Legendary Mangaka & DBZ Creator Akira Toriyama’s Best Manga
Akira Toriyama was the mastermind behind the award-winning manga Dragon Ball. Despite the famous mangaka’s untimely demise, he left a treasure trove of his fantastic work and a legacy that will never die. Notably, Toriyama was also one of the most accomplished writers in the Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine.
For 40+ years, the mangaka brought joy to the hearts of many fans. Toriyama was an inspiration to many contemporary manga artists and had much more good manga than his Saiyan story. He began his manga journey back in 1977 with the unpublished Awawa World. Thus, this list will look at some of the mangaka’s best works besides Dragon Ball.
Mysterious Rain Jack
Mysterious Rain Jack was published by Akira Toriyama in 1978 when he participated in the Monthly Young Jump Award. Despite not winning the award, Toriyama made it to the finals. Mysterious Rain Jack is a short Star Wars parody that has a main character who looks like Kurikinton Soramame. He also uses the manga to introduce characters like Kaminari Goronbo, Drop-kun, and R2-D2, who later appear in his Dr. Slump manga.
Tomato, Girl Detective
The one-shot manga was published on August 15, 1979, in Weekly Shōnen Jump. The manga was Akira Toriyama’s first real taste of success after the failure of Today Highlight Island. The manga follows the life of a young female detective, Akai Tomato, and her adventures in a male-dominant station. After nearly shooting the commissioner on her first day, she looks to prove herself to her colleagues by catching the wanted criminal, Kenta Kuraaku. Akai Tomato also appears in Toriyama’s Dr. Slump and Dragon Ball.
Chobit
Chobit is a two-part manga by Akira Toriyama. The first part was published in Weekly Shōnen Jump in 1983. However, the second was published in Fresh Jump later that year. The manga was made after Toriyama was once again named in the top ten manga artists of Shōnen Jump. Chobit follows the story of Mugifumi Yamano, a young policeman in sleepy Tonton Village. His sister also assists him. He then has a close encounter with a tiny teapot-shaped flying saucer. Out from inside comes the titular Chobit, a teensy alien who is also a young woman.
Sand Land
The popular short manga series was written in 2000 during the Weekly Shōnen Jump. The manga was a significant hit, especially in Japan, and it went on to have its own anime and video game adaptations. Sand Land takes place in the far future, where war has ravaged the earth, turning it into a barren wasteland. The story follows Sheriff Rao, who enlists the help of the king of demons to seek a solution to their water crisis.
Dr. Slump
Dr. Slump was the mangaka’s biggest series before Dragon Ball. The series setting and characters became the framework for the entire Dragon Ball franchise. The manga follows the life of Senbei Norimaki, a genius inventor who finishes creating the world’s first Android, Arale Norimaki. He enrolls her in Penguin Village Middle School, where she ends up in Midori Yamabuki’s class. She shocks the entire school with her intelligence and strength, making plenty of friends along the way.
