Manga
Akira Toriyama was such a ‘Star Wars’ fan, that he even made some fan art while waiting for Episode 1
The author of ‘Dragon Ball’ turned out to be a huge ‘Star Wars’ fan, with a piece of fanart for Episode 1 he did before the release of the prequel having been unearthed.
In 1999, the year of the release of ‘Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace’, mangaka Akira Toriyama was excited about the arrival of the George Lucas film. More than 15 years had passed since ‘Return of the Jedi’ debuted in theaters, so the expectation was at an all time high. It is true that the prequels were highly criticized at the time, although this perception has become more nuanced over the years. Be that as it may, the author of ‘Dragon Ball’ drew Anakin Skywalker as a child, with the recognizable aesthetics of the actor who played him, the then very young Jake Lloyd.
The aliens are what interested him the most
“The time is approaching, I am excited about the fourth film,” he wrote in the text that accompanied the image. The author of Dr. Slump also claimed that he was not very interested in the humans of the film, even though he wanted to watch Ewan McGregor’s performance as Obi-Wan Kenobi. Funny that he wasn’t interested in humans when he drew little Anakin. As he pointed out, the aliens were the ones that caught his attention the most. He also placed special emphasis on the quality of the special effects, a technological revolution.
The ‘Star Wars’ prequels have gained notoriety and popularity over time. For example, Hayden Christensen - who played Anakin Skywalker in ‘Episode II’ and ‘Episode III’ - has earned the affection of fans, even though he was initially highly criticized. Both Christensen and McGregor worked together again in the ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ series. The Jedi Master’s actor has stated that they are exploring new stories for a hypothetical second season.
Akira Toriyama passed away last March. In only a few days (October 11) Dragon Ball Sparking! Zero is set to release, quite a tribute to 40 years of adventures of Goku and his friends (and enemies).
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