Toriyama's Kanzenban art style

[Piccolo Daimao]

What do you think about Toriyama's art style on the Kanzenban (or pretty much the new art style he uses for most of his works nowadays)? I wanted to point a difference from his old style (apart from the obvious shading and stuff). The black-haired characters seem to have their hair more lined and detailed than the original.

Also, if anyone wants to compare this image to the original:



Personally, I like it. It appears to be a blend of the rounded art style and the sharper art style that came through around the Freeza arc. It looks professional (appropiate for what the Kanzenban is) and the colour and shading looks nice. I like some of the new colours too, such as pink Jheese and the pale Androids (it makes them look more creepy). And it's interesting to see what Dragon Ball would look like in the modern day, in Toriyama's new art style. This isn't really part of the art style, but I like the black-and-white parts (especially the ones that are scenes like the gathering at the 23rd Budokai) on the covers.

However, I don't prefer it to Toriyama's old art style, which I felt had a charm in its rounded look and simplicity, and I actually liked that Toriyama didn't add depth to the black hair. It makes it look complex. I don't know if it's just me, but sometimes, some of the characters' eyes seem to be like the same colour as their skin. I felt Freeza didn't make the transition very well either. This art style is good for covers, but I don't think it would work in a manga.

[Chuquita]

I like how it gives the characters' hair more depth (Goku, Goten, and Vegeta all look like they have layers to their hair now), but at the same time it seems like it'd be harder to draw that way; like something that'd be good for covers, but unless you had more time to work on a manga chapter, it seems like something that would fall by the waste-side.

[Hellspawn28]

I always like Toriyama's older art better since I feel like it look nicer and I'm not a fan of the colors that he uses (Which he later uses on later video games like "Blue Dragon").

[Shiyonasan]

I don't mind his Kanzenban/current style. I'm not an artist, but I know it's important for an artist to always think up new ways to improve their art. I agree that there's more shading in this art style. There's also more attention to small details, like Piccolo Daimao said with the hair on the black-haired characters.

Also, the smaller characters in this art style seem a little less semi-chibi-fied (if that's even a word...)then compared to some of his art in early Dragon Ball, like how Goku would look like a round ball with feet and a head. Goten and Trunks on the other hand, in this style are still somewhat chibi, but not as round as early-Dragon Ball Goku or early-Dragon Ball Kuririn.

All in all, I think it's a decent style. I kind of like it, but I think it's missing...something...that his earlier Dragon Ball artwork had.

[Tweaker]

I hate it. To me it strips away the inherent simplicity and appeal in his art for me... it makes everything feel "wrong" and needlessly complex in contrast with his simple yet effective style of only about 10 years prior. He also seems unable to capture the same amount of dynamicism in his poses as in years past... it feels ugly.

[JulieYBM]

I like it. It's a premium style meant for a premium release. It brings the series into the modern context and shows off what Toriyama's art would look like today had Dragon Ball never ended (well, maybe not, but it's certainly another link in his evolution chain).

[B]

I like it, as it works for fluid fighting scenes. It's more or less a spit-and-polished version of the Buu arc's art.

[Fox666]

I like it very much.

I particulary dislike Freeza and perhaps Cell on that new style. Besides that, everything looks very well done.

Just read Kintoki pilot chapter and you will get used to that style quickly.

[Godo]

I like it. Back to the round forms! I never liked the straight line drawings that appeared during the Freeza/Androids Arc and culminated in the Buu Arc.

[Wobbuffet]

I don't like that much, I think his old art is a lot better.
Take a look at this:
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5081/519 ... 5e3c_o.jpg
http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5283/522 ... b128_o.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4125/518 ... 5ba1_o.jpg (warning: to many awesome guys on this image)

I like how all characters look like they have thick hair.

[Kiyza]

I like it, but not quite as much as I like his earlier art from around Dr. Slump up until mid Dragon Ball. I'm not fond of the boxy style that he used after that point, and I'm more fond of the roundness. This is a little more complex because of the depth it shows, and I'm not sure if it's for better or for worse. What I like about his art is that it's simple, and because of that, it's effective. It's very clean and neatly drawn, and has a sort of charm to it because of that. Depth isn't a bad thing, but I feel when it was simpler, it had a little bit more charm to it.

[Makaioshin]

I really like it. It makes me wish he drew more DB-related pictures with that art style.
Too bad he didn't use a style like that for the DBO images.

[p123]

Where can I find the changed pages of this edition?

Like what are the different quotes? I think he changed the Vegeta close to 20k to close to 30k right, but didn't he change the last 4 pages. Can someone help me find that?

[Hujio]

Like what are the different quotes? I think he changed the Vegeta close to 20k to close to 30k right, but didn't he change the last 4 pages. Can someone help me find that?

Here you go, and here's the other.

[p123]

Thank you. Been looking for that for a while. IMO, that extra Vegeta line implies to me that Vegeta will be trying to get SSJ3 for the rest of his life I would think, and his ever continued chase of Goku continues. I don't know if I like it better or worse that way. It's probably better off, a Vegeta without a mission is pretty useless..

[TheDevilsCorpse]

I don't mind Toriyama's current art style. I actually love most of his styles, but there are some I like more than others. My biggest gripe with the newer stuff is mainly the hair, or specifically, Goku's hair. I don't mind that the black haired characters now have more definition and depth to them, but Goku's hair just doesn't look like Goku. Even if you silhouetted the outline, it barely resembles the character I've come to know and love.



Now I know this is just one image, and there are some that make his hair look better, but I can't place all the blame on this style anyway. Some of Toriyama's artwork for Goku in the chapters (excusable, I wouldn't want a weekly deadline) as well as even promotion pieces like covers and such displayed in Daizenshuu 1 have some really weird hair design choices for him...though it is usually a SS version that looks off in the old style.

[Michsi]

Tbh I don't like it. My main problem lies with the coloring. The computer coloured stuff isn't half as good as the ones done with copic markers/ink. As for the faces , I think the only character that hasn't at all in appearance is 18. ANd Krillin a little bit.

And I have to agree with TheDevilsCorpse. That hair just doesn't look right on Goku.

[Turtle Marked Stone]

I enjoy it more than the "I'm so shiny I look like I'm made of rubber" style everybody likes nowadays but it's still not my favorite.

[SparkyPantsMcGee]

I absolutely love it. It shows massive growth and it blends both the soft lines from Dragonball with the sharper lines from Z. Plus, I love the gradient shading it fits his style perfectly. I also like the way he does the hair now, he gives it(especially Goku's) the much needed 3D depth. These days, when I'm looking to mimic Toriyama's style I tend to draw inspiration from this one over his earlier works.

take this for example

[Scarz]

I like it but it's certainly not my favorite style of his. I'm mostly a fan of his very early work when the characters where drawn nice a round before they became more sharp and angular. His newest style seems to be a hybrid of the two which I do find pretty cool.