Favourite Akira Toriyama Art Style

[Xagani]

Just as the title says, what is your preferred art style by Toriyama? Mine would have to be his current style that he used for the Kanzenban covers, though I also like the roundness and more "gag" looking style from early Dragon Ball.

[Duo]

23rd Tenka'ichi Budokai through the Saiyan Arc. Hands down the most beautiful part of the both the manga and anime adaptation.

[Gokuden]

When Maoru started drawing drawing Vegeta and Goku, those muscles.
Also, DragonQuest VIII looked a heckuva lot like DragonBall Z, if y'all remember.

[Cold Skin]

I like his Kanzenban style, very round while still being in the serious, mature tone of advanced Dragon Ball, with great shading.
Seems very detailled too, but it might be cause they're just one cover over a few months, so he could put all efforts in it. Also, most of the time, he didn't make a landscape, so he only had to focus on characters and minor items like cars and such, which may also explain why he put so much detail on them.

It's easy to compare thanks to the one with Super Saiyan Goku, which covers his "Now I'm mad, Freezer!!" scene.
So putting side by side the actual page and the Kanzenban cover would be a good way to compare those styles for a character in the exact same position.

[DBZAOTA482]

23rd Tenka'ichi Budokai through the Saiyan Arc. Hands down the most beautiful part of the both the manga and anime adaptation.

This.

As far as the manga's concerned, but not so much on the anime. That regards goes to the Majin Boo Saga (which ironically is the worst-looking in the manga Honestly, you can tell he was sick of Dragon Ball by that time).

[hleV]

I kinda like the late art (Boo arc), too bad it didn't have the early art quality.

[SaiyaJedi]

Just as the title says, what is your preferred art style by Toriyama? Mine would have to be his current style that he used for the Kanzenban covers, though I also like the roundness and more "gag" looking style from early Dragon Ball.

I think his art style has changed even more since ten years ago: his Goku illustration to promote the upcoming movie is much leaner than anything we've seen in recent memory. The chin has also shrunk back down to a reasonable size.

In terms of manga art, I'm something of a fan of Cell-era style. Though I think some of my favorite material would actually be Katsuyoshi Nakatsuru's take on Toriyama's early-DB work (e.g. the cover of Tenka'ichi Densetsu). I may be committing a minor heresy for suggesting such—the early anime was Minoru Maeda's turf in terms of character design—but I find it to be fresh and interesting specifically because of that.

[soulnova]

23rd Tenka'ichi Budokai through the Saiyan Arc. Hands down the most beautiful part of the both the manga and anime adaptation.

As is Toriyama's style I whole heartily agree with this.

[B]

I've always found the Android arc to have the nicest looking art Toriyama's ever done for the manga. It's the most detailed and sharp, and it fits the tone of the series at that time. King Piccolo/early Saiyan stuff is also very nice, particularly the many title pages of characters in different outfits/doing other things; there's a piece of Goku in an orange jacket, goggles, and on a Capsule Corp. Bike that's nice(not the one that recently became a figure, which I believe was drawn around the Cell arc).

I'm also very fond of the Buu arc. It was a return to the series gag roots, and the art reflected that. It was the biggest offender of what people define as "triangle crap," but I think that gives it its charm. Just as the story is parodying the sillier shounen tropes DB itself helped pioneer, the art is doing the same by taking that angular look from the previous arc, Cell, and turning it up on "high."

[Gyt Kaliba]

Chalk me up as another fan of the short period from the Piccolo material up through the Saiyan material. The art is highly detailed there, still looks appropriately goofy but also able to convey seriousness when need be, and - though this really shouldn't have any bearing on my opinion on just the art I suppose - it's arguably when the story writing is at it's peak as well. It all just adds up to a great time period for DB all around.

[JulieYBM]

I'd say everything up through the end of the Cell arc is good. Toriyama's art was really gorgeous for Cell, even if his battle art had deteriorated. The Majin Boo arc lacks a lot of the strength and charm he put into the previous arcs. In terms of fighting panels, Toriyama tapped out the middle of the Namek arc, sadly. Up until then he was probably the cleanest, most talented fighting comic artist of all time.

[Scarz]

I remember a topic similar to this one a while back (but these kind of topics tend to pop-up every now and then).

To (kinda) quote myself here I'm love Toriyama's early work the best. The soft round designs are appealing and gives the characters and creatures a western look.

Round, simple, and pleasing to look at.

Even though I like the style of the Saiyan and Namek arc, I could kind of see where things where getting "sharp" and angular. It wasn't exactly my cup of tea but I did love it for what it was.

[Bussani]

In terms of manga art, I'm something of a fan of Cell-era style.

Phew! Now I don't feel like I'll be lynched for saying the same thing! I know there are some panels here and there that look off, and I do really like the rounder style of the 23rd tournament, but there's just something about the Cell arc style that I really like. Maybe the way Cell is drawn has something to do with it.

[JulieYBM]

In terms of manga art, I'm something of a fan of Cell-era style.

Phew! Now I don't feel like I'll be lynched for saying the same thing! I know there are some panels here and there that look off, and I do really like the rounder style of the 23rd tournament, but there's just something about the Cell arc style that I really like. Maybe the way Cell is drawn has something to do with it.

I gotta agree. Cell is consistently drawn in a very detailed and sculpted manner. It's very manly.

[ultimateemail5000]

I like the original Dragon Ball art style and his current art style. I really like the DQVIII style as well, but i guess that would include his current style.

[Kuwabara]

I don't think Toriyama actually drew any of these, but this has always been my favorite art style in all of Dragon Ball:













I too, also love a lot of the anime art prevalent in the Saiyan Saga and first four DBZ films.

[Attitudefan]

23rd to Saiyan arc art. All of it from promotional art, fan art based on this area, and Toriyama's art itself.

[Jackal puFF]

I like the Cell and Saiyan arcs the best.

[DragonBalllKaiHD]

.... Why are all the images so huge they almost cover the entrie thread?

Just to contribute the thread, Toriyama's artwork at its peak was during Artifical Humans/Cell arcs. The artwork was so detailed and well-modeled. They almost look perfect (no pun intended).

[Ringworm128]

I do like his more rounded and cartoon-ish art style seen in earlier portions of DB and the Kanzenban's but I still prefer his more "realistic " (not sure if that's the right word) look from the Saiyan, Freeza or whatever the arc is he started using it in.