The world continues to reel from the passing of Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama. Tributes from across the industry have poured out for the legendary artist and writer, whose anime shows are among some of the most beloved and recognizable.
Naturally, the ongoing manga Dragon Ball Super has been put on hiatus, in order to allow the creative team to mourn. Toyutaro, the illustrator on Super who worked closely with Toriyama, has spoken on the status of Super, sharing the last bit of insight he received from the icon.
実は103話の最終ページ僕が描いたネームだと全員そのまま背を向けて飛び去っていました「ピッコロが幼稚園の先生に向けるようにさようならの挨拶をする風に」というのが先生の最後の修正でした（※勝手にネーム載せられないのでイメージで描き直してます）僕は入稿後に訃報に触れました。↓ pic.twitter.com/YQX6kOJMqQ
— とよたろう (@TOYOTARO_Vjump) March 28, 2024
He states even he doesn’t know when the next chapters will come out, before providing some images on comments on a particular scene. “On the last page of episode 103, when I drew the name, everyone just turned their backs and flew away,” he says. “‘Like Piccolo saying goodbye to his kindergarten teacher.’ That was the teacher’s final correction.”
Toyutaro notes he made the change, then states their partnership was a “miraculous time.” I can only imagine the level of knowledge that was imparted, working with Toriyama for that long. What a dream.
Thankfully, we still have quite a bit of Toriyama’s unmistakable work to enjoy. Sand Land is now streaming on Disney Plus and Hulu, and later this year we have Dragon Ball Daima, Toriyama’s return to Goku and the Z Fighters on the small screen.
Truly, no better way to maintain his legacy.