Editing Dragon Ball (manga) (section)

==Production==

===Writing===
Within roughly six months of creating the popular manga ''[[Dr. Slump]]'' in 1980, [[Akira Toriyama]] wanted to end the series but his publisher [[Shueisha]] would only allow him to do so if he agreed to start another serial for them shortly after.<ref name="Forbes">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/olliebarder/2016/10/15/kazuhiko-torishima-on-shaping-the-success-of-dragon-ball-and-the-origins-of-dragon-quest/#1b1b1ac8d9ab|title=Kazuhiko Torishima On Shaping The Success Of 'Dragon Ball' And The Origins Of 'Dragon Quest'|magazine=[[Forbes]]|date=October 15, 2016|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161017001412/http://www.forbes.com/sites/olliebarder/2016/10/15/kazuhiko-torishima-on-shaping-the-success-of-dragon-ball-and-the-origins-of-dragon-quest/|archive-date=October 17, 2016}}</ref><ref name="Chozenshu">{{cite book|title=Dragon Ball 超全集 4: 超事典|trans-title=Chōzenshū 4: Super Encyclopedia|language=ja|publisher=[[Shueisha]]|year=2013|pages=346–349|isbn=978-4-08-782499-5}}</ref> He worked with his editor, [[Kazuhiko Torishima]], on several [[One-shot (comics)|one-shots]] but none were successful.<ref name="Shenlong2">{{cite journal|script-title=ja:神龍通信 第2号|trans-title=Shenlong Communications No. 2|journal=Dragon Ball 大全集 2: Story Guide [Dragon Ball Complete Works 2: Story Guide]|isbn=4-08-782752-6|publisher=[[Shueisha]]|year=1995|language=ja}}</ref> Torishima then suggested that, as Toriyama enjoyed [[kung fu films]], he should create a kung fu [[shōnen manga|{{Transliteration|ja|shōnen}} manga]].<ref name="Story">{{Cite book|script-title=ja:Dragon Ball 大全集 2: Story Guide|publisher=[[Shueisha]]|year=1995|isbn=4-08-782752-6|pages=261–265|language=ja|trans-title=Dragon Ball Complete Works 2: Story Guide}}</ref> He was inspired by [[Hong Kong martial arts films]] such as [[Bruce Lee]]'s ''[[Enter the Dragon]]'' (1973) and [[Jackie Chan]]'s ''[[Drunken Master]]'' (1978).<ref name="GokuDensetsu">{{cite book|script-title=ja:Dragon Ball Z 孫悟空伝説|trans-title=Son Goku Densetsu|language=ja|publisher=[[Shueisha]]|year=2003|pages=90–102|isbn=978-4-08-873546-7}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=The Dragon Ball Z Legend: The Quest Continues|date=2004|publisher=DH Publishing Inc|isbn=9780972312493|url=https://archive.org/details/dragonballzlegen00iked|url-access=registration}}</ref>{{page needed|date=August 2023}} He was particularly influenced by the fight scenes in Jackie Chan movies,<ref name="Illustrations"/> and said he would never have come up with ''Dragon Ball'' if he had not watched ''Drunken Master'',<ref>{{cite journal|title=Interview — Dragon Power / Ask Akira Toriyama!|journal=[[Shonen Jump (magazine)|Shonen Jump]]|publisher=[[Viz Media]]|date=January 2003|issue=1}}</ref> which he enjoyed partly due to its light-hearted tone.<ref>{{cite book|chapter=Akira Toriyama on the Road|title=Dragon Ball Kanzenban Kōshiki Guide: Dragon Ball Landmark|date=December 19, 2003|publisher=[[Shūeisha]]|location=Tōkyō|isbn=4-08-873478-5}}</ref> This led to the two-part {{Nihongo foot|''[[Dragon Boy (manga)|Dragon Boy]]'',|{{ruby-ja|騎竜少年|ドラゴンボーイ}}|Doragon Bōi}} published in the August and October 1983 issues of ''Fresh Jump''. It follows a boy, adept at martial arts, who escorts a princess on a journey back to her home country. ''Dragon Boy'' was very well-received and evolved to become the serial ''Dragon Ball''.<ref name="Forbes"/><ref name="AnimeEncyc">{{cite book|last=Clements|first=Jonathan|author-link=Jonathan Clements|author2=Helen McCarthy|title=The Anime Encyclopedia: A Guide to Japanese Animation Since 1917|date=September 1, 2001|publisher=[[Stone Bridge Press]]|location=Berkeley, California|isbn=1-880656-64-7|oclc=47255331|pages=101–102|edition=1st|author2-link=Helen McCarthy}}</ref>

The plot and characters of ''Dragon Ball'' were loosely modeled on the classic Chinese novel ''[[Journey to the West]]'',<ref name="AnimeEncyc"/><ref name="Manga Design">{{cite book|title=Manga Design|chapter=Akira Toriyama|first=Julius|last=Wiedemann|editor=Amano Masanao|publisher=[[Taschen]]|date=September 25, 2004|page=372|isbn=3-8228-2591-3}}</ref> with Goku being [[Sun Wukong]] ("Son Goku" in Japanese), Bulma as [[Tang Sanzang]], [[List of Dragon Ball characters#Oolong|Oolong]] as [[Zhu Bajie]], and Yamcha being [[Sha Wujing]].<ref name="Story"/> Toriyama wanted to create a story with the basic theme of ''Journey to the West'', but with "a little [[kung fu]]"<ref name="TenkaDen"/> by combining the novel with elements from the kung fu films of Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee.<ref>{{cite book|chapter=The Truth About the “Dragon Ball” Manga: “Toriyama Thought of It Like This” Special|title=Dragon Ball Super Exciting Guide: Story-Hen|script-title=ja:(DRAGON BALL 超エキサイティングガイド ストーリー編)|trans-title=Dragon Ball Super Exciting Guide: Story Volume|date=March 4, 2009|publisher=[[Shūeisha]]|location=Tōkyō|isbn=978-4088748030|pages=87–93|quote=When I came up with ''Dragon Ball'', I thought I would try to combine the Kung-Fu movies of Jackie Chan and Bruce Lee, which I loved so much that I’d watch them on video even while I was working, with the classic ''Journey to the West'' to make an enjoyable manga.}}</ref> Torishima said he chose the novel largely because it was a free intellectual property, but also because its Chinese setting was not common in manga at the time and would make it both unique and differentiate it from ''Dr. Slump''{{'}}s [[US West Coast]] feel.<ref name="Forbes"/>

He changed the objective from ''Journey to the West'', where the protagonists travel through the [[Western Regions]] ([[Central Asia]]) to collect sacred [[Buddhist texts]] from the [[Indian subcontinent]], to something simpler, gathering seven orbs which grant a wish.<ref name="Yadao116117">{{Cite book|title=The Rough Guide to Manga|author=Yadao, Jason S.|year=2009|publisher=Rough Guides|isbn=978-1405384230|location=London|oclc=735619441}}</ref> Toriyama added the idea of the Dragon Balls to give the characters a game-like activity of gathering something in order to appeal to its {{Transliteration|ja|shōnen}} [[manga magazine]] audience.<ref name="TenkaDen">{{cite book|title=Dragon Ball 天下一伝説|trans-title=Tenkaichi Densetsu|year=2004|publisher=[[Shueisha]]|pages=80–91|language=ja|isbn=4-08-873705-9}}</ref> His concept of the Dragon Balls was inspired by the epic Japanese novel ''[[Nansō Satomi Hakkenden]]'' (1814–1842), which involves the heroes collecting eight large [[Buddhist]] [[prayer beads]] of a necklace from eight different [[regions of Japan]], which Toriyama adapted into finding seven Dragon Balls from seven different locations; he chose the number seven to avoid being the same as the number of beads in ''Hakkenden''.<ref>{{cite book|last=Padula|first=Derek|title=Dragon Ball Culture Volume 2: Adventure|date=2015|publisher=Derek Padula|isbn=978-0-9831205-4-4|page=53|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uxcqBgAAQBAJ&pg=PT53}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|script-title=ja:ドラゴンボール 冒険SPECIAL|trans-title=Dragon Ball: Adventure Special|date=December 1, 1987|publisher=[[Shueisha]]|language=ja}}</ref> The title ''Dragon Ball'' was inspired by ''Enter the Dragon'' as well as later [[Bruceploitation]] knockoff kung fu movies which frequently had the word "Dragon" in the title.<ref name="GokuDensetsu"/> He originally thought the story would last about a year, or end once the Dragon Balls were collected.<ref name="Shenlong2"/> Toriyama said that although the stories are purposefully easy to understand, he specifically aimed ''Dragon Ball'' at an older audience than ''Dr. Slump''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.furinkan.com/takahashi/takahashi4.html|title=Toriyama/Takahashi interview|date=1986|website=Furinkan.com|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170802142058/http://www.furinkan.com/takahashi/takahashi4.html|archive-date=August 2, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>

The manga was not popular initially. Although he suspected the fighting genre would appeal more to its {{Transliteration|ja|shōnen}} audience, Toriyama tried to stick to the ''Journey to the West'' adventure aspect which he himself enjoyed. Such as having the setting change each chapter, different enemies popping up, and different locations. It was only after he became tired of Torishima nagging about its popularity that Toriyama gave in and developed more battles with the first shown ''Tenkaichi Budōkai''. Despite his reluctance, the author said it felt good when the series picked up in popularity at that point. However, he said he still tried to resist by returning to the adventure aspect with the Red Ribbon Army arc, and visiting Penguin Village from ''Dr. Slump'' to add comedy. When that did not work out, fighting became the main theme for the manga.<ref name="SuperHistory">{{cite book|title=30th Anniversary Dragon Ball 超史集 - Super History Book -|year=2016|publisher=[[Shueisha]]|pages=88–93|language=ja|isbn=978-4-08-792505-0}}</ref>

Toriyama said that by the second half of the series, he had become more interested in coming up with the story than drawing it, and that the battles became more intense by him simplifying the lines. He also said he would get letters from readers complaining that the art had become "too square", so he intentionally made it more so.<ref name="Illustrations">{{Cite book|title=Dragon Ball 大全集 1: Complete Illustrations|publisher=[[Shueisha]]|year=1995|isbn=4-08-782754-2|pages=206–207|language=ja|trans-title=Dragon Ball Complete Works 1: Complete Illustrations}}</ref> Years later he stated that because ''Dragon Ball'' is an action manga the most important aspect is the sense of speed, so he did not draw very elaborately, suggesting that he was not interested in the art.<ref name="Chogashu">{{cite book|title=Dragon Ball 超画集|publisher=[[Shueisha]]|year=2013|isbn=978-4-08-782520-6|pages=224–225|language=ja|trans-title=Chogashu}}</ref> As the manga progressed, Toriyama struggled with the Android and Cell arc, feeling that he could not outdo the Freeza arc.<ref name="SuperHistory" /> He added [[time travel]], but said he had a hard time with the plot, only being able to think of what to do that week.<ref name="Story" /> After Cell's death, Toriyama intended for Gohan to replace Goku as the series' protagonist, but felt the character was not suited for it and changed his mind.<ref name="Story" /> Even after the Cell arc, Toriyama felt it could not end there and so continued to the Majin Boo arc. Having resolved it would be the finale, he decided to draw what he wanted and inserted comedy with Gohan's Great Saiyaman persona and the character Gotenks. However, he did not think of an ending until the final chapter.<ref name="SuperHistory" /> At the time, Toriyama said he gave ''Dragon Ball'' a low-key ending to make it seem as if the story might continue.<ref>{{cite book|title=Dragon Ball Z, volume 26|publisher=[[Viz Media]]|year=2006|isbn=978-1-4215-0636-4|page=1|author=Toriyama, Akira}}</ref> But would later say he skipped 10 years ahead in the story to signal that it was truly the end. Wanting to make it even clearer that Goku's battles were over, and a new generation was taking over, Toriyama slightly altered the ending for the {{Transliteration|ja|[[kanzenban]]}} re-release of ''Dragon Ball'' which finished in 2004.<ref name="SuperHistory" />

===Development===
Typically, when creating a manga chapter, an artist draws a rough draft or "[[Name (manga)|name]]", then a more detailed [[storyboard]], and lastly the finalized version. However, Toriyama only draws a storyboard and then the final product simply because it is less work.<ref name="Shenlong2"/> He did not plan the details of his stories in advance. When he began the serialization of ''Dragon Ball'', he had only prepared storyboards for three chapters.<ref name="Shenlong2"/> The author said that during its serialization he would wait about two days before his deadline to begin developing the storyboard. Starting around midnight, he would finish it around six in the morning and spend until that night inking, finishing everything in about a day-and-a-half.<ref name="GokuDensetsu"/> Unlike other artists, he had only one assistant helping him.<ref name="ExcitStory">{{cite book|title=Dragon Ball 超エキサイティングガイド ストーリー編|trans-title=Super Exciting Guide: Story Volume|language=ja|publisher=[[Shueisha]]|year=2009|pages=87–93|isbn=978-4-08-874803-0}}</ref> Toriyama said that thinking only about the story for each chapter put him in some tight spots, particularly with Trunks' time travel.<ref name="Shenlong2"/> The only thing he has confidence in is his ability to connect a story back to an earlier aspect, making it seem to have been [[foreshadowing]].<ref name="SuperHistory"/> The author used suggestions in fan mail he received, though generally doing the opposite of what was suggested. As an example, many fans told him not to kill Vegeta, which is exactly what he did.<ref name="Animation2">{{Cite book|script-title=ja:Dragon Ball 大全集 5: TV Animation Part 2|publisher=[[Shueisha]]|year=1995|isbn=4-08-782755-0|pages=206–210|language=ja|trans-title=Dragon Ball Complete Works 5: TV Animation Part 2}}</ref>

Wanting to escape the Western themes that influenced ''Dr. Slump'', Toriyama used [[Eastern world|Eastern]]/[[Orient]]al scenery in ''Dragon Ball''. In addition to referencing Chinese buildings and scenery, the island where the ''Tenkaichi Budōkai'' is held is modeled on [[Bali]] (in [[Indonesia]]), which he visited in 1985. The area around [[List of Dragon Ball characters#Babidi|Bobbidi]]'s spaceship was inspired by photos of Africa. When including fights in the manga, Toriyama had the characters go to uninhabited locations to avoid the difficulties of drawing residents and destroyed buildings.<ref name="World">{{Cite book|script-title=ja:Dragon Ball 大全集 4: World Guide|publisher=[[Shueisha]]|year=1995|isbn=4-08-782754-2|pages=164–169|language=ja|trans-title=Dragon Ball Complete Works 4: World Guide}}</ref> Toriyama wanted to set ''Dragon Ball'' in a fictional world largely based on [[Asia]], taking inspiration from several [[Culture of Asia|Asian cultures]] including [[Culture of Japan|Japanese]], [[Chinese culture|Chinese]], [[South Asia]]n, [[Central Asia]]n, [[Arabic culture|Arabic]], and [[Indonesian culture]]s.<ref>{{cite news|title=Jason Thompson's House of 1000 Manga|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/house-of-1000-manga/2011-03-10|access-date=January 28, 2019|work=[[Anime News Network]]|date=March 10, 2011|archive-date=January 17, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190117184117/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/house-of-1000-manga/2011-03-10|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="World"/> Toriyama was also inspired by the [[jinn]] (genies) from ''[[The Arabian Nights]]''.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Dragon Ball Collector — Interview with the Majin|magazine=[[Shonen Jump (magazine)|Shonen Jump]]|publisher=[[Viz Media]]|date=October 2007|issue=58}}</ref> For the training scenes, Jackie Chan's ''Drunken Master'' served as a reference.<ref name="ExcitStory"/> The author said that Muscle Tower in the Red Ribbon Army storyline was inspired by the [[beat 'em up]] video game ''[[Kung-Fu Master (video game)|Spartan X]]'' (called ''Kung-Fu Master'' in the West), in which enemies appear very fast as the player ascends a tower (the game was in turn inspired by Jackie Chan's ''[[Wheels on Meals]]'' and Bruce Lee's ''[[Game of Death]]''), and that the fights were similar to the ones in the ''Tenkaichi Budōkai'', just not in a tournament setting.<ref name="Story"/>

Toriyama personally dislikes the idea of naming fighting techniques, joking that in a real fight you would be killed before you could yell their names, but Torishima felt it would be best. Toriyama proceeded to create names for all the techniques, except for the series' signature {{Nihongo|''Kamehameha''|{{ruby-ja|かめはめ波|かめはめは}}||lit. "Kamehame Wave"}} which his wife came up with when he was indecisive about what it should be called. He even selected them specifically for each character, saying someone like Vegeta would use English names, and using [[kanji]] for the more sophisticated like Piccolo.<ref name="World" />

In order to advance the story quickly by having characters travel without inconvenience, he created the flying cloud {{Nihongo|''Kinto-un''|{{ruby-ja|筋斗雲|きんとうん}}||lit. "Somersault Cloud"}}, then gave most fighters the flying technique {{Nihongo|''Bukū-jutsu''|{{ruby-ja|舞空術|ぶくうじゅつ}}||lit. "Air Dance Technique"}}, and granted Goku the [[teleportation]] ability {{Nihongo|''Shunkan Idō''|{{ruby-ja|瞬間移動|しゅんかんいどう}}||lit. "Instant Teleport"}}.<ref name="World" /> While talking to his long-time friend and fellow manga artist [[Masakazu Katsura]] about how there was nothing stronger than a Super Saiyan, Katsura suggested having two characters "fuse" together, leading to the creation of the {{Nihongo|Fusion|フュージョン|Fyūjon}} technique.<ref name="Movies">{{Cite book|title=Dragon Ball 大全集 6: Movies & TV Specials|publisher=[[Shueisha]]|year=1995|isbn=4-08-782756-9|pages=212–216|language=ja|trans-title=Dragon Ball Complete Works 6: Movies & TV Specials}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last1=Kido|first1=Misaki C.|last2=Bae|first2=John|title=EXCLUSIVE: Masakazu Katsura Spotlight|publisher=[[Viz Media]]|url=http://shonenjump.viz.com/node/178|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140712150818/http://shonenjump.viz.com/node/178|archive-date=July 12, 2014}}</ref>

Toriyama enjoyed designing and drawing the distinctive machines of the series.<ref name="SuperHistory" /> He finds the most fun in designing original [[mecha]], thinking about how a pilot enters and where the engine is. With real world items he would have to look at references, and being off even a little would be noticeable.<ref name="Illustrations" /> He goes against whatever is popular at the time, explaining that when he was creating ''Dragon Ball'', most cars were very square, so he drew only round car designs.<ref name="SuperHistory" />

In 1995, Toriyama detailed the equipment he used for ''Dragon Ball''. He used a G-pen [[Nib (pen)|nib]] by [[Zebra (pen manufacturer)|Zebra]], usually getting three chapters out of one because he typically does not press down hard. Toriyama used black drawing ink made by [[Pilot (pen company)|Pilot]], but his color ink was produced by Luma and applied with a ten-year-old fine point Tenshōdō brush. His [[correction fluid|whiteout]] was also made by Luma. He received free Kent paper, similar to [[Bristol board]], from a seller connected to Shueisha, and used a 0.5mm 2B lead [[mechanical pencil]] and a wide [[ruler]] at least 30&nbsp;cm long.<ref name="Shenlong4">{{cite journal|script-title=ja:神龍通信 第4号|trans-title=Shenlong Communications No. 4|journal=Dragon Ball 大全集 4: World Guide [Dragon Ball Complete Works 4: World Guide]|isbn=4-08-782754-2|publisher=[[Shueisha]]|year=1995|language=ja}}</ref>

====Characters====
When creating a character, his process was to draw their face and body type first, and then the clothes, while thinking if the fighters can move around in them.<ref name="Animation2" /> He said that he does not draw "bad guys" so unscrupulous that it affects readers psychologically. This is not out of concern for others, but because he does not enjoy drawing such things.<ref name="SuperHistory" /> Few of his characters have [[screentone]] because he found it difficult to use. Toriyama was not concerned about consistency with the color of characters' clothes for the occasional color pages, having sometimes used different ones than he had before.<ref name="Illustrations" /> He even specifically asked Torishima to produce as few color pages as possible.<ref name="Chogashu" /> Character names are almost always puns sharing a theme with characters related to them, most commonly food. For example, all Saiyans are named after vegetables, {{Nihongo|''saiya''|サイヤ}} being an [[anagram]] of the [[syllable]]s for {{Nihongo|''yasai''|野菜}} which means vegetable; such as {{Nihongo|[[Kakarrot]]|カカロット|Kakarotto}} taken from {{Nihongo|[[carrot]]|キャロット|kyarotto}}.<ref name="TenkaDen" />

Going against the normal convention that the strongest characters should be the largest in terms of physical size, he designed many of ''Dragon Ball''{{'}}s most powerful characters, including Goku, with small statures.<ref name="SJ interview">{{cite journal|date=November 2007|title=Interview with the Majin! Revisited|journal=[[Shonen Jump (magazine)|Shonen Jump]]|publisher=[[Viz Media]]|volume=5|issue=11|page=388|issn=1545-7818}}</ref> Toriyama explained that he had Goku grow up so that drawing fight scenes would be easier, even though Torishima was against it initially because it was rare to have the main character of a manga series change drastically.<ref name="Chogashu" /> Torishima later referred to this as his own biggest crisis during the series, with Toriyama threatening to end it if Goku could not grow up. The editor said his concerns were unfounded, as readers accepted the change without complaint.<ref name="Shenlong2" />

Having created Piccolo Daimao as the first truly evil villain, he said that his part of the series was the most interesting to draw.<ref name="Story" /> Freeza was created around the time of the [[Japanese asset price bubble|Japanese economic bubble]] and inspired by [[real estate]] [[Speculation|speculators]], who Toriyama called the "worst kind of people".<ref name="Story" /> Yū Kondō, Toriyama's second editor, from the Saiyan arc until the appearance of Perfect Cell, and Fuyuto Takeda, his third editor from Perfect Cell until the end of the series, said that ''Dragon Ball'' hit its peak in popularity during the Freeza arc. In a one-thousand ballot popularity poll held in ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'', ''Dragon Ball'' received 815 votes.<ref name="Shenlong1">{{Cite journal|year=1995|script-title=ja:神龍通信 第1号|trans-title=Shenlong Communications No. 1|language=ja|publisher=[[Shueisha]]|journal=Dragon Ball 大全集 1: Complete Illustrations [Dragon Ball Complete Works 1: Complete Illustrations]}}</ref> Finding the escalating enemies difficult, Toriyama created the Ginyu Force to add more balance to the manga.<ref name="Story" />

When Toriyama created the Super Saiyan transformation during the Freeza arc, he gave Goku blond hair because it was easier to draw for Toriyama's assistant, who spent a lot of time blacking in Goku's hair. He also gave him piercing eyes, based on Bruce Lee's paralyzing glare.<ref>{{cite news|title=Comic Legends: Why Did Goku's Hair Turn Blonde?|url=https://www.cbr.com/goku-dragon-ball-blonde/|work=[[Comic Book Resources]]|date=January 1, 2018|access-date=November 21, 2019|archive-date=July 19, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180719145451/https://www.cbr.com/goku-dragon-ball-blonde/|url-status=live}}</ref>