Summary
Dragon Ballfans will often debate about the anime adaptation versus the original manga, and which version happens to tell the story better. Akira Toriyama had his own feelings on the matter, however, and he felt that even the professionals creating the anime couldn’t get Goku quite right.
Akira Toriyama had minimal involvement with theDragon BallandDragon Ball Zanime, aside from occasionally providing character designs for original characters, mostly for movies. This is pretty typical for mangaka; once the manga is picked up for anime adaptation, it’s generally out of their hands, aside from possibly being consulted for clarification from time to time. As such,many mangaka, including Toriyama, don’t feel much ownership over the anime adaptation, viewing it as something else entirely.
This can be a bit of a surprise to fans, who often view anime and manga as two sides of the same coin.
Akira Toriyama Feels Goku is Difficult to Properly Portray
Toriyama Was Critical of the Anime’s Take on Goku
In an interview from the release of theDragon Ball Supermanga’s first volume, Akira Toriyama andDragon Ball Superartist Toyotarou,translated by fan site Kanzenshuu, Toyotaro was asked about what aspects of Toriyama’s art were most difficult to draw. Toyotarou says that the simple art style made it feel like anyone could draw like Toriyama, but in practice he found it extremely difficult to draw a “real” Goku. Toriyama agreed, saying that “even when professional animators draw it, I sometimes feel like they get it wrong.” He goes on to say that while his style may be simple, “Perhaps only I truly understand it.”
Toriyama has made similar comments about the anime version of Goku in the past. Inan interview with Wired Japan from 1997, Toriyama stated that he was unhappy with the anime adaptation, as “onceDragon Ballgot animated, at any rate, I’ve always been dissatisfied with the ‘righteous hero’-type portrayal they gave [Goku].” This gives the impression that Toriyama felt that the anime captured neither Goku’s appearance, nor his character properly, something that clearly bothered him to some extent. The interviewer in this case pointed out that the anime might be more child-friendly, which Toriyama conceded.
Toriyama emphasized that “Son Goku fromDragon Balldoesn’t fight for the sake of others, but because he wants to fight against strong guys.” This also factors intoGoku’s desire for fair play, as his tendency to help out injured villains is reflective of the fact that he’s after a good fight, not to save the day. This particular view of Goku is one that Toriyama held quite closely, feeling it was an essential element of the character which had somehow been lost in the transition from manga to anime.
Toriyama made sure to include this element of Goku’s character inDragon Ball Superas well, particularly in the Tournament of Power, where Goku inadvertently puts the fate of the multiverse at risk by suggesting the tournament to Zeno out of his desire to battle strong warriors from other universes. Toriyama’s Goku isn’t a fool; he just has a different set of priorities than it sometimes appears, and the anime simplified this aspect of his character too much in an effort to make him easier to understand. That’s not to say thatDragon Ball’s anime is bad, but its more heroic take on Goku just didn’t fit Toriyama’s vision of the character.
Dragon Ball
From the creative mind of Akira Toriyama, Dragon Ball is a mega multimedia franchise that spans back to the 1980s. Dragon Ball expanded quickly, starting as a serialized manga for Weekly Shonen Jump in Japan. It made its way overseas via manga and an anime adaptation that is enjoyed worldwide. Dragon Ball was the initial starting animated series that followed the adventures of the young Son Goku as he sought after the Dragon Balls. These mystical orbs would grant the wish of any who gathered them together. Then, the series would branch off into the immensely popular Dragon Ball Z, which followed Goku as an adult and featured high-intensity battles and Goku’s never-ending search to be the strongest. The series has also enjoyed several popular video game adaptations and continues to release several new animated series and theatrical films up to the recent popular Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero.
