An exclusive report from Bunshun Online reveals that Akio Iyoku — editor-in-chief of V-Jump as well as head of the “Dragon Ball Room,” an interdepartmental collaborative group shaping the ongoing production of the Dragon Ball franchise — is leaving Shueisha in favor of running his own company, which he created back in May of this year.

Key highlights from the article include (as previously covered in detail by Kanzenshuu Admin Emeritus “Herms” on Twitter):

• Iyoku is leaving Shueisha as of this month (August 2023)
• The new company name of “Capsule Corporation Tokyo” — clearly taking the name “Capsule Corporation” form the world of Dragon Ball itself — was decided upon by Iyoku himself
• Iyoku has planned this move for some time, having set up the new company back in May
• The new company’s stated goal is to manage intellectual property content creation and distribution
• Iyoku intends to recruit two of his prior subordinates — a man and a woman — to his new company
• Iyoku declined to comment to Bunshun Online
• Akira Toriyama largely declined to comment to Bunshun Online, instead referring them back over to Shueisha
• Kazuhiko Torishima likewise largely declined to comment and referred Bunshun Online back over to Shueisha
• Shueisha initially declined to comment to Bunshun Online, though later acknowledged by phone that Iyoku was indeed leaving the company
• According to anonymous sources within Shueisha, Iyoku’s attitude and possessiveness over the Dragon Ball franchise had been seen as problematic, and there had been talk at least as of June 2022 about moving him to a non-Dragon Ball-related position, which he refused
• Also according to an anonymous source within Shueisha, Iyoku intends for his new company to handle non-manga-serialization production and management for the Dragon Ball franchise (such as video games), and negotiations as to how that arrangement would work are in process with Shueisha remaining the ultimate rights-holder of the franchise

Iyoku is a prominent and visible figure in the world of Dragon Ball, regularly appearing at conventions and press events, as well as adopting the mascot moniker “King Iyoku” for his V-Jump-related publications and appearances.

Over on Twitter, we’ve shared a bit of a guided tour listing various examples of editorial influence and the collaborative shaping of Dragon Ball Super, inclusive of the television series, movies, and manga: