Top 10 Akira Toriyama Creations
Top 10 Akira Toriyama Creations
Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re going to be looking over the greatest contributions to the world of manga and media by the late and great Akira Toriyama.
#10: “Go! Go! Ackman” (1993-94)
Many of you are likely unfamiliar with Toriyama’s earlier manga works outside of a certain monkey-tailed martial artist and unstoppable robot girl, but Toriyama was quite prolific, especially with the immense amount of one shot he published during his early career. One of his more successful ventures was about this demonic swordsman, gung-ho about reaping the souls of innocents…only for him to be unable to handle any manner of indecency when it comes to women. This is certainly one of Toriyama’s raunchier experiments, and if you can track down a copy or one of its adaptations, it certainly makes for a good laugh.
#9: “Akira Toriyama's Manga Theater” (1983-97)
Speaking of one-shots! Toriyama’s early works have mercifully been collected and published across numerous volumes, where it’s easy to chronicle his inspirations and how he refined both his sense of worldbuilding and humor. Among the roster, we’d recommend checking out Chobit – a delightful yet spicy story of a pint-sized alien and her adventures on Earth. Wonder Island – which has Toriyama going wild with his creature and absurdist designs. And Dragon Boy – yes, this was indeed the blueprint that would help serve as the creation for Goku and all things Dragon Ball. While your taste in each may be subjective, it’s a joy to see just how wide-reaching Toriyama was willing to go when it came to both his artistry and genre-writing.
#8: The Art of “Tobal No.1” (1996)
It’s well known that Toriyama often assisted when it came to the character designs across various video games, and while some received more acclaim than others, we can’t forget about his lesser-known contributions. Case and point – he designed the entire roster for this fighting game! Say what you will about the controls, but it’s awesome to see so many Toriyama tropes across its cast. Honestly, it’s a shame that the franchise never took off, or the characters never ported over to other media, because we’d love to see the likes of Hom, Ill Goga and Mary Ivonskaya throw down in anime-form!
#7: “Cowa!” (1997-98)
Another manga that you may not be aware Toriyama penned back in the day, this one is certainly for a different crowd compared to his shounen work. It centers on a small group of young monsters who encounter a former sumo wrestler and the adventures they have together. As you can tell, this is catered towards children, with cutesy character designs and harmless slapstick. It makes for a short yet cute read for those looking to go without fight scenes for a moment and just enjoy the sense of whimsy that Toriyama was so well-versed at creating on the page.
#6: The Art of “Blue Dragon” (2006)
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Returning to the video game scene once again, Toriyama aided this cult classic with the creation of its characters and the powers they would use across its fantastical world, including the Stands – ugh – we mean Shadows – that the cast would conjure during their battles. It may not be the most grandiose game, but there are those who adore it all the same. Plus, it’s hilarious to know that the creator of Dragon Ball and the lead singer of Deep Purple were involved in the same project!
#5: “Sand Land” (2000)
One of Toriyama’s older projects that has found second life thanks to the upcoming video game adaptation, the story of a young demon helping human’s find water in a barren, desert world has all the marks of a classic shonen adventure – including its demon prince of a main character, and plenty of tank battles. Whether you’re one of the few who enjoyed the original tankobon or are eager to explore the expanded world in-game, it’s comforting to know how many of Toriyama’s side projects are finding success decades after they were originally published.
#4: The Art of “Chrono Trigger” (1995)
What happens when exquisite writing, revolutionary gameplay and iconic artwork all merge together? You get an instant classic like this beloved RPG, in no small part to the designs that Toriyama put forward. Some of his best work can be seen in the likes of sword-swinging Crono, tech-savvy Lucca, and amphibian knight Frog. There are numerous reasons why Chrono Trigger has endured as one of the best in the medium, largely due to the effort that Toriyama put forward in crafting the characters and world so many fell in love with.
#3: “Dr. Slump” (1980-1984)
The manga responsible for kickstarting Toriyama’s career, the misadventures of this robot girl with ungodly strength and zero understanding of humanity is non-stop puns and non-stop laughs. While the story itself is on the minimal side, Arale’s antics are purely about earning a chuckle, hence the crazy amount of one-shot chapters that chronicle how she keeps making life worse for everyone around her, in the most endearing ways possible. If Toriyama’s sense of humor is your bread and butter, then we can’t recommend it highly enough.
#2: The Art of “Dragon Quest” (1986-)
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Whether you’re a diehard fan, a casual who has only played the most recent entry, or only know the franchise by name alone, there’s no getting over the colossal impact Toriyama made due to his involvement with these games. The man not only provided designs and concepts for every mainline title, but many of his iterations of classic fantasy monsters – such as slimes – have become the new normal for other games in the genre. The ripple effect cannot be understated, and it’s a testament to Toriyama’s sensibilities as an artist that he was able to achieve such a marvel consistently over the course of Dragon Quest’s continuation.
#1: “Dragon Ball” franchise (1984-)
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The granddaddy of shonen, one of the most influential pieces of Japanese media to ever exist, and for many of us, that which shaped our childhoods. Whether it be through manga, anime, video games or countless other avenues, Toriyama’s tale about a boy with a tail seeking out seven wish granting balls exploded into a cultural phenomenon the likes of which have been scarcely replicated. Whether through new iterations or our own fond experiences, Dragon Ball will continue to flourish, and in doing so keep the memory of Toriyama alive and well. Thanks for the adventure. Which of Toriyama’s many works do you hold near and dear? Let us know in the comments!
