Editing Dragon Ball (manga) (section)

===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" />