Akira Toriyama was a Japanese manga artist who achieved the recognition of creating the iconic shonen anime, Dragon Ball Z. Toriyama’s inspiration for the iconic anime came from a classic Chinese novel called Journey to the West. The fighting styles that take place in the shonen anime were inspired by Hong Kong martial arts films.
“A lot of shonen anime like Bleach, One Piece, and Naruto took inspiration from DBZ (Dragon Ball Z) and is shown outside of anime references,” said senior Francis Abreu.
Not only has Toriyama been inspired by others’ work but he has inspired other Japanese artists to create shows. Toriyama’s work has inspired authors such as Eiichiro Oda to create One Piece and Masashi Kishimoto who created Naruto. Akira Toriyama’s inspiration does not only hit many artists but many fans around the world.
“When I was a kid I tried to fire off a Kamehameha, it didn’t work,” Abreu said.
Akira Toriyama has shown to be an inspiration to kids through the creative fighting styles he displays through his characters such as Goku and Vegeta. The messages displayed throughout the series have shown a positive message in giving it your all even during difficult situations. Making friends out of enemies was also a great message passed along in the shonen anime.
Even though Akira Toriyama passed away, Dragon Ball Z is still captivated by its fans. Toriyama’s work still serves as a blueprint for current and future creators.
