Akira Toriyama’s first editor, Kazuhiko Torishima, was, for better or worse, one of the biggest influences on Dragon Ball’s production. From the early days of Toriyama’s career, Torishima was there to help mold Toriyama’s talent as a creator and help bring out some of his best ideas, most notably with the massive hand he had in the Android Saga’s production, but at the same time, he was seen as a tyrant among Shonen Jump’s editors who was overly critical and controlling, and it was to the point that Toriyama and other authors often based their villains off of him.
As much as a positive role as he might have had on Dragon Ball’s production, Kazuhiko Torishima is just as infamous for his negativity, and even in his old age, he hasn’t let up on that in the slightest. Despite technically being retired from the manga industry, Torishima still frequently comments on Dragon Ball and other manga, most of it being negative, but when it comes to his specific comments about modern manga, he might not be entirely off base.
Kazuhiko Torishima was a guest at Napoli Comicon 2026, during which time he spoke about Dragon Ball and his thoughts on modern manga as a whole. Sure enough, his thoughts about modern manga went beyond him just saying that older manga are better, as not only did Kazuhiko Torishima say that all modern manga are terrible, but he specifically called out Blue Lock, Jujutsu Kaisen, Chainsaw Man, and Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, some of the biggest manga of the decade, as being trash.
As for why Kazuhiko Torishima hates modern manga, it all comes down to how they’re made. In his opinion, the artwork of modern manga isn’t made in a way that takes physical media into account, something that’s especially a problem for double-spreads, and he blames that on smartphones and the advent of digital media. Similarly, Torishima hates how modern manga is written; Torishima feels that modern manga has too much narration and exposition, with it feeling like it’s adults writing for adults as opposed to adults writing for children like shonen manga are designed to be.
Torishima even extended his hatred of modern manga to the One Piece manga, of all stories; while Torishima praised the early parts of the story, he says that it became worse when it started tackling more heavy themes and became less appropriate for children, which he attributes to Eiichiro Oda being “too in love with manga and his own story”. In Torishima’s mind, the only good modern manga is Keigo Shinzo’s Hirayasumi, and since it’s a straightforward slice-of-life manga, it’s easy to see why.
Kazuhiko Torishima’s thoughts on modern manga are incredibly harsh, but unfortunately, there might be some truth to them. Regarding his criticism of how modern manga is drawn, many people have lamented how awkward some double-spreads in manga look in print compared to when they’re just reading them online, but that isn’t usually a problem for older manga. Whether the books were printed differently or the artists had a better understanding of things is unclear, but what is clear is that things have changed largely for the worse.
As for the writing, that’s also something Torishima has a point about. Over the years, it’s become far more common for shonen manga to be filled with narration and exposition; One Piece and Jujutsu Kaisen are often criticized for their excessive dialogue and narration, and Hunter x Hunter once infamously had a page that devolved into nothing but text. While that often highlights how detail-oriented the story is, it’s just as easy for someone to see it as tedious and cumbersome, especially when the target audience is children, not adults who have the time and ability to parse through everything.
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QUESTION 1 / 8CLASSICS
Dragon Ball, created by Akira Toriyama, is one of the most influential manga ever published in Weekly Shonen Jump. The series follows Goku on his journey from a child to the universe’s greatest fighter. What is Goku’s original Saiyan name?
✓ Correct! Goku’s birth name is Kakarot, given to him on Planet Vegeta before he was sent to Earth as a baby. His Saiyan rival Vegeta famously refuses to call him “Goku” and always refers to him by his true Saiyan name, Kakarot. ✗ That answer missed harder than a filler arc! The answer is Kakarot. Vegeta is the Saiyan prince, Bardock is Goku’s father, and Raditz is Goku’s older brother. Kakarot is the Saiyan name given to Goku at birth before he was sent to Earth.
QUESTION 2 / 8HEROES
Naruto Uzumaki dreams of becoming the Hokage — the leader of his village. Throughout the series, Naruto carries a powerful entity sealed inside him since birth. What is sealed within Naruto?
BThe Curse Mark CKurama, the Nine-Tailed Fox
✓ Correct! Kurama, the Nine-Tailed Fox, was sealed inside Naruto by his father, the Fourth Hokage Minato Namikaze, on the day of his birth. What began as a source of fear and isolation for Naruto eventually became his greatest ally and friend. ✗ That answer missed harder than a filler arc! The answer is Kurama, the Nine-Tailed Fox. The Ten-Tails is a different, more powerful beast. The Curse Mark is Orochimaru’s seal, and the Rinnegan is a legendary eye technique. Kurama was sealed in Naruto at birth by the Fourth Hokage.
QUESTION 3 / 8POWER SYSTEMS
In the manga Bleach by Tite Kubo, the main character Ichigo Kurosaki gains the powers of a Soul Reaper. Soul Reapers wield unique weapons that have names and special abilities. What are these signature weapons called?
✓ Correct! Zanpakuto are the signature weapons of Soul Reapers in Bleach. Each Zanpakuto has its own spirit and name, and a Soul Reaper must learn that name to unlock its Shikai (initial release) and eventually its Bankai (final release) forms. ✗ That answer missed harder than a filler arc! The answer is Zanpakuto. Sacred Gears are from High School DxD, Nen is the power system from Hunter x Hunter, and Bankai is actually a Zanpakuto’s final release form — not the weapon’s name itself. Zanpakuto literally means “soul-cutting sword.”
QUESTION 4 / 8VILLAINS
In Dragon Ball Z, Frieza is one of the most iconic villains in anime history. He is a tyrannical galactic emperor responsible for destroying the Saiyan homeworld. What is the name of the planet Frieza destroyed?
✓ Correct! Planet Vegeta, named after King Vegeta, was the homeworld of the Saiyan race. Frieza destroyed it with a single energy blast because he feared the growing power of the Saiyans and the legend of the Super Saiyan. Only a handful of Saiyans survived, including Goku and Vegeta. ✗ That answer missed harder than a filler arc! The answer is Planet Vegeta. Planet Namek is the home of the Namekians and the Dragon Balls, Planet Sadala is the Saiyan homeworld in Universe 6, and Earth is where Goku was raised. Frieza destroyed Planet Vegeta out of fear of the Saiyan race’s potential.
QUESTION 5 / 8CLASSICS
My Hero Academia (Boku no Hero Academia) by Kohei Horikoshi is set in a world where most people have superpowers. What is the term used for these superpowers in My Hero Academia?
DCursed Techniques
✓ Correct! In My Hero Academia, about 80% of the world’s population possesses a Quirk — a unique superpower that manifests in childhood. The protagonist Izuku Midoriya was born Quirkless but inherited the powerful Quirk “One For All” from the greatest hero, All Might. ✗ That answer missed harder than a filler arc! The answer is Quirks. Stands are from JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Jutsu are techniques from Naruto, and Cursed Techniques belong to Jujutsu Kaisen. In My Hero Academia, superpowers are called Quirks, and they vary wildly from person to person.
QUESTION 6 / 8POWER SYSTEMS
Jujutsu Kaisen by Gege Akutami features a power system based on negative human emotions that manifest as dangerous supernatural beings. What are these beings called?
CCursed Spirits
✓ Correct! Cursed Spirits in Jujutsu Kaisen are born from the accumulation of negative emotions like fear, hatred, and sadness leaked by humans. Jujutsu sorcerers like protagonist Yuji Itadori use cursed energy to exorcise these dangerous beings and protect humanity. ✗ That answer missed harder than a filler arc! The answer is Cursed Spirits. Hollows are from Bleach, Demons are from Demon Slayer, and Titans are from Attack on Titan. In Jujutsu Kaisen, negative human emotions give rise to Cursed Spirits that jujutsu sorcerers must exorcise.
QUESTION 7 / 8HEROES
In Demon Slayer (Kimetsu no Yaiba) by Koyoharu Gotouge, protagonist Tanjiro Kamado uses specialized sword techniques called Breathing Styles. What is the first Breathing Style that Tanjiro learns?
BWater Breathing CFire Breathing DThunder Breathing
✓ Correct! Tanjiro learns Water Breathing from the former Water Hashira, Sakonji Urokodaki. Water Breathing is known for its fluid, adaptable movements. While Tanjiro later discovers his connection to the legendary Sun Breathing (Hinokami Kagura), Water Breathing was his first and foundational combat style. ✗ That answer missed harder than a filler arc! The answer is Water Breathing. Sun Breathing is the original style that Tanjiro discovers later through his family’s Hinokami Kagura dance. Fire Breathing and Thunder Breathing are used by other Demon Slayers. Tanjiro trained under Sakonji Urokodaki to master Water Breathing first.
QUESTION 8 / 8LEGACY
Weekly Shonen Jump has been the home of many of the biggest manga series in history. Which of these series has sold the most copies worldwide as of 2024?
✓ Correct! One Piece by Eiichiro Oda holds the record as the best-selling manga series of all time, with over 500 million copies sold worldwide. Running since 1997, the series follows Monkey D. Luffy and his crew on their quest to find the legendary treasure, the One Piece. ✗ That answer missed harder than a filler arc! The answer is One Piece. While Naruto (~250 million), Dragon Ball (~260 million), and Demon Slayer (~150 million) are all massive sellers, One Piece stands alone with over 500 million copies sold — making it the best-selling manga in history by a wide margin.
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That being said, not only is it rare for a physical manga to have problems with double-spreads that go beyond the typical issues with printing manga and comics, but as annoying as exposition in manga can be, people are still regularly reading and buying them; all the manga that Torishima called out as trash sell millions of books per year, and Jujutsu Kaisen and Demon Slayer, specifically, are even among the best-selling manga in history. Granted, Torishima also acknowledged that the average age of readers has gotten higher, but it still stands that there is an audience for these stories.
In Kazuhiko Torishima’s mind, the gold standard for what manga should strive for was set by Osamu Tezuka, who pioneered the idea that the average page should be easy enough to read within three seconds. The average manga hasn’t been like that in ages, so it’s unlikely that Torishima will ever be satisfied with modern manga, and as much as his criticisms might be overblown, there’s a definite art in the simplicity of One Piece and other older manga that, unfortunately, can’t be found in most modern manga.
While modern manga is doing far better than Kazuhiko Torishima would have fans believe, it’s easy to think that it might reach a tipping point where its criticisms become too hard to ignore for anyone other than the most diehard fans, most of whom would be adults with the time and money to engage with it. That’s a problem that’s also happened with comics and other forms of entertainment, and overall, it would be disappointing to see that happen to manga.
One of Dragon Ball’s veteran editors has shared his views about the changes to the manga industry over the years, and he disapproves.
To that end, it would make sense for mangaka to try to be more conscious of their art and dial back on dense exposition, as that would help them maintain a universal appeal that won’t turn old and new fans away. That isn’t to say modern mangaka need to change everything about how they make their stories, as it’s easy enough to see that people of all ages are enjoying them, but at the end of the day, something needs to give for these criticisms to stop.
It’s undeniable that manga sales have decreased in recent years, and while much of that is because of how expensive manga has gotten and how so many iconic stories have ended, it’s also easy to see it as a reaction to how modern manga keeps leaning into some of the worst writing and art conventions in the medium. Kazuhiko Torishima might be a controversial figure when it comes to Dragon Ball and manga in general, but despite everything, he might not be wrong about the problems plaguing modern manga.
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Sean Schemmel, Laura Bailey, Brian Drummond, Christopher Sabat, Scott McNeil
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Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero