In a 2016 interview, Dragon Ball Super artist Toyotaro reveals what Akira Toriyama values most about the story…and it’s not the action.

If asked, Dragon Ball Super readers would likely have similar ideas on what the heart of the series is. Many would suggest the action, since heroic battles and characters with ever-increasing power levels have been a driving force of the plot since the original series. Others believe it would be the characters themselves and how they all interact with the surrounding universe.

But, creator Akira Toriyama seems to place more importance on the lighthearted side of things. In a 2016 interview with Anime News Network, Dragon Ball Super‘s artist Toyotaro talked about what it was like to work with Toriyama. Regarding Toriyama’s feedback, Toyotaro says, “I thought Toriyama would be more particular about the story, but he’s actually more particular about the gags and the comedic moments!”

Comedy Is The True Heart Of Dragon Ball Super

Toyotaro, a Dragon Ball fan since he was a child, is incredibly enthusiastic about his opportunity to work with Toriyama on the manga. He values the chance to pick the creator’s brain, saying, “When I’m working with Toriyama, there are many portions he gives me props for coming up with, but he is very particular about other things and always points them out for me to correct…It’s a lot of fun to be able to get closer to his way of thinking.” The most surprising thing he’s learned is how highly Toriyama values comedy, prioritizing it above the story itself.

“When he corrects me, I think, wow, I guess I don’t completely understand the way he looks at things,” says Toyotaro. “I thought Toriyama would be more particular about the story, but he’s actually more particular about the gags and the comedic moments! I can tell that he really loves those parts.” Other manga creators can be far harsher about adaptations of their work, so the fact that Toriyama focuses so much on the funny moments is surprising. This insistence on perfection when it comes to the series’ jokes establishes that, at least in the creator’s mind, comedy is the true backbone of Dragon Ball Super.

Working with the creator of their favorite media can illuminate a lot of aspects about the story and its creator that a fan might not have considered. In Toyotaro’s case, one such instance was the revelation of how much importance Toriyama places on comedy. Out of all the feedback the artist receives on a monthly basis, the emphasis placed on gags introduced him to a way of looking at the story he hadn’t considered before. Dragon Ball Super might at first seem focused on the plot’s action, but the jokes within the story are the true heart of the series.

Source: Anime News Network