Akira Toriyama's Manga Theater

Akira Toriyama's Manga Theater is a delightful and fascinating collection that showcases the immense talent of one of manga’s greatest creators. For fans of Akira Toriyama, this compilation offers a unique glimpse into his early works and creative evolution before Dragon Ball became the global phenomenon it is today. The anthology features a mix of short stories, each with Toriyama's signature blend of humor, quirky characters, and imaginative storytelling. Whether it's the hilarious antics of Chobit, the surreal adventure in The Devil's Ballad, or the action-packed sequences in Cowa!, each story is fun and engaging in its own way. The characters are memorable and the pacing of the stories is spot-on, making them a joy to read even in short bursts. What makes Akira Toriyama's Manga Theater so special is the variety of styles and genres on display. You can see Toriyama experimenting with different themes, from light-hearted comedy to more serious, dramatic moments, giving readers a deeper appreciation for his versatility as a storyteller. The art is, of course, stellar—his distinct style shines through, with clean lines, expressive characters, and well-executed action scenes. Whether you're a lifelong Dragon Ball fan or someone just starting to explore Toriyama's work, this anthology is an absolute treat. It’s a charming, fun, and sometimes thought-provoking read that highlights why Toriyama is considered a legend in the world of manga. Highly recommended for anyone who loves great storytelling, unique characters, and classic manga art.

A must have for any Akira Toriyama. This very thick book contains many of his definitive works. I love his art style. It's total eye candy. Very fun stories to read and of course, look at. Highly recommend to manga fans

Finally North America gets more manga from the greatest manga artist of all time! Europe has had these for years already, so why did it take so long here? All fans of old-school classic manga and Akira Toriyama need to buy this now. You should have already had it preordered! The short stories included were made in the first 16 years of his career, starting from before Dr. Slump and stopping just before he finished Dragon Ball, and it is fun to watch his art evolve and see elements that he would also include in those two series. I really enjoyed picking those out as I read. Most of the stories are comedy, but plenty have action-adventure type stuff as well. Their lengths and settings vary; from the "real world" to fantasy to sci-fi, and even two period pieces. There's also commentary from Toriyama on the creation of some of the manga which is a big plus, but I definitely wish there was more of it. It is a plus that Viz released this three-book series as a single hardcover. But it begs the question, "If you were able to change that, why didn't you also print the color pages in color?" Not a big deal, just a little odd if you're going for a deluxe-like package. What is a big deal tho... is that Viz censored the art by shading in the lips of two dark-skinned characters in the last two series. That is the only censorship that I noticed and it is quite obvious. Even more unforgivable is the fact that they do not tell buyers beforehand. Absolutely ridiculous that we still have to deal with censorship in 2021.

This is a great book full of stories. It was funny seeing some really bad stories and some really great ones. You can really see why some didn't make it big. He also tells how he became a writer in between comics. I really enjoyed this book.

Short and simple: I love this. I wanted to read Toriyama’s pre-DB work for a long time, to the point that I bought the individual issues off Amazon Japan to translate them myself. Then this releases a year later. Gladly bought it up, anyway and haven’t regretted it. There’s a playfulness and dynamic quality to his old work that has just totally been lost in his post-DB stuff. None of the writing is particularly deep, which is a key trait of Toriyama, but it’s extremely coherent, the gags land, and his layout work is still unmatched by 99% of his contemporaries. This is required reading for any aspiring comic artist.

For fans of the works of Toriyama, this offers a look into ideas that while didn't become full series, certainly helped craft his style.

The art and storytelling of Akira Toriyama is amazing. The quality of printing or bookmaking is not good enough. I mean it seems part of the original art was trimmed in the process. Either it was a problem ofMr Toriyama not being carefull with the art in the safe area or was a problem of viz publisher the Trimmed part of the art in the bookmaking. Despite of that, everything is OK

Arrived in a bad condition. However Amazon replaced it quick. So was happy with the purchase.

Wow wat a book love the eye catchy artworks Akira Toriyama Is Just Very Brilliant. A Dragon Ball Fan Must Buy & I'm Really Proud To Collect This Beautiful Piece Of Art!!!

An awesome collection of Toriyama's short stories, including his debut one shot. A hefty but solid volume, with interviews where the author comments on the story behind most of the collected manga.

Aqui nessa coleção da pra ver exatamente onde surgiram as principais ideias, esboços, e até personagens de Dragon Ball. Gostei que tem bastante comentários do próprio Toriyama sobre vários dos one-shots presentes, dando uma breve explicação de como cada uma surgiu. Sem contar o acabamento que é sensacional, capa dura com folhas mais grossas que os mangás comuns. Pra quem é fã, não vai se decepcionar.

Si Glénat avait déjà édité ces histoires dans de petit recueil, cette intégrale tout en anglais s’avère intéressante pour les fans du créateur de Dragon Ball. On y retrouve un pavé de 600 pages avec les histoires courtes du maître avec une superbe couverture cartonnée. Reste à Glenat d’en faire autant en VF.

Interesting stories from Toriyama, nice book hardcover.