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The late Manga creator Akira Toriyama was unhappy with Hollywood after the industry ruined the loosely based live-action adaptation of his most famous work,Dragon Ball. It was Toriyama’s work that made the anime genre popular in the West. Toriyama, like any otherDragon Ballfan, had criticized the 2009 film starring Justin Chatwin and Emmy Rossum,Dragon Ball: Evolution.
Toriyama passed away on August 08, 2025, due to acute subdural hematoma. In a statement released by Bird Studio, the studio that he founded, they expressed their gratitude to fans who supported his work for over 45 years. They also revealed that the creator was in the middle of several works at the time of his passing.
Late Akira Toriyama Had Strong Feelings About TheDragon BallLive-Action Adaptation
Fans hardly rememberJustin Chatwin‘s stint as Goku in the poorly-made adaptation ofAkira Toriyama‘s anime series,Dragon Ball. Anime lovers were quick to bashDragon Ball: Evolution, which Hollywood claimed to be a loosely based adaptation that explored Goku’s life. The film gave the industry a terrible reputation when it came to live-action adaptations of anime.
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Toriyama was often asked about his opinion on this Western take on his most famous manga work. During one interview at the time of the premiere ofDragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods, he touched upon the movie when he was asked to pick actors for the live-action adaptation ofDragon Ball. He revealed that he thought about his choice of actors when the 2009 film came out, but no one came to his mind after the“unthinkably terrible”film. Akira Toriyama shared (via ComicBook.com):
“This is something I also thought about a little bit at the time of that Hollywood live-action version, which came out unthinkably terrible, but in the end, nobody came to mind.”
During another interview with Asahi Shimbun Digital, Toriyama was more expressive about his feelings towards the film. Toriyama revealed that he offered his help and suggested changes, but the overly confident film crew pretty much ignored everything the creator said. According to him, the film failed to understand his take on the world or its characteristics and produced an output that he couldn’t really call aDragon Ballfilm. Toriyama shared (via ComicBook.com):
“At the time of the Hollywood movie, the live-action Dragon Ball, the script had too little of a grasp on the world and its characteristics, and on top of that, it had a conventional content that I couldn’t find interesting, so I cautioned them, and suggested changes; but in spite of that, they seemed to have a strange confidence, and didn’t really listen to me. What came out in the end was a movie I couldn’t really call a Dragon Ball that lived up to my expectations.”
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James Wong directed the film, which was a critical and commercial failure. The film only grossed $56.5 million against a budget of $30 million and is often referred to asone of the worst films of all time. The criticisms ranged from the whitewashing of characters to the lack of loyalty to the source material.
Dragon BallCreator Akira Toriyama Passes Away At 68
Akira Toriyama’s passing was announced via the officialDragon Ball ZX account. The news came out on March 7, along with a joint statement from Bird Studio and Capsule Corporation Tokyo. The cause of death was revealed to be an acute subdural hematoma. According to the statement, a commemorative gathering will be planned for a future date for the anime legend.
Information ; Dear Friends and Partnershttps://t.co/85dXseckzJpic.twitter.com/aHlx8CGA2M
— DRAGON BALL OFFICIAL (@DB_official_en)July 15, 2025
Toriyama first made a name for himself with the beloved gag manga,Dr. Slump, in 1983. He created the fantasy shōnen battle series,Dragon Ball, in 1984, which would later spawn the popular seriesDragon Ball ZandDragon Ball Super. The series is considered one of the most influential works in the history of anime and manga. Itinfluenced the later worksofEiichiro Oda,Tite Kubo, and Masashi Kishimoto.
“Naaaah give us Dragon Ball Sparking Zero”: Fans Aren’t Bothered About Upcoming Akira Toriyama Release, Instead Begging for Budokai Tenkaichi 4’s Potential Genre-Defining Entry
Toriyama also influenced the Japanese gaming industry as his art served as the basis forDragon Quest, one of the very first console RPGs in Japan. His last project was theDragon Ball Zspin-off series,Dragon Ball Daima, which is slated to be released in 2024.
Hashim Asraff
Senior Writer
Articles Published :3017
Hashim Asraff is a Senior Entertainment Writer at FandomWire, with over 2,800 articles published on celebrity culture, comic book movies, and major TV franchises. With a background in Sociology and a keen interest in pop culture, Hashim brings a unique lens to breaking news stories, character deep-dives, film rankings, and fan-driven perspectives.His coverage often includes the MCU, DCU, hit network shows, and celebrity profiles, giving readers a rich blend of entertainment and analysis. A longtime fan of crime and investigative series, Hashim has watched thousands of episodes of NCIS, Criminal Minds, Law & Order: SVU, Bones, Blue Bloods, and The RookieA passionate storyteller and wordsmith, Hashim has also worked as a ghostwriter and managed multiple social media handles. He brought his writing expertise to FandomWire to also pursue his lifelong love for cinema and television.
