Where to Start with Akira Toriyama
Akira Toriyama changed the course of manga and anime forever. Born in Nagoya, Japan in 1955, he first gained fame with the gag manga Dr. Slump in 1980 before creating Dragon Ball in 1984, a series that would go on to become one of the bestselling manga of all time with over 260 million copies sold worldwide. His clean, expressive art style and knack for blending comedy with escalating action set the template for an entire generation of shonen manga. Toriyama passed away in March 2024, but his influence on the medium is permanent. Nearly every major shonen creator since, from Masashi Kishimoto to Eiichiro Oda, has cited him as a primary inspiration.
Start here
Dragon Ball
Akira Toriyama · 4200 pages · 1984 · Easy
Themes: adventure, friendship, martial arts, perseverance
Start here. Dragon Ball follows Son Goku, a monkey-tailed boy living alone in the mountains, whose life changes when he meets Bulma, a teenage girl searching for seven mystical Dragon Balls that can grant any wish. What begins as a lighthearted adventure comedy loosely inspired by the Chinese novel Journey to the West gradually transforms into one of the most influential action stories ever told.
Why Start Here
Dragon Ball is the foundation of everything Toriyama built. Starting from the beginning lets you experience the full arc of his creative evolution: the slapstick humor and inventive world-building of the early chapters, the tightening focus on martial arts tournaments in the middle stretch, and the explosive power escalation of the later sagas. Each phase reveals a different side of his genius.
The early volumes are pure fun. Toriyama’s comedic timing is impeccable, his character designs are instantly iconic, and he draws action sequences with a clarity that makes complex fights easy to follow. You do not need any background in manga to enjoy this. The art does the heavy lifting.
What to Expect
A sprawling adventure that covers Goku’s journey from childhood to fatherhood across 42 volumes (published in the West as Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z). The tone shifts significantly over time. The first third is a comedy adventure with martial arts tournaments. The second third introduces higher stakes and interplanetary threats. The final stretch is pure high-powered battle manga. Toriyama never loses his sense of humor, though. Even in the most intense fights, there are moments of absurd comedy that only he could pull off.
The page count is substantial, but the reading pace is fast. Toriyama’s layouts are clean and dynamic, designed to keep you turning pages without effort.