2024 marks the 40th anniversary of the Dragon Ball franchise and, tragically, the death of its creator, Akira Toriyama, who passed away suddenly at the age of 68. At the time of Toriyama’s death, Dragon Ball Super remains one of the most popular manga series in the world.
This consistency in popularity, 40 years since the launch of the original Dragon Ball, is one unparalleled in the manga market, especially for a property that saw such a prolonged period of inactivity in regards to new stories being told. But, really, Dragon Ball has been in a class all of its own for a variety of reasons, propelling it above established manga properties like My Hero Academia and newer titles. Here is how Dragon Ball has stayed so popular for 40 years, topping the manga charts even without a corresponding television series on the air.
The Magical World of Akira Toriyama
First and foremost, Dragon Ball is nothing without its original creator, Akira Toriyama, and whenever Toriyama’s guiding hand wasn’t behind the franchise, his absence was acutely felt. After concluding the original manga series in 1995, Toriyama took a break from writing in the world he launched in 1984, turning over primary creative control for the subsequent anime series Dragon Ball GT to others, taking a much-needed break from the adventures of Goku and company.
While DBGT certainly has its fair share of highlights and vocally dedicated fans, the series received a much more mixed response than the enormously popular Dragon Ball Z. Toriyama returned to write the revival movies Battle of Gods and Resurrection “F.” These movies completely revitalized the franchise and launched the sequel series Dragon Ball Super, with Toriyama writing the manga series, joined by artist Toyotarou.
Among Toriyama’s last major contributions to the franchise were writing Dragon Ball Super: Broly and Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, with both movies reaching record-breaking box office success. Toriyama was reportedly heavily involved with the upcoming series Dragon Ball DAIMA, while the Dragon Ball Super manga continues to top the sales charts. One cannot understate how much this stems from Toriyama continuing to find fresh directions for his ongoing saga in different media that will extend beyond his passing.
The Undiscovered Country
A major factor behind Dragon Ball’s resurgence is that it has progressed past the events of the Dragon Ball Super anime series, which concluded its run in 2017. For fans, the knowledge that their beloved DBZ has an official story envisioned by Toriyama has an allure all of its own, with the manga now beyond the events of Super Hero. Prior to this, Toriyama’s manga series had introduced new stories that have yet to be adapted into animation, including the memorable adversaries Moro and Granolah, while providing upgrades to Goku, Vegeta, and Frieza.
Related: Akira Toriyama’s Work Has Been My Lifelong Friend
The anime series not immediately adapting this material that’s currently exclusive to the manga means that the only place to read the official continuing story of Dragon Ball is through the manga itself. With DAIMA moving in a different direction from the manga, at least from what has been revealed so far, that distinction remains to be the case for the foreseeable future as plenty of original Dragon Ball narrative content fills the market on a multimedia scale. The manga remains the major driver behind Dragon Ball rather than being overshadowed by an anime adaptation, with the two mediums complementing each other instead.
The Constant Presence of Dragon Ball
Unlike other concluded manga and anime series, like Fist of the North Star or Trigun, which experience long periods of inactivity, Dragon Ball has constantly stayed relevant through a steady stream of video games and other licensed materials. Publisher Bandai Namco retains the Dragon Ball video game license as long as games are consistently in production, a distinction they maintain.
From Dragon Ball Z Budokai to Dragon Ball FighterZ and the upcoming Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero, there is no shortage of Dragon Ball games on the market. Simply put, Dragon Ball never really left the public consciousness, with high-profile video games and high-quality figures and statues in constant production, reinforcing its place in our shared cultural memory. These releases are the best advertising around for the anime and manga, building name-brand recognition on a global scale.
Dragon Ball is that rare manga/anime property that not only continues to visibly influence fiction of all media worldwide but maintains strong roots in the manga format from which it originated 40 years ago. Though its future is facing uncertainty in the wake of Toriyama’s death, it sounds like a path forward has been laid out, particularly with projects like Dragon Ball DAIMA on the horizon. Dragon Ball is both a constant and a generational experience, staying relevant and popular as fans of all ages are eager to see what comes from the franchise next. The series still hits all the classic notes, with Super Saiyan transformations and Kamehameha Waves as iconic as ever, but with enough freshness that it doesn’t feel like the franchise is stuck in a creative rut but still a timelessly enjoyable ride.
Dragon Ball is available to stream on Crunchyroll.
Published: Mar 15, 2024 02:00 pm