Dragon Ball Unearths 20-Year-Old Akira Toriyama Artwork of One of His Most Charming Fusions
Dragon Ball staff have unveiled a nearly 20-year-old Akira Toriyama illustration of Gotenks — the fusion of Goten and Trunks — with his mischievous smile and fun color scheme pointed out as the highlight of the artwork.
The official Dragon Ball site released the image of Gotenks as part of its long-running Toriyama Archives — the weekly showcase of rare Toriyama art that’s made available for a 24-hour window only. The illustration comes from Jump Comics “Dragon Ball” Complete Edition: Volume 32, first released on March 4th, 2004. Readers can check it out below.
1:40
Dragon Ball Unearths Decade-Old Concept Art of Goku’s Wife Chi-Chi
The Akira Toriyama Archive releases rare Chi-Chi artwork created during the production of the Toei’s 2013 film Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods.
The above image also comes with a short description of Gotenks, which reads: “Gotenks made his appearance on the cover of volume 25, with Goten and Trunks having succeeded at fusion. This pose, with arms and legs spread out wide, and mischievous smile show both courage and a certain charm.”
Gotenks Marked the Dragon Ball Manga’s First Successful Fusion Dance
Goten and Trunks’ fusion into Gotenks was the first successful case of the Fusion Dance in the Dragon Ball manga, pulling off the technique before even Goku and Vegeta’s Gogeta form. The Fusion Dance’s difficulty means that, even as of Dragon Ball Super Chapter 102, the former pair still struggles to pull it off consistently, earning some ire from fans. A Japanese professor recently explained another type of fusion in Dragon Ball — Namekian Fusion — and how current research may see humans eventually achieve the feat.
Dragon Ball Releases One of the Oldest Original Goku Drawings in Existence
The official Dragon Ball site reveals one of the earliest original drawings from Akira Toriyama’s manga series, showcasing kid Goku concept art.
The Toriyama Archives continues to highlight how the Dragon Ball creator’s legacy extends into the present, showcasing the gags that early Goku and Bulma charmed audiences with. Goku’s adult design was also revealed to be a series of trial-and-error, with Toriyama’s concept art showing different possible designs.
VIZ licenses the entire Dragon Ball manga series, describing the very first volume: “Meet a naive young monkey-tailed boy named Goku, whose quiet life changes when he meets Bulma, a girl who is on a quest to collect seven “Dragon Balls.” If she gathers them all, an incredibly powerful dragon will appear and grant her one wish. But the precious orbs are scattered all over the world, and Bulma needs Goku’s help (and his super-strength)! With a magic staff for a weapon and a flying cloud for a ride, Goku sets out on the adventure of a lifetime…”
Dragon Ball
Son Gokû, a fighter with a monkey tail, goes on a quest with an assortment of odd characters in search of the Dragon Balls, a set of crystals that can give its bearer anything they desire.
- Author
- Akira Toriyama
- Artist
- Akira Toriyama
- Release Date
- November 20, 1984
- Genre
- Adventure , Fantasy , Comedy , Martial Arts
- Chapters
- 519
- Volumes
- 42
- Adaptation
- Dragon Ball
- Publisher
- Shueisha, Madman Entertainment, Viz Media
Source: Dragon Ball official website
Other Articles
No Comment! Be the first one.