One of the greatest myths in the history of Dragon Ball fans has its origin precisely in Spain
Today, and for many years, Akira Toriyama’s work has been totally immersed in “Dragon Ball Super“. The new saga of manga and anime has already introduced all kinds of new transformations, enemies and battles, which have landed in media such as video games or action figure merchandising, among others. However, it is possible that over the years more than one has seen named ‘Dragon Ball AF’, content that I want to talk about today.
Dragon Ball AF, the fan phenomenon that originated in Spain
What is “Dragon Ball AF”? It’s lovely ? Who is its creator? There are many questions that can be asked about this fan phenomenon that really had a big impact on Akira Toriyama’s official work. So we start:
- To find the origin of Dragon Ball AF, the truth is that you have to go to Hobby consoles 1999in which the genesis of it all was first published: David Montiel Franco’s Super Saiyan 5 aka painting (via @HECTOR4X).
- How did something like this go viral until it became a fan phenomenon? Well, because a few months after this publication and the Super Saiyan 5 started circulating on the Internet as well, a well-known website named Majin.com mistakenly took the design as the franchise’s official artwork. With this step forward, Super Saiyan 5 and Dragon Ball AF exploded into the network.
- What gave rise to this confusion around Dragon Ball AF? Well the truth is it was which encouraged artists like Toyotaro or Young Jiji to step up and create their own content for fans. of Dragon Ball based on Dragon Ball AF. In effect, the current Dragon Ball Super manga artist began his career thanks to a phenomenon from Spain, in Alicante more precisely.
- Did that cause Dragon Ball AF to be considered minimal canon at some point? Well no. Despite Toyotaro’s later work being recognized for its quality, Dragon Ball AF was left out for what it really is: a fan story created for fans.
- Has Tablos ever been considered to officially participate in Dragon Ball? Well, not at firstand it cannot be said that Tablos himself did not try. Here you will find a Change.org which he himself launched in 2019 for which he proposed to participate in Dragon Ball Super. It was not very successful :/
Honestly, I find it very interesting that such a huge fan phenomenon as “Dragon Ball AF” originated in Spain. Ultimately, “Dragon Ball” was one of the most entertainingly significant works in our nation’s history, and it’s something that continues to be noticed today. While Goku and company owe everything to their creator, Akira Toriyama, Who knows where the franchise would be today, or in whose hands, if this Super Saiyan 5 hadn’t mistakenly started circulating over two decades ago.
Aspects of Toyotaro’s Dragon Ball AF appearing in Dragon Ball Super
Toyotaro, then known as Toyble, was indeed one of the figures who benefited the most of all the phenomenon born around “Dragon Ball AF”. If we visit the materials of the designer of “Dragon Ball Super”, we realize that in fact there is more than one look he surely saved for his stage as lead artist.
The concept of evil Goku
- Yes, it can be said that the concept of evil Goku dates back to the time of TurlesBut the reality is that Toyotaro also explored this idea and in a way more similar to what we saw in Dragon Ball Super.
- As? Well, through a character named Xicorwho was supposed to be a secret son of Goku with the missing West Kai. Indeed, we see the approach saiyan-divino who would later appear in Goku Black.
- Not only that, but Xicor would finally give rise to the presence of Super Saiyan 5a transformation for the moment not present in the canon of Dragon Ball but which, given what has been seen, should certainly not be excluded.
Goten as a superhero
- One of the aspects that we have seen the most during the beginning of the Super Hero arc in the Dragon Ball Super manga is indeed that of the stage of Goten and Trunks as “superheroes” from the city.
- And yes, it’s something that also tried Toyotaro in his Dragon Ball AF a few years ago, albeit in a slightly different way.
- On Dragon Ball AF, Trunks does not become a superhero. Besides, Goten directly inherits the name of Great Saiyaman 3in reference to what Gohan and Videl did back then.
- As a curiosity, as a ‘substitute’ for Trunks, it’s here Uub the one who also performs superhero functions.
A ritual to make Goku stronger than ever
- Do we remember the whole Super Saiyan God move? In this a series of Saiyans had to surround another to enable him to reach a new state of divine power but combining the qualities of a Saiyan? Well, in his Dragon Ball AF the good guy Toyotaro also introduced something like this.
- It must be said that in the history of Toyotaro there is a series of quite notable changes concerning… everything, in general, but the idea is that again, a series of Saiyans (in this case Super Saiyans) must meet to put Goku back into action. I won’t comment much more in case someone gets bitten by the reader worm, but hey, the idea and execution are VERY similar.
Where to read Dragon Ball AF
be an unofficial product of the “Dragon Ball” franchise, obviously the type of availability it presents is quite different from that of products licensed by Shueisha, TOEI and company. However, there are alternatives to consider:
- In the case of Dragon Ball by Tablos, the original creator, he himself has continued to edit and create content from his line to this day. Actually, Here you will find a special edition that he presented just a few weeks ago.
- There Toyotoaro’s Dragon Ball AF (Toyble)on the other hand, is much harder to locate. Even so, there are websites (as they are illegal I won’t put a link, but it won’t be hard for you to find with searches like ‘Dragon Ball AF read online’) that have scanned and uploaded the various chapters of his saga.
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