Dragon Ball is iconic for a number of reasons. From its instantly recognizable cast of characters to its flashy action and distinct aesthetic, so much has gone into making the series legendary. Over 40 years on from their debut in the pages of Weekly Shōnen Jump, Goku and company remain some of anime and manga’s most popular heroes.
One of the series’ iconic calling cards is its shouted named attacks. Generations of kids have stood in front of mirrors and practiced their fiercest Kamehamehas, and it’s likely generations more will do the same in coming years. Surprisingly, however, despite their popularity, series creator Akira Toriyama was never a fan of the named techniques he made so popular.
‘You’d Be Done In’: Akira Toriyama Never Liked Named Techniques
Dragon Ball’s Creator Wasn’t a Fan of One of the Series’ Most Popular Elements
As Dragon Ball continued into its later years, its shouted attacks became only more exaggerated and dramatic. Kamehamehas, Final Flashes, and Galick Guns involved long charge-up times that culminated in huge beams of energy, and often became the final attacks used in a battle. As they became bigger, fans fell more in love with them, which makes Toriyama’s dislike of them pretty funny.
In a 1995 interview, the artist said, “I actually don’t really like giving names to techniques. In a battle of life and death, there’s no way you can say the name of each technique (laughs). You’d be done in while yelling the technique’s name. But my editor told me it was best to give the techniques names.”
Toriyama used whatever he had at his disposal to get from one chapter to the next, and it’s likely fans will never see a series crafted in that way ever again.
Toriyama revealed that his wife was the one that came up with the Kamehameha, while he thought up all the other named techniques. Vegeta’s being in English was a calculated decision that reflected his character, while Piccolo’s were ‘tasteful with kanji’. With how prominent they became and how popular they still are, no one would ever know Toriyama wasn’t a fan of the attacks he created.
There Will Never Be Another Dragon Ball
Akira Toriyama’s Laid-Back Writing Style Will Likely Never Work Again
Akira Toriyama famously drew and wrote Dragon Ball week-to-week with little plan of what would come next, and it was this writing style that gave way to spur-of-the-moment creations like the Kamehameha, or side comments from editors about named attacks turning into such prominent features of the series.
Toriyama used whatever he had at his disposal to get from one chapter to the next, and it’s likely fans will never see a series crafted in that way ever again. Modern shōnen manga artists draft such complex stories, and typically have their main events planned out well in advance. Those who don’t will usually have their narratives crash and burn as their series grows.
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“Nobody Likes It!”: Dragon Ball Was Incredibly Unpopular Until 1 Story Arc Saved the Series
Dragon Ball may be one of the most popular manga of all time now, but when it first debuted, the series was in deep trouble quickly.
Dragon Ball was only possible because Akira Toriyama was incredibly talented, and had a knack for creating some of the most important and iconic attacks, transformations, heroes, villains, and arcs in anime and manga history, even if he wasn’t always a fan of them.
- Created by
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Akira Toriyama
- First Episode Air Date
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April 26, 1989
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.
