Akira Toriyama is a renowned Japanese manga artist and character designer, widely recognized for his influential work in the manga industry. His notable creation, Dr. Slump, brought him initial success, followed by the globally acclaimed Dragon Ball series, which cemented his legacy as a prominent figure in manga history. Toriyama's artistic contributions extend beyond manga, as he has also designed characters for popular video games such as Dragon Quest, Chrono Trigger, and Blue Dragon. His unique style and storytelling have inspired numerous aspiring manga artists, solidifying his position as a pivotal figure in the world of manga.
April 5, 1955: Akira Toriyama is born
On April 5, 1955, Akira Toriyama was born in Kiyosu, Aichi Prefecture, Japan.
1961: Akira Toriyama is inspired by One Hundred and One Dalmatians
In 1961, a young Akira Toriyama was deeply impressed by the animated film One Hundred and One Dalmatians, sparking his ambition to create similarly captivating artwork.
1973: Influence of 'Enter the Dragon'
In 1973, Akira Toriyama was influenced by Bruce Lee's film 'Enter the Dragon,' which went on to significantly impact his later works.
1978: Influence of 'Drunken Master'
In 1978, Jackie Chan's film 'Drunken Master' heavily influenced Akira Toriyama, shaping his creative approach in his manga and anime works.
1978: Akira Toriyama makes his manga debut
Akira Toriyama's first published work, Wonder Island, debuted in Weekly Shōnen Jump in 1978, marking the beginning of his professional manga career.
1979: Akira Toriyama creates Tomato the Cutesy Gumshoe
After receiving encouragement to feature a female lead, Toriyama created Tomato the Cutesy Gumshoe in 1979, which proved to be a relatively successful work.
1979: Influence of 'Alien'
In 1979, the science fiction film 'Alien' influenced Akira Toriyama, contributing to the development of his unique style and storytelling.
December 1980: Introduction of 'Robotoriyama'
In December 1980, Akira Toriyama began using the avatar 'Robotoriyama' to represent himself in manga and interviews, reflecting his reclusive nature and shyness.
1980: Dr. Slump serialization begins
In 1980, Akira Toriyama's Dr. Slump began its serialization in Weekly Shōnen Jump, launching a highly successful and influential manga series.
1980: Start of Dr. Slump
In 1980, Toriyama began writing and illustrating Dr. Slump.
1981: Akira Toriyama's Pola & Roid wins Reader's Choice contest
Akira Toriyama participated in Weekly Shōnen Jump's Reader's Choice contest in 1981, achieving first place with his manga Pola & Roid.
1981: Akira Toriyama wins the Shogakukan Manga Award
In 1981, Akira Toriyama won the prestigious Shogakukan Manga Award for his work on Dr. Slump in the shōnen/shōjo manga category.
May 2, 1982: Marriage to Yoshimi Katō
On May 2, 1982, Akira Toriyama married Yoshimi Katō, a former manga artist from Nagoya known by her pen name 'Nachi Mikami.' She occasionally assisted Toriyama on his work.
1982: Akira Toriyama submits Mad Matic to Reader's Choice contest
In 1982, Akira Toriyama was once again selected to participate in Weekly Shōnen Jump's Reader's Choice contest, submitting his work titled Mad Matic.
1982: Pink One-Shot
Toriyama published the one-shot manga Pink in 1982.
1982: Akira Toriyama Hozonkai is established
In 1982, an official fan club dedicated to Akira Toriyama, called Akira Toriyama Hozonkai (Akira Toriyama Preservation Society), was founded.
October 1983: Dragon Boy is published
Dragon Boy, a two-part manga by Akira Toriyama, was released in August and October 1983 issues of Fresh Jump. The story, influenced by Toriyama's love for kung fu films, features a young martial artist accompanying a princess on a journey home.
1983: Akira Toriyama creates Chobit and Chobit 2
Akira Toriyama created Chobit for the 1983 Weekly Shōnen Jump's Reader's Choice contest. Dissatisfied with its reception, he later produced Chobit 2 in the same year.
1984: Start of Dragon Ball and End of Dr. Slump
1984 marked the start of Toriyama's iconic Dragon Ball series and the conclusion of Dr. Slump.
1984: Dr. Slump serialization ends
After a successful four-year run, the serialization of Dr. Slump in Weekly Shōnen Jump came to an end in 1984.
1984: Dragon Ball serialization begins
Building upon the success of Dragon Boy, Akira Toriyama launched Dragon Ball as a serialized manga in 1984, a series that would go on to achieve global acclaim and redefine the shōnen genre.
1984: "Dragon Ball" Serialization Begins
In 1984, Akira Toriyama's iconic manga series, "Dragon Ball," began its serialization in Weekly Shōnen Jump.
1986: Dragon Quest Video Game Character Design
In 1986, Akira Toriyama was commissioned to create the characters and monsters for the first Dragon Quest video game, setting it apart from other role-playing games.
1986: Character Design for the Dragon Quest Series
Beginning in 1986, Toriyama started designing characters for the Dragon Quest video game series.
1986: "Mr. Ho" Publication
In 1986, Akira Toriyama published "Mr. Ho," a one-shot manga, in Weekly Shōnen Jump.
1986: Character Designer for "Dragon Quest"
Akira Toriyama was recruited as the character designer for the first "Dragon Quest" video game in 1986.
March 23, 1987: Birth of Son Sasuke
Akira Toriyama's son, Sasuke, was born on March 23, 1987. This marked a significant life event for Toriyama and his family.
1987: Akira Toriyama Hozonkai closes its doors
In 1987, the Akira Toriyama Hozonkai, Toriyama's official fan club, ceased operations.
September 23, 1988: "Kosuke & Rikimaru: The Dragon of Konpei Island"
"Kosuke & Rikimaru: The Dragon of Konpei Island," a festival film released on September 23, 1988, marked Akira Toriyama's significant contributions to animation, including story, screenplay, and character design.
1988: "The Elder" and "Little Mamejiro" Publication
Akira Toriyama published two more one-shot mangas in Weekly Shōnen Jump in 1988: "The Elder" and "Little Mamejiro."
1989: "Karamaru and the Perfect Day" Publication
"Karamaru and the Perfect Day," another one-shot manga by Akira Toriyama, was published in Weekly Shōnen Jump in 1989.
October 1990: Birth of Daughter Kikka
In October 1990, Akira Toriyama's daughter, Kikka, was born, adding to his family and personal life.
1993: Start of Go! Go! Ackman
Toriyama began the Go! Go! Ackman series in 1993.
1994: End of Go! Go! Ackman
Toriyama's Go! Go! Ackman series came to an end in 1994.
1995: Character Design for Chrono Trigger
Toriyama designed characters for the video game Chrono Trigger in 1995.
1995: Unique Approach to Video Game Sprite Design
In 1995, Toriyama explained his approach to designing for video games, noting that the small size of sprites allowed for more complex designs as long as they had a distinguishing feature for character recognition.
1995: End of Dragon Ball
In 1995, Dragon Ball reached its conclusion.
1995: Character Designer for "Chrono Trigger"
In 1995, Akira Toriyama served as the character designer for the Super Famicom RPG "Chrono Trigger."
1995: "Dragon Ball" Serialization Ends
After an 11-year run, Akira Toriyama's "Dragon Ball" manga concluded its serialization in 1995.
1996: "Dragon Ball GT" Anime Premiere
"Dragon Ball GT," the third anime adaptation of the "Dragon Ball" series, premiered in 1996. Although not directly based on Toriyama's manga, he provided input on the series name and main character designs.
1996: Character Designer for "Tobal No. 1"
Akira Toriyama designed the characters for the PlayStation fighting game "Tobal No. 1" in 1996.
1997: Character Designer for "Tobal 2"
Akira Toriyama also contributed his character design skills to "Tobal 2," another PlayStation fighting game, in 1997.
1997: "Cowa!" Manga Publication
From 1997 to 1998, Akira Toriyama worked on the manga "Cowa!", continuing his exploration of shorter, self-contained stories.
1997: Start of Cowa! and Akira Toriyama's Manga Theater Anthology
In 1997, Toriyama started the Cowa! series and published the first volume of his three-volume anthology series, Akira Toriyama's Manga Theater.
1997: Second Dr. Slump anime series premieres
Thirteen years after the manga concluded, a second anime adaptation of Dr. Slump premiered in 1997.
1998: "Kajika" Manga Publication
"Kajika," another manga by Akira Toriyama, was published in 1998, reflecting his focus on shorter narratives during this period.
1998: End of Cowa! and Start of Kajika
Toriyama's Cowa! series finished in 1998, the same year he began the Kajika series.
1999: Influence of 'Galaxy Quest'
The 1999 science fiction film 'Galaxy Quest' was one of the influences that shaped Akira Toriyama's creative vision and work.
1999: Rebooted Dr. Slump anime ends
In 1999, the rebooted anime adaptation of Dr. Slump, which aired on Fuji TV, concluded, marking the end of an era for Toriyama's work in the coveted Wednesday 19:00 time slot.
1999: "Neko Majin" One-Shots Begin
Starting in 1999, Akira Toriyama released the first in a series of eight "Neko Majin" one-shot mangas, offering a humorous take on his "Dragon Ball" universe.
2000: Sand Land
Toriyama released the Sand Land series in 2000.
2000: "Sand Land" Manga Publication
In 2000, Akira Toriyama published "Sand Land," a short manga series that further showcased his versatility as a storyteller.
December 6, 2002: US Promotional Appearance
On December 6, 2002, Akira Toriyama made a promotional appearance in New York City for the launch of the North American edition of Weekly Shōnen Jump.
March 27, 2005: QVOLT Electric Car Launch
On March 27, 2005, CQ Motors released the QVOLT, an electric car designed by Akira Toriyama.
April 2005: "Neko Majin" Volume Publication
"Neko Majin," a collection of eight one-shot mangas by Akira Toriyama that parodied "Dragon Ball," was published as a single volume in April 2005.
2006: "Cross Epoch" and "Blue Dragon"
In 2006, Akira Toriyama collaborated with Eiichiro Oda on "Cross Epoch," a one-shot manga featuring characters from both "Dragon Ball" and "One Piece." He also worked on "Blue Dragon," an RPG for Xbox 360, as the character designer and artist.
2006: Character Design for Blue Dragon
Toriyama contributed character designs for the Blue Dragon video game in 2006.
2007: Potential Final Animation Work
In 2007, Akira Toriyama expressed that the "Blue Dragon" anime might be his last contribution to animation.
2008: Collaboration on "Sachie-chan Good!!"
Akira Toriyama teamed up with Masakazu Katsura in 2008 to create the one-shot manga "Sachie-chan Good!!" for Jump SQ.
2008: Second Place in Favorite Manga Artist Poll
An Oricon poll in 2008 revealed Toriyama as the second most popular manga artist, particularly among male and older demographics.
2008: Dr. Slump manga surpasses 35 million copies sold
By 2008, the Dr. Slump manga had achieved a remarkable milestone, selling over 35 million copies in Japan.
2009: "Delicious Island's Mr. U" Manga
In 2009, Akira Toriyama created the manga "Delicious Island's Mr. U" for Anjō's Rural Society Project, promoting environmental awareness among children.
2009: Collaboration on "Jiya"
Akira Toriyama and Masakazu Katsura collaborated again in 2009 on a three-chapter one-shot manga titled "Jiya" for Weekly Young Jump.
2009: "Dragonball Evolution" and "Rule"
Akira Toriyama served as a creative consultant and executive producer on the live-action film adaptation of "Dragon Ball," titled "Dragonball Evolution," which premiered in 2009. He also created artwork for Ayumi Hamasaki's single "Rule" in the same year.
November 15, 2010: "Kintoki" One-Shot
As part of Weekly Shōnen Jump's "Top of the Super Legend" project, Akira Toriyama created the one-shot manga "Kintoki," which was released on November 15, 2010.
2010: Realization of Manga Artistry as a Wonderful Job
In 2010, Toriyama admitted that he didn't initially enjoy being a manga artist but came to realize its value later on.
2010: Mangaka Who Changed the History of Manga
In 2010, Toriyama ranked second only to Osamu Tezuka in a poll for Mangaka that Changed the History of Manga, recognizing his global influence and popularity.
March 11, 2011: Support for Tōhoku Earthquake and Tsunami Relief
On March 11, 2011, Akira Toriyama collaborated with Weekly Shōnen Jump to produce a video raising awareness and support for those affected by the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.
2011: Dragon Ball's Influence on Shonen Manga
In 2011, Thompson acknowledged the significant influence of Dragon Ball on the shonen manga genre over the past 30 years.
December 2012: "Sachie-chan Good!!" US Publication
"Sachie-chan Good!!" was published in North America in December 2012 as part of the SJ Alpha Yearbook 2013.
2012: "Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods" Announcement
In 2012, the development of "Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods" was announced, with Akira Toriyama actively involved in its creation, marking his early involvement in a "Dragon Ball" theatrical film.
March 27, 2013: Opening of 'Akira Toriyama: The World of Dragon Ball' Exhibit
On March 27, 2013, the 'Akira Toriyama: The World of Dragon Ball' exhibit opened at the Takashimaya department store in Nihonbashi. The exhibit, which attracted 72,000 visitors in its first nineteen days, was divided into seven sections showcasing the series' history, characters, manuscripts, special illustrations, rare materials, design sketches, animation cels, and videos.
March 30, 2013: "Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods" Premiere
"Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods," the first "Dragon Ball" theatrical film in 17 years and the first with Akira Toriyama's direct involvement in the screenwriting process, premiered on March 30, 2013.
July 13, 2013: Launch of 'Jaco the Galactic Patrolman'
On July 13, 2013, to celebrate the 45th anniversary of Weekly Shōnen Jump, Akira Toriyama launched a new manga series titled 'Jaco the Galactic Patrolman.' The series was also serialized in English by Viz Media starting two days later. The final chapter revealed its connection to the 'Dragon Ball' universe.
2013: Concerns over "Dragonball Evolution"
In 2013, Akira Toriyama expressed his dissatisfaction with the "Dragonball Evolution" film, stating that it failed to capture the essence of his series.
2013: Special 40th Anniversary Festival Award at Angoulême
Toriyama was awarded the Special 40th Anniversary Festival Award at the 2013 Angoulême International Comics Festival for his long-standing career in cartooning.
2013: "SJ Alpha Yearbook 2013" Release
The SJ Alpha Yearbook 2013, featuring "Sachie-chan Good!!" by Akira Toriyama and Masakazu Katsura, was released in 2013.
2013: Reflections on Dragon Ball's Success
In a 2013 interview, Toriyama expressed his surprise at Dragon Ball's global success, stating his initial goal was simply to entertain Japanese boys.
2013: Jaco the Galactic Patrolman
Toriyama created the Jaco the Galactic Patrolman series in 2013.
2014: Manga Artist Representing Japan
Toriyama achieved third place in a 2014 NTT Docomo poll for the manga artist that best represents Japan.
April 18, 2015: Release of 'Resurrection 'F'
On April 18, 2015, the follow-up film to 'Battle of Gods,' titled 'Resurrection 'F',' was released. Akira Toriyama wrote the original script for the film and contributed to its story and character designs.
June 2015: Serialization of 'Dragon Ball Super'
In June 2015, 'Dragon Ball Super' began serialization in V Jump, with an anime counterpart following in July. Akira Toriyama provided the basic story outline and some character designs for the series, continuing his involvement even after the anime ended in 2018.
2016: Challenges of Designing for Established Franchises
In 2016, Toriyama shared the challenges he faced designing for the Dragon Quest series due to its established time period and setting, making each iteration more difficult than the last.
December 14, 2018: Release of 'Dragon Ball Super: Broly'
December 14, 2018, saw the release of 'Dragon Ball Super: Broly' in theaters. Akira Toriyama was deeply involved in the film, continuing his legacy in the 'Dragon Ball' series.
May 30, 2019: Knighted in France
On May 30, 2019, Toriyama was awarded the Chevalier (Knight) of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French government for his contributions to the arts.
2019: Akira Toriyama is named Chevalier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
In 2019, Akira Toriyama was honored as a Chevalier of the French Ordre des Arts et des Lettres for his significant contributions to the arts.
June 11, 2022: Release of 'Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero'
On June 11, 2022, 'Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero' was released, marking another significant contribution from Akira Toriyama in the 'Dragon Ball' film series.
2023: Description by Kazuhiko Torishima
In 2023, the book 'A History of Modern Manga' described Akira Toriyama as 'a perfectionist at heart' who didn't hesitate to redraw entire panels. Kazuhiko Torishima praised Toriyama's unique approach to manga, including his use of Roman alphabet sound effects and his ability to excel in black and white due to financial constraints.
2023: Continued Work on Dragon Quest
Toriyama's work on the Dragon Quest series continued until 2023.
January 2024: 20th Anniversary of Kiyosu Logo Design
In January 2024, Akira Toriyama designed a logo to celebrate the 20th anniversary of his hometown, Kiyosu. He also created a new story arc for the original net animation adaptation of his manga 'Sand Land' and contributed to the upcoming 'Dragon Ball Daima' anime series.
February 2024: Akira Toriyama's Death
In February 2024, Akira Toriyama passed away at the age of 68 due to an acute subdural hematoma. His death was announced on March 8, causing a significant outpouring of grief and tributes from fans and fellow artists, highlighting his immense contribution to the manga and anime industry.
March 1, 2024: Akira Toriyama passes away
On March 1, 2024, Akira Toriyama passed away.
March 28, 2024: Toriyama's Final Contribution to 'Dragon Ball'
On March 28, 2024, Akira Toriyama's final contribution to 'Dragon Ball' was published. The page featured Piccolo departing and waving back at the reader, with a short tribute included at the bottom.
2024: Lifetime Achievement Award at the Tokyo Anime Awards Festival
Toriyama received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2024 Tokyo Anime Awards Festival.