Akira Toriyama, the creator ofDragon Ball,passed away earlier this year, leaving behind a legacy that will continue for generations to come, with his most recognized character,Goku, going down as an anime and manga hero who’s arguably second to none. In a moving animated clip that pays homage to this legendary writer/artist,Akira Toriyama is pitted against Goku in a sparring match for the ages, proving that this influential mangaka can stand toe-to-toe with his greatest creation!
In a short clip shared to r/dbz on Reddit, Unkaged Ink (u/Buzziet) uses their unique crayon-textured art style to animate different heroes and villains from across the nerd spectrum, with particular focus on those hailing from the world of anime.
Uploading other clips featuring the same distinctive illustrative technique seen here, Unkaged Ink has previously animated Super Saiyan Rose Goku arriving for battle, a Beerus vs Broly fight, a tribute toThe Legend of Zelda’s ultimate evil, Ganondorf, and more, witheach new animation topping the last as Unkaged Ink continues to hone their already impressive artistic skills.
Akira Toriyama Travels To Other World To Fight Goku in Animated Homage Fans Will Love
Fan Animation by Unkaged Ink (u/Buzziet)
CreatingDragon Ballfor the manga crowd in 1984, Akira Toriyama, after fine-tuning Goku’s tournament storyline seen in the series’ second arc, unwittingly launched a juggernaut of a multimedia franchise that’s still going strong to this day, withDragon Ballas an overarching series hitting its 40th anniversary earlier this November and showing no signs of stopping. Stillwriting theDragon Ball Supermangaat the time of his passing,Toriyama and Goku have been on a rollercoaster of a ride together over the decades, with Toriyama always giving Goku and his fellow Z-Fighters a new overpowered enemy to overcome.
10 Times Dragon Ball Was Drawn By Manga Artists Outside of Akira Toriyama
While Akira Toriyama drew all of Dragon Ball, the series became such an icon that other notable artist also gave their interpretations of the classic.
Starting this nearly two-and-a-half-minute clip with a scrolling illustration ofDragon Ball’s best and most iconic characters, Unkaged Ink utilizes their delightful crayon-esque art style that looks like a cross betweenPaper MarioandDragon Ball’s signature esthetics to bring this short to vibrant life. IntroducingToriyama’s “Tori-Bot” personabefore catching up with Goku and pals on Grand Kai’s planet, it isn’t long before a haloed Akira Toriyama wearing a green tracksuit arrives and challenges Goku to a scrap.Paying respect to his mentor first, Goku launches into battle with Toriyama, who, unsurprisingly, holds his own with his overpowered creation.
Akira Toriyama Joins theDragon BallUniverse in Impressive and Stylish Tribute Animation
Described as “wholesome” and “bittersweet” in the post’s comments, Unkaged Ink (u/Buzziet) perfectly encapsulates what Toriyama means toDragon Ball, with the impact he had on the countless fans, creators, and the creative world, in general, unable to be overstated, to say nothing about his contributions to the ever-popularDragon Questvideo game series. Fortunately for fans, Toriyama’s final work in therecently premieredDragon Ball Daimaanimesuccessfully continuesGoku’s exploits as a world-saving hero, proving thatAkira Toriyama’s artistic contributions to the nerd community will forever live on well past his arrival in Other World and beyond.
Source:u/Buzziet
Dragon Ball
From the creative mind of Akira Toriyama, Dragon Ball is a mega multimedia franchise that spans back to the 1980s. Dragon Ball expanded quickly, starting as a serialized manga for Weekly Shonen Jump in Japan. It made its way overseas via manga and an anime adaptation that is enjoyed worldwide. Dragon Ball was the initial starting animated series that followed the adventures of the young Son Goku as he sought after the Dragon Balls. These mystical orbs would grant the wish of any who gathered them together. Then, the series would branch off into the immensely popular Dragon Ball Z, which followed Goku as an adult and featured high-intensity battles and Goku’s never-ending search to be the strongest. The series has also enjoyed several popular video game adaptations and continues to release several new animated series and theatrical films up to the recent popular Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero.
