- Early Encounter with Dragon Ball: Toyotarou’s fascination with Akira Toriyama’s work began in grade school when he stumbled upon Dr. Slump. This initial encounter led him down the path of exploring the Dragon Ball anime and manga.
- Creative Imagination: As a youngster, Toyotarou’s notebooks were adorned with characters from the Dragon Ball universe. He found himself crafting intricate story arcs for Dragon Ball chapters, fueling his passion for the series.
- Unexpected Journey: Despite his deep love for Dragon Ball, he never envisioned himself as a professional manga artist. Coming from a background in television directing, he saw manga artistry as an unattainable dream and instead pursued it as a hobby.
- Debut in the Industry: In a twist of fate, Toyotarou decided to take a leap of faith and presented his artwork to Shueisha in 2012. To his surprise, six months later, he made his debut with the first two-page chapter of Dragon Ball Heroes: Victory Mission.
- Speculations and Connections: There’s been speculation surrounding in his early career, with some suggesting that he might have been the artist behind the unofficial Dragon Ball AF doujinshi, known as “Toyble,” that gained attention in the 2000s.
- Debut with Dragon Ball Heroes: Victory Mission: Toyotarou marked his professional debut in November 2012 with “Dragon Ball Heroes: Victory Mission” serialized in the monthly magazine V Jump. This manga, tied to the video game series Dragon Ball Heroes, spanned 28 chapters until it went on hiatus after the February 2015 issue. A special chapter 29 was later released in the Bandai Official 5th Anniversary Fanbook.
- Adaptation of Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection ‘F’: Following his debut, he illustrated a manga adaptation of the film “Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection ‘F’.” This adaptation commenced in the April 2015 issue of V Jump and comprised three chapters.
- Creation of Dragon Ball Super: In August 2015, Toyotarou embarked on “Dragon Ball Super” in V Jump, collaborating with Toriyama, who provided the story. While the anime typically preceded the manga, he contributed character designs for the “Universe Survival arc.” Following the anime’s storyline, the manga continued with original story arcs after November 2018.
- Collaboration on Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 The Manga: Additionally, Toyotarou teamed up with Toriyama for “Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 The Manga,” an exclusive adaptation of the 2016 video game Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2, which was included in the collector’s edition of the game.
- Self-Taught Artistry: Toyotarou’s journey as an artist is self-taught, with no formal manga training. When asked about his favorite manga beyond Dragon Ball, he mentioned Toriyama’s “Soldier of Savings Cashman” and Nobuhiro Watsuki’s “Rurouni Kenshin.” Interestingly, his inspiration stems more from films than manga, particularly drawn from the creations of Disney, Marvel, and Pixar.
- Collaborative Process: In the creation of “Dragon Ball Super,” Toyotarou receives key plot points from Toriyama. He then crafts the storyboard, filling in the details between major plot points. The storyboard undergoes review and alterations by Toriyama before he finalizes the manuscript for publication by Shueisha. During intense deadlines, Toyotarou dedicates approximately 18 hours a day to drawing.
- Artistic Resemblance: His artwork has drawn praise for its similarity to Toriyama’s style. Amy McNulty of Anime News Network noted that Toyotarou’s art is “virtually indistinguishable” from Toriyama’s. He himself expresses confidence in replicating Toriyama’s characters and nuances, although he admits needing more practice with robots and mecha. He also distinguishes his style by incorporating more panels and close-ups and utilizing digital screentones.
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