Renowned mangaka, Eiichiro Oda has just signed a magnificent tribute to Dragon Ball by Akira Toriyama, by redesigning one of the most iconic covers of the famous manga.
One Piece: the vibrant tribute to Dragon Ball
What a strange year we have just had… While 2024 was supposed to be a year of celebration of Dragon Ballwhich last November celebrated the fortieth anniversary of its first publication in the Weekly Shōnen Jump, the news disrupted the festivities, with the death of mangaka Akira Toriyama, in March 2024. Tragic news, which gave a sense of contemplation to the various editorial events of the license. So, for example, the animated series Dragon Ball DAIMA is no longer just the series produced to celebrate the anniversary of Dragon Ballbut the last work Akira Toriyama worked on.
His death was also a real shock wave in the world of manga publishing. The mangaka Masashi Kishimoto (Naruto) and Eiichirō Oda (One Piece) issued moving statements paying tribute to the man they both considered their mentor. The father of One Piece also changed his pace of work in order to preserve his health, following the death of his master. Eiichirō Oda, whose work has entered his final saga, now takes more breaks than before.
A few weeks ago, Shūeisha – who edits Weekly Shōnen Jump – teased a tribute Oda paid to Akira Toriyama. As part of the commemorative project Dragon Ball Super Galleryfor the needs of which around forty renowned mangakas redesigned the covers of the manga Dragon Ball, Eiichirō Oda was chosen to reproduce the cover of volume 42, the last of the saga. We largely returned to the reasons which made this tribute so symbolic. This Friday, December 27, 2024, we finally discover the cover in question. Volume 42 is accompanied by a message written by Eiichirō Oda, which confirms the mangaka’s attachment to Akira Toriyama and his masterpiece.
I bought the first volume of the Dragon Ball manga when I was in elementary school, but I didn’t buy the second volume. I always read the chapters in Weekly Shōnen Hump magazine, and when the last volume, volume 42, came out, I went to the bookstore and saw it, but I didn’t buy it. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to redesign it. And now I wish I could buy this volume while Toriyama-sensei is still alive.
So this is how it ends the project Dragon Ball Super Gallerywhich has seen the succession of many very famous mangakasparmi lesquels Masashi Kishimoto (Naruto), Takehiko Inoue (Slam Dunk), Tite Kubo (Bleach), Koyoharu Gotōge (Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba), Hirohiko Araki (JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure), Boichi (Dr. Stone), Yasuhisa Hara (Kingdom), Gege Akutami (Jujutsu Kaisen), Yusuke Murata (One-Punch Man), Yoshihiro Togashi (Hunter x Hunter) ou encore Kohei Horikoshi (My Hero Academia).
And you ? How do you find Eiichirō Oda’s drawing and message in homage to Akira Toriyama? Don’t hesitate to tell us in the comments area. And if you like it like us Dragon Ballwe encourage you to discover the new origin of the Crystal Balls, as revealed in Dragon Ball DAIMA.
