Quotes from Toriyama:

Q: What does the Z in Dragonball Z stand for? (Most of us know that the Z was only used in the anime and it was just an index to separate Goku as a kid and Goku as an adult. But check out the response from Toriyama-san).

A: I was starting to run out of things for Dragonball and I really wanted to finish the series. So I thought that if I put a Z at the end of Dragonball, people would think that it was going to end soon!

Q: How would you position the Dragon Ball Z anime (TV series)?

A:I consider the TV animation to be in "one dimension" with the Manga. I have what I call Canon, which is the TV series and the original, printed comic edition works that are directly tied into continuity.

Q: What happened to Vegeta's tail after he was defeated on Earth?

A: The tail lets you gain tremendous strength instantly by transforming into a giant ape, but the risks are equally great--you'll lose your strength if it's squeezed. Once you're as powerful as Goku and Vegeta the tail just gets in the way. It is thought that the bodies of Saiyans, who are a fighting species, decided that their tails are unnecessary appendages

Q: Is there such a thing as a female Saiyan?

A: Of course there are. Even though they don't appear in the manga, they do exist.

Q: Is Puar male or female?

A: For what it's worth, I thought of him as a male when I was drawing him.

Q: What is Majin Buu's power level?

A; The frightening thing about Majin Buu is his unknown, unfathomable power. Whether it's actually not that much, or whether it's really stupendous, majin Buu himself probably doesn't know the answer.

Toriyama-san was kind enough to lend us his time and answer us some
questions about Dragonball. We will be asking some of the
questions we recieved by your fan letters. Much thanks to Toriyama-san for his kind gesture.



This message was edited by Final Ultima on Sep 18 2007.

This message was edited by Final Ultima on Sep 18 2007.

This message was edited by Final Ultima on Sep 18 2007.



This message was edited by Final Ultima on Sep 21 2007.

This message was edited by Final Ultima on Sep 25 2007.

More Toriyama goodness....

Q: If Akira Toriyama was to create another Series who would be the main character?
A: The main character would be Mr. Satan

Q: If Akira Toriyama could could have one character be his mom who would it be?
A: Bulma

Q: If Akira Toriyama could could have one character be his son who would it be?
A: Dende

Q: Which character will live the longest?
A: Master Roshi

Q: Which character will live the shortest?
A: Vegeta

Q: Out of every character which one is the -??????-
A: Shy-Piccolo
Coolest- Gokuh
Wackiest- Kamesennin

Q: If Akira Toriyama could be born again what character would he be?
A: Trunks

Q: Who is Akira Toriyama's favorite Android?
A: 1. Cell Second Form
2. Android 18
3. Android 19 and Android 20

Q: What three techniques would Akira Toriyama like to do the most?
A: 1. Bukujutsu (Flying)
2. Shunkanido (Phase)
3. Kame Hame Ha

Q: What is Akira Toriyama's favorite fight?
A: 1. Gokuh vs. Piccolo Daimoh
2. Gotenks vs. Majin Buu

Q: What is Akira Toriyama's favorite Tenkaichi-Budokai match
A: Gokuh vs. Tenshinhan

Q: What is Akira Toriyama's favorite attacks?
A: 1. Kame Hame Ha
2. Buu Buu Volleyball
3. Super Ghost Kamikaze Attack

Q: What is Akira Toriyama's favorite item he created for the Manga?
A: Hoipoi Capsules

Q: Where would Akira Toriyama most like to live?
A: Kame House

Q: Akira Toriyama's favorite building design?
A: 1. Karin Tower
2. Kami's Lookout
3. Tenkaichi-Budokai outdoor stage

Q: Where would Akira Toriyama most like to go on vacation?
A: 1. Kami-sama's Lookout
2. The Western Capital
3. Kaioshinkai

Man these are Awesome Keep it up

quote

Q: If Akira Toriyama could be born again what character would he be?
A: Trunks

Another reason Trunks is the best and all yall's other characters suck! J/K

Can we get a source? Kinda hard to tell if they are real

quote zanderman

Can we get a source? Kinda hard to tell if they are real

http://pojo.com/dragonball/toriyamasbest.shtml

The others are from Shonen Jump issues, I had the translations on file and decided to post them. I disposed of the issues years ago. These are official Jump interviews.

Sorry, I hate myself for deleting and disposing my files and magazines now that I think about it.

This message was edited by Final Ultima on Sep 18 2007.

This message was edited by Final Ultima on Sep 18 2007.

This message was edited by Final Ultima on Sep 19 2007.

This message was edited by Final Ultima on Sep 19 2007.

I'm glad you posted these, most newbies tend to post rubbish!



Keep it up!

quote Final Ultima

What is Majin Buu's power level?

Damn I really wanted an answer for that one

quote Prince_Of_Sayians

quote Final Ultima

What is Majin Buu's power level?

Damn I really wanted an answer for that one

Isn't it obvious?
ITS OVER 9000!!!1! Way over.

SJ: How old were you when you first started drawing? What sorts of things did you draw?

T: I started copy-drawing other people's manga characters when I was about 5 years old, but I only started drawing manga with a proper storyline when I was about 22 years old.

SJ: What kind of drawing material did you use on Dragon Ball? What drawing material do you work with today?
T: I'm not sure if these particular brands are available in the USA, but on Dragon Ball I used G-pens [a type of quill pen], Kent paper [A Bristol board-like paper made in Japan], water-proof ink, and color inks for coloring. Today I use a Macintosh for coloring.

SJ: I've heard that you are re-coloring, possibly even re-drawing, parts of Dragon Ball for a "Perfect Edition." What is it like to draw Goku and Co. for the first time in a long while?
T: I haven't redrawn any of the actual manga, because then I'd start getting nit-picky about everything. Just new cover art. To draw it again for the first time in so long produced a very complicated mix of emotions, combining nostalgia with the feeling that I don't want to draw Dragon Ball anymore.

SJ: Dragon Ball has been translated into many different languages around the world, and seems to have an extremely universal appeal. How do you feel about it being translated into more and more languages?
T: Of course it makes me feel very happy, but I'm still trying to live like I always have, without really thinking about it.

SJ: What new projects or manga are you working on currently?
T: Right now, I've taken a step away from manga, and am studying things that I've always wanted to do, such as design and book illustration.

SJ: What message would you like to give to your American fans?
T: That people in faraway America are fans of Dragon Ball truly makes me happy. The method of producing comics in Japan is very hectic, but it's also rewarding because it's possibly to do both the story and art all by yourself. In this way, it's possibly to bring out one's individuality. If this idea appeals to you, I call on you to try drawing your own manga. Because the people who can draw manga that Americans will truly love are Americans like you.

SJ: From 1984 to 1995 what was your work schedule like on Dragon Ball?
T: The majority of the manga in Japan are drawn in the shukan (weekly) format, so I was drawing one episode every week. [Approximately 14 pages, plus a Title Page-Editor] But for me this pace was very hard, and I really didn't like it.

SJ: Dragon Ball developed from a comedy series to an action/fighting series. Do you feel that your art style changed in the process?
T: I wasn't particularly conscious about it, but my art style did change depending on the circumstances. But when It comes down to it, more than anything, I like drawing really silly, absurd comedies.

SJ: I've heard that many plot developments in Dragon Ball were influenced by letters from readers, is this true, and if so, can you give us a concrete example?
T: Parts of it were, yes, for example, take Vegeta when he first appeared as a bad guy, but because he became very popular, he stayed in the series from that point on.

SJ: Dragon Ball seems to have influenced many video games and manga. Where did you get the idea for the attacks that appear in Dragon Ball, such as the kamehameha and the whole chi power?
T: Chi [Also spelled "Ki"-Editor] has been used in China since ancient times, but it's supposed to be formless and invisible. However, in manga, in order to make it easier for any reader to grasp, it was necessary to give it a shape. For the kamehameha, I myself did a lot of the different poses and chose the one that I thought would work the best.

SJ: I have heard that your are a fan of Jackie Chan. Out of all Jackie Chan's movies, which is your favorite.
T: Drunken Master (the first one). If I hadn't seen this movie, I would never have come up with Dragonball.



This message was edited by Final Ultima on Sep 19 2007.

Always nice to see how the creator thinks about his own work. I'm eagerly awaiting what will happen if this "mysteriously lost" interview with Toriyama is dug up, in which SSJ 3 Goku is supposedly stated to be the strongest. Especially since a lot of people based their opinion entirely on this one interview, it must carry a lot of value I suppose.

I haven't read (or seen) all of the interviews Toriyama was in but in all the interviews I had, he never said anything about Super Saiya-jin three Goku being the "strongest."

I did some serious searching for it around the web, and found various Toriyama interviews, but not that particular one. It's supposed to be on Pojo but it's not visible for some reason. The only interview I found, in which Toriyama really went more in-depth about characters' powerlevels, was this one:

Akira Toriyama Interview by Nirazaki Tihashiberi
Super Otaku Magazine Issue #297

Toriyama-san has agreed to answer some questions for us today. Much thanks to Toriyama-san after the craze on the Majin Buu period. (Do note that this was not a cover story, and thus, short).

Nirazaki: Many fans have given positive feedback over the Majin Buu period. The inclusion of fusion was an unexpected twist. What gave you the idea?

Toriyama-san: Well in order to have a villain with so much strength, you need someone around that can rival him. Majin Buu is incredibly strong. Its not easy to create a character that can keep up. So I thought of making the characters fuse to create new characters without taking the focus off the main characters.

Nirazaki: There have been many changes since the Saiya-jins came to earth. Do you ever think about the progress?

Toriyama-san: Yes I do. Doragonboru has come a long way. They went from running at super speed to moving at the speed of light! (Laughs)

Nirazaki: There was uproar over the rematch between Son Goku and Bejita. Were you planning this the entire time?

Toriyama-san: (Laughs) It was more of a crowd pleaser. Son Gokuu and Bejita didnt have the opportunity to fight in the Seru period, and with a new saga to start with, it would not be hard to work in that kind of battle.

Nirazaki: Youve been telling everyone how this is the end. Will Doragonboru really end after Majin Buu?

Toriyama-san: Yes. Ive put so much time on Doragonboru I cant do much else. I never expected Doragonboru to be this long in the first place. I think its been concluded on a high note. After all, if I had my way, Id of ended the manga after the Freeza period! (Laughs)

Nirazaki: You like to laugh about this a lot. Will parting with Doragonboru be difficult?

Toriyama-san: On one side, Im relieved. On the other side, its like seeing a child move away.

Nirazaki: I know that a lot of people want to hear more about fusion. With Gotenkusu now in the story, will he play that big of a role? And most of all, is he stronger than Son Goku himself?

Toriyama-san: Well I dont know yet. Ive planned some things with Gotenkusu, but he wont be the focus of the entire saga. Youll see as things develop. As for their strength, Gotenkusu is a little bit stronger, but you wouldnt notice a difference. Still, Son Goku will always be the most skilled martial artist! (Smiles) But Gotenkusu will not be the only person to go higher than son Goku.

Nirazaki: What does that last part mean?

Toriyama-san: Youll find out.

Nirazaki: Ill remember that! One last question.

Toriyama-san: Make it good, you wont get a second chance! Kidding, Ill see you again.

Nirazaki: Is Son Goku dead forever? He has come back before, but it looks like hes out of lives.

Toriyama-san: I dont want to shift the focus, so I have to keep certain things close to their roots. Son Goku will have his day, but right now its up to "Super Gotenkusu!".

I have never seen the interview before, nor have I ever heard of "Super Otaku Magazine!"

I know Toriyama was quoted in the Dragonball Daizenshuu's, the Shenron Times (which are small newapaper-ish booklets in the Daizenshuu's) and Jump quoted Toriyama several times.

I really don't know how official "Super Otaku Magazine" is, again I never heard of it.

It is probably fake, but I can't say for sure.