With a few friends, I decided to help people understand how Dragon Ball fans communicate online, especially when it comes to how Japanese content creators communicate, and how the West communicates. My goal is to create a bridge, but I'm no authority!
There are no stupid questions! If you see people doing something you do not understand, do not hesitate to send an ask to this blog and I will do my best to explain with context.
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
✓ Live Streaming✓ Interactive Chat✓ Private Shows✓ HD Quality
Anya is LIVE right now
FREE
Free to watch • No registration required • HD streaming
Akira Toriyama's assistant apparently confirmed that Toriysma's wife, Yoshimi Kato, actually came up with the designs for 17 and 18 when her husband was in an editorial pinch.
That screenshot could’ve quoted the source (Kansenshuu Podcast discussion with me)
I was the one who asked Matsuyama about 17’s and 18’s (and Trunks’) clothings and design because they look different, and I told him “wasn’t his wife involved?” (It’s easier to get a “yes” than to get a no, so I usually ask my questions with a negative sentence)
And he said:
Indeed, the fashion of n°17 and 18 was thanks to (his) wife's advice. That's quite the insight!
(Because he didn’t include Trunks, I’d say his design fully came from Terminator 2, but the jacket might be a real jacket his wife owned because that cut is very common…)
I was 90% certain about it because Toriyama always relied on his wife for fashion advice, as shown in Apprentice Mangaka, where he actively credits her (and porn mags lol)
Please go check the Kanzenshuu podcast page in their website and forum, the YouTube video with the podcast and COMMENT IT. Thanks !
“You don’t understand the basics of Manga” — Torishima and Toyotaro (Japan Expo 2025) part 1
Here's a proper transcription of p.1 of the Editor-Mangaka meeting between Kazuhiko Torishima and Toyotaro where we discovered Toyotaro's One Shot manga, with Naz Chris hosting 🥰
Thanks to Japan Expo for this informative conference!
ご苦労様でした！🙇♀️
This is part 1 of the stage conference with Toyotaro and Torishima on Sunday, July 6th 2025 in Paris, France, during Japan Expo 2025.
This is part 1 of the stage conference with Toyotaro and Torishima on Sunday, July 6th 2025 in Paris, France, during Japan Expo 2025.
I would like to thank deeply Japan Expo for their wonderful conferences. I attended this conference as a regular guest, and got to sit quite close to the scene.
I want to transcribe and analyze as accurately as possible as a way to preserve these details for everyone to enjoy, and this is why it took me so long to get to it.
This conference of 45 minutes is divided in two parts, and this article will cover the first part: the part where Torishima Kazuhiko explains why and where Toyotaro failed to understand the basis of Manga.
As always, at the very bottom you’ll find my FR transcript (as closely as my notes allowed me to take).
Notes:
I will use plain last names and not add the honorifics, but know that Torishima uses -san when talking to/about Toriyama and Toyotaro (and not -sensei).
My notes / analysis / addendum will be written as Von’s note: yaddiyadda. Please consider these as additional context.
The YUZU stage where this happened was full. Torishima showed up with a labcoat, and as such, fully embraced his persona as Dr Mashirito.
Chris Naz, the producer of the KosoKoso radio show serves as a representative of Torishima. She is the host of most talks and conferences, but here, she only really introduced the people and let Toyotaro and Torishima talk because of the following point.
This conference is presented as a “lt’s show everyone what a professional meeting between a mangaka and an editor looks like”, which Torishima says is a very boring ordeal (and “why would so many people be interested in this”). The first part of the conference is more of an explainer of manga basis, and general understanding of action.
During my initial twitter live thread of this conference, at the end, I wrote this was basically an “ad” for Torishima’s book that is set to come out in French in March 2026, but it isn’t a bad thing. This truly shows the talent, expertise and mastery of Torishima, and it also showcases Toyotaro’s own growth.
Toyotaro was comfortable and at ease all throughout, he was not fearful, he was not making himself small, and he was very much a willing and playful participant.
Please note that the translator often used third person (Mr Toyotaro is right here..) instead of second person (Mr Toyotaro, you’re right here), because of how Japanese just avoids the use of second person most of the time and prefers using the name of the people you’re talking to. Even if they used third person, please know that for 95% of the dialogue, they are actually talking to each other. Torishima isn’t commenting to the audience about Toyotaro, he is talking to him, not ignoring him or talking about him when he’s right there.
I choose to keep the transcription as authentic to what the translator said, but with my limited understanding of JPN grammar, for the English text, I’m going to be smoothing a few things (such as the use of “novel” for the one shot manga in WJ).
All good?
So after welcoming Torishima and Toyotaro on stage, Chris Naz comments on how this is the last conference around DB in Japan Expo for this year. Torishima says this might not be a normal Editor-Mangaka meeting, but a “confrontation”, but he also expresses surprise to see so many people coming to what really can be described as a “boring meeting”.
Torishima, who is wearing a labcoat quite reminiscent of Mashirito (the villain from Dr Slump which was based on Torishima) also warns Toyotaro:
Torishima, to Toyotaro: I will be telling you very harsh things today, so take a big breath.
Toyotaro actually does that, a little theatrical, closing and opening his arms and taking deep breaths.
Von’s note: in this section above, the translator speaking as Torishima says “tu” (informal you singular in French) when talking to Toyotaro. Everything returns to the formal “vous” after this one instance.
Chris Naz notes that before Dragon Ball Super, Toyotaro started with DBH Victory Mission, and asks him about his experience when it comes to the global reception he’s received. Toyotaro expresses gratitude to his readers and fans accross the world.
Chris then mentions how Toyotaro loved Dragon Ball so much he used to draw it as a student and imitating Toriyama’s lines, and now he is about to meet the person who discovered and published Toriyama, and asks whether he’s nervous.
Von’s note: the translator used the French word “étudiant” which is usually used for post-secondary studies (after high school), and not “élève” which is used for primary and secondary students. I am unsure whether it should be “post-secondary student”, or if it was meant to be the generic term “student” that may ignore age or type of sturdy. Considering Toyotaro’s age and how old DBAF is, the former is not out of the question, but I have no doubt Toyotaro already drew as a kid and teenager. This note is useless in English, but because my notes and the conference was in French, I want to be thorough.
Toyotaro answers that he is extremely tense and nervous, but he’s also extremely honored and happy to meet him and that the legendary editor will have a look at his manga is truly something. It’s an opportunity that could only happen on stage, but it’s truly with great joy he’s here.
Chris Naz: So, Mr. Torishima, there’s a reason why you specifically wanted to have a discussion with Mr. Toyotaro. What was it?
KT: I saw at a glance that there was a huge problem on the page on the right. And I wanted to tell him directly. So, in fact, when I looked at those two pages, I felt that the fundamentals of the manga weren’t being respected, and that’s why I thought about talking to you.
KT: So, action scenes need to be dynamic, and there should always be a long shot, a medium shot, a cutaway — and a shot looking up. If you look at these two pages, it’s missing an angle. And here I’m showing you some pages by Mr. Toriyama so you can compare how he mastered these basics.
(Von’s note: again I want to point out that Torishima says Toriyama-san and not Toriyama-sensei, even if he’s talking about Toriyama as a mangaka / professional)
The pages shown are from the fight between Piccolo and Goku.
Von’s note: these pages are also present in his book, “Dr. Mashirito’s Ultimate Manga Techniques”
KT: On the right-hand page, the top panel shows Piccolo and Goku facing each other. This panel clearly shows the distance between the characters. And thanks to this panel, which establishes the distances at the beginning, when we later see Goku punching Piccolo, this gives us a good idea of how fast Goku moved to cover that distance. And then, when we see how far Piccolo moved back, this allows the reader to see how strong that punch was.
Von’s note: There’s a lot of pointing at the screen which I cannot show you as we were not allowed to take pictures or videos. However if you’re a good DB fan you know what he means just from the description.
KT: And the problem is that in these two pages by Mr. Toyotaro, this first angle, the one which establishes the distance between the characters, is missing. So, as a result, when we met, I asked you what you thought was missing from those two pages. And you got it right.
Toyotaro: As you said, indeed, if there isn’t that starting panel that defines the distance between the characters, we can’t get a clear idea of the scene. That’s exactly it.
KT: I want to point out that it happens very often that authors forget to make this kind of layout that establishes things properly. It’s normal, authors are always eager to get to the impact scene. The problem for me is the henshu, — the tanto in charge of Mr. Toyotaro, didn’t see that and couldn’t correct it. And that’s what bothered me most. Because the author’s editor is the first reader. If he doesn’t see the flaws, if he lets them slide, the flaws will be published as is.
KT: Which also means that the editor here doesn’t understand the basics of manga.
Von’s note: I wrote in my tweet thread that this statement felt pretty harsh towards the V Jump staff, which is a magazine that Torishima was the editor in chief and founder of. It shows also how much of an expert Torishima is about what works and why it works. However, it’s a little strange for a former employee to talk like this about their company and colleagues / subordinates. That being said, Torishima is quite able to be blunt, which he also was as a regular employee and editor with Shueisha. This is very much in character for him, at least according to previous interviews and other stories told about him. I do not think there is anything in particular to infer from this, but I’d like to point it out for those who are a little familiar with JPN professional roles.
KT: There’s another scene.
Here they showed the classical Vegeta v Goku iconic poses from the Saiyan Saga.
Von’s note: Again, there’s a lot of pointing at the screen which I cannot show you as we were not allowed to take pictures or videos. However if you’re a good DB fan you know what he means just from the description.
KT: There’s a long shot in panels 1, 2, and 3 that allows us to see and establish the distance between Goku and Vegeta. The fact that the characters remain still, without moving, gathering their energy, the truth is that this waiting period creates a tension that will add dynamism when the characters finally move.
KT: Which means that even though Mr. Toyotaro loves the action in Dragon Ball, he still lacks the analytical skills to understand what made the impact of this scene work.
KT: I’ll stop there with this analysis, but the thing is, if Mr. Toyotaro continues to make manga without learning these fundamentals, he won’t improve.
KT: Let’s put Dragon Ball aside for now. After all, Mr. Toyotaro as an author, has something to say, and I’d really like to see what you’ve expressed through your drawings.
KT: So, let’s move on to your original manga…
(to be continued in Part 2!)
Thank you very much for reading!
I pay for my own travel, accommodation and even entrance ticket most of the time as I wish to support these conventions inviting more guests. I’m lucky to be able to keep costs quite low (as I travel light and don’t mind youth hostels), but alas my resources are not infinite.
I am not a professional and I mostly only represent myself, but what I write is free to use for anyone. This is why I write in English. I write for SmugStick among others.
However, if you wish to use any of my information, please credit me and link, and if you are so kind, please consider sharing my own posts and perhaps buy me a coffee?
Find all my links here, should you wish to contact me, buy me a coffee or see what else I’m up to:
https://linktr.ee/vondbz
Transcript of part 1:
(Chris Naz) Bonjour! Nous allons voir avec l’un des créateurs de Dragon Ball — co-créateurs de Dragon Ball et les descendants des créateurs de Dragon Ball. Nous allons étudier justement comment évolue un manga original. Je suis Naz Chris, je viens ici en tant que soutien du livre du Dr Mashirito, les Techniques de Manga Balèzes. Bienvenue à tous !
(claps)
(Chris Naz) Nous allons appeler nos invités!
(Chris Naz) Le rédacteur de manga qui a trouvé M Toriyama (Von’s note: Chris l’appelle bien ‘Toriyama-sensei’) et qui justement a permis que nous ayons Dr Slump et Dragon Ball, le rédacteur: Kazuhiko Torishima!
(claps)
(Torishima) Bonjour, bienvenue dans la réunion avec M Toyotaro. Bon, une réunion, c’est un grand mot… Mais ca va être une confrontation, peut être.
(rires de Chris et Torishima)
(Chris Naz) Et maintenant le mangaka en charge de Dragon Ball Super, Toyotaro !
(Von’s note: gros claps alors que Chris parlait, donc on n’a pas vraiment bien pu entendre la traduction de présentation)
(Chris Naz) Et donc M Torishima nous arrivons à la scène finale de l’équipre Dragon Ball de Japan Expo de cette année.
(Torishima) Oui, alors bon, ceci dit ça fait quand même beaucoup de monde pour une réunion qui a l’air barbante…
(Chris Naz) Ne dites pas ça, tout le monde attend ça avec impatience!
(claps)
(Torishima) Bon M Toyotaro, je vais te dire des choses très dures, donc respire bien fort. (Von’s note: Torishima dit Toyotaro-san tout du long. Le traducteur utilise le “tu” informel dans cette section, mais passe au “vous” après)
(Toyotaro respire bien fort, en écartant et en pliant les bras, en prenant de grandes inspirations. Von’s note: Toyotaro fait un peu de théâtre puisque Torishima en fait)
(Chris Naz) Alors vous connaissez tous M Toyotaro comme l’auteur de Dragon Ball Super mais en fait ses débuts étaient dans le fameux Dragon Ball Heroes Victory Mission.
(Chris Naz) Je pense qu’on a eu une réaction de fans qui ont tous amené leurs volumes de Dragon Ball Super pour venir vous voir, que pensez vous de cette réaction?
(Toyotaro) J’ai vraiment senti une énorme vague mondiale me frapper et j’en suis vraiment reconnaissant… (Von’s note: le traducteur a dit ça de manière assez étrange mais j’ai compris en japonais qu’il exprimait de la reconnaissance par rapport à l’accueil qu’il a reçu)
(Chris Naz) Et donc résultat vous saviez que vous aimiez tellement Dragon Ball que vous étiez étudiant vous faisiez beaucoup de dessins en immitant le trait de Dragon Ball, et maintenant nous arrivons au point ou vous vous retrouvez dans une situation ou vous allez avoir le rédacteur, l’éditeur de M Toriyama, à savoir M Torishima, qui va regarder votre manga. Etes vous tendu?
(Toyotaro) Bah je suis vraiment tendu eh, mais ceci dit, c’est un énorme honneur et un énorme bonheur pour moi d’avoir le légendaire éditeur Dragon Ball qui va regarder ce que je vais faire, et ce genre d’opportunité ne pouvait pas arriver autrement que sur une scène. Je suis très content, mais je suis très tendu.
(Chris Naz) Donc, M Torishima il y a une raison pour laquelle justement vous aviez eu envie d’avoir une discussion avec M Toyotaro, qu’est-ce qu’il en est?
(Torishima): Et donc j’ai vu en un seul coup d’oeil qu’il y avait un énorme problème sur la page de droite. Et je voulais lui dire directement. Et donc en fait quand j’ai regardé ces deux pages, j’ai trouvé que les bases du manga n’étaient pas respectées et c’est la raison pour laquelle je me suis dit que je voulais vous parler.
(Chris Naz) Sur quelles bases du manga vous pensez que cela ne fonctionne pas? Même que sur X, vous avez fait un post en disant “c’est tellement dommage”.
(Torishima) Alors, les scènes d’action se doivent d’être dynamiques, et il doit toujours y avoir un plan long, un plan medium, un plan coupé et un plan vers le haut. Et résultat, il manque un angle dans ces deux pages. Et je vous montre ici des planches de M Toriyama ici et vous pouvez comparer comment il maitrisait ces bases.
(Von’s note: à nouveau, Torishima dit “Toriyama-san” et non Toriyama-sensei)
(les pages montrées sont du combat entre Piccolo et Goku. Von’s note: ce sont des pages présents dans son livre Les Techniques de Manga Balèze du Dr Mashirito)
(Torishima) Sur la page de droite, la case en haut on voit Piccolo et Goku qui sont face à face, ce plan détaille bien quelle est la distance entre les personnages. Et grâce à ce plan qui établi les distances au début, à la fin on a Goku qui donne un coup de poing à Piccolo, et comme on a établi la distance on voit quelle vitesse Goku a parcouru une telle distance. Et ça a permis de définir aussi, quand on voit la distance parcourue par Piccolo après, la puissance du coup.
(Torishima) Et le problème c’est que dans ces deux Pages de M Toyotaro, il manque cette première case qui établit la distance entre les personnages.
(Torishima) Et donc résultat, quand nous nous sommes rencontrés, et je t’ai demandé à ce moment là qu’est ce que tu crois qu’il manque dans ces deux pages. M Toyotaro a donné la bonne réponse.
(Toyotaro) Comme vous le dites, effectivement s’il n’y a pas cette case de départ case qui définit la distance entre les personnages, on ne peut pas avoir une idée claire de la scène. Je le pensais effectivement à 100%.
(Torishima) Je tiens à préciser que ça arrive très souvent que des auteurs oublient de faire ce genre de plan qui établit les choses. Parce que les auteurs sont toujours impatients de pouvoir dessiner des scènes qui ont de l’impact. Le problème à moi, c’est que le henshu, le tanto qui est chargé de M Toyotaro n’a pas vu ça et n’a pas pu corriger le tir. Et c’est ça qui est pêche pour moi.
(Torishima) Parce que l’éditeur de l’auteur est le premier lecteur. S’il ne voit pas les défauts, qu’il laisse passer les défauts, les défauts sont publiés tels quels.
(Torishima) Ce qui veut dire aussi que l’éditeur ici ne comprend pas les bases du manga.
(Torishima) Il y a une autre scène.
(photo d’une page de Toriyama du début du stand off entre Goku et Vegeta, les pages en couleur)
(Torishima) Il y a un plan long sur les cases 1, 2, 3 qui permettent de voir et d’établir la distance qu’il y a entre Goku et Vegeta.
(Torishima) Le fait que les personnages restent dans une pose sans bouger en rassemblant leur énergie le fait qu’il y ait cette attente créé une tension qui va rajouter du dynamisme au moment où les personnages vont bouger.
(Torishima) Ce qui veut dire que même si M Toyotaro adore l’action justement de Dragon Ball, il lui manque encore ce niveau d’analyse pour comprendre à quel point — / comment l’impact est arrivé sur la page.
(Torishima) Bon je vais m’en arrêter là sur cette analyse, mais le truc c’est que si M Toyotaro continue à faire du manga sans justement apprendre ces bases là, il ne deviendra pas meilleur par la suite.
(Torishima) Laissons tomber Dragon Ball. L’idée est que M Toyotaro en tant qu’auteur a quelque chose à exprimer et j’aimerais voir ce qu’il a à exprimer sur la page.
(Torishima) Résultat, nous allons passer à son manga original.
Von goes to Japan in March for a special Dragon Ball Doujinshi event!
I’ll be sharing a booth with wonderful Tooki (@/bw7_bu) who will offer amazing Shallot and Giblet books. Tooki put together the beautiful cut out above (but I drew the two little Tamas myself!!). Look at Giblet and Shallot with their Tama headbands lol...
Our doujin circle name will be ジョワイユ居候 (Joyeux lodgers as everyone stays for free at Capsule Corp, lol)
The event, named Dragon Survival, will be held on March 20th, 2026, near Tokyo.
For the event, I'm putting together a small Tama-centric book that I'll be distributing for free.
As you know, I have a Tama crack theory and I'd really like to put together something that truly flatters the True King of Capsule Corp!
Would any of my followers want to participate by drawing a small Tama? I'd love to integrate as many Tamas from everyone as possible! A way to convey the international audience's love for DB into a book for Japanese fans. After all this small book will end up in the hands of true Doujin legends (and a few pros...)
I'll be staying in Japan from March 6th to March 27th.
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
✓ Live Streaming✓ Interactive Chat✓ Private Shows✓ HD Quality
Anya is LIVE right now
FREE
Free to watch • No registration required • HD streaming
Masato Aoi (葵まさと) was active in the early 90s, has uploaded some stories on pixiv, and kindly allowed me to translate them!!
I sadly don't own all the books, but I do own some!
DO NOT REPOST ELSEWHERE.
https://www.pixiv.net/en/users/2647527
(read left to right)
What I found most interesting is that this was drawn before the Trunks the Story chapter was published, so we have Long Hair Future Gohan, but also, kid Trunks / the sword and the lack of design for the Androids / Cyborgs is FASCINATING.
How Future Gohan never obtained super Saiyan is also interesting, right??
And so is the fact that this Future Gohan never lived up to Piccolo or Goku, so he refused to be called master (or "father" as in fatherly figure)
I adore this story so much.
Masato Aoi kindly gave me permission to translate it and share it, and use it to talk about the wider world, but please do check their account on pixiv and comment on those old stories! I know they're still active in other fandoms (even if I'm not sure they check the DB account often).
Also this cover (for another doujin that I do own) is everything:
Masato Aoi (葵まさと) was active in the early 90s, has uploaded some stories on pixiv, and kindly allowed me to translate them!!
I sadly don't own all the books, but I do own some!
DO NOT REPOST ELSEWHERE.
https://www.pixiv.net/en/users/2647527
(read right to left)
What I found most interesting is that this was drawn before the Trunks the Story chapter was published, so we have Long Hair Future Gohan, but also, kid Trunks / the sword and the lack of design for the Androids / Cyborgs is FASCINATING.
How Future Gohan never obtained super Saiyan is also interesting, right??
And so is the fact that this Future Gohan never lived up to Piccolo or Goku, so he refused to be called master (or "father" as in fatherly figure)
I adore this story so much.
Masato Aoi kindly gave me permission to translate it and share it, and use it to talk about the wider world, but please do check their account on pixiv and comment on those old stories! I know they're still active in other fandoms (even if I'm not sure they check the DB account often).
Also this cover (for another doujin that I do own) is everything:
Dragon Ball Japan Expo Paris update (as of 27/06/2025)
Torishima, Toyotaro and Nakatsuru events only.
I'll be live reporting them as much as I can, here and on twitter (vondbz2 as it seems I'm locked out of vondbz and idk if i'll get access before next week)
I am a native French speaker.
I will be reporting in English (faster to type).
Hours are Paris Time
Details under the read more
THURSDAY July 3rd:
16h30-17h30— Draw your favorite heroes! with Torishima, Nakatsuru and 2 extra surprise guests (as per twitter announcement)
FRIDAY July 4th:
10:00— PRESS CONFERENCE
This event is NOT open to the public.
I was invited, so of course I'll be there!
There won't be any interviews, BUT we are allowed to ask questions to the three guests.
No questions about the future of DBS
No recordings.
14:15-15:00— IN THE STEPS OF KATSUYOSHI NAKATSURU with Torishima and Nakatsuru.
This is about Nakatsuru's career and his relation to Toriyama (as an artist!)
17:00-17:45— Introduction to the art of transformation with Torishima, Nakatsuru and Borg (French dub actor of Adult Goku since 1990).
SUNDAY, July 6th
13:30-14:45— MASHIRITO'S ULTIMATE MANGA TECHNIQUES (Torishima & Toyotaro)
The text hasn't changed, it is still about Toyotaro's "premier projet de manga original" in both languages.
There are only two signing sessions (for now):
THURSDAY (3rd):
14:00-15:30— Autograph Lottery for Torishima, Toyotaro and Nakatsuru together in one single draw
SATURDAY (5th)
16:30-18:00— Autograph Lottery for Torishima, Toyotaro and Nakatsuru separately (3 different lotteries)
This is a tentative schedule of what conferences (relevant to Dragon Ball) that I'll be live reporting, in English for everyone's enjoyment!
Kazuhiko Torishima
Toyotarou
Katsuyoshi Nakatsuru
Brigitte Lecordier (kid Goku FR)
Patrick Borg (adult Goku FR)
Japan Expo, 3-6 July, 2025, Paris time
There won't be any "private" interviews, but if there are QnAs, I'll be sure to ask interesting stuff for everyone's enjoyment!
I'll do my best to record what I can so we can get as little loss in translation issues as possible!
Unless given permission, I won't post footage.
The actual days of these conferences are set, but the exact timing is subject to change.
Furthermore, not all events are scheduled yet!
There are various "autograph sessions" as well, but I'm not listing them as they're lottery and not "conferences" (wish me luck!)
Thursday July 3rd, 16:30-17:30
(yeah I'm using 24h time lol)
HOW TO DRAW GOKU With Mr.Torishima, Mr.Nakatsuru
Torishima, Nakatsuru and "others" with live drawing of Goku. This will be a great teaching moment! Let's all draw Goku together
Friday July 4th, 14:15-15:00
IN THE STEPS OF KATSUYOSHI NAKATSURU with Mr.Torishima and Mr.Nakatsuru.
More than an animator, Nakatsuru is also an illustrator! He is so good that Toriyama often thought "wait, did I draw this? No, it was Nakatsuru-kun, right?" which is adorable.
Sunday July 6th, 15:45-16:30
MASHIRITO'S ULTIMATE MANGA TECHNIQUES
THIS is the page with the "first original manga project" thing (it is NOT a mistranslation, as Iyoku talked about "projects" in January, and there were also mentions of "new project" in the next V Jump sooo..!)
This is what's being said in the V Jump showcase for the August issue (coming out June 20th)
The "project" mention is between the two illustrations
French dubbing actors
Brigitte Lecordier (kid Goku FR) will be doing conferences as well, and she will, as well as Patrick Borg (adult Goku FR), have many autograph sessions!
French dubbing actors (they're all "actors", as in theater!) were the firsts to dub DB outside of Japan, back in 1988!
I'm doing everything out of pocket and keeping costs as low as I can (I won't be paying for housing for instance), but if you'd like to support my work to report on everything, here is my ko-fi!
http://ko-fi.com/vonigner
And finally, if you're attending, come say hi! I'll be happy to chat ^-^
It's been a minute, but here's another small translation I did on a whim! Source is Migami and here's the Bsky version.
Explanations of my choices under the read more
Trunks: Krillin asked if I had a girlfriend… [クリリンは俺にガールフレンドはいるのかと聞いてきた...]
No honorifics in English [英語には敬語がない]
Gohan: Eh?!
Gohan: Do you?!
Do you (have a girlfriend?) ; this is the short version to ask confirmation from Krillin’s question. It matches the short version “are there [any girlfriends]?” / “existence?” to confirm if the answer is “yes”. Gohan is worried about “is the answer yes?!”
Trunks: I’ve been too busy fighting the Androids… [人造人間との戦いに忙殺され...]
I’ve been too busy fighting the artificial humans to have a girlfriend. This part is a little more explicit than in Japanese about what Trunks was doing with the Androids / Artificial humans (he just says "hands full / busy"). “Girlfriend” isn’t necessary neither in Japanese nor in English because it’s already the subject of the conversation.
Gohan: … So you don’t… [So＝（前の文の）結果 + you＝あなた + don't＝不在 / 否定文。]
The next words should be “have a girlfriend”. It is already implied because it is the subject.
次の言葉は 「have a girlfriend 」とすべき。主語なのですでに暗示されている
Trunks: Are you relieved? [ほっとしました？]
Gohan: Hm [うん]
“Hm” is the closest short word I could come up with here, instead of “Ah”, because Gohan is answering a question and Trunks asks a follow up question. “Ah” wouldn’t invite a second question, and “Hm” conveys the nuance of, “Yeah, I'm relieved,” but it's subtle and shy. It also conveys a bit of hesitation.
I used “hey!” as an interjection. It matches Gohan’s fighting spirit because he’s being bullied gently by Trunks. “Hey” is a little like うん in terms of versatility in English.
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
✓ Live Streaming✓ Interactive Chat✓ Private Shows✓ HD Quality
Anya is LIVE right now
FREE
Free to watch • No registration required • HD streaming
I might have the amazing opportunity to ask questions to Kubota and Nakatsuru in the upcoming con in Belgium, in March. Made In Asia takes place between March 7th and 9th, one week after Daima's last episode airs!
If you have any specific questions feel free to put them in the replies or in the reblogs, and if I do get the press pass, I'll ask them!
How old is Gohan (or DB fans can't read and Toriyama can't (couldn't) count)
It’s common knowledge people disagree with how old Gohan was during the Cell Games and during the Buu arc. His usual name for those two sections of the story, Teen Gohan and Adult Gohan, don’t seem to make any sense.
Let’s start counting. (TLDR at the end with a ref chart)
When Gohan is first introduced, Bulma asks his age and he states he is four years old.
The training period between Raditz’s death and Vegeta and Nappa’s arrival is shortened because the two Saiyans arrive one full month earlier than anticipated (making the training period 11 months long and not a year long).
Kaio-Sama knew the Saiyans would arrive the next day, but forgot to factor in how long Goku would take to travel back from Snake Way. Oops.
That makes Saiyan invasion Gohan probably five years old.
Bulma, Gohan and Krillin land on Namek about forty days later (2 days at the Hospital, five days to repair the Namekian ship, one month to travel to Namek and the entire stay is about a week).
It'll take 5 days to repair
Let's meet in 10 days (repair + learn Namekian + Gohan and Krillin need to be released form the hospital)
It’s been 7 days since we left, we still have 20 days to arrive to Namek.
The forty-ish days are confirmed when Bulma says there are 20 days left until they arrive on Namek, and at the same time, Vegeta arrives to Freeza Planet 79 “18 days after his departure from Earth.” (chapter 246). If Gohan hadn’t turned five during his 11 months of training with Piccolo, now it’s been 12 months so for sure he’s five.
Same chapter, Vegeta arrives to his destination 18 days after leaving Earth.
When everyone is transported back to Earth from Namek about a week later (6 days for Goku to arrive + a little rest time after the Ginyu fight), Gohan is still five years old.
When they are transported to Earth from Porunga’s last wish and Guru dies, transferring his power to Moori, the Namekian Dragon Balls are inactive, so they need to wait one Namekian year to use them again. A Namekian year is 130 days.
Everyone waits at Capsule Corp. They wait for 130 days (one Namekian year), summon Porunga and make three wishes: bring Krillin’s soul to Earth, resurrect him, and resurrect Yamcha.
(Notice Gohan's hair, as well as Bulma's hair has grown quite a bit in these 130 days)
They wait another 130 days, resurrect Tenshinhan and Chaozu, and the third wish is used to transport the Namekians to a new planet Namek. This means the Namekians stayed 260 days, or about eight months and a half at Capsule Corp.
Then, the panel says “about a year later”, when everyone senses Freeza. If we add that to the 8 months and change from before, we can round it to about 20 months (that’s almost two years!).
How old is Gohan then? He was quite a bit over five years old before, we can safely assume that if he’s not seven years old, he’s really close to it (his hair has also grown!)
Considering Capsule Corp is having a Barbecue and Krillin and Gohan complain about being "hot" (Trunks pops out a fridge with cold drinks), it's safe to assume the Meca Frieza thing happens during the summer.
The next timeskip is “about three years, on May 12th”, but let’s keep some elements in mind from that section. We need to take note of some elements we know from 17yo Trunks and what we see in the Android Saga:
For the first trip to the past, Trunks comes from “roughly twenty years in the future”.
Trunks will be born “two and a half years from now” (= he's 17 years old).
The cyborgs/androids appear “in roughly three years, on May 12th.”
We don’t officially know Gohan's birthday from the manga, but we do know it from the Anime as being May 18th (he celebrates it during the 9 days between the announcement on TV and the Cell Games). Due to the “about three years” skip, Gohan is about to turn 10 years old at the start of the Android Saga.
His stay in the Room of Spirit and Time lasts under a year. Give or take a few weeks to his biological age, during the Cell Games, Gohan’s biological age is almost 11 years old, while his calendar age is 10. Hardly a “teen”!
Now onto the 7 year timeskip.
This is where things get complex, and we need to state some key elements: the school year starts in April in Japan, and the Tenkaichi Budokai always happens on May 7th, which means the Saiyaman Arc happens during the month between the first day of class and the Tournament.
However… The manga does not say it’s been seven years. It says “years have passed” and “Gohan turned 16”.
Here’s the big question: Is Gohan about to celebrate his 17th calendar birthday, or his biological one? Or is he actually about to turn 16 and the panel just anticipates his upcoming birthday?
We don’t know. This means we have no idea how long has passed from this information alone. This is why we need to find other clues.
Thankfully, we took note of some dates and other elements prior, and to solve the mystery, we will use Trunks.
Trunks is stated to be 8 years old, and Goten is stated to be 7 years old during the tournament.
Trunks was born “in about two and a half years” after the Meca Frieza situation, and the Androids attacked “in about three years”, making baby Trunks between infant and ten-ish months old by the time the Cell Games rolled around (both main timeline Trunks and Future Trunks have different birthdays actually, but they’re both in the second half of the year so here it does not matter).
As such, Trunks’ birthday has to be after the Cell Games (he holds his head but can't walk, he grabs but can't talk, making him younger than a year old). This means his birthday has to be after the Tenkaichi Budokai (which is always on May 7th). That means Trunks will be turning nine years old during that calendar year (otherwise the Announcer would say "he's about to turn 8" or something like that).
If you believe Trunks may have been a year old already by the time the Cell Games rolled around, that’s fine! Let’s use Goten then.
Goten was born after the Cell Games, which is after the Tenkaichi. However, during the Buu Tournament, he is clearly stated to be seven years old. This means the Saiyman and Buu saga cannot be “a little under seven years after the Cell Games (which was at the end of May)”.
Even if Chichi gave birth to him the day after the Cell Games, it’s not possible for him to be already seven years old on May 7th during the Tenkaichi.
(and in this house we do not doubt the Announcer’s ability to give accurate info)
If we want the boys’ ages to make sense, we need to think they’ll be turning 8 and 9 respectively.
And the Tenkaichi Budokai is traditionally held every three years so the Buu saga needs to happen “just a little under 9 years” after the Cell Games.
The problem is that if that’s the case, no matter how you add it up, May 7th, “a little under 9 years after the Cell games’, makes Gohan’ calendar age 17 (almost 18 since his birthday is coming up soon), but his biological age is almost 19. This means unless the Saiyaman arc takes place over a year and they train for that long for the tournament, his age doesn’t work.
Though that does mean “adult Gohan” for Buu Gohan actually works…
There is no way to make both these elements work… unless we question Gohan’s initial age.
He is holding three fingers up, not four!!
Indeed, Toriyama changed his age in the following chapter. His 3 years old situation was corrected in the volumes, but the artwork was NOT corrected. This is how you show 3 and 4 with your fingers in Japan!
If Gohan starts at 3 years old, then everything falls into place just fine.
And this is why many of us say Gohan was 10 when he killed Cell.
TLDR:
Recap chart n°1
Recap chart n°2 with Gohan being 3 when Raditz lands:
hi! Sorry if this has been asked already! But I notice with some Japanese artists on twitter, they will retweet someone's art and then comment about it in a separate tweet rather than replying directly to the post. Do you know if this is an etiquette thing? Is it obnoxious if I'm the only person commenting directly on a post? When I see art I love with no comments it makes me sad so I try to leave a comment, but I'm not sure if I should sometimes. Sorry if you've already addressed this, or if this is more of a twitter-specific thing and you're not concerned with that! Thanks for what you do!!
Ayo!!
I actually asked a few of my JPN tweet moots about this practice like, two years ago and basically it's a "I don't want to be a burden on OP" situation.
The idea is that for many of them, "commenting directly" is like, coming directly to their table and fangirl "in front of them", which means they (as the commenters) embarrass themselves in front of the author/artist and "impose" themselves on their (the OP's) space (OP might feel obligated to respond, which is a burden)
By RTing and then doing a LRT (or LRP for those who switched to "repost" instead of "retweet" because musk made it all confusing <_<), they get to "fangirl" in their own space and not embarrass themselves all while still inviting their followers to check out the original work (which was RT'd just previously).
Note that this also happens even if the OP and commenter are friends / mutuals / collab / part of the same circle (aka they published together).
60% of them told me they actually like it when people directly comment. The rest said they "don't mind" (whatever that means lol).
I generally comment 90% of my japanese TL, either in English, with some basic Japanese, or with just emojis (think of it as keysmashing lol).
What's important is be positive and kind, not use any slang or acronyms if possible, and keep sentence structure super simple (no subordinates, no relative pronouns, no possessives) so there's no room for error in the translation (esp automatic twitter translation).
Something like "the colors are really beautiful!", or "amazing" or "pretty!" (simple adjectives), "the wind effects are powerful!" translates well, but "i love how you did the colors, they bang!" might not due to the subordinates and pronouns and other pronouns that the translator might not know what it refers to (that and homonyms haha).
Don't hesitate to use the names of the characters instead of the pronouns ("Gohan's hair is very pretty!") then replace Gohan with the rice emoji (unless the OP uses the character names, in general they tend to not use character names because they don't want to be indexed...).
When in doubt, drop your comment in DeepL or google translate, copy the result, and then run it again the other away around (or through a third language you know, like Spanish, German, etc...). And beware of homonyms that can mean many things (I've made mistakes haha)
The storyboard given to the animators really goes barebones with the intentions (as they should) but Vegeta's angry gremlin sketched face is KILLING ME.
Also Trunks' little ^v^ face and antennae to Vegeta's >:c scrunch... so cute
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
✓ Live Streaming✓ Interactive Chat✓ Private Shows✓ HD Quality
Anya is LIVE right now
FREE
Free to watch • No registration required • HD streaming
So I finally caught some sleep (I woke up at 4 am, 20 minutes after the announcement, and slept a bit more after my last post announcing his passing).
First of all, this is going to be my panel: "See ya later guys, when you die we'll meet again!"
The hematoma that's mentioned in the statement announced in his passing implies a head injury (so perhaps he fell, perhaps something fell on his head, and the internal wound may have not be noticed)
The last artwork he did that was published was this new Sandland one to celebrate the upcoming series. It was revealed on March 4th, so after his passing. We don't know if it's the last artwork he did (he may have drawn this earlier and it was revealed later, who knows.
I'd also like to share some other statements, in no particular order:
Toyotaro's:
Masako Nozawa (Goku's VA) statement:
「コメントできる状況にございません」 -> "I am not in a position to comment."
(aka she was too shaken)
(Mayumi Tanaka, the voice of Krillin who was requested by Tori super early on will probably say something at some point too).
Oda (One Piece author) statement:
It is too early.
The hole is too big. Sadness washes over me when I think that I will never see him again.
I have admired him so much since I was a child, so I remember the day he called me by name for the first time. On the way home from the day you used the word "friend" for me and Kishimoto, I remember being overjoyed with Kishimoto. I also remember the last conversation we had.
I was one of those who took the baton from the days when reading manga made you a fool, and he also created an era when both adults and children could enjoy reading manga. He showed us the dream that manga can go worldwide. It was like watching a hero going forward.
For not only mangakas but also creators in various industries, the excitement and emotion of the time of Dragon Ball serialization must have taken root in their childhood.
His existence is like a big tree.
For the manga artists of our generation who stood on the same stage, Toriyama's works became more and more important to me as I got closer to the same stage. I even felt being scary. But I am just happy to see the aloof man himself again. Because we love him on a blood level.
With respect and gratitude for the creative world he has left behind.
I pray for his soulful rest in peace. May heaven be the joyous world he envisioned.
And Kishimoto's statement (the autho of Naruto)
To be honest, I don’t know what to write or how to write it. But right now, I want to tell Mr. Toriyama the things I always wanted to ask him and my feelings.
I grew up with Mr. Toriyama’s manga, Dr. Slump in elementary school and Dragon Ball in high school. It was natural for me to have Mr. Toriyama’s manga next to me as a part of my life. Even when I was feeling down, the weekly Dragon Ball always made me forget about it. It was a salvation for me, a country boy with nothing to do. That’s how much I enjoyed Dragon Ball!
When I was a college student, Dragon Ball, which had been a part of my life for so long, suddenly ended. I was overwhelmed by a tremendous sense of loss and didn’t know what to look forward to. But at the same time, it was an opportunity for me to realize from the bottom of my heart the greatness of Mr. Toriyama, who created Dragon Ball. I want to create a work like Mr. Toriyama’s! I want to be like Mr. Toriyama! As I chased after Mr. Toriyama, the sense of loss gradually disappeared. Because it was fun to create manga. By chasing after Mr. Toriyama, I was able to find new joy. Mr. Toriyama was always my compass. He was my inspiration. I may be bothering Mr. Toriyama, but I am grateful to him without permission. To me, he was a savior and a god of manga.
When I first met him, I was so nervous that I couldn’t say a word. But as I met him more and more at the Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize jury meeting, I was able to talk to him. I will never forget the time when I talked to him about how much fun Dragon Ball was, like a child with Oda-san, as Dragon Ball children, and how he smiled a little shyly.
I just received the news of Mr. Toriyama’s death. I am overwhelmed by a tremendous sense of loss, even greater than when Dragon Ball ended… I don’t know how to deal with this hole in my heart yet. I can’t read my favorite Dragon Ball right now. I don’t even feel like I’m writing this text properly to Mr. Toriyama. Everyone in the world was still looking forward to Mr. Toriyama’s work. If one Dragon Ball wish really comes true… I’m sorry… It may be selfish, but I’m sad, Mr. Toriyama.
Thank you, Mr. Akira Toriyama, for 45 years of wonderful work. And thank you very much for your hard work.
To the bereaved family, I pray that you will find peace and comfort in the midst of your grief. I pray for the peaceful repose of the soul of Mr. Akira Toriyama.
And finally one of Toriyama's close friends Masakazu Katsura (Video Girl AI author) also had this to say:
I feel drained and unmotivated. I don’t want to write a comment like this. But I’ll write something. Once I start writing, I’ll have so much to say that it will probably turn into a long text, but I’ll try to keep it as short as possible. I apologize for the rambling, as my thoughts are still not in order.
Looking back, all I have are fond memories of the times we spent together – whether it was visiting your house, having you stay over at mine, or going out on trips. Every time we talked on the phone, we would laugh so hard that we would get tired. You were a funny person. You were perverted, cute, sharp-tongued, and humble.
We collaborated on some manga projects, which were also a lot of fun. But 99% of the time, we never talked about manga. As a manga artist, the gap between the way we saw things and our level of skill was too great, and I never really felt your greatness. I know it now. But when I was with you, I never felt it at all. That’s just the kind of person you were. That’s why I still can’t think of you as anything other than a friend, even though you were a great manga artist.
Last summer, before I had surgery, you heard about it somewhere and sent me an email. It was really rare for you to send an email, and it was so full of concern for my health. We’ve been friends for 40 years, but that might have been the first time I felt such kindness from you. I thought it was going to snow. You know, you usually only talk about jokes or nonsense. What the hell, you shouldn’t be worried about other people, right?
I called you a little before that, and I was feeling sick all over, so I said, “I’ll probably go first, so have a farewell party for me, Toriyama! And make sure you give a speech, because it’ll make me look good!” But you didn’t keep your promise.
I really regret not calling you after you emailed me. I just can’t believe that I can’t talk to you on the phone for hours anymore. There are so many things I want to talk to you about. There are so many things I want to say. Even if you don’t care about what I have to say, you can just zone out like you always do. I just want to talk to you again. The last thing you said to me was “OK” in response to my email asking you to contact me again. That’s just not good enough. I’m so sad.
And the Dragon Quest LEGEND, Yuji Horii, too...
I am still filled with disbelief at the sudden news of Mr. Toriyama’s passing.
I have known Mr. Toriyama since I was a writer for Weekly Shonen Jump. At the recommendation of my editor, Torishima-san, I decided to ask him to draw the illustrations for the game Dragon Quest when we were launching it.
For over 37 years since then, he has drawn countless charming characters, including character designs and monster designs.
The history of Dragon Quest is one that has been intertwined with Mr. Toriyama’s character designs.
Mr. Toriyama and the late Mr. Sugiyama were longtime collaborators on Dragon Quest.
I can’t believe they’re gone…
I can’t find the words to express my sorrow. This is truly, truly a tragedy.
Torishima, his "evil editor" (the one the Mashirito from Dr Slump is inspired by), also put out a statement:
"The last time we worked together was on the book we published last year, 'Dr. Mashirito's Strongest Manga Technique.' In that book, 'Torishima and Toriyama Back Then' was the last manga we made together. 45 years, thank you very much. Mr. Toriyama, you were the best manga artist I have ever known."
(this is what he's talking about)
Feel free to reblog with your favorite manga panels, interviews, trivias, and let's pay a hommage to his life and work, alright??
