Now that Dragon Ball DAIMA has concluded, and with no immediate release date for the next chapter of Dragon Ball Super, fans of the manga and anime have once again entered the industries’ equivalent of Super‘s World of Void – a time and space devoid of new Dragon Ball content. However, there is at least one individual willing to help rescue the fan base from the void.
As shared by Nicolas D. Kaiwai, an aspiring mangaka, on his personal X (formerly Twitter) account @KaiwaiDB, legendary animator, character designer, and manga artist Katsuyoshi Nakatsuru recently revealed that he would eagerly take on the opportunity to create a Dragon Ball manga if given the chance. For fans of the Dragon Ball manga and anime, no announcement could be more exciting — provided that producers Shueisha and Toei Animation act on his offer.
Nakatsuru Can Help Solve The Dearth Of Dragon Ball Content
Nakatsuru made this statement during the Dragon Ball panel at the “Made in Asia Expo“, which took place earlier this month from March 7 to 9 in Brussels, Belgium.
While no one is likely to replace Toyotarou as Toriyama’s successor any time soon, Nakatsuru is undoubtedly qualified to craft his own Dragon Ball story – and the Dragon Ball franchise is expansive enough to accommodate both Nakatsuru and Toyotarou without any overlap or conflict. Notably, Nakatsuru has dedicated much of his career to the Dragon Ball universe. He began in 1986 as an animator for Toei Animation’s adaptation of Dragon Ball and later served as the lead animator and character designer for several Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z movies.
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According to his profile for the “Made in Asia Expo”, Nakatsuru is credited with animating some of the most epic moments in anime history. He is also the creative genius who designed Goku’s Super Saiyan 4 form from the Dragon Ball GT animated series — a Saiyan form that Akira Toriyama clearly appreciated and found worthy of inclusion in the recent Dragon Ball DAIMA series. Incidentally, Nakatsuru was also involved in the DAIMA anime. Importantly, Nakatsuru is famous for his artistic approach, which many believe resembles Toriyama’s style more than any other.
Nakatsuru Is Steeped In The Dragon Ball Tradition
Nakatsuru is no stranger to leading a Toriyama-based series. In the 1990s, he collaborated with Takao Koyama on The Brief Return of Dr. Slump, a sequel to Toriyama’s iconic manga Dr. Slump. The series ran for two years in V-Jump, a sister publication of Shonen Jump.
This all goes to show that, with his technical expertise and deep understanding of Dragon Ball and its creator, Nakatsuru is well-equipped to produce an epic Dragon Ball series or anime that would offer a distinct vibe and feel, differing from Toyotarou’s work. For the Dragon Ball fan base, which has been eagerly awaiting new content for over a year, more Dragon Ball is always welcome.
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.
- Created by
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Akira Toriyama
- First Film
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Dragon Ball: Curse of the Blood Rubies
- Latest TV Show
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Super Dragon Ball Heroes
- First Episode Air Date
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April 26, 1989
- Latest Episode
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2019-10-05
- Cast
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Sean Schemmel, Laura Bailey, Brian Drummond, Christopher Sabat, Scott McNeil
This story originally appeared on Screenrant
