Renowned mangaka Akira Toriyama has been announced as the recipient of the “Outstanding Achievement in Animation” award at the Anime Awards Tokyo 2024, scheduled for December 14, 2023. The award ceremony will take place on stage during the festival from March 8 to March 11, 2024. However, Akira Toriyama has expressed his thoughts regarding this award, which has been publicly shared recently.
Akira Toriyama shared: “To be honest, I never had much experience with anime, and even when my works were adapted into animation, I felt quite embarrassed for not watching them much. I apologize to the team. Ten years ago, I was asked to review the script for the Dragon Ball animated film, and I provided some simple designs for the characters and backgrounds.”
“I think, ‘I might be a burden on the team’ (laughs). Therefore, it feels quite awkward when I receive the Outstanding Achievement award at the Anime Awards Tokyo. I am very grateful. One of my most unforgettable memories in the animation industry was when I met animator Toyo Ashida during the anime project titled ‘Kosuke-sama Rikimaru-sama’, produced for Shonen Jump Original.”
“This project did not have a manga, so a meeting was organized. He was a friendly person and we quickly became close, and every time I saw his unique style, I felt a sense of caution and admiration. I think, ‘I will miss him; I think I need this kind of craftsmanship to speed up the process of making Dragon Ball look more dynamic.’ The time spent has significantly decreased, about two-thirds compared to before. We have influenced each other in many ways, and I believe that those moments are irreplaceable. I sincerely hope that Ashida-san’s spirit rests in peace.”
Dragon Ball DAIMA is set to be released in 2024. Initially, it was planned to be an original anime without my involvement, but after I offered some suggestions, I eventually became deeply involved in the project without realizing it. I am not only participating in the script but also in aspects such as character design, machinery, and other backgrounds.
I hope you all enjoy this film, a film that I believe will not only be entertaining but also feature engaging content. Finally, I want to thank everyone who has supported me up to this day! I am not sure how many more works I can create because I don’t trust too much in my own abilities, perhaps due to my living circumstances when I was younger, but I will try my best to create more valuable works, so please continue to support me!
