While the unfortunate and untimely passing ofDragon Ballcreator Akira Toriyama led the legend to be celebrated worldwide for his contribution to not only manga but entertainment itself, editors of the series believe he wasn’t acknowledged the way he should have been by the publisher of his most famous series. The editors criticized Shueisha for how the issue was handled and shared concerns about the future of the manga industry after such a worrying situation.
In an interview with editors Kazuhiko Torishima, Yu Kondo, and Fuyuto Takeda translated and summarized by X user@Venixys, the editors voiced their frustrations about howShueisha, the publisher behindDragon Balland Shonen Jump, handledAkira Toriyama’s untimely death at 68. They felt that communication was sparse and that Shueisha did not properly communicate the news of the death, nor did they correctly acknowledge his contribution.
Toriyama Deserved More, According To His Editors
The Editors Allege The Dissemination Of The News Was Not Handled Well
One of the two issues was the communication from Shueisha and how it was conveyed. They felt it was cold, insufficient, and not reflective of Toriyama’s significance. Torishima, possibly the person who has worked with Toriyama the longest, got the news of his death one day before it was publicly announced, which is 6 days after Toriyama died. Takeda found out about it on the day of the announcement alongside the world. While secrecy was paramount, Torishima and the editors who were close to Toriyama receiving the news so late was distasteful.
The other and bigger concern of the editors was the fact that Shueisha did not properly acknowledge and celebrate Toriyama’s monumental legacy. Many creators, politicians, andmangakas made the effort to praise Toriyamafor all that he had done, and there were murals and celebrations all over the world. The editors felt that Shueisha should have at least displayed an image of Goku on Jump’s building and held a space where fans could leave messages and gather, but Shueisha didn’t even do that. It sent a truly depressing message when the home ofDragon Ballcouldn’t celebrate one of the most influential mangakas of all time, but countries from around the world could.
Toriyama’s Death Could Have Been Handled Much Better
Unfortunately, Toriyama’s editors believe that Toriyama’s death could set a precedent for how Shueisha would handle similar cases for other influential mangakas and icons. This interview led to many fans criticizing Shueisha and shed light on a terrible mistake, something that should never have happened. FromDr. SlumptoDragon Ball,Toriyama influenced the lives of many and deserved, at the very least, a memorial or tribute from his publisher.
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.
