Culture news Long before he died, Akira Toriyama imagined Son Goku as an elderly person. This drawing will thrill Dragon Ball fans
The ax fell on March 8, 2024 and saddened all generations past and present who grew up with the adventures of the Z warriors. Akira Toriyama died on March 1, 2024 at the age of 68. Since his death, several forgotten drawings have resurfaced. The mangaka had notably imagined Son Goku as an elderly person. It’s all the more touching since he will ultimately never reach this old age.
The tributes continue to flood social networks. Mangakas, fans and several personalities were quick to publicly express their condolences to the family and loved ones of the Japanese author and increased their marks of respect towards him. The President of the French Republic Emmanuel Macron, the state of El Salvador, the actor and martial artist Jackie Chan, but also the actor Justin Chatwin (Shameless) who played Son Goku in the cinema in Dragonball Evolution spoke, not without emotions . The latter also apologized for having “missed the adaptation so much”. A genius has passed away and planet Earth is in mourning.
An older version of Son Goku
The illustration dates from 1989 and was published only in the Dragon Ball Z Anime Special magazine. 35 years later, following the announcement of Akira Toriyama’s death, the image resurfaced among the countless tributes appearing on the internet in his memory. We discover an elderly Son Goku sporting a mustache and white hair and carrying the famous staff of Master Roshi (Great Turtle). The illustration was accompanied by a “question/answer” section in which a debate on the possible endings of Dragon Ball raged. It was also about Son Goku showing the weight of the years.
The future of Dragon Ball in anime
This year, the Dragon Ball saga celebrates its fortieth anniversary. Toei Animation, aware of the symbolic milestone reached by the saga, intends to revive the interest of the general public with an original animated series. Broadcast from November 2024 on Japanese television and on the simulcast platform Crunchyroll, Dragon Ball Daima officially joins the franchise and takes place between the events of Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball Super. It’s about a spell hitting Son Goku, Vegeta and Kiao Shin which gives them back their child bodies. They then go to an unknown planet in the hope of finding a solution to remedy a situation that is problematic to say the least. When the project was announced, Akira Toriyama spoke to clarify things while promising to be much more involved in this anime than in Dragon Ball Super:
Good morning. My name is Akira Toriyama. I’m currently working on a new Dragon Ball. The title is “Dragon Ball DAIMA”. “DAIMA” is a made-up term, which in Japanese characters would be “大魔” or in English something like “Evil”. As a result of a plot, Goku and his friends became small. In order to make things right, they will leave for a new world! It’s a great adventure with intense action in an unknown and mysterious world. As Goku has to compensate for his small size, he uses his Nyobo (Power Pole) to fight, which has not been seen in a long time. It was I who invented the story and the settings, as well as a large part of the drawings. In fact, I’m much more involved than usual! Things will happen that will allow us to better understand the mysteries of the world of Dragon Ball. I hope you all enjoy these different, cute and powerful battles!