Thank You, Akira Toriyama

Earlier this month we lost a legend, the man responsible for the most popular and recognizable manga and anime series ever, Akira Toriyama. 

Dragon Ball has been around me for as long as I can remember. One of my earliest memories was coming home from a long road trip and rushing to my room to turn the TV on so I could watch the finale of the Namek Saga. We all know the one, Frieza goes for a last ditch effort to obliterate Goku after he spares Frieza and begins to fly away, only for Goku to notice and blast what is known as his “Angry Kamehameha” and end him once and for all. I remember watching this very long fight for the first time as if it was yesterday. This would spawn several years of me enjoying everything Dragon Ball, from watching the anime past the Namek Saga, going back to watch the original Dragon Ball anime, playing nearly every video game I could get my hands on, and even reading the manga for the first time a few years ago. Dragon Ball has always, and will always be a huge part of my life.

Dragon Ball paved the way for manga and anime as we know it today. It’s such a cultural phenomenon, to the point that Goku is one of the most recognizable characters in all of fiction. Its anime was so popular back when it was airing, I seriously believe that without it anime wouldn’t have taken off as much as it has globally, at least not as quickly as it did back in the late 90s and early 2000s. This series’s success is a huge landmark for the manga and anime industry.

Today I want to look back, while Dragon Ball is a very fun series and has one of the best fights in the 23rd World Tournament where Goku faces Piccolo Jr, I want to mainly focus on Dragon Ball Z, as that part of the series, and later Super, is what has had the biggest impression on me.

Saiyan Saga

The Saiyan Saga, is the first saga of Dragon Ball Z and honestly the most underrated as a whole. This is the part of the series that changes the world of Dragon Ball entirely, we learn about Goku’s Saiyan heritage, the Dragon Balls being Namekian in origin, we’re introduced to the series’s second most popular character Vegeta, etc. I adore the Saiyan Saga, it has a decent balance of world-building and the fights are so good. Even Raditz, Goku’s older brother, is a bit of a joke within the fandom, but if you ever get a chance to rewatch or reread the series, he’s presented as a menacing villain and causes the first wave of power-creep in the series. Goku is fresh off of being the strongest in the world after defeating Piccolo Jr and we learn of an alien race known as the Saiyans, from Raditz, who’s several times more powerful than Goku, and HE was the weakest villain of this saga. 

I have fond memories of this saga. Goku fighting Vegeta for the first time is truly special and lives up to the hype. He learned Kaioken from King Kai and was told not to go past Kaioken x3, and in one of the best beam clashes ever we see Goku put his body in harm’s way and go x4. It’s a special moment in the series, and the first of many incredible moments of Goku (or Gohan) being in a cinch and needing to reach further beyond to overcome a villain.

Namek Saga

This one and Cell Saga mean something to me and all of anime, but I’ll get to Cell Saga later. The Namek Saga is one of the most iconic sagas ever, I love this damn saga, you’d have a harder time finding someone who doesn’t love it frankly. Even besides the world’s longest fight with Goku vs Frieza, you have Toriyama introducing one of the goofiest sets of villains with The Ginyu Force who’re utilized pretty well, you have the beginning of Vegeta’s redemption arc, etc. This saga displays Toriyama’s love for science fiction and Tokusatsu, the Ginyu Force are uniformed, posing villains that have very specific special attacks tailored to them and their colors. It’s awesome. I haven’t even spoken about the most iconic transformation ever with Goku going Super Saiyan. This saga is amazing and is forever etched into the hearts of everyone around the world. I’ve watched Goku fight Frieza several times, whether it be through the manga, anime, or video games and it’s still a sight to see.

Android/Cell Saga

Amazing. The peak of the series. Between Future Trunks’s introduction, Vegeta ascending to Super Saiyan finally, Super Saiyans in general are just everywhere. Vegeta and Trunks even ascend beyond Super Saiyan. Gohan’s potential is fully realized. Goku fights Perfect Cell to a stalemate which is one of the best choreographed fights in the series. Gohan is the first to go Super Saiyan 2 and defeat Cell. I can go on and on, this saga has it all and is the absolute best part of the series for me with many iconic scenes and moments. Gohan is my favorite Dragon Ball character, always has been and he shines here.

Majin Buu Saga

This saga is the only Dragon Ball DVD I ever owned and I must’ve watched it hundreds of times as a kid, and while it may not be the strongest of Dragon Ball Z’s arcs, I still adored it. I loved Gohan’s attempt at being a superhero, I’m a sucker for that stuff. It was just a nice breath of fresh air after three back-to-back sagas that could’ve ended with the world or universe ending, and we’re even introduced to his now wife, Videl, for the first time and Gohan’s younger brother Goten. He ends up training both of them as Goku decides to stay in Otherworld after Cell’s defeat. Vegeta has his evil turn again that ends in him realizing how much he actually loves life on Earth with Bulma and Trunks, it officially turns a man who was once hellbent on immortality and conquering into a very grumpy, but loving family man.

As I said before, Dragon Ball is super important to me. Some of my fondest moments playing video games are running 1v1s against some of my friends in Dragon Ball Z Budokai Tenkaichi 3 or Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2. I’m even playing through Dragon Ball Z Kakarot for the first time as I write this, I missed it when it came out, it is truly a blast. 

Akira Toriyama created one of the most special series ever, it captured the hearts of millions around the world, and I hope he knows that. I will absolutely be watching Dragon Ball Daima when it comes out. I was already planning on it because the trailers make it look like a fun time and he was working closely with the animation studio on it.

Once again, from the bottom of my heart and all of us around the world, thank you for everything Akira Toriyama. You’re truly one of the most interesting creatives who ever existed and I hope you rest in peace and know how much weight this incredibly goofy, quirky, and nonsensical world that you created in Dragon Ball holds for so many people.

“The setting of Dragon Ball has a sort of Chinese feel to it, but not necessarily China. Exactly where it takes place is uncertain. The overall story is very simple, but I’d like to keep making up more details and illustrations as I go along. This way, I can draw anything I want to and enjoy the tension and excitement of figuring out what I’ll draw next.” – Akira Toriyama, 1985.