Kenji Shimizu (Producer, Fuji TV) — A producer at Fuji TV, he has overseen Jump anime such as Dragon Ball, Z, and Captain Tsubasa J, along with major hits such as Chibi Maruko-chan.
Kōzō Morishita (Producer, Toei Animation) — A producer at Toei Animation, he has overseen a large number of animated Toriyama works, with Dr. Slump — Arale-chan, Dragon Ball, Z, and the theatrical anime series of each.
Takao Koyama (Series Organizer / Scenario) — Representative of [writing collective] “Brother Noppo”. He first participated in Toriyama’s works with scenarios for Dr. Slump — Arale-chan. From Z onwards, he has been in charge of series organization.
Shigeyasu Yamauchi (Director) — Since episode 45 of the Z TV series, and in theatrical works since Spring ’93’s “Burn Up!! A Red-Hot, Raging, Super-Fierce Fight”, he has had directorial duties. He’s actually a fan of Bulma.
Tadayoshi Yamamuro (Animation Supervisor) — He has been a member of the keyframe staff since Dragon Ball episode 7. From the Z TV series onward, and in theatrical works starting with Spring ’93’s “Burn Up!! A Red-Hot, Raging, Super-Fierce Fight”, he has been an animation supervisor.
Shunsuke Kikuchi (Background Music) — He has composed the background music for numerous live-action and animated works. Beginning with Dr. Slump — Arale-chan and continuing with Dragon Ball and Z, he has been responsible for the background music in all Toriyama’s works on TV.
Masako Nozawa (Voice of Goku, Gohan, & Goten) — Affiliated with 81 Produce. Starting with the voice of the main character, Son Goku, she also manages the role of Gohan, Goten, Tullece, and even Bardock, by herself—an amazing person.
Yamauchi: Ah, he said it. (laughs)
Koyama: I thought somebody’d say it, so I said it first. (laughs)
Morishita: Freeza was epoch-making, wasn’t he? I really do feel that it was with Freeza that a Toriyama work got its first true villain.
Nozawa: He was despicable… so much so that it was frustrating.
Koyama: The voice was also good. Ryūsei Nakao-san was a perfect fit….
Shimizu: The role suited him well.
Morishita: As villains go, it really was the most dramatic in terms of the flow with Freeza. Just when you thought Vegeta was an incredible character, it turns out that Freeza ruled over him. The story being connected by that feeling lent it a tremendous depth. Vegeta himself is his own individual, and a prince, and an incredible character. Even Goku’s father (Bardock, the main character of “A Final, Solitary Battle”) appears. The fact that Freeza in the middle of that sort of world gives him a serious amount of presence. He didn’t just simply pop up out of thin air.
Koyama: He was connected ever since Goku was born, even.
Yamamuro: In my case, since it was the first movie I was animation supervisor on, it’s Broli. He’s outrageously strong, but there’s something sad about him. I wondered about how to bring out that sort of facial expression….
Yamauchi: That was difficult, wasn’t it?
Koyama: Goku alone couldn’t win against Broli, no doubt.
Yamauchi: Broli, in terms of both Koyama-san‘s scenario and Yamamuro-san‘s character, has some hidden darkness to him. Even just standing there idly, he’s ominous. During production, I couldn’t tell whether he was scary or not. Koyama-san told me, “He’s scary,” and I was relieved. (laughs)
Kikuchi: With regards to characters, I like stuff like Kame-sen’nin from early on. I just like composing pieces with that sort of fun. So much that I’d want them to make a story with Kame-sen’nin as the main character if they could. Japan doesn’t have very many enjoyable things with a cheerful, perverted charm like that, after all.
Nozawa: That’s because old men skip straight to actions. (laughs)
Nozawa: It seems that way. Apparently parents say things like “You’ll make Goku angry”. By the way, I always think this, but the naming of the characters who appear in Toriyama works is very easy for children to get, isn’t it? I think it’s wonderful…. If they’re a vegetable, it’s part of a vegetable series, and there’s a musical-instruments series, and so forth.
Kikuchi: The naming of the original characters from the theatrical films is a lot of fun, too.
Koyama: That’s right. That alone, I look forward to. (laughs) For the movies, the characters are mostly named on this end, so it’s fun. I like naming them. While pondering things I can’t quite get a handle on….
Morishita: Although there are times when it’s a struggle. (laughs)
Yamamuro: But the power of naming truly is amazing.
Nozawa: It’s important.
Yamauchi: That’s because naming has great power in bringing a character to life.
Koyama: That’s why, at the time of “The World’s Strongest Guy”, I went with foods from Nagoya. (laughs) Ebifurya, Kishime, Dr. Uiro, and so on…. Once the names are set, the characters come to life.
Nozawa: The characters are truly good. We made a whole 30-minute work of just Gohan and a robot, didn’t we? (Dragon Ball Z episode 9) Normally, I’d be too afraid and full of doubts to be able to do it. That sort of thing, I think I probably won’t be doing at all from here on out, either…. I just love that one.
Koyama: And also, what I was incredibly grateful for was the story of Bardock that we did in the TV Special. (A Solitary, Final Battle) That’s because we were given the privilege of doing an aspect of the story that wasn’t in the original work. After that, Sensei followed our lead with the original work…. He respected what we’d done, and even made the story consistent with ours. Nothing else matches that kind of blessing. I think it’s rare to allow the staff and cast to do things that freely. Toriyama-sensei is incredible in that respect. We have no intention of making something bad either, and he really gives us the motivation to do our utmost.
Shimizu: It’s true. I’m attached to that work. “I don’t mind if it’s a sad story, but there has to have been this background”, he said. We made it with quite an attention to detail.
Morishita: In working on Dragon Ball, I became extremely famous abroad, particularly in Asia. Just saying that I’m doing this work, the other person respects me. Even if they’re someone from Disney Productions, when I’m introduced by the main staff as a producer of Dragon Ball, they show a positive reaction. It has incredible influence. I haven’t even done anything, and yet there’s such power. (laughs) Solely because of that, they immediately place me on their level to an extent. I felt like I’d become an international celebrity, or something. (laughs)
Honda CT110 Hunter Cub [TRAIL 110 “Postie Bike”]
Jump told me I could receive something from them in commemoration of Dragon Ball‘s 500th chapter, so I got this, just when I had been meaning to buy it. Lucky break. It’s only 110cc, so it isn’t fast, but it’s perfect for riding around the neighborhood. Very stylish.
Alex Moulton AM-7
It’s a bicycle from England, and judging by its small tires, it seems like your typical mini-cycle2, but despite its looks, it’s actually a quite capable road-racer type. It’s strange, but I just think it looks cool. I had a friend customize it for me, and now it’s even better!! I have another one too, called the AM-GT, which is a bit extravagant.
In any case, it looks like there’s no way I’ll be able to do a new one-shot manga until all of my current work is finished.
Okumoto-sensei, who is both a scholar of French literature and a lecturer at Saitama University, is a decade-long Dragon Ball fan!! What is the appeal of Dragon Ball in the eyes of a university professor? Inquiring minds want to know!!
Among the enemy characters, Demon King Piccolo felt fresh. I admired him—to think that villains could be done like this! Also, there’s Freeza. Even now, my daughter and I have fun imitating Freeza, with, “That one hurt!” (laughs) We watch the TV anime every week, too; the whole family are Dragon Ball fans.
(caption) The bunko edition of Okumoto-sensei‘s translation of Fabre’s “Souvenirs Entomologiques”, with cover illustrations drawn by Toriyama-sensei, will be released by Shueisha in March ’96. The anticipation!!
09 December 1995
Dragon Ball Daizenshuu Editorial Dept.
The Latest Theatrical Work!! Dragon Ball: The Path to Ultimate Strength Newsflash
Full-Length Theatrical Feature Opening Spring ’96
The attention-getting latest theatrical anime is a rearrangement of volumes one through eight of the original work, making ample use of new animation techniques. On staff, Shigeyasu Yamauchi has been tapped to direct, Tadayoshi Yamamuro to supervise the animation, and Aya Matsui to write the scenario. It will open in Toei-affiliated theaters across the country during spring vacation ’96.
(caption) Goku’s great adventure will unfold on the big screen!
The Popular Carddass Exceed 1,000 Total Cards!!
Main Series Stage 25 Goes On Sale!!
Carddass Stage 25, “And So, Towards a Distant Battle (Conclusion)”, with 42 cards in all, goes on sale for ¥20 apiece in the final of December. There’s even a special card commemorating the total cards passing 1,000.
(Caption) This is the special commemorative card!!
A Present to 10,000 Lucky Winners!
An Original Poster with All Dragon Ball Characters Together2
On a postcard, ① paste the entry ticket on this book’s obi, and write your ② postal code and address, ③ name, and ④ telephone number, and send it in to the address below. Winners will be notified via shipment of the prize itself.
• Address:
ATTN: “Dragon Ball Original Poster Present”
Shueisha Comic Media Editorial Department
2-5-10 Hitotsubashi
Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo-to 〒101-503
• Entries must be postmarked no later than 06 January ’96 (Sat.)
DRAGON BALL DAIZENSHUU ⑦
Dragon Ball Large Encyclopedia
The seventh and final Daizenshuu volume will be a super-deluxe large encyclopedia. Everything from the comics and the anime will be perfectly contained in encyclopedia-format. It’s a single complete tome which references the comics and the other six Daizenshuu volumes!!
On sale 5 February (Mon.)!!
Extra Volume: Dragon Ball Carddass Perfect File Part 1 will go on sale in January ’96!!