Akira Toriyama
Who was Akira Toriyama?
Manga artist who created the globally successful 'Dragon Ball' series and served as character designer for the 'Dragon Quest' video game franchise.
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Akira Toriyama (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Akira Toriyama (April 5, 1955 – March 1, 2024) was a Japanese manga artist and character designer who became one of the most influential figures in manga and anime. Born in Kiyosu, Japan, Toriyama attended Okoshi Technical High School before starting a career that would change global entertainment. He first gained major recognition with Dr. Slump, a comedic manga series that began in Weekly Shōnen Jump in 1980. The series won him the 1981 Shogakukan Manga Award for best shōnen series and sold over 35 million copies in Japan, establishing him as a key player in the manga industry.
Toriyama's biggest success came with Dragon Ball, which he wrote and illustrated from 1984 to 1995. The series became one of the best-selling manga, with 260 million copies sold worldwide. Dragon Ball significantly boosted manga circulation during the mid-1980s to mid-1990s, changing the industry's scope and influence. The anime adaptations of Dragon Ball helped increase anime's global popularity, introducing many viewers worldwide to Japanese animation and setting many of the norms still used today.
Outside of manga, Toriyama made his mark in video game character design, notably for Square Enix's Dragon Quest series, one of the top role-playing game franchises. He also lent his unique artistic style to other popular games like Chrono Trigger and Blue Dragon. His character designs became closely associated with these franchises, shaping the visual look of Japanese role-playing games for many players.
Toriyama married Nachi Mikami and kept creating throughout his life, working on Dragon Ball Super and various projects until his passing. In 2019, he was honored by the French government as a Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres for his artistic contributions. His death on March 1, 2024, marked a significant loss for manga and anime, but his impact continues to inspire creators and entertain fans worldwide. In October 2024, he was inducted posthumously into the Harvey Awards Hall of Fame, securing his legacy as one of the medium's greatest creators.
Before Fame
Growing up in post-war Japan during the 1960s and early 1970s, Toriyama was part of a generation that saw the country's rapid economic growth and cultural change. After finishing at Okoshi Technical High School, he initially worked outside the art field before finding his passion for creating manga. His early career lined up with the golden age of Weekly Shōnen Jump, which was on the lookout for new talent to compete with other manga magazines.
In the late 1970s, the manga industry was booming, with publishers expanding their reach and trying out new genres and styles. Toriyama started his professional manga career during this time of innovation when editors were open to fresh voices and unique artistic styles to capture Japan's growing manga readership.
Key Achievements
- Created Dragon Ball, one of the best-selling manga series ever with 260 million copies sold worldwide
- Won the 1981 Shogakukan Manga Award for Dr. Slump
- Designed characters for the Dragon Quest video game franchise, defining the visual identity of Japanese RPGs
- Received the Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres from France in 2019
- Inducted posthumously into the Harvey Awards Hall of Fame in 2024
Did You Know?
- 01.Toriyama was known for frequently forgetting details about his own characters, including whether certain Dragon Ball characters had tails or not
- 02.He originally intended for Dragon Ball to end after the Frieza saga but was persuaded by his editor to continue the series
- 03.His distinctive round character designs were influenced by his desire to make characters easy to draw consistently over long periods
- 04.Toriyama created the character designs for Dragon Quest after being specifically chosen by game creator Yuji Horii, who wanted an artist whose style differed from typical fantasy game aesthetics
- 05.He was posthumously inducted into the Harvey Awards Hall of Fame in October 2024, just months after his death
Family & Personal Life
Awards & Honors
| Award | Year | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Shogakukan Manga Award | 1981 | — |
| Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres | 2019 | — |