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The death of Akira Toriyama: the success of “Dragon Ball” in France
The death of Akira Toriyama: the success of “Dragon Ball” in France
(franceinfo)
The world of manga is in mourning: the creator of “Dragon Ball”, the Japanese Akira Toriyama, has passed away. He was at the origin of the cult series that contributed to the manga craze in France, a universe that still has a bright future ahead of it.
He’s a character who wasn’t very old when he started, and who influenced the childhoods of millions of fans. But before it becomes a cartoon, Dragon Ball is first and foremost a work of literature by Akira Toriyama. He invented a new form of storytelling, with long-running adventures that combine combat, humor and travel. A character that readers have seen grow over time. Dragon Ball has sold 260 million copies worldwide, available in movies, video games and even spin-offs. The franchise would generate almost 30 billion euros in revenue.
One of the lungs of publishing
Dragon Ball is not the only saga that attracts readers. There’s also One Piece and Naruto. So many characters that overflowed the shelves. France is not left out. This country is the second largest consumer of manga after Japan. In 2023, nearly 40 million manga will be sold here, or 700,000 every week. Even if sales have slowed a bit in 2023, manga remains one of the lifeblood of publishing, and Dragon Ball certainly has something to do with that.
