Remembering Akira Toriyama: From Dragon Ball to modern Manga

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Since the news of manga artist Akira Toriyama’s passing in early March, fans, artists, and even heads of state in all corners of the world have been in mourning.

Toriyama’s work, from Dr Slump to, more notably, Dragon Ball, is for many synonymous with manga. Not only that, his creations have influenced deeply the comics and animation industry, and the way in which Japan was perceived worldwide. Two months after the author’s death, this event celebrates his legacy by bringing together experts in Japanese Studies to discuss his work and its cultural impact.  

The panel will consider questions such as how Toriyama contributed to Japan’s soft power, how he influenced other manga authors and the genre of shōnen, and the evolution of the concept of franchising a manga. Through the discussions, our panellists will pay tribute to this influential author, while also reflecting on how other artists have honoured his memory. 

In addition, the event will give an opportunity to the audience to share how Toriyama touched their lives.

About the speakers

Helen McCarthy is an independent scholar, writer and speaker, author of the first book in English on Japanese animation and of other books on aspects of Japanese popular culture. She has edited two anime magazines, written thirteen books and contributed to a number of other publications. 

Her book on Hayao Miyazaki was the first work in English on an anime auteur. Her Eisner Award-winning book on Osamu Tezuka has been translated into seven languages, including Japanese, Chinese and Korean.

Filippo Cervelli received his PhD in Oriental Studies from the University of Oxford, and is currently Lecturer in Modern Japanese Literature and Popular Culture at SOAS University of London. 

He has written on the literature of Takahashi Gen’ichirō, Ōe Kenzaburō, Abe Kazushige, on post-Fukushima fiction, and on manga and animation. He recently co-edited an interdisciplinary special issue on representations of nerds and loneliness.

Satona Suzuki is currently a lecturer in Japanese and Modern Japanese History at SOAS University of London. Trained as a historian at the Department of History at SOAS, her main interests are the rise of modern Japan with an emphasis on imperialism, militarism, ideology and the relationship between politics and religion (Buddhism). 

She also teaches Advanced Japanese using current issues in Japan, including constitutional revision, security and gender. As these issues often closely relate to Japan's imperial legacy and the postcolonial impasses between Japan and its neighbouring countries, she is keen to connect 'then' and 'now' in the global context.

• Organiser: SOAS Japan Research Centre in collaboration with SOAS Library
• Contact email: librarycomms@soas.ac.uk