- This article is about the author's in-universe avatar. For the author himself, see Akira Toriyama.
Akira, the Ultimate Ruler of the Dragon World, is a character based on the late author Akira Toriyama used to represent himself in appearances in the Dragon Ball series, usually of a comedic nature. He is fashioned in the likeness of Toriyama's avatar "Robotoriyama" and makes several major appearances in Dr. Slump, as well as minor appearances in Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball GT, and Dragon Ball Super.
Quick Answers
What is the significance of Akira's character in the Dragon Ball series?
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What is the comedic nature of Akira's appearances in the Dragon Ball series?
Appearance[]
Biography[]
Background[]
Toriyama is the ultimate ruler of the Dragon Ball world, and therefore greater than Zeno.
Dr. Slump[]
Tori-Bot makes frequent appearances in the Dr. Slump manga, where he is a resident of Penguin Village and lives in a small house on a hill where he spends his time drawing chapters, making models and receiving rejection notices from his editor. He frequently appears as either a robot, a human or a bird, but seems to prefer his robotic look above others. Despite usually appearing as a cameo within the manga, there are actually a few stories with him as a major character.
He usually tries to trick the residents of Penguin Village into participating in contests for easy prize money in an attempt to boost his manga's sales as seen in "Penguin Gran Prix" and "Who's the Strongest in the World?", but always tries to avoid paying them which results in him getting pummeled.
In chapter 71, "The Time Stoppers", he is revealed to be good friends with Senbei Norimaki and once asked him to build a time stopping machine for him so he could have more time to draw, but the machine backfired and froze everything. Eventually, Tori-Bot was able to reverse this by the next day but refused to make up an explanation. Senbei also briefly rebuilt his robotic body after Gatchan had eaten it during the same chapter.
Tori-Bot later used Turbo's time machine in "N'cha, Penguin Village Ten Years from Now!" to see Penguin Village's future. He then interviewed all of the future residents and was quite pleased with how things turned out for them. That was until Tori-Bot ran into his future self who turned out to be a homeless bum begging for scraps. Scared silly by this revelation, he went back in time and swore to put more effort into his work.
Dragon Ball[]
Tori-Bot in "Nimbus Cloud of Roshi"
Tori-Bot makes few appearances in the early parts of the Dragon Ball manga (chapters 1, 3, and 42). He can be seen in episode/chapter three of Dragon Ball, "The Nimbus Cloud of Roshi" and "Sea Monkeys" on a tree when Bulma and Goku walk to the beach. In the Japanese version, he mumbles "Penguin Village...this is not", and in the manga he says "Is this Penguin Village?”. The English dubs have his role vary; the Harmony Gold dub changes his line to "What’s that noise I hear?” referring to Bulma’s motorbike approaching the shoreline. The BLT dub has him vocalize similar to a monkey (likely due to his clinging to the tree) whilst the Funimation dub gives him some dull warbling. These were likely due to the American audience not being as familiar with Dr. Slump as they were with Dragon Ball.
Tori-Bot's wanted poster in "Look Out For Launch"
In the scene at the saloon Launch enters in "Look Out for Launch", Tori-Bot is shown on a poster as one of the criminals that were already taken down and he had the lowest bounty, possibly being comic relief.[2]
Tori-Bot appears again hanging on a tree at the first floor garden in Capsule Corporation in the filler episode "Master Thief, Hasky".
Dragon Ball Z[]
Tori-Bot appears in the crowd of fighters watching Goku fight Pikkon, with his head colored yellow instead of the usual blue/black.[1] He also appears in episode 210, "The World Tournament" and episode 215, "Forfeit of Piccolo".
Panel featuring Tori-Bot in Chapter 480
In the Dragon Ball manga chapter 480, "The Fusion Succeeds...?!", Tori-Bot appears on The Lookout when Krillin notices the panels for when Trunks and Goten attempt the Fusion Dance multiple times are repeated, so Tori-Bot apologizes to his editor and asks not to be paid for having the same image of Trunks and Goten fusing used twice in the same chapter.
In Dragon Ball Z: Broly - Second Coming, when Goten talks about what he wants to wish for, Tori-Bot is seen at the bottom of the screen. Tori-Bot is seen as an icon on Gohan's computer along with Neko Majin Mix in Dragon Ball: The Return of Son Goku and Friends!.
Dragon Ball Super[]
Tori-Bot's face appears on the Zeni banknotes that Mr. Satan gives to Goku.[4]
Dragon Ball GT[]
Tori-Bot appears in yellow and green on a shaving kit Vegeta bought.[5]
Power[]
Toriyama is far greater than the Supreme Kais, Gods of Destruction, and even Zeno. As the author and especially as a kind of supreme deity, he possesses power over the entire Dragon Ball world and can draw up whatever he wants as long he has a pencil and paper, unless, of course, his drawings and drafts are "rejected" by his editors. For example, he was powerless against the rejections of Mr. Torishima, and would often curse his former editor with the likes of voodoo dolls.[6][7] When he's a robot, he is helpless against the omnivorous Gatchan, but eventually draws up a new body. He also tends to be looked down upon or even beaten up easily by the residents of Penguin Village despite his status and Krillin even called him out on photocopying panels during the Fusion Saga.
Video Game Appearances[]
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The Tori-Bot skin for Poll in Dragon Ball Heroes
Although hard to see, Tori-Bot appears in Budokai as an audience member of the World Tournament.
He reappears in Budokai 2, again as a member of the World Tournament audience.
What seems to be a version of Tori-Bot makes random appearances in Dragon Ball Online. An image of the character appears on-screen with a speech bubble above its head.
Tori-Bot appears as a limited-time skin for Poll in Dragon Ball Heroes. When he is used, all of the team's Super Attacks will damage the opponent with no regards to Hero Energy (special meter) for 4 rounds. He also appears in Defense and Attack Forms in the game.
Voice Actors[]
- Japanese: Isamu Tanonaka † (1981 series; Tori), Yuji Ueda (1997 series; Tori-Bot), Hiroshi Ōtake † (Dragon Ball episode 3; Tori-Bot)
- English:
- Harmony Gold dub: Bryan Cranston (Dr. Slump; Tori), Robert Axelrod † (Dragon Ball episode 3; Tori-Bot)
- Ocean Group dubs: Michael Donovan (Dragon Ball episode 3; Tori-Bot)
- Funimation dub: Chris Cason (Dragon Ball episode 3; Tori-Bot)
Trivia[]
- Before using Tori-Bot, Toriyama drew himself as an anthropomorphic bird called Tori (as tori means "bird" in Japanese).
- Several characters in Dr. Slump look like Tori-Bot: one is a member of the Fly Milk gang, and another is Miss. Akiko.
- Tori-Bot is the only character from Dr. Slump that appeared in Dragon Ball GT.
- Tori-Bot is a run-on gag character in instances where he has to follow what the editor states and other such complaints.
- Tori-Bot also makes an appearance in Blue Dragon, a JRPG where Akira Toriyama was responsible for art design.
Gallery[]
 Akira Toriyama's bio in Daizenshuu 7  Tori-Bot .jpg "Tori(SpStVol17).jpg (65 KB)") Tori-Bot in a special story in Dr. Slump volume 17  Cover Flap image of Tori-Bot in Dragon Ball volume 23  Cover Flap image of Tori-Bot in Dragon Ball volume 24  Cover Flap image of Tori-Bot with his female dog and her puppies in Dragon Ball volume 26  Cover Flap image of Tori-Bot in Dragon Ball volume 31  Cover Flap image of Tori-Bot in Dragon Ball volume 34  Getting ready to use Turbo's time machine  Tori-Bot appearing in the crowd spectating Goku's and Pikkon's match  Tori-Bot on a shaving kit in Dragon Ball GT  Tori-Bot appearing on Zeni in Dragon Ball Super  Tori-Bot in Broly - Second Coming  Tori-Bot on Gohan's computer in Yo! Son Goku and His Friends Return!! .png "ToribotAttackForm(DBH).png (106 KB)") Tori-Bot in an attack form in Dragon Ball Heroes .png "ToribotDefenseForm(DBH).png (92 KB)") Tori-Bot in a defense form in Dragon Ball Heroes |
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Dragon Ball Z episode 199, "Goku vs. Pikkon"
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Dragon Ball episode 15, "Look Out for Launch"
- ↑ Hetappi Manga Kenkyūjo, 1985
- ↑ Dragon Ball Super episode 1, "A Peacetime Reward Who Gets the 100,000,000 Zeni?!"
- ↑ Dragon Ball GT episode 27, "The Attack on Vegeta"
- ↑ Dr. Slump volume 3 extra, "This Is How I Draw Dr. Slump, Y'all!"
- ↑ Dr. Slump volume 9 extra, "Character Creation"
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