Toriyama Speaks on GT

omae no kaasan · Post by **omae no kaasan** » Sat Sep 18, 2004 11:19 am

A while back when I was in Japan, someone requested a translation of the rumored (started by me I think) interview of Toriyama expressing himself on DBGT.

The only Shenron Newsletter I do not actually have, is Number 7. I really have no idea how the newsletters were distributed. I always imagined they came out with just first editions of the books, but my #2 is a second edition and came with one while #7 is a first and came without it.

I dunno.

Anyway, a few years back, by chance, through some weird crossing of wires, I ended up with a Xeroxed copy of the Toriyama Shenron Newsletter interview from Volume 7 from Viz. I read it myself and threw the sacred words out that would smash the meticulously crafted arguments of fanboys everywhere with a paragraph of text from the man himself.

But I never typed it up.

Here you go.
http://www.thegrandline.com/dbzinfo/toriyamafinale.html

Jerseymilk · Post by **Jerseymilk** » Sat Sep 18, 2004 12:12 pm

Toriyama was pleased with GT! All those silly, silly misguided fanboys. You realize of course that even if they saw that interview, they would still insist that Toriyama hated GT? They would probably say that thing was fake or that TOEI blackmailed him into saying that for the interview.

Fanboys. They scare me.

B-kun · Post by **B-kun** » Sat Sep 18, 2004 12:23 pm

And that's why we exist. *appears in his hunting uniform, putting on his weapons belt*

And thanks for posting that, Omae. ^^ That made my day.

Post by **VegettoEX** » Sat Sep 18, 2004 12:25 pm

We'd, of course, love to use the translation in an update to the "Rumor Guide," if that's OK. Would you happen to have any kind of scan of the image, photocopy or not? Translations always look better when there's some Japanese text next to it that kids can't read, anyway.

Deus ex Machina · Post by **Deus ex Machina** » Sat Sep 18, 2004 2:05 pm

I love how he completly went off topic.

That poor interviewer, sucked into a discussion about computers, he only got to ask him like 2 questions.

SonGokuGT · Post by **SonGokuGT** » Sat Sep 18, 2004 2:57 pm

Yeah, I remember hearing a few years back that Toriyama said that GT was more or less "the path he would've taken" if he had continued the series.

omae no kaasan · Post by **omae no kaasan** » Sat Sep 18, 2004 6:56 pm

Well, I'm going to be putting on my dbz site but if you want to paraphrase, reference or link any part of it, go right ahead.

Post by **VegettoEX** » Sat Sep 18, 2004 8:36 pm

omae no kaasan wrote:Well, I'm going to be putting on my dbz site but if you want to paraphrase, reference or link any part of it, go right ahead.

w0rd.

Izlude · Post by **Izlude** » Sat Sep 18, 2004 11:26 pm

This is what the fanboys would say -

"Oh? Toriyama liked GT? Well....I LIKE GT TOO! GT IS AWESOME! IT ROXORZ!"

Deus ex Machina · Post by **Deus ex Machina** » Sat Sep 18, 2004 11:52 pm

I have a question about the interview: when was it recorded, and at one point in the series was GT in when he said that? The real reason I'm curious is because that's the second time I heard Toriyama agree with the "Goku as a child" plot twist, but I'm really interested in how he felt about Baby, and Super Saiyan 4, and whether he had any role in their creation.

Metrite · Post by **Metrite** » Sun Sep 19, 2004 2:19 am

Toriyama: You always put too much on! (laughs) Ah! That's right, Katsura kun, you're doing a picture for the next Shenron Times. Draw a pumped out Goku with tone.

If this was from the 7th Shenron times, does this mean there were 8 or more shenron times?

omae no kaasan · Post by **omae no kaasan** » Sun Sep 19, 2004 7:06 am

The interview was done before the completion of book 7 so he's refering to the same Shenron Times they're working on.

The 7th Dai was released shortly after the debut of GT but it is almost certain that the interview was conducted no less than a month before that time.

Dayspring · Post by **Dayspring** » Sun Sep 19, 2004 12:26 pm

omae no kaasan wrote:The interview was done before the completion of book 7 so he's refering to the same Shenron Times they're working on.

The 7th Dai was released shortly after the debut of GT but it is almost certain that the interview was conducted no less than a month before that time.

Well Toriyama DID do the conceptual art for 2 or 3 planets, kid Goku, Pan, Trunks, Gill and the ship so maybe that was only up to Baby?

omae no kaasan · Post by **omae no kaasan** » Sun Sep 19, 2004 3:25 pm

You want my UNPROFESSIONAL opinion?

The first major break in episodes was during their time on the earthquaking planet. That only began the spiral into the long and boring M2 saga which preceded the Baby events on Earth.

If you look at almost every interview with Toriyama, he attempts to beat the hell out of himself and his work in a classic form of Japanese humility and (judging by recent interviews ((those of you who know what I mean)) ) general lack of caring for his completed works, PARTICULARLY DB!!!!!!

Considering Toriyama didn't know who the HELL many of his characters were in the late 1990's I doubt he had any part in planning the later parts, I also base this on the complete lack of Toriyama designs for later characters. WITH THE EXCEPTION of a SSJ4 Goku drawing which has distinct Toriyama lines (particularly from that period) but ultimately I believe is not his work, otherwise that little nugget of information would have been plastered all over it.

It is my belief that Toriyama was only faced with various proposed character and location designs for the early (first seven or so) episodes of the series. The furthest along villain design that we KNOW he did was a rendering of Don Kia.

As to whether or not Toriyama gave his blessing to the later stages of GT...yeah probably, but I would play devil's advocate and clearly state that I do NOT think he cared that much what was done nor paid much attention to it since he trusts Toei, and he wouldn't know what plot holes they were creating (if they did) anyway.

The fact remains, Toriyama was not left out of the loop and he certainly did not say he was frothing mad about GT. The only people who really cared anyway were American fanboys reacting to negative comments by even ealier otaku American fanboys.

Most Japanese citizens who followed the series wouldn't be able to tell you about GT, but that's because viewers during the Buu saga dropped dramatically when the series was a little too ADD for everyone, and that IS Toriyama's work.

Besides, no one really watches cartoons in Japan anyway. Manga is where it's at

Metrite · Post by **Metrite** » Sun Sep 19, 2004 5:14 pm

a SSJ4 Goku drawing which has distinct Toriyama lines (particularly from that period) but ultimately I believe is not his work

Where's that from? And what did it look like?

viewers during the Buu saga dropped dramatically when the series was a little too ADD for everyone, and that IS Toriyama's work.

Did you mean to say "odd" there?

Why do you think it began to seem more odd in the Buu saga(seemed the same to me, just super strong guys beating eachother up)?

*PINHEAD* · Post by ***PINHEAD*** » Sun Sep 19, 2004 6:37 pm

Maybe he meant A.D.D. Like I have

The Boo story arc is a little strange. It's like Toriyama threw in all these ideas and created one of the wierdest, yet oddly entertaining stories. It all seems like madness to me. There's this super powerful being that can destroy the universe just kinda there looking for a good fight, as the heroes prepare to fight it, and new transformations come up seemingly out of nowhere.

Then again, that's like every other major saga in DBZ. But just the presence of Boo and his mulitple forms and stuff makes it stand out.

omae no kaasan · Post by **omae no kaasan** » Sun Sep 19, 2004 10:41 pm

Maybe he meant A.D.D.

Yep.

That pic of SS4 Goku, you've seen it a million times I promise. It's him standing there in black and white looking all mean. The eyes in particular look like Toriyama work BUT I'm 99.99% sure it isn't his ONLY because his name isn't all over it.

The S · Post by **The S** » Sun Sep 19, 2004 10:55 pm

I've seen a drawing of Kuririn for GT that I'm pretty sure Toriyama did. He looks the same as Toei's GT, except he's wearing overalls and looks a bit older. I'll try to rustle up the scan I have if I can find it.