Your Opinion on Mr. Toriyama as an Author?

[NeoKING]

I hear a lot of people criticize Toriyama-sensei's plots and characters at times, while others praise him. What's your opinion on him as an author? Personally, I think he's one of the more original,entertaining, and light-hearted authors in Jump's history. I mean, there are a lot of things that are serious in Dragon Ball, but he has a gift that makes the most serious things comical and full of quality.

[Chuquita]

I enjoy the light-heartedness along with some of the inventions he comes up with most; they're present in both of his most popular works. You can tell he likes to come up with fantastic ideas for machines. I like watching his characters play off one another.

I just wish he had a better memory; Toriyama tends to forget stuff and I wish he didn't. I'd love to see something come up that lays the ground work for or comes back in an unexpected way volumes later the way Eiichiro Oda does with certain things.

[xzero]

I just wish he had a better memory; Toriyama tends to forget stuff and I wish he didn't. I'd love to see something come up that lays the ground work for or comes back in an unexpected way volumes later the way Eiichiro Oda does with certain things.

Like how in early DB, Roshi blew up the moon. Then during the 22nd Tenkaichi Budokai, the wolf man guy was mad about it (which meant it was still gone). Then somehow in DBZ, the moon returns.


In answer to the first post, I think Toriyama has some great ideas. I tend to prefer the darker/more serious take in Z during the Namek sagas, which is largely why I never cared for the Goten and Trunks stuff in the Buu saga.

[DinoChow]

I honestly think Toriyama is brilliant. It's true that Dragon Ball has inconsistencies here and there, and that the stories aren't necessarily "deep" or "insightful," but none of that really matters when you look at what he accomplished. The number of wonderful characters that inhabit the Dragon Ball universe is just staggering, and many of them have really phenomenal character arcs - just look at the evolution of Vegeta. Nothing less than a great writer could conjure up such a dynamic character, and the same goes (on, perhaps, a lesser scale) for characters like Tenshinhan. When I look at the 22nd Tenkaichi Budokai arc, it amazes me how much Toriyama develops Tenshinan and Chaozu in such a short span of time. Tenshinhan is a very effective villain, but when he turns to the side of good and takes down Tsuru - Sen'nin, it feels so nuanced and meaningful. Moments like that are spread throughout Dragon Ball, always with constant messages about the power of friendship and how good will always triumph over evil. Most amazing to me still is how the series peaks relatively late in its lifespan. Obviously, everyone has a different favorite arc, but the discussion always seems to center around the Freeza or Cell arcs, which is really, really far into the manga's run. Obviously, DBZ is the more famous and beloved anime, and that story doesn't start until volume 17! Toriyama's storytelling and character work just kept getting better and better, and I don't think we can say that about many writers.

Then you look at how many people his work has inspired, perhaps the greatest indication of an author's power. Think about the forum we're typing in right now, and the number of die-hard fans all devoted to the series. How could anyone less than a brilliant author inspire this many fans, most of whom aren't even from the manga's native land! Dragon Ball is a worldwide phenomenon for a reason, and it all goes back to Toriyama. Even some of the best manga/anime from today was directly inspired by it, like One Piece and Naruto. Dragon Ball isn't one of the great literary classics, but in terms of fun, hilarity, excitement, and above all, characters, it's a series that really can't be beat.

[TripleRach]

Like how in early DB, Roshi blew up the moon. Then during the 22nd Tenkaichi Budokai, the wolf man guy was mad about it (which meant it was still gone). Then somehow in DBZ, the moon returns.

At the beginning of the 23rd Budoukai, it's explained that God removed Gokuu's tail so that he could restore the moon without issue.

There are a few glaring plot holes in the manga, but that isn't one of them.

[Savage68]

I think he's relatively good, as far as manga authors go.

[Hellspawn28]

Well every fictional story is going to have some plot holes, no matter how great the story is. I think Toriyama is a good writer, give us a wonderful universe like no other and characters we all grew up with. He is no Go Nagai, but he is overall a great manga artist and writer if you ask me.

[Turtle Marked Stone]

I admire Toriyama as a writer. He was never a sperglord that frantically tried to fill in plot holes and write for 45 year old neckbeards examining the show. He made a kids comic book that knew exactly what it wanted to be. It's a fun, lighthearted action adventure story. That being said as a relatively old neckbeard, the story is absurd...hilariously so at times which is why I poke fun at it. It's goofy and even the dramatic parts are pretty ludicrous. The thing is unlike a lot of modern manga it doesn't pretend to be anything it's not. Toriyama never added angst or DEEP analysis of the situations they were in to tell his story. It doesn't take itself seriously even at the most dire of times which I love. Toriyama obviously knows his strengths as a writer and sticks by them. He doesn't have Goku hunched over, tears streaming down his face wondering how VEGETA~KUUUN could leave him after all they've been through! He doesn't have Bulma repeatedly stabbing herself in the arm crying or having her mother shot in front of her as a child. It's a story that doesn't have poorly written melodrama for the sake of melodrama. You care about the character's because you've watched them grow. You've laughed, battled and cheered along side them. You're not invested in them because they have some sob story background that was pushed onto you as soon as they needed to do something relevant to the story.

(That's not to say I have anything against dramatic stories...just be sure you can actually write dramatic stories competently. Don't have you character's sobbing and whining about their past when they're so shallow I could stand in a puddle of them and not get my feet wet. )

[caejones]

(That's not to say I have anything against dramatic stories...just be sure you can actually write dramatic stories competently. Don't have you character's sobbing and whining about their past when they're so shallow I could stand in a puddle of them and not get my feet wet. )

I think I might remember that bit word-for-word and think about it if I ever wind up writing a sobtastic character.
... *Thinks of one*
... *Decides to get back on topic*


Considering Toriyama's niche, he's an awesome writer. The story somehow goes from Goku accidentally stealing Bulma's panties to Goku sacrificing his life for the Earth more than once, and his descendants... ur... hanging out, doing... something.
Dragonball may not qualify as a literary classic, but it's had significant cultural influence that will probably outlast memory of the story itself.
... Because in the year 2289, "Over Nine Thousand" will be a term used in political commentaries to describe a surprising strength.

[SparkyPantsMcGee]

I really like him, If I didn't I don't think I'd be a fan of Dragonball. His way of storytelling is just plain fun. He's not the best in the world but he knows how to tell a good story with a grand scale adventure. His characters are always unique and lovable even when the situation or story feels familiar and cliche. I never find myself bored but rather always engaged. He may not always have the best long term memory when it comes to some of the less important stuff but he usually manages to keep everyone in character and everything consistent.

I'd like to read more of his work, Honestly I've only read Dragonball and Sandland. I've seen bits and pieces of Nekko Majin Z but not enough to fully enjoy the series.

[xzero]

Like how in early DB, Roshi blew up the moon. Then during the 22nd Tenkaichi Budokai, the wolf man guy was mad about it (which meant it was still gone). Then somehow in DBZ, the moon returns.

<BR sab="939">At the beginning of the 23rd Budoukai, it's explained that God removed Gokuu's tail so that he could restore the moon without issue.<BR sab="940"><BR sab="941">There are a few glaring plot holes in the manga, but that isn't one of them.

Wow, good call. I never caught that before. I always thought it was weird that no one ever pointed out the moon thing. I guess this is why

[Cipher]

You can tell with Toriyama more than any other genre writer or comic book author I've ever come across that he's really just doing (mostly) whatever he finds personally amusing. Sometimes it's silly, sometimes it's bad-ass, usually it's both, and it never really has to make sense. That's what makes Dragon Ball, if not necessarily "good," at least distinct.

Toriyama's the kind of author who simply sits back and thinks, "Wouldn't it be cool/funny if..." and then just fucking does it. And somehow it works. And somewhere within all of that, his characters grow old and develop in a natural way. That's about as good as a children's action comic gets.

[Piccolo Daimaoh]

As an author, I don't think he's that great. There is a multitude of inconsistencies, plotholes and just plain lazy writing in Dragon Ball. As an artist though, I think he's one of the best ever.

[Ahiru77]

I think he's a brilliant author.

I love the build-up he writes, it's so thrilling. And how he somehow made a great original story all due to a few design rejects.

[Drabaz]

What's with all this praise? C'mon guys, this is the same man who made poop jokes....POOP JOKES!

[beast mode]

I like/hate how he pulled the series out of his ass the whole time. I mean maybe it would be better if he put more thought or planning into it but then it wouldn't seem so amazing that it's so awesome despite his carelessness.

[Dan Corson]

I love Toriyama's work. He may not be the best or most original author to grace the pages of Jump, but he has a certain kind of charm that makes his stories, characters and artwork infinitely enjoyable to me.

[Piccolo Daimao]

As Dragon Ball is one of my favourite series, he's one of my favourite authors. I like how the story's written in a completely out-there goofy kind of way, yet can turn from poop jokes to serious moments in the second. If you analyze the story, there are a lot plot devices that he repeats, and there's some cliches too, but the great thing about it is that it's charmingly worked into a way that you never get tired of. The execution is simply brilliant.

And I agree with Turtle Marked Stone that Toriyama didn't need angst or melodrama to push his story forward, and even in the serious moments, it doesn't take itself 100% serious.

The only thing I can fault him for is his poor memory and that his ass-pulling can end up making the story so convoluted that it doesn't even make sense, or you get more plotholes, inconsistencies or extremely convenient plot devices than there should be. Case in point: the Boo arc. And his memory...well, we all know about that.

All-in-all, Toriyama's an excellent author who knows how to write a fun, compelling tale and turn even the most suspect plot elements to his advantage.

[JulieYBM]

I think Toriyama does pretty good when he has the right editor and pressure on him. Once he tries to appease everyone, though, he's shown to over stretch to the point he tosses away what little pride and ambition he might've had in the beginning and haphazardly writes whatever he wants without apply much though to whether or not it's good. I think he's surpassed by Oda and Kishimoto in terms of storytelling, effort, and pride, but classics are classics because they don't lose their shine.

Toriyama is Toriyama, really.

[SparkyPantsMcGee]

What's with all this praise? C'mon guys, this is the same man who made poop jokes....POOP JOKES!

He deserves the praise, he's a good writer. I'm mean he's not the greatest there ever was but he created a classic; a classic that has inspired millions of writers in Japan and his work has resonated on almost every continent on the planet. I give him credit for his poop jokes, he knows his target audience. Besides haven't you seen Chasing Amy?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... ToQ#t=111s

Big bucks are in dick and fart jokes.