Dragon Ball executive producer Akio Iyoku gave a new interview to Mantan Web, where he praised the series’ late creator and manga icon, Akira Toriyama. When asked about Toriyama’s greatness, Iyoku replied, “The easiest thing to understand is the illustrations. I think everyone can see that they are one of a kind. From my time working with him, I’ve noticed how incredible the story is.“
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“It’s extremely difficult to create an original world,” he added. “What is this world like? What kind of characters will appear? He put so much effort into creating it, which, in a way, felt incredible. What’s more, he had a spirit of service that always amazed me.“
DAIMA was the final installment of Dragon Ball that Toriyama worked on, beginning planning around six years ago. “To avoid burdening Sensei [Toriyama],” Iyoku said, “I didn’t want him to make the entire thing, but rather just wanted him to take a look at it, and to know his thoughts.” Nevertheless, Toriyama’s enthusiasm for the series meant he “almost ended up making all of it.“
Dragon Ball DAIMA Producer on Akira Toriyama Involvement: ‘There Are Almost Fewer Parts That He Didn’t Do’
“He wrote the entire story,” Iyoku continued. “He also drew most of the characters. For example, he drew everything from the characters in the bar to the monsters that appear in various parts of the Demon Realm. The same goes for the planes and other mecha. What surprised me the most was the design of the warp. I was like, ‘Are you serious?!’ Only he could come up with the idea of going to another universe with a goldfish-like mecha. And the worldview: There are three demon worlds in the Demon Realm, and he thought about the shape and origin of each one. There are almost fewer parts that he didn’t do.“
While Toriyama’s involvement saw major lore additions to the Dragon Ball franchise, such as Vegeta’s ability to turn Super Saiyan 3, it also answered major questions regarding the series’ canon. First introduced in Dragon Ball GT, Super Saiyan 4 Goku became canon in DAIMA — first in Goku’s shrunken form, before the adult form many longtime fans know and love surfaced in Episode 19. Nevertheless, given the major threats that occur later in Super, many fans asked why neither form had surfaced. What Toriyama says goes, we suppose.
Dragon Ball DAIMA was streamed across 20 episodes on Crunchyroll and Netflix, with the finale airing on the anniversary of Toriyama’s passing. He’s credited for the story and original character design and was joined by series directors Yoshitaka Yashima and Aya Komaki, anime character designer Katsuyoshi Nakatsuru, and Yuko Kashihara, who was in charge of the series composition and script. Toei Animation was responsible for animation production.
Crunchyroll describes Dragon Ball DAIMA:
Goku and company were living peaceful lives when they suddenly turned small due to a conspiracy! When they discover that the reason for this may lie in a world known as the “Demon Realm”, a mysterious young Majin named Glorio appears before them.
Source: Mantan Web
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