Saiyan Space Pods

[SSJSteve]

Has anyone seen the front of Google today? If so, Google have made a "Google Doodle" for Yuri Gagarin, the first man who went into Space.

I was reading his Wikipedia page when I came across a picture of the "Vostok I Capsule", the Spacecraft Gagarin used to go into Space.

Now, what does this have to do with Dragon Ball? Well, here's what the Vostok I Capsule looks like:



Now, it might just be me, but it looks a lot like a Saiyan Space Pod. Do you think this is how Akira Toriyama came up with the Pod design? Or is it just a coincidence?

Thoughts?

[TheLegendary117]

Holy Crap

[Drabaz]

I'm gonna steal it and paint it white! I want to so bad .

[dbgtFO]

From another angle:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vostok_1#R ... and_legacy

[Daimo-Rukiri]

Maybe Akira Toriyama got the space pod idea from this?

Now please point me in the right direction to where this is located. I think I'm going out for tonight.

[Chibi Gohan]

I want to say it's coincidental, but there's quite a striking resemblance to the space pods... Maybe Toriyama saw this once and it stuck in the back of his mind.

[Drabaz]

My theory is that this isn't coincidental because Toriyama loves drawing vehicles and such, right? Well the space pod seems like a very simple design. Very unlike Toriyama. I think he just needed a quick design for a space ship and subconsciously remembered this.

[SSJSteve]

Has Akira Toriyama ever been asked about this? Is there any information in any of the Guide Books?

[dbgtFO]

Has Akira Toriyama ever been asked about this? Is there any information in any of the Guide Books?

Well in Daizenshuu 4, where Toriyama comments on the vehicles and at times say if he drew inspiration from the real world, he doesn't mention a thing like that about the attack ball. http://www.kanzentai.com/trans-daiz04.p ... hines#link

It has a violent way of landing, so it feels like a weapon itself. It has a strong image of simply coming and going, but maybe it is capable of correcting its course a little bit.

That's all he said about it in that guidebook.

EDIT: He also said this about Goku's spaceship used on the way to Namek:

I basically like round designs. I think because they look like capsules, and because they're just easy to draw.

[Tweaker]

That resemblance is way too strong to be a coincidence. I'm sure Toriyama just forgot he used this as a basis like he forgets... well, everything.

That's really cool, though! It's always surreal to see things out in the real world that so closely resemble the things we see in fiction.

[Raithos]

It even has the padded white walls inside and everything, Toriyama has some 'splainin' to do...

[SSJSteve]

Thanks for the information dbgtFO. I would love to know if this was the inspiration for the Saiyan Pods, I wonder if Toriyama would even remember.

[Raithos]

It's funny this picture also totally belongs in this thread here.