Dragon Ball Super Artist Teases Manga Return

The Dragon Ball manga has been on hiatus since franchise creator Akira Toriyama died in 2024. The latest manga installment, Dragon Ball Super, began running in Shueisha’s V Jump magazine in 2015. While the future of the series has remained uncertain, recent social media activity from illustrator Toyotarou has offered readers hope for its return.

On Aug. 5, an X user posted an anecdote about asking their seven-year-old son what he wanted to do for summer vacation. The child replied, “I want to tell Toyotarou-san from Dragon Ball Super to draw more manga.” Toyotarou responded directly to the post, writing, “Thank you. I got it.” The official V Jump account recently reposted it, prompting speculation that new chapters might soon be on the way.

Toyotarou has dedicated his entire professional manga career to Dragon Ball. He illustrated Dragon Ball Super along with adaptations of related video games and anime, working alongside Toriyama, who wrote the stories and reviewed storyboard drafts. In an interview with CBR, Toyotarou shared that he never originally planned to become a manga artist. He gained the opportunity after presenting a portfolio of Dragon Ball art to Shueisha, which led to work on the Dragon Ball Heroes card game before partnering directly with Toriyama.

Although publishers have not officially scheduled the manga’s return, several Dragon Ball screen projects are progressing. Dragon Ball Super: Beerus, an updated version of the storyline featuring new animation, is set to release this fall. That project will be followed by Dragon Ball Super: The Galactic Patrol, adapting the corresponding arc from the manga. Subsequent manga storylines, including the Moro and Granolah arcs, have not yet been adapted into anime. Other franchise developments include the action RPG Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3 and an apparently unauthorized $7 billion amusement park in France.

Source: Polygon