Dragon Ball Civil War Rages on as Editor Bashes Franchise Producer

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While Dragon Ball won’t be heavily featured at this year’s Jump Festa, the popular series is planning its own event in 2026 to offer a glimpse of what’s next. Currently, a former editor of the Dragon Ball manga has been publicly criticizing its direction. In a recent interview, Kauhiko Torishima, a long-time figure associated with Dragon Ball, voiced strong disapproval of a current producer and the overall state of the series.

In a recent podcast appearance, animator Tadayoshi Yamamuro, known as Torishima, strongly criticized producer Akio Iyoku – though he didn’t mention him by name. He accused Iyoku of arrogance, saying he acts like a leader despite not having contributed creatively to Dragon Ball itself. Yamamuro also didn’t hold back when discussing a recent visit to the official Dragon Ball store, describing it as poorly put together and far below standard. He blamed the producer at Capsule Corporation Tokyo for a lack of good design sense, suggesting there’s also a communication problem between Shueisha and the company, or that Capsule Corp is difficult to work with.

During the podcast, Torishima went so far as to ask Dragon Ball fans to boycott the official store in Japan. He felt they were being overcharged and taken advantage of, saying the store assumed fans wouldn’t notice or care about the quality of the merchandise. He believes the only way to get the store to improve is to stop buying their products, demonstrating that there’s no demand for low-quality items. He hopes a drop in sales will force them to reconsider their approach.

No Love Lost Between Torishima And Dragon Ball

This isn’t the first time the former editor of Dragon Ball has criticized the current state of manga. At the 2025 Japan Expo, Torishima explained that manga isn’t reaching its full potential, pointing to a decline in young readers. He argues that editors often blame children for not understanding panel layouts, but the real issue is poor layout design. He used Akira Toriyama’s work as an example of clear, easy-to-follow manga, and believes even a series like One Piece should be accessible to elementary school students. Torishima doesn’t blame the artists themselves, but rather editors who lack expertise in manga layout and readability. He suggests publishers often hire people who are only familiar with manga, instead of those with broader experience in areas like film and literature, which limits creativity.

What are your thoughts on the current conflict within the world of Dragon Ball? Share your opinion in the comments and join the discussion on the ComicBook Forum!

Via Kuso Kuso

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2025-12-06 20:41