'Dragon Ball' Became Reality for an Unexpected Reason: Akira Toriyama "didn't want to draw manga"

When we think of a work of the scope and importance of ‘Dragon Ball,’ we take it for granted that it is the work of a large team of passionate creators; nothing could be further from the truth. Its creator, Akira Toriyama, never intended to become a manga artist, and his first steps into this industry were preceded by a series of unexpected reasons. This is what was recorded in a 2018 interview with Toriyama himself (via Screen Rant) by Weekly Shonen Jump, along with ‘Slam Dunk’ creator Takehiko Inoue, in which he explained how he became a mangaka almost unintentionally.

Toriyama’s Surprising Beginnings as a Mangaka

Unlike most mangaka, Toriyama did not have a dream of becoming a successful mangaka. Toriyama had been working as a designer for some time, but due to some disagreements with the industry, he left the job. Without a steady paycheck, Tori decided to enter a manga contest, the prize money for which was 500,000 yen at the time, about $4,500 at today’s exchange rate.

Determined to get her hands on such a juicy prize and try to make a living out of it, Tori set to work. However, she didn’t make it in time to deliver the material to Weekly Shonen Magazine. Luckily, he took advantage of his work to answer the call of the Weekly Shonen Jump magazine and started working as a mangaka, achieving great success with his first mangas, especially soon after with ‘Dr. Slump.’

Thus, one of the most influential mangakas in history entered the manga business in an unexpected way, and a few years later gave the world one of the most famous works of popular culture: ‘Dragon Ball.’