i remember the first time DBZ was shown here in Britain. i was six and determined to watch it thanks to cartoon network‘s marketing. already knowing and loving pokémon, anything remotely similar-looking was bound to get our attention. my younger brother and i watched it on a small portable tv in the kitchen. we loved it instantly. the bold characters, the weird not-quite-reality setting, martial arts and aliens. the fast, hard action that had the rhythms of a bruce lee fight scene. it was like nothing we’d seen before. i think we loved it so deeply and so unique did it feel that it has coloured nearly all my experiences since. everything i've seen after dragon ball has caught its intense light.
Live Toriyama footage
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I think Toriyama will be remembered as the 2nd most important mangaka only to Tezuka for reach of his work and longevity. I am a huge fan of his manga and artwork , I was actually rereading Sandland the same night I later would learn he had passed away. I first encountered a tangental link to his work in 1988 with the US release of Dragon Power on NES , I thought this game was novel and something about it I liked without really knowing it was an odd port of Dragonball. The next place I would start to see his work was illustrations for Dragon Quest in the game. By the time I started seeing bootleg dragonball merch in Boston‘s China town I was hooked. I got as much fansubbed Dragonball and Z VHS as I could. as much legit and bootleg dragonball manga as I could. It’s a real shame he passed in this way without getting to entirely say goodbye. I think his work will live forever. Also I believe he has a Son and Daughter I too hope they get to inherit his IP rights.
@Gaagaagiins he was like a great tree 
Just learned about this from a high schooler where I work… goddamn. This doesn’t hit me as personally as Kazuki Takahashi or Kentaro Miura (and they all technically died of different causes) but the composite picture of that entire generation of manga artists working themselves into early graves as the price of success is so goddamn bleak. Really hope this prompts some reflection about unhealthy work processes being such a celebrated norm in the manga world.
@treefroggy Dragon Quest XII really will be the last of its kind huh… wonder if Horii will retire once it’s out.
@treefroggy it's like the oldest tree that seeded the forest we all live in got hit by lightning
Trying to decide which Toriyama-filled game to play tonight. DQVII, Blue Dragon, Dr. Slump. So many options for things I've never played before.
@2501
Dragon Quest XII really will be the last of its kind huh… wonder if Horii will retire once it’s out.
At this point, let’s just hope he makes it through. Wouldn’t really have expected him to become the Paul McCartney of the Dragon Quest band, if you had asked me ten years ago.
I hope Nakamura is in good health. I think he’s about ten years younger than Horii and Toriyama.
DQ13 is going to be full of interesting decisions. Asking people like Tanaka Kōhei (or Tawada Tsukasa?) and Dragongarow Lee (or Murata Yūsuke?) to ape the original artists’ styles, or go in a completely new direction. Given what happened to Tezuka characters and Shin-chan, I am rather expecting Bird Studio and Capsule Corporation to maintain the business rolling and keep churning characters _a la_ Toriyama.
@chazumaru Are we sure there’s even going to be a DQ13? I mean, probably, but the main series is so synonymous with the work of three specific artists that I could see even Square Enix retiring it out of respect if Horii were to request it.
Mexican Flags at half mast today
@2501 that‘s the question on everyone’s mind (those who care about DQ anyway hah) It‘s up to Horii or Square. There’s no telling what is yet to come, certainly more spinoffs. Horii could do it, he's lost his partners but it really depends on his own feelings, he was the one directing his art partners for Dragon Quest. So let him mourn.
@2501 Are we sure there’s even going to be a DQ13? I mean, probably, but the main series is so synonymous with the work of three specific artists that I could see even Square Enix retiring it out of respect if Horii were to request it.
I don’t see Horii (or his estate) making the DQ train stop running upon his own retirement or death, but another good question is whether Japanese consumers will still care about Dragon Quest after the original creators all left the scene. I had asked a bunch of Japanese friends who was the most important element of DQ for them and they all unanimously and separately replied Horii.
FF7 Rebirth is having a terrible first week of sales in Japan, which follows the disappointing sales of FF16 last year; it is now pretty evident FF is not the cultural juggernaut it once was, and possibly (_boy, I hate what I am going to write_) a weaker brand than Kingdom Hearts (_shudder_) in Japan at this point. We often take DQ’s brand power in Japan for granted, and it is true that DQM3 probably overcame expectations last Christmas season, but there is a clear generation turnover issue with the brand, and there is no guarantee that existing Japanese fans stick around once Horii is out of the picture.
In comparison and to kinda return to the main topic of this thread, Dragon Ball clearly managed to transcend generations, both in Japan and overseas, thanks notably to Dragon Ball Kai.
@chazumaru FF7 Rebirth is having a terrible first week of sales in Japan, which follows the disappointing sales of FF16 last year; it is now pretty evident FF is not the cultural juggernaut it once was
Imagine that XIV is excluded from this though? Individually it seems to exist in a separate realm from the rest of the franchise.
@sabertoothalex I have no idea about the cultural significance and market share of FF14 in Japan right now. I assume it is the #1 MMO in the country but I am not sure we’ve had recent data on how many players it represents.
In any case, it is quite clear the FF14 userbase in Japan is either too small or (more likely) not interested to sustain other FF endeavors, even if the projects come from the same development team that oversees FF14. I suspect FF14 players just want SQEX and especially BD3 to focus more on FF14 / on more FF14.
looking on the bright side, toriyama‘s output changed in the early 00’s to reflect a different style, now that it‘s time to find someone else to do the art, it opens the door for someone who is really good at emulating his 90’s art style for dragon quest games.