Goodbye Akira Toriyama: The Mastermind Behind Dragon Ball

 

Akira Toriyama, the creative genius behind Dragon Ball, stands as one of the most influential figures in manga and anime history. His groundbreaking work not only revolutionized the genre but also captivated audiences worldwide with its epic storytelling, iconic characters, and imaginative world-building. Despite his sudden departure, Toriyama's legacy will continue to shape the landscape of popular culture.

Born on April 5, 1955, in Nagoya, Japan he became a household name soon after 1984 when Toriyama's career reached new heights with the debut of Dragon Ball, a series that would catapult him to international fame and acclaim. 

Dragon Ball, serialized from 1984 to 1995, stands as Toriyama's crowning achievement. Set in a fantastical world filled with martial arts, mythical creatures, and powerful warriors, the series follows the adventures of Goku as he embarks on a quest to become the strongest fighter in the universe. With its dynamic action sequences, intricate plotlines, and memorable characters, Dragon Ball captured the hearts and imaginations of millions of fans worldwide. Like many of you I remember coming home from school and watching Dragon Ball Z. The overall story about getting stronger to overcome trials and the epic fights scenes have been engrained in my memory forever. As well as the American opening song to the show.  

Toriyama's distinctive art style and innovative storytelling techniques played a crucial role in the success of Dragon Ball. His ability to blend humor, drama, and action seamlessly created a narrative that appealed to audiences of all ages. From the imposing figure of Vegeta to the charming innocence of Goku, Toriyama's character designs breathed life into the world of Dragon Ball, making each character iconic. No wonder so many other manga’s tried to emulate Dragon Ball such as Naruto, One Piece, My Hero Academia, and many more.

Beyond manga, Toriyama's influence extended to various other mediums, including anime adaptations, movies, video games, and merchandise. The Dragon Ball franchise became a global phenomenon, spawning countless spin-offs, sequels, and reimaginings that continue to captivate audiences to this day.

Image: Mattari_illust

Tragically, Akira Toriyama passed away on March 1^st, 2024, leaving behind a legacy that transcends his mortal existence. His sudden departure sent shockwaves through the manga and anime community, prompting an outpouring of tributes from fans and colleagues alike. Despite his untimely demise, Toriyama's legacy lives on through Dragon Ball, which remains as beloved and influential as ever.

Exploring Anime Tropes: Deal-Breakers and Hidden Gems

 

I enjoy watching anime, a passion that originated during my teenage years with Dragonball Z. What draws me to anime is its unique ability to convey aspects that live-action cannot capture. While I appreciate anime, it's important to acknowledge its flaws. There are certain recurring tropes that, when considering a new series, one should investigate. Some of these tropes are harmless but annoying, while others are outright distasteful. For those venturing into the world of anime or contemplating allowing their children to explore it, I hope this list proves helpful. Here are five deal-breakers when it comes to anime.

The Main Character Always Fights the Final Boss

   While a harmless trope, it can limit the creativity of a series. In many Shonen anime, the main protagonist inevitably faces the final boss, sidelining opportunities for other supporting characters to grow. An example is Fairy Tail, where Natsu consistently confronts the opposing team boss, despite other characters being equally capable such as Gray or Erza. This trope could be improved by allowing other characters to take on the main villain in the arc especially when they are better suited for. For example, If the protagonist has fire magic and the boss also has fire magic, then let the supporting character with water magic face the villain.

Deus Ex Machina Occurs Too Often

   This overplayed trope involves the protagonist receiving an unexpected power boost to defeat the villain when on the brink of defeat. Often tied to the power of friendship. It’s ironic when an anime has dark themes not suitable for children, but the heroes use the power of friendship. Naruto is a notable example where friendship plays a significant role in the protagonist's strength.

Perverted Characters

   This trope, featuring characters who sexualize women, can be off-putting and occurs too frequently in anime. Characters like Master Roshi in Dragonball or Daru in Steins;Gate exemplify this issue, potentially deterring some viewers. Perverted characters tend to have nose bleeds indicating that they are having an impure thought.

Women Betrayal

   Aligned with the previous trope, the objectification of women in anime is a concerning trend. Despite character development, female characters are often depicted in impractical attire with unrealistic bodies. One Piece is cited as an example, where every female character is scantily clad. Which should discourage viewers with moral standards.

Brother and Sister Romantic Interest

   This uncomfortable trope, where a sister develops romantic feelings for the main protagonist, is a definite reason to stop watching an anime. Instances like those in Sword Art Online can be particularly unsettling. Typically, if the main protagonist has a sister, then she will have romantic feelings towards him. The exception being Demon Slayer.

Conclusion

  Reflecting on these tropes, I invite you to share your own anime pet peeves. Despite these drawbacks, there are numerous anime series that avoid these pitfalls. I recommend the following, excluding Steins;Gate due to its inclusion of the perverted character trope:

1. Bungo Stray Dogs

2. Spy X Family

3. Hunter X Hunter

4. Mashle: Magic and Muscles 
(Yes, this breaks the first tope, but it is still good)

5. Love is War

6. Ranking of Kings

7. Log Horizon

8. Classroom of the Elite

Android 16 Secret History

 

While I was watching Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, I was geeking out about fan theories becoming cannon. In this post I am excited to talk about what recently became cannon about Android 16! 

artist: unknown

As many of you are already aware Android 16 may appear to be threatening with his intimidating size, monotone dialogue, and dangerous appearance, however he is truly a gentle giant. He is calm, friendly, and embraces nature and humanity with loving kindness. The only hatred he has is towards Goku who he is programmed to kill. Can't really blame him, Goku is a terrible Dad. Akira Toriyama based Android 16 on the Terminator portrayed by Arnold Schwarzenegger which makes him that much cooler. 

Before going into fan theories and what became cannon, let's take a step back and talk about Android 16 history. 

 

artist: keyrushmeister

In Dragon Ball Z, after Dr. Gero awakens Android 17 and 18 from their sleep, 17 and 18 awaken 16 despite the warning from Gero. After he is activated, they set off to kill Goku. As the saga progresses 17 and 18 are in danger by another creation of Dr. Gero, Cell. Cell’s mission is to become perfect and in order to do that must absorb android 17 and 18. Sadly, Cell succeeds and becomes perfect Cell. Up to this point we see android 16 not partaking in any battles; he only intented to fight Goku, but when his friends are “killed” he goes against his programming and fights Cell instead of Goku.

 

Android 16 fights against Cell a couple of times and in both scenarios, he is defeated. His last attempt destroys himself completely, being the first character that we love to never return, even though there is a mystical dragon that is able to grant wishes. Android 16 memory chip couldn’t be repaired. However, the destruction of Android 16 gave Gohan the rage he needed to be the first to transcend to Super Saiyan 2. 

Fans have speculated that prior to Android 16 being an android he was the embodiment of Dr. Gero’s son. This is the reason why Dr. Gero didn’t want Android 17 and 18 to wake him up because he wasn’t a completed version of his son. He didn't have his son’s memories therefore he was a different person in the shell of his son. He made him stronger than 17 and 18 because he couldn’t bear his son to die again, but when he found out that he wasn't his son he deactivated him and put a bomb in him so he could be fully destroyed when the time comes, but Dr. Gero never had the heart see his son die a second time. This is my interpretation of this fan theory, but there is some cannon behind it, but before I dive into that, I need to talk about the fan theory of Android 16 mother. 

In the video game Dragon Ball FighterZ we meet a new android that was created by Dr. Gero named Android 21. She was the main antagonist in the story and believed to be the mother of Android 16. In the game we never get to fully know her relation with Android 16, but their was the speculation until Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero came out.

In the first few moments of the movie, we learn a lot about Android 16 origins. First of all, we learned that his name is Grevo and that he served in the red ribbon army, where his Dad worked. This villainous army went after Goku when he was a kid. He died, probably accidentally by kid Goku. We learn that Dr. Geero’s wife, Vomi, was indeed the embodiment of Android 21. We don’t know how she died, but she did. 

Grevo (Android 16) before his death, must have had a child because Hedo, the super-intellegent scientist is the grandson of Dr, Gero and Vomi. We don’t know who Hedo's mother is. In the movie Dr. Hedo, is manipulated by the Red Ribbon army to create androids superior to Dr. Gero’s and uses them for their own purposes. 

The purpose of this post is not to give a summary of Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero. If you are a fan of Dragon Ball and love Gohan and androids then you will enjoy this movie.