Akira Toriyama is arguably the most well-known artist out of Japan. His name is synonymous with two of the most popular franchises in the world: Dragon Ball and Dragon Quest. The former is his own creation, one that came to life over 11 years in the pages of Weekly Shoñen Jump and created a massive media empire that’s given us anime, movies, and one of the best fighting games ever made.
The other is a series he initially didn’t want to work on, as I found out in the preamble to Dragon Quest Illustrations, a new art book from Viz Media encompassing 30 years of the franchise. He had to be begged to give the project a shot back when Enix and Yuji Horii were trying to get it off the ground. Now, it’s a series that just wouldn’t look the same without his artistic input. Dragon Quest Illustrations is an illustrious look at all the creations Toriyama has introduced into the Dragon Quest franchise, and while it succeeds at showcasing his talent and creativity, it’s pretty barebones as an art book.
Source: Destructoid Dragon Quest Illustrations is a splendid, if sparse look at Akira Toriyama’s iconic work