Inside Torishima’s Harsh Critique of Akio Iyoku and Dragon Ball’s New Direction
A Brutal Reality Check from One of Dragon Ball’s Most Influential Editors
Recently, excerpts from the KosoKoso放送 livestream sparked major conversation across the Dragon Ball community. During the broadcast, Kazuhiko Torishima—one of the original editors who helped shape Akira Toriyama’s work—delivered some of the harshest public criticism we’ve ever heard regarding the current handling of the Dragon Ball franchise.
Although he never mentioned him by name, Torishima’s comments were directly aimed at Akio Iyoku, calling out what he described as arrogance and misplaced authority from someone who “hasn’t created a single page or written a single line of Dragon Ball.”
His words were blunt, emotional, and undeniably passionate—and they set social media on fire.
Torishima’s Core Criticism: “Arrogance Without Creation”
Torishima questioned how someone without firsthand experience in creating the original manga could behave like a central creative authority. His exact words from the livestream were sharp:
“Someone who hasn’t created a single page or written a single line of Dragon Ball, yet gives orders on everything with that arrogant air.”
The criticism was aimed at leadership decisions within the franchise—decisions Torishima believes lack artistic foundation, historical understanding, and respect for Toriyama’s philosophy.
A Harsh Verdict on the Tokyo Station Dragon Ball Store
Torishima and Naz Chris visited the newly opened Dragon Ball store at Tokyo Station, and according to Torishima, the experience was disappointing on nearly every level. He compared the store’s aesthetic to cheap, rushed furniture shops in Japan, calling the materials and layout embarrassingly low-quality.
Their criticism wasn’t vague—it was technical and rooted in Toriyama’s artistic principles.
Examples of Poor Design Choices:
Orange characters on orange backgrounds
Torishima explained that Toriyama used orange precisely because manga paper is white, creating contrast. Displaying orange-on-orange erases that visual impact entirely.Incorrect action poses
A display of Goku preparing a Kamehameha featured him standing upright instead of shifting weight into his legs. Torishima noted that the pose failed to capture the physics and intensity Toriyama always emphasized.
He described the overall aesthetic sense of the store as:
“Zero.”
“Stop Buying This Stuff”: Torishima’s Message to Fans
One of the most shocking parts of the livestream came when Torishima openly asked fans not to spend money at the new store or on products he considers “fake” and disconnected from Toriyama’s artistic soul.
He apologized to fans but said the management behind the store is exploiting people:
“They are treating you like ducks to be plucked.”
He argued that as long as fans continue buying poorly made merchandise, the people in charge will never be pushed to improve.
The Call for Better Supervision
Torishima and Naz Chris both expressed that Katsuyoshi Nakatsuru—a legendary Dragon Ball animator—should be supervising the artwork. Torishima explained how, in his editor days, he personally:
Checked credits
Identified the best artists
Requested them specifically
Ensured they were paid properly
He stressed that quality only exists when the right people are given the right responsibilities.
The Bigger Message: Protect Toriyama’s Legacy
Behind Torishima’s harsh words is a deeper fear:
that Dragon Ball’s identity—its artistic style, its soul, its craftsmanship—is being lost under people who don’t understand what made it powerful in the first place.
His message wasn’t just criticism; it was a warning.
Final Thoughts
Whether you agree with Torishima or not, it’s undeniable that his words come from someone who was there—someone who helped build the foundation of Dragon Ball as we know it. His frustration reflects a desire to protect Toriyama’s legacy and ensure fans aren’t taken advantage of.
For anyone interested in hearing the full context, the original broadcast is here:
https://youtube.com/live/nq1II1jaiuA?si=pMBni-kc1NEhjI_X