The future of the Dragon Ball Super manga, on hiatus since the passing of creator Akira Toriyama in 2024, may be looking brighter. The series' illustrator, Toyotarou, has recently offered a hint that has fans buzzing with anticipation for its return.
An exchange shared on X (formerly Twitter) on August 5th saw an X user recount their seven-year-old son's summer vacation wish: "I want to tell Toyotarou-san from Dragon Ball Super to draw more manga!" Toyotarou's response, "Thank you. I got it," though from earlier in the month, was recently reposted by V Jump magazine, a publication that has carried the Dragon Ball Super manga since its 2015 debut. This reposting has led many to believe the manga is nearing a comeback.
Toyotarou's career has been intrinsically linked to the Dragon Ball franchise. He has illustrated Dragon Ball Super and various manga adaptations of video games and anime, often working closely with Toriyama, who provided the writing and feedback on storyboards. In a past interview, Toyotarou revealed he never initially aspired to be a manga artist but secured his position after presenting his Dragon Ball portfolio to Shueisha. His initial work with the company involved art for the Dragon Ball Heroes card game, which led to his close collaboration with Toriyama.
While the return of the Dragon Ball Super manga remains unconfirmed, other Dragon Ball projects are in development. An updated version of the Beerus arc, featuring new animation, is scheduled for release this fall as Dragon Ball Super: Beerus. Following that, Dragon Ball Super: The Galactic Patrol will adapt the manga's arc of the same name. Several subsequent manga arcs, including Moro and Granolah, have yet to receive anime adaptations. Beyond animation, the franchise is also set to feature the upcoming action RPG Dragon Ball Xenoverse 3.