Toriyama Shorts

鳥山明○作劇場 [Toriyama Akira Marusaku Gekijou] #1-3

by Akira Toriyama, Cordelia Suzuki (Übersetzer)

Fast vergriffen und doch wieder da: Die famosen Short Stories I-III von Akira Toriyama als Massiv-Ausgabe! In »Go! Go! Ackman!« wird Dämonenjunge Ackman beim Sammeln von Menschenseelen von einem Engel geärgert, mit »Dragon Boy« ist der Vorläufer zur Dragon-Ball-Serie am Start und in »Wonder Island« gibt's die erste von Toriyama überhaupt veröffentlichte Kurzgeschichte. Ein großer Spaß und ein Muss für alle Fans des berühmten Mangaka!

Toriyamas frühe Werke - jetzt zum genießen in praktischer und extradicker Sammelausgabe!

Genres: Manga, Comics, Graphic Novels, Short Stories, Fantasy, Comedy, Fiction

624 pages, Paperback

First published December 7, 2021

About the author

Akira Toriyama (鳥山明) was a Japanese manga artist and character designer. He first achieved mainstream recognition for creating the popular manga series Dr. Slump, before going on to create Dragon Ball (his most famous work) and acting as a character designer for several popular video games such as the Dragon Quest series, Chrono Trigger, and Blue Dragon. Toriyama came to be regarded as one of the most important authors in the history of manga with his works highly influential and popular, particularly Dragon Ball, which many manga artists cite as a source of inspiration.
He earned the 1981 Shogakukan Manga Award for best shōnen/shōjo manga with Dr. Slump, and it went on to sell over 35 million copies in Japan. It was adapted into a successful anime series, with a second anime created in 1997, 13 years after the manga ended.
His next series, Dragon Ball, would become one of the most popular and successful manga in the world. Having sold 260 million copies worldwide, it is one of the best-selling manga series of all time and is considered a key work in increasing manga circulation to its peak in the mid-1980s and mid-1990s. Overseas, Dragon Ball's anime adaptations have been more successful than the manga and are credited with boosting anime's popularity in the Western world. In 2019, Toriyama was decorated a Chevalier of the French Ordre des Arts et des Lettres for his contributions to the arts.
In October 2024, Toriyama was inducted into the Harvey Awards Hall of Fame.

Reviews

[Sam Quixote · Rating 2 out of 5]

Akira Toriyama’s short manga from the late ‘70s to mid ‘90s was previously collected in three omnibuses and this new hardcover edition collects all three omnibuses. I love Toriyama’s Dragon Ball books (except almost all of Super - what a misnomer!) so it’s weird how everything he did outside of that series wasn’t even half as good. I’ve tried Dr Slump, Cowa, Jaco, Sand Land, and now Manga Theater, and they’re all stinkers!

The biggest problem is that they’re basically all comedy shorts and Toriyama is not funny. The best manga here were the ones that weren’t going for out-and-out silly comedy all the time, like Karamaru and the Perfect Day, which is basically about a young Goku-like kid, as is Dragon Boy, which reads like the early Dragon Ball books I love (Z is fantastic but I think I prefer the young Goku stories better).

It is interesting, as a Dragon Ball fan, to see Toriyama working towards his most famous series, starting in the ‘70s, slowly inching towards the winning formula, working out his ideas in these shorts. Most of his male protagonists begin to resemble Goku until he basically gets there with Tangtong who takes a Chi Chi lookalike back to her home at the behest of Master Roshi (that’s actually the character’s name but he’s much younger here than Dragon Ball’s Master Roshi) who appears on a flying cloud (like the Nimbus!). Unlike Goku with his monkey tail though, Tangtong has wings.

The adventures of Tongpoo was also a short I liked that was similar to Dragon Ball where we see an early version of Bulma in the form of Plamo, and the capsule houses, vehicles, etc. that were a feature of the early Dragon Ball books. Also like Dragon Ball is the uncomfortable perviness, particularly given how sexualised Plamo is - even after we’re told she’s 14 years old! Ugh…

What’s amazing is how good Toriyama’s art is right from the start. His late ‘70s stuff is more cartoony (even back then he was naming his characters after food) but it’s still very accomplished for someone just beginning their manga career. It’s also fascinating to see it develop over the years, though he seems to have a very limited number of character designs. Cashman, Soldier of Savings, is basically Cell from DBZ, while Go Go Ackman is an Addams Family version of Trunks (both characters feature in multiple, increasingly tedious stories unfortunately).

There are a LOT of stories here so obviously I’m not going to go through each one but suffice it to say most aren’t worth bothering reading and are instantly forgettable, unfunny, just godawful trash. I love Dragon Ball but it’s literally the only good title Akira Toriyama seems to have created - which is still a helluva accomplishment, but also means everyone, even Dragon Ball fans, can skip anything else by this creator, including the bloated bore of a book that is Akira Toriyama’s Manga Theater.

[Murtaza · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having just turned the final page of "Akira Toriyama's Manga Theatre," I'm filled with a deep sense of nostalgia for Toriyama's work, particularly the "Dragon Ball" series, which holds a special place in my heart. As a kid, diving into the adventures of Goku and his friends wasn't just entertainment; it was a journey through myriad life lessons that have stayed with me over the years. The bravery, kindness, and perseverance demonstrated by the characters inspired me to embody those values in my own life.

Reflecting on Toriyama's legacy, it's clear how much of an impact his storytelling has had, not just on me, but on countless others. His unique blend of humor, adventure, and emotional depth made "Dragon Ball" more than just a manga or an anime; it was a guidebook for navigating the challenges of growing up. From learning the importance of friendship and teamwork to understanding the value of facing fears head-on, Toriyama's work offered both escape and education.

Finishing "Akira Toriyama's Manga Theatre" has been a bittersweet experience. It's a reminder of the end of an era, but also a celebration of the timeless lessons and joy that Toriyama's work has brought into our lives. I hope that by sharing my reflections, others will be encouraged to revisit these stories or discover them anew, finding in them the same courage, laughter, and wisdom that have enriched my life.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this is perfectly serviceable, it's really mostly for the Toriyama fans out there. At over 600 pages, the three-volume omnibus of Toriyama's short work (ranging from 1978-1994) begins to feel repetitive fairly quickly. All of the heroes are plucky in the exact same way, the humor stays firmly in the potty or fourth wall breaking zones, and the sexism is impressive, with girls' intelligence directly corresponding to how much clothing they wear. (Our smartest heroine has on a long skirt; the dumbest is constantly shown from upskirt angles.) No, the male demographic and time period these were written in isn't an excuse.

It is interesting as a survey of how Toriyama's art has evolved; he didn't really achieve his signature style until 1988. It's also neat to see the Dragonball prototype in 1983's "Dragon Boy" and the fact that Clamp's Chobits was likely inspired by Toriyama's "Chobit," which features a heroine who's a dead ringer for Sumomo. But this is really for the Toriyama fans, as I said. Otherwise it starts to feel like a slog about a hundred pages in.

[Mike Wik · Rating 5 out of 5]

interesting look into the early years of the grandfather of modern manga. cannot reccomend enough

[Ian Chambers · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a big DBZ and Chrono Trigger fan this was amazing to read through and see what inspired his most famous character designs. Really enjoyed the sections on how he broke into the industry as well. Such a great collection!

[Doc · Rating 3 out of 5]

A peek into the past

Just as a warning the mangaka is not just known for his action scenes but also sometimes depicts characters in nude and/or lewd shots so be warned if such things as that and the occasional infantile humor really bothers you.

Containing all 3 volumes of Akira Toriyama's Manga Theater this hardcover monster is a great look back into various manga shorts created by the man later best known for the Dragon Ball manga and anime. Now as a warning for fans of his later works this does not mean you will necessarily enjoy his earlier works as all manga artists eventually evolve in style and it even turns out he was not particularly happy about how some of his old stuff came out so don't be surprised if you have your favorites and your least cared for stories as you make you way through this 600+ page archive of Akira Toriyama's shorter tales and we learn about his processes to becoming the man he is today (or at least up to the time of the original run of the books.)

One of the things I enjoyed doing as I read the stories is look at how certain aspects seem to influence what became Dragon Ball later on whether being a name, character design, or even a gadget as I think back to the classic series of original and DBZ. :)

[Jen · Rating 3 out of 5]

My thanks to NetGalley and VIZ Media LLC for an eARC copy of this book to read and review.

I like the concept of an anthology of a manga professional's work being chronologically shown, you can see how they grew as an artist and storyteller. The only negative is that I skipped about the first third of the book because it was just ... not to my tastes at all. As the book and chronology progressed, I was able to enjoy what was being presented.

3 solid stars. Recommended if you like this writer, it's always interesting to see how an artist and writer progresses in their career and work.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

Toriyama is the goddamn GOAT

[Noah M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty fun seeing some of his older stuff

[ML · Rating 4 out of 5]

Likes his notes on the stories.

[HowardtheDuck95 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall this was a fun read. It’s a fascinating look at the early and extraneous work of one of the most prominent Shonen manga creators of all time, Akira Toriyama. If you only know him from Dragon Ball Z and aren’t familiar with the rest of his work, this book might be a bit of a shock. It’s dense, it’s wacky, and it’s rough in places. If you know his other work, like Dr Slump and the original Dragon Ball, this will feel more familiar. In fact, you can easily see where he developed some of the concepts he’d develop into both series.

The first two stories are fun, but primitive. You can tell he’s finding his voice. The humor is here, the art is not quite there, and the plot is nowhere. The first story really worth discussing is Tomato the Cutsey Gumshoe. It’s the first one that really has that spark and shine he’s known for, and is very clearly the predecessor to Slump, even having a Superman parody that would develop into Suppaman, and there’s even a character (not a doctor) named Slump. There’s the story of the tiny alien lady, Chobit, and honestly I thought it was pretty interesting, but apparently it wasn’t very popular. Understandable, but that second entry especially was quite amusing.

This is followed by a mix of fun sci-fi fantasy stories that kind of blend together, but are very fun to read. Almost a more cutsey heavy metal. You get blondes, dinosaurs, and tough protagonists, and a giant fridge and a drought. Weird but amusing. And a space cabbie. I think Toriyama was working through some things here, but it’s a fun period.

Then comes three that are kinda standout. You’ve got Dragon Boy, which is a really solid story of what clearly becomes like, 1/2 of Dragon Ball. It’s got a boy with animal traits, a rich girl companion, and Chinese mythology. Even has a guy named Master Roshi. It’s fun stuff, but you can tell the mix isn’t quite ready yet.

The next story is where the other half comes in. It’s a sci fi story but with a similar formula. A really strong boy meeting a girl, both stranded, but he’s got some amenities…capsules! They’re a little different here, but this is clearly where he first played with the concept. And the bad guy is an alien that is both a Giger knockoff and like what he himself would later put in Dragon Ball.

Next up is the during and around Dragon Ball period. There’s a simple story about a veteran who saves a girl in distress, that’s fun but not really worth noting aside from him looking like Yamcha and it having a lot of animal people, like early Dragon Ball.

The final stuff you can kinda feel the air leaving the tires. The space cop who needs money is amusing but the gag gets tired quick, and you can tell he realized it by the end. The Elder is great though. Peak Toriyama, and a tight and darkly hilarious premise. The story about the dude with a super car trying to pick up women is superfluous. The final thing, with the demon kid, is actually fairly funny, but with a few questionable dated gags that probably won’t sit right with some.

Overall this book is a worthwhile endeavor for fans of Toriyama, but it’s definitely not a first Toriyama book. It’s not his finest, far from it, but it’s a fascinating look at how his finest came to be, and at some ideas understandably left at the wayside.

[Willie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great for hardcore Toriyama fans who want to understand his roots and see the ideas that clearly led to Dragon Ball, not much in here for casual readers though.

[ギーカミ BOOKMARK°S · Rating 3 out of 5]

● Most of you will know the author by his magnum opus and world-wide phenomenon series of “Dragon Ball (Z)”. You're greeted by his iconic drawing style - at first in a yet-to-be-refined state.
● Most stories feel and are really old school from their vibe and jokes, definitely fits the meaning of “Manga” = Unrestrained Pictures. Especially the first ones are just a amalgamation of consecutive gags, curious situations and that presented with wackily drawn comic figures. Due to it being one shots, there is no “plot” in the classical sense and the characters are flat. The figures are mainly male and the female ones seem to be there more for the cute and sexy looks - you could argue they tend to have "plot" and are not flat. The olden days, I guess *shrug*. Still, the manga gets some chuckles and laughs out of you. They feel like Donald Duck comic stories and reminds me of how I did my own comics as a kid and how bad they were.
● Between chapters/one shots you get one-page mini comics that describe Toriyama's real life during the time of the comics releases. For people interested in the authors origins and his career, this gives a valuable look into that past of his. Auto-biography-excerpts you could call them.
● The 4th wall is broken from time to time, and in his first comics the scenes and characters are switched out all the time. Random items just appear and disappear out of nowhere, like in Tom-and-jerry cartoons where everything is completely absurd and non-persistent. Gimmicks are tried out with every chance, you really can see that there was not much planning or experience at hand. More subtle meta puns still can be found later on, like a billboard in from of a mountain writing "bird" on it, which is in reference to his name, as "Toriyama" consists of the two words bird (Tori) + mountain (yama) in Japanese.
● So many pop culture (of that time) references! Cola, Astro boy, Ultraman are just casually used, completely unhinged.
● Interesting to see how the industry as a whole evolved over time. Some of nowadays established drawing/art techniques and conventions weren't prominent at that time. E. g. a flashback is indicated by rounded panel corners instead of black in between backgrounds. And shading apart from some simple manual (cross)-hatching isn't used at all. Only speed lines and onomatopoeia words are used plenty of times. You can see that pages are pretty basic in their layout of panels, but every now and then you see Toriyama playing around with different ideas and how panels and their borders are used in a way that makes them part of the story (mainly them being walls that can be broken by characters). Especially in his early works he made full use with the creative freedom of this medium. But simultaneously the aspiring mangaka still needed to discover his own style and what generally works out and what doesn't. It reminds me of really old school websites or PowerPoint presentations where every special effects and formatting that exists is applied at once. That obviously produces an obnoxiously looking Frankenstein-monster without some consistency. But hey, it still is effective enough for the most part, as it grasps your attention and makes you shake your head smiling as you're struck by short-terms surprises and your expectations are defied time and time again.
● “Dragon Boy” is a clear spiritual predecessor/ancestor to Dragon ball. Interesting to see the parallels and differences (for example that the main character, aka Gokus pendant, has dragon wings!). It's also interesting how you come across some of the concepts of the DBZ universe in other stories, the capsules being one example I'm thinking of. The protagonist of "Go! Go! Ackman" has "Trunks" written all over him and even gets to slay an alien in half similar to Trunk's iconic moment! A Piccolo prototype makes an appearance, as well, there. Even the worlds which are presented themselves, are reeking of Dragon Ball DNA: You often have similar settings, like a sci-fi universe with alien planets or a rural village area of some sort. I'd go even as far as proclaiming that the shapes of the trees, boulders, mountains and vehicles and buildings (which often are half-spherical) have a distinct and unique “Toriyama” flair to them! By reading this cluster of tales consecutively this can get a bit repetitive, though.
● The author clearly has a fixation about young women bathing and being spotted by a man per accident. 😅 The old-school panty shots and various skin-showing lascivious outfits for female characters aside, this sometimes feels a bit too forced into the story for my taste.
● “Arale” from the comic series ”Dr. Slump” has a cameo yet again, just like in DB.

Ranking Stories (titles might be off, as I'm translating them from German):
“Wonder Island” Part
- Wonder Island: ★★★☆☆ (I mean for a debut work, this is pretty funny and well made)
- Wonder Island 2: ★★☆☆☆
- Girlie-Cop Tomato: ★★★☆☆ (meh. Cute, strong girl was the main appeal)
- Pola & Roid: ★★★★☆ (One of the better woman-man dynamics in his stories imo)
- Mad Matic: ★★★★☆
- Chobit 1 & 2: ★★★☆☆ (wasted potential)
“Dragon Boy” Part
- Today on Highlight Island: ★☆☆☆☆ (annoying protagonist and no structure/concept)
- Escape: ★★★★★ (for how short it was it really made good use out of the pages)
- Pink: ★★★★★ (fitting idiom: “drama, love, insanity”)
- Dragon Boy 1 + 2: ★★★★☆ (lol, that one enemy really takes me back to playing Dragon Quest, I wonder if that robot design always was a reference to this manga)
- Tongpoo's big adventure: ★★★★☆
- Mister Ho: ★★★☆☆ (yet another blunt damsel-in-distress scenario...)
- Kennosuke-sama: ★★★★★ (from my own personal experience I can attest, that dating and some girls out there can be incomprehensible and tiring. A+ for effort, Kennosuke-sama!)
- The mayor: ★★★★★ (LOL, because he's the mayor that my city needs, but not the one it deserves right now)
“Go! Go! Ackman!” Part
- Mamejiro: ★☆☆☆☆ (wtf, just unfunny bullying)
- Karamaru: ★★★☆☆
- Cashman: ★★★★★ (ahh yes, the classic designs of DBZ aliens and their attire! Even the fights are reminiscent of DBZ and +1 for the unnecessary posing! POV: The Ginyu-force PTSD hit's.)
- Dub & Peter 1: ★★☆☆☆ (weird and toxic friendship, but the twist at the end was still funny. Also a good, black anime character for once, and it's even a nerd one which I can identify with)
- Go! Go! Ackman: ★★★☆☆. The story is too episodic and feels written without an aim in mind apart from the concept "bad devil" collecting souls vs. "incompetent angel". Note: “Akuma” in Japanese is devil, and “Aku” means bad. So Aku-man could've been translated to Bad-man (or Devilman), missed opportunity


All in all, I really enjoyed reading these goofy and short stories. To give personal context/motivation for this: Recently I have been way too stressed out with my life, and I couldn't take in much more “refined”/though-provoking reading material. My brain just couldn't handle it. So reading this was the perfect antidote for my everyday-life situation: A light read with little text or complexity. Just releasing a bit dopamine through laughing at stupid pictures and getting me distracted by the problems and hurdles of real life. So my recommendation is: Turn your brain off, and LOL about some unsophisticated jests with their beautiful simplicity and straight-forwardness.

Just after reading two thirds of the stories, I saw the news about Toriyamas death. He influenced many generations of readers and other artists alike, and forged a cult classic that stands the test of time. I don't think it's an understatement to declare that he laid the foundation for shonen and battle manga and paved the way for manga as a medium to be accepted by society for holding an artistic value not lesser than novels/books. RIP to a legend.

[Christine Craft · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! I’m thrilled I finally got to read Akira Toriyama’s Manga Theater 1-3 because it’s filled with adventurous one-shots, short stories, gags, and added insight into Akira Toriyama’s work and life.

I enjoyed reading Akira Toriyama’s early work because it’s a collection of an artist preserving through rejection, criticism, and the difficulties of being a novice striving to make it in the industry. His stories are action-packed and entertaining. The gags are funny and showcase Akira Toriyama’s trademark sense of humor. Along with that, Toriyama’s early art is fascinating to study since it develops throughout the collection until it eventually starts to mature into his signature style.

The only criticism I have is that some of the stories, characters, and gags are somewhat repetitive. Other than that, his early art takes some time to improve, so don’t go into this collection thinking all of the art will be on par with his popular works. In fact, Akira Toriyama even mentions that he’s embarrassed by his super early work in the author’s comment section. I personally had an opposite reaction and ended up staring in awe at his old work because it seemed more like a testament to his talent, dedication to his craft, and an excellent example of an artist overcoming career struggles in order to become a professional in the industry.

Overall, it was a delight to read Akira Toriyama’s Manga Theater because it intensified my admiration for Toriyama’s work. This was an incredible read and I’m very thankful it finally got translated. It’s an awesome collection and I highly recommend it to fellow Toriyama fans.

[João Malcher · Rating 3 out of 5]

Este livro é uma coletânea dos vários one-shot e pequenas séries de Akira Toriyama, mais conhecido no ocidente como o criador de Dragon Ball - o Japão já o conhecia da sua manga de grande sucesso chamada Dr. Slump. As estórias começam em 1978 e terminam em 1994 e é visível a mudança de traço, como se passou com o universo DragonBall original (leia-se "até ao fim do DBZ") e a arte nos videojogos Dragon Quest. Toriyama é um mangaka de comédia que a pouco e pouco foi dando mais ênfase à acção. O formato one-shot não dá muito espaço de manobra para desenvolver grandes narrativas, mas mesmo assim Toriyama acaba por repetir muito a sua fórmula, com conteúdo erótico em contextos de humor (nem sempre engraçados) e o formato herói/anti-herói que é um rapaz pequeno e que vence tipos grandes e fanfarrões. Mas temos de dar mérito onde ele é merecido: o design peculiar das personagens, a multitude de veículos desenhados com mestria, a mistura de elementos tão díspares como dinossauros e extraterrestres numa mesma história, a inclusão de dispositivos engenhosos (uma variante das famosas cápsulas de DB têm a sua origem numa das estórias) e a composição e dinamismo dos painéis. Nota para os pequenos textos escritos pelo próprio autor sobre a sua carreira, onde Toriyama refere que tinha mais interesse em ver filmes do que propriamente ler mangas. Isto ajuda a explicar a multiplicidade de referências a figuras da cultura pop e design de alguns personagens.
Dito isto, é um livro que apenas recomendo aos fãs de Toriyama ou a quem tenha curiosidade de ver a evolução de um mangaka consagrado para lá dos seus trabalhos de maior sucesso.

[Shadow Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

KAME....HAME...HAAAAAAAAA!

Sorry! I'm just a huge Dragon Ball fan. I was halfway through watching a Dragon Ball Z episode on Cheez TV on channel 10 till my mum got me off the telly to go to school which is so annoying but it doesn't stop me from being a huge Dragon Ball fan. I still got a couple of DBZ vhs tapes got seasons 1-7 DBZ dvds as I'm yet to add seasons 8 & 9 dvds soon played some DBZ tazo discs from chips played some games while Dragon Ball FighterZ is THE BEST Dragon Ball game I played I'm a little ok with DBGT and I read all 519 chapters of the manga - volumes 1-16 of Dragon Ball that has 194 chapters while 26 volumes Dragon Ball Z are actually Dragon Ball volumes 17-42 containing chapters 195-519 and I read DB Super up to chapter 72 in volume 16. Akira Toriyama is a legend!

And hopefully I get a chance to find Dr Slump volume 1 in good condition soon

Akira Toriyama's Manga Theater is just a collection of short stories of his earlier works as a manga artist just before Dr Slump & Dragon Ball became popular containing 3 volumes that originally released in the late 1970's to mid 1990's as part of the Weekly Shonen Jump anthology manga books. Most of the characters reminds me of various Dragon Ball characters. Here are a couple of my favs
The Elder (1988)
Dragon Boy (1983)

Akira Toriyama's Manga Theater will definitely make you smile and laugh and it's definitely a must read not just for Dragon Ball fans but for older manga fans. Loved it

[Dean · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've always been a huge fan of the Dragon Ball series, and have been hunting for a copy of Toriyama's prototype for the series, "Dragon Boy". So imagine my surprise when I found this collection of his early work, including said prototype, at my local bookstore!

I thoroughly enjoyed this collection, both because I'm a manga fan and because it's a fascinating exploration of Toriyama's early years as a writer and artist. You can see his skills being further honed with each story, and you can also see countless characters and concepts that ended up working their way into his more well-known projects, like Dr. Slump and Dragon Ball. As an amateur archivist, this is one of my favorite things: looking at the genesis of projects to see how they came to fruition, and this book is an AMAZING look into the seeds of some of the best manga and anime ever created.

Any fan of Toriyama's work should grab a copy of this, as should anyone with an interest in manga and comics. Love him or hate him, you can't deny that Toriyama had a MASSIVE impact on manga, video games, and anime, and this collection is a great narrative of how he came to find himself as an artist and writer. Can't recommend this one enough.

[Paperback League · Rating 2 out of 5]

One of the most striking hardcovers on the manga shelf, Toriyama’s Manga Theater appears exciting and full of mystery, giving readers a greater insight into the master creator of the Dragon Ball series. While exciting to open and jump in, there’s a repetitive dance with formulaic tropes, seeming as if Toriyama was throwing ideas at a wall until they stuck like DB. Despite this, it was endearing to see design aspects and styles that would make it onto DB later on.

This collection of mangas earns its two-star review with the increasing use of lewd ideas. It was already suspect with Bulma in DB, but this collection really bent the limits of what Toryiama is capable of: it’s uncomfortable.

One silver lining is found in the last story, Go! Go! Ackman, which really pumps Toriyama’s classic DBZ art to eleven. It’s funny, satirical, and embraces wonderful inking and backgrounds.

All in all, it’s worth a read for the die-hard Toriyama fans. Just a warning: it really shows his… enthusiastic side.

PL

[Sam Newton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't think of any time when the death of an icon stirred much personal emotion. But a few days ago, I found myself a little surprised by the somber reaction I felt upon learning of Akira Toriyama's death. Maybe it was because he actually influenced me and played a developmental role throughout my adolescence. Not sure, but it was a melancholy few days.

I decided to revisit this collection of his lesser-known works from the 1970s-90s. As a big time fan of Dr. Slump and the OG Dragon Ball series, I am absolutely captivated with the charm, humor, innocence and crass of these short stories. Brimming with whimsical art and inventively goofy stories, each page is a delight as you read about some quirky character caught in an absurd situation. The stories are unique and versatile, showcasing Toriyama's impressive range as one of the most influential mangakas ever. And to me, the most important.

[Cait · Rating 2 out of 5]

Really compelling as like, a document of a period of artistic development. Toriyama really just iterated his way to success and it's fascinating to see him play with the same recurring ideas and designs and watch as all the building blocks of Dragon Ball gradually come together. There are little flashes of brilliance sprinkled all over.

Honestly pretty boring as a collection of gag manga, though. Not to say there aren't some funny bits here and there, but most of the writing is really pretty dull and Toriyama himself talks about how rushed some of the one-shots are in the notes. The first stories are pretty choppy, as you might expect, but the last story in particular is also pretty bad: a gratuitously violent exercise in 90s edgelord trends, heavy on the fan service, with a random gag involving a transgender stripper. You hate to see the greats stoop so low.

[Guilherme Medeiros · Rating 4 out of 5]

Akira Toriyama é um gênio, mas nem por isso tudo que ele tocou é dourado.

Essa coleção de one shots revelou o processo de um dos maiores mangakas até o estrelato. Como fã, foi prazeroso identificar diversos elementos que viriam a se tornar peças centrais de futuros sucessos. Ainda assim, algumas histórias eram simplesmente ruins, ou inadequadas, mesmo se pensarmos em outra era. No entanto, a arte extremamente estilizada e os detalhes de tirar o fôlego estão lá.
"Mad Matic" tem alguns dos visuais mais impressionantes do Toriyama (que é uma máquina em desenhar maquinario), e olha que eu li Dr. Slump e DragonBall de cabo a rabo.
Outras estórias, no entanto, pecam muito!

Em resumo: só sugiro a leitura para fãs, pois esses realmente serão agraciados por um mestre em constante movimento.

[Sage · Rating 5 out of 5]

I will admit, from the start, that I am a massive fan of Akira Toriyama's work. I love Dragon Ball, both the manga and the anime, as well as Dragon Quest, Dr. Slump, and Chrono Trigger. Toriyama-san is one of my all-time favorite artists, so this is the primary reason why I bought this book.

All that being said, I think that for the average person a rating of 3 stars at best would make sense. The stories are not all great, the humor is crass, and the sexism kinda sucks. Still, I can recognize all of these things while also admiring the beautiful art, and the importance to pop culture of Toriyama's growth as an artist.

I loved it, and don't regret buying it one bit, but unless you're a super-fan, I'm not sure I would bother with it.

[Cay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and Viz for a free advanced copy in exchange for an advanced copy.

Akira Toriyama's Manga Theater is a fun collection of 600+ pages showcasing several of Toriyama's shorter manga works. This is definitely a must-have for any Toriyama fan, and I'd also recommend it to teenagers who are looking for a solid collection of comedy and action stories.

Greg Werner's translation had great comedic timing, and Ace Christman's lettering was dynamic while skillfully complementing the original art.

Story and Art: Akira Toriyama
Translation: Greg Werner
Touch-up Art and Lettering: Ace Christman
Design: Shawn Carrico
Editor: Alexis Kirsch

[Fab de Andrade · Rating 4 out of 5]

First off, I believe this Manga collection is not for everyone. The author’s comments are frank, saying these stories are very embryonic. However, these stories are exciting for those who draw comics/Manga because you can see his straightforward evolution story by story. Also, you can see elements from Dragon Ball emerging in different stories that will later be implemented in Dragon Ball. Some stories are not funny or attractive, but it’s a fantastic collection to understand that a mangaka needs to give many shots before hitting the target. Akira Toriyama is a reference and turning point in manga/anime around the globe.

[Cody Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a fantastic journey across Toriyama's journey in Manga. to be able to see his early workings and seeing a lot of his old character designs(much of which will be used for characters you'll know very well later in his career) you can just see his love and passion in every issue. If Dragon Ball and Dragon Quest were meant to be his destiny from the start, then without a lot of these, we may not have some of the characters we love today. From heartfelt moments, to raunchy lines, to downright hilarious panels, these stories are great for any fan of Toriyama's work and such a great insight to one of the greatest character designers to have ever existed.

[Brett Chalupa]

A time capsule omnibus of Akira Toriyama’s one-shot stories from the 80s and 90s which were collected in three separate volumes in Japan. The collection as a whole showcases his evolution as an artist and storyteller over the decades, but it’s all contained to mostly inconsequential stories. I really enjoyed the first two thirds of the book—whimsical, cute, and action packed. Think Dr. Slump and original Dragon Ball. It’s good stuff. Then once it gets into the 90s era, it loses the charm I very much enjoy with Toriyama’s work. Oh well! For fans/completionists only.

[Craig Schorling · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is absolutely nothing wrong with this. It's a collection of short stories from one of the masters of Manga. I enjoyed being able to read these and see this side of Toriyama. None of these stories are anything to write home about but his impact and influence on the medium makes reading this feel important and worth the time. It reads more like a history lesson if that makes sense. If you are not a fan of Toriyama this will probably not do much for you and it certainly won't convert you to a fan.

[-moonprismpower- · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun little compilation of short stories from Akira Toriyama’s earlier days! Yeah, there were a few duds but most of the stories were hilarious! I could do without characters walking in on a naked girl (really how many times can that be funny? It’s not LOL).
My favs had to be Chobits, Dragon Boy, Tangpoo, and Cashman!
You can really see which ideas Toriyama decided to add to Dragon Ball when reading these stories. Dragon Ball is truly his best work. RIP to an amazing artist and story writer.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was interesting to see Akira Toriyama’s art style evolve over the years covered in this collection. I am mostly familiar with his work on Dragonball like a lot of people. It was interesting to see the character styles, environment styles, art styles, and story elements in other manga before it was all worked into one collective universe. The biography sections in between stories was also great. It was nice to learn the path his career took.
Coming in as a Dragonball fan, I think I enjoyed the later stuff in Volume 2 and especially Volume 3 more than the early stuff.

[Matthew · Rating 1 out of 5]

The art is 5 star amazing and some of Toriyama’s best in his career.

The problem is the binding is GLUED. Shame on Viz for cutting corners in production.

If you don’t know, a glued binding is cheap and will fall apart within a few years, whereas a sewn binding, while slightly more expensive, will last for centuries. Plus sewn bindings open more easily and lay flat.

When people buy a hardcover, they expect a sewn binding so this is just deceptive. Viz did the same thing with the fullmetal alchemist hardcovers.