Anime inspired by Dragon Ball are unique in its own regard and not simply copies of the original series. With mangaka Akira Toriyama passing away on March 1 at age 68, fans are left mourning the loss of the legendary creator and the impact that he had not only on manga and anime but on pop culture as a whole.
There are several anime inspired by Dragon Ball that have become influential themselves, and they have a lot to offer that is rooted in Toriyama's impact and writing style. Whether they are innocent and extroverted protagonists, training arcs, power-ups, strong emphasis on battle choreographies, or even time skips, Akira Toriyama has changed anime and manga forever, with all of these series being prime examples of that.
Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for all the series on this list. Any opinion expressed here belongs to the author and not Sportskeeda.
10 anime inspired by Dragon Ball one could watch in honor of Akira Toriyama
1. Fist of the North Star
While this series doesn't count as an anime inspired by Dragon Ball, Fist of the North Star precedes Akira Toriyama's most popular project and even influenced this manga, as one of his editors asked him to replicate the emphasis on the battle sequences Kenshiro went through in this story.
It is arguably the last dominant and influential shonen series before Dragon Ball arrived on the scene. Kenshiro is a special warrior who wanders through a world that has become a wasteland after the nuclear war, saving innocent people and also applying his brand of extreme justice.
It is difficult to measure how influential Fist of the North Star has been, with series like JoJo's Bizarre Adventure and Berserk taking a lot from this story. Now that it has been confirmed that it is going to get a new adaptation in the near future, it is a perfect time to watch the 80s anime by Toei Animation.
2. The God of High School
The interesting thing about The God of High School when it comes to anime inspired by Dragon Ball is that it was originally a manhwa, showing how Akira Toriyama's influence has gone far beyond just Japan when it comes to creative people. And this particular series, adapted by MAPPA in 2020, is a good example of that.
One of the most obvious reasons that this is an anime inspired by Dragon Ball is the fact that the two protagonists, Goku and Jin Mori, are inspired by the legendary story Journey to the West and its Monkey King, Sun Wukong. They are also quite innocent and have a strong fighting spirit.
It is also an anime inspired by Dragon Ball because the focus of the story is on fighting tournaments between the strongest teenagers from all over the world. That classic focus on fighting and tournaments is a very classic trait of Toriyama's magnum opus and deserves a lot more attention.
3. Yu Yu Hakusho
One of the reasons why Yu Yu Hakusho is one of those anime inspired by Dragon Ball is because of its narrative structure and how it evolves, particularly when reaching the iconic Dark Tournament arc. Author Yoshihiro Togashi has mentioned that he was inspired by Toriyama to start this series with more lighthearted stories and then evolve into something a lot more serious and with more stakes.
Yusuke Urameshi is a delinquent and is hated by his classmates, teachers, and even those close to him. He doesn't care about life and eventually dies trying to save a kid, but later, in the afterlife, he discovers that some people close to him did care about him, and he wants to return, which can happen if he meets certain metrics.
The series starts as very lighthearted and episodic, although it eventually evolves into a much more serious and battle-centric shonen. Togashi constantly develops the story and writes some really strong characterization, making it one of the most prominent and popular anime of the 1990s.
4. One Punch Man
Saitama, the main character of One Punch Man, is often compared to Goku, and there are endless debates online about who is stronger, so it is no surprise that this series is an anime inspired by Dragon Ball. Manga artist Yusuke Murata has been very vocal recently about how Akira Toriyama inspired him to become a mangaka.
Saitama has become the most powerful character in the entire series, and he struggles with boredom because he can defeat anyone with just one punch. The series has a lot of comedic elements, something reminiscent of Toriyama's earlier work, but it also explores what happens when a person reaches a peak and has no challenges anymore.
5. Gintama
Gintama is a series that most anime and manga fans are aware of, but some don't give it a chance because of its comedic approach to storytelling or the number of episodes that it has. However, as some running gags have shown, this is an anime inspired by Dragon Ball, and it has a lot more substance than people may think.
The key to Gintama is that it has several comedic arcs, but they build character chemistry and connection with the audience, making the more serious storylines a lot more compelling and impactful. It is something that a lot of anime inspired by Dragon Ball do: start lighthearted and comedic, then move to a lot more serious moments.
6. Naruto
Naruto author Masashi Kishimoto has always been very vocal about how Akira Toriyama has been a massive influence in his work, so it makes a lot of sense that his magnum opus is an anime inspired by Dragon Ball. In many ways, Naruto was one of the first major series to take over from Toriyama's story once the original ended in the 90s, starting the legendary Big Three of Shonen in the early 2000s.
This anime tells the story of Naruto Uzumaki, a ninja student in the Hidden Leaf Village who is hated by everyone because he has a demon fox sealed inside him. Despite being an orphan and hated, Naruto decides to become the Hokage, the leader of the village, kickstarting his memorable journey in the series.
7. Hunter X Hunter
In many ways, Hunter X Hunter is not only one of those anime inspired by Dragon Ball but also a series that took a lot of Toriyama's tropes and pushed them to the next level. The author is Yoshihiro Togashi, who also created Yu Yu Hakusho earlier in his career, and at this point in his career, he has become a much more capable and seasoned mangaka, which explains the quality of this series.
Gon Freecss, the protagonist, is very similar to young Goku, with the same love for nature and innocence while also having the same superhuman strength. The series starts very similar to early Dragon Ball, with the sense of wonder that adventure has, but then it grows and evolves into something a lot more complex and unique.
8. Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai
Much like the case of Fist of the North Star, the inclusion of this series is a peculiar case that deserves to be pointed out. Akira Toriyama's second biggest project was making character designs for the legendary JRPG franchise Dragon Quest, which was later adapted into different mangas, including The Adventure of Dai in the 80s and 90s, which was later adapted in 2020 into anime format by Toei Animation.
This is an anime inspired by Dragon Ball, as shown by the fact that they share Toei as their studio, and this Dragon Quest adaptation has included some of Toriyama's approach to fighting sequences. It has exactly 100 episodes and can be a fun entry point to another franchise where Toriyama is also very beloved.
9. Bleach
The thing about Bleach is that it is not only an anime inspired by Dragon Ball in terms of style but also because the series might not have existed without Akira Toriyama. Author Tite Kubo has gone on record saying that, if it wasn't for Toriyama, his manga submissions for Shonen Jump wouldn't have been accepted since the legendary author instructed him to keep going because his series had potential.
Ichigo Kurosaki is a normal teenager with just one exception: he can see and interact with spirits. He is eventually visited by a Shinigami, also known as a Soul Reaper, named Rukia Kuchiki. The Shinigami gives him her powers when she is wounded by an evil spirit called Hollow, thus starting Ichigo's journey through different realities and understanding the truth about himself.
10. One Piece
Not only one of the Big Three of Shonen and the highest-selling manga of all time, but also the one a lot of people consider the spiritual successor of Dragon Ball. While it is difficult to confirm that, One Piece is also a global phenomenon, having more than 1,000 episodes and with the journey of Luffy and the Straw Hats crew still going.
It is a very simple premise at first, with Luffy sailing to the sea to find a crew and find the legendary treasure known as the One Piece to become the King of the Pirates. However, author Eiichiro Oda includes a lot of subplots, themes, and world-building to turn it into a massive story with a lot of scope, making the current series all the more captivating to a lot of people.
Final thoughts
There are a lot more anime inspired by Dragon Ball since Akira Toriyama's legacy was so grand all over the world, but these are some of the most notorious. All of these series, for the most part, have become titans of the industry, but it goes to show how Toriyama was viewed as the master of the masters in the medium of manga.
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