James Fox, Campus Carrier staff writer
The “Dragon Ball” franchise has had a profound effect on the lives of many people over the years, myself included, and with the recent passing of its creator, Akira Toriyama, I felt that now would be an appropriate time to evaluate the monumental legacy “Dragon Ball” has left behind.
“Dragon Ball” is a Japanese manga created by Akira Toriyama in 1984 and was given an anime adaptation not long after. “Dragon Ball” tells the story of a boy named Son Goku on his journey to find the legendary Dragon Balls, which can grant any wish when brought together. Throughout Goku’s journey he makes an array of colorful friends and foes who each bring something unique to the world Toriyama has created.
“Dragon Ball” spawned multiple sequel series such as “Dragon Ball Z” which ran from 1988-1995 and “Dragon Ball Super” which started in 2015 and is still ongoing, now under Toriyama’s successor Toyotarou, who up until now was only the Illustrator for “Dragon Ball Super.” The fact that Toriyama was able to keep the “Dragon Ball” franchise relevant for 40 years is nothing short of astonishing and just goes to show that “Dragon Ball” is one of the most impactful and enduring pieces of modern media.
“Dragon Ball” is first and foremost a martial arts fighting series and is primarily aimed towards 12-18 year old boys. Though that is simply the nature of shonen manga, that should not stop people from outside of the intended gender and age demographic from reading or watching “Dragon Ball.” My first experience with Toriyama’s work occurred when I was around 11 years old and found old episodes of “Dragon Ball” on Youtube. I thought it was the coolest thing ever and continued to watch it until the “Dragon Ball Super” anime concluded in 2018. I’m still hoping it will come back to finish adapting the manga. “Dragon Ball” had such a significant impact on me when I was younger for a plethora of reasons.
The first and most obvious reason was just that it was so cool. Watching Goku and his friends get beat down by a powerful enemy only to prevail in the end was and still is such a satisfying feeling. With each fight the viewer becomes more connected with the characters. I also remember being captivated by the dynamic worldbuilding. It felt like there was always something new to explore within Toriyama’s ever-expanding universe.
I am far from the only one who has been touched by Toriyama’s masterpiece. Anime used to have a lot of stigma surrounding it in the west, and still does have some today, though not nearly as much. However, even back in the 90s and early 2000s “Dragon Ball” shattered cultural boundaries as something that was ubiquitously loved not only in its home country of Japan but all across the world, which was an extraordinarily difficult feat to achieve 20-30 years ago. Other characteristics that augment the prestige of “Dragon Ball” are its unique and recognizable art style, its ability to convey raw emotion easily and its amazing soundtrack. It’s monumental influence can be seen in every corner of the manga world, most notably being the key inspiration for the shonen “big three” manga composed of “One Piece” by Eiichiro Oda, “Bleach” by Tite Kubo and “Naruto” by Masashi Kishimoto. Toriyama’s impact on not only Japanese media, but also on the lives of millions of people cannot be understated.
Although Toriyama may be gone, his work will continue to awe and inspire for generations to come. “Dragon Ball” will continue to hold a special place in our hearts. If I had to sum up “Dragon Ball” in one word I would say it’s inspirational. I know that it will continue to inspire people for many years. Even if it isn’t the deepest or most moving piece of media, “Dragon Ball” was made with love, and the love that went into its creation has and will forever be reciprocated by fans such as myself.