Akira Toriyama’s True Successor Isn’t the Person Dragon Ball Fans Expected

Akira Toriyama was a legendary presence in the anime and manga industries. The moment a strange, mysterious monkey boy named Goku appeared in the pages of Weekly Shōnen Jump, everything changed. Dragon Ball has remained a force to be reckoned with more than four decades later.

After a hugely successful run in the world’s most popular manga magazine, Akira Toriyama went on to lend his talents to properties like Dragon Quest, Chrono Trigger, and other famous works. In the 2010s, he helped revive Dragon Ball, bringing Earth’s most powerful heroes to a new generation of anime fans.

There will likely never be another Akira Toriyama, though his true manga heir is slowly revealing himself after making considerable noise in recent years. Yukinobu Tatsu’s Dandadan has taken the anime and manga world by storm, alerting fans to the rise of a new, exciting artist on the scene.

Manga’s Next Best Artist Has Already Arrived

Dandadan Has Become a Global Smash-Hit, and For Good Reason

The excitement surrounding the work of Yukinobu Tatsu began to stir with the anime premiere of Dandadan, which stole the spotlight in 2024 with a zany supernatural love story featuring ghosts and aliens. Fans might not be aware, however, that Dandadan debuted on Jump+ all the way back in 2021, and was released weekly leading up to the anime premiere.

It took some time and a masterful adaptation by Science Saru for the wider anime community to become aware of Dandadan, but the manga has been releasing at incredibly high quality for nearly five years. Before that, fans might have come across Tatsu’s work elsewhere.

Before beginning his own series, Yukinobu Tatsu worked as an assistant to arguably the current hottest name in anime and manga, Tatsuki Fujimoto, author of Chainsaw Man, Fire Punch, Look Back, and other notable titles. Tatsu was responsible for a good chunk of the background art throughout Chainsaw Man‘s first part.

Following the completion of Chainsaw Man part one, he began work on Dandadan, which has since seen the release of 222 chapters. Nothing is off-limits in Dandadan, from ghosts and aliens to spirit powers, romance, and horror, the series is bound to have something for everyone. What truly sets Tatsu apart, though, is his impossible-to-believe skill as an artist.

The man himself has admitted that he works fast, and anyone can see that such a trait is necessary to be able to make a series that looks as good as Dandadan does every week. The scope of the story being told only grows larger with each passing arc, and if Tatsu has it in him, the series could go on for years to come.

There’s still work to be done in order for Yukinobu Tatsu to reach the sort of legendary status of Akira Toriyama, though he’s on the right track to reaching manga royalty.

Dandadan Is Inspired by Dragon Ball

2024’s Top Anime Wouldn’t Exist Without Goku, and Neither Would Many of the Most Popular Shows

The majority of the biggest titles in shōnen anime would not exist today without Dragon Ball‘s influence. One Piece‘s Eiichiro Oda has confessed his love for the series on a number of occasions, as has Naruto‘s Masashi Kishimoto and Bleach‘s Tite Kubo. Yukinobu Tatsu has also cited Dragon Ball as one of his major influences.

When Akira Toriyama passed away in March 2024, manga artists specializing in a variety of genres expressed their admiration for the artist and his work. Tatsu, on his official X account, posted an illustration he drew in memory of Toriyama, featuring characters from each of his most famous works. In the caption, he wrote:

“I loved Akira Toriyama’s work. The first manga I bought with my own pocket money was Dragon Ball. Dragon Ball also inspired me to draw. Thank you for creating such wonderful works. I sincerely pray for your soul’s eternal peace.”

Dragon Ball‘s influence has found its way into Dandadan, most notably in Jiji Enjoji’s latest signature attack, which resembles and is a clear homage to the Kamehameha. The adventurous and whimsical spirit that runs through Dragon Ball is apparent in Dandadan, as it is in battle shōnen manga in general. Dandadan hasn’t reached the heights of popularity that Dragon Ball has, but it’s well on its way.

The series has also made reference to Tien’s Tri-Beam, while fans have theorized whether Okarun’s Ogre Club might be a nod to Goku’s extending Power Pole. Though Tatsu’s art style is a bit different from Toriyama’s, he was able to capture the likeness of his iconic characters in the illustration.

Dragon Ball is arguably the most iconic anime and manga franchise in history, and its creator will remain legendary long after his untimely passing in 2024. There may never be another Akira Toriyama, but Dandadan‘s Yukinobu Tatsu is certainly making his case to one day be held in a similar regard.