all signs point to Toyotarou being ready to continue his work in honor of Toriyama.
Dragon Ball
From the creative mind of Akira Toriyama, Dragon Ball is a mega multimedia franchise that spans back to the 1980s. Dragon Ball expanded quickly, starting as a serialized manga for Weekly Shonen Jump in Japan. It made its way overseas via manga and an anime adaptation that is enjoyed worldwide. Dragon Ball was the initial starting animated series that followed the adventures of the young Son Goku as he sought after the Dragon Balls. These mystical orbs would grant the wish of any who gathered them together. Then, the series would branch off into the immensely popular Dragon Ball Z, which followed Goku as an adult and featured high-intensity battles and Goku’s never-ending search to be the strongest. The series has also enjoyed several popular video game adaptations and continues to release several new animated series and theatrical films up to the recent popular Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero.
