Dragon Ballis one of the most iconic manga series ever, and its creator, the late Akira Toriyama, was and still is a legend in the industry. The artist famously worked week-to-week without much of a plan for over a decade, and the stories of his editors pushing him into countless different directions have become well-known amongDragon Ball’s fan base.
Now, with Toriyama having forever impacted the landscape ofShōnen Jump, one of the series' original editors has spoken up about his displeasure with the current state of manga. Kazuhiko Torishima,who discovered Akira Toriyama and worked closlely with himonDr. Slumpand the first-half ofDragon Ball, fielded questions at Anime Expo 2025,and expressed his lack of optimism about the industry’s future.
Dragon Ball’s Original Editor Believes Manga Has ‘Lost Its Unique Artistic Identity’
The Digital Format and a ‘Shrinking Creative World’ Are Holding Manga Back
Kazuhiko Torishima wasfamously pretty hard on Akira Toriyamaduring their time working together, and he’s seemingly never been the type to hold back when sharing his opinions. Many of the rapid-fire changes duringDragon Ball’s Cell Saga have been attributed to him telling Toriyama that his villains were “geezers” or simply not interesting.
When asked how he felt about the current state of manga during Anime Expo 2025, he predictably made his grievances known. Thanks to Saiyuke, who translated the interviewon the FrenchDragon Ballinfo site db-z.com, Torishima’s thoughts on the industry are readily available.
Without much hesitation, the editor said,“We’ve reached the point whereall manga look the same, taste the same—like Starbucks manga or McDonald’s manga. Japanese manga has lost its sense of unique artistic identity.”
Torishima attributes that shift to manga’s move into the digital space, where algorithms push certain trends into the spotlight and reward creators for following them. It’s a space that rarely benefits those who go against the grain, and when it does, everyone else typically falls in line and creates yet another new trend.
Matsui Yuusei, the creator ofAssassination Classroom, expressed a similar sentiment when recently judging a manga contest and claiming thateveryone was trying to be Tatsuki Fujimoto, author ofChainsaw Man. Such trends have partially led toShōnen Jump’s demographic shrinking in half sinceDragon Balldebuted, but Torishima believes that isn’t the only reason.
Torishima Believes Those In the Industry Need to Expand Their Tastes
When touching on why he believes kids are no longer reading manga, Torishima pointed a finger at the other editors in the industry, expressing that publishers are hiring people who have only ever read manga.
He said,“It’s not the mangaka’s fault, it’s the tanto (editorial supervisors), who don’t have strong enough skills in manga layout or readability.One reason is that publishers hire people who’ve only ever read manga. If you don’t hire people with broader tastes—cinema, literature—the creative world keeps shrinking.”
After working alongside Akira Toriyama onDragon Ball, Kazuhiko Torishima went on to serve as editor-in-chief atWeekly Shōnen Jump, and oversaw the releases of titles likeOne Pieceduring the early portions ofthe Big Three era. If there’s anyone who could spot trends in manga, it’s likely him, which gives quite a bit of weight to his criticisms of the industry.
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.
