Anime

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Japan? Sushi? Oh, okay, how about the second thing? Samurai and geisha? Oh, okay, the third thing? The 1853 Battle of Shizugatake? Come on; now you’re just being obtuse. What I’m reaching for here is manga. Japanese comics are a global phenomenon, and both in Japan and abroad, there are few as recognizable and renowned as Dragon Ball. Set in an alternative Earth called Dragon World, the story of  Goku and Bulma’s quest to gather the seven Dragon Balls, a set of orbs that summon the wish-granting dragon Shenron, amongst extra-terrestrials and anthropomorphic monsters has spawned multiple spin-offs, animes, movies and a wealth of merchandise. Yet, though this is an otherworldly tale, its origins are much closer to home for many of us, as it all came from the mind of Nagoya native Akira Toriyama. The Creation of a Creative   Born in Nagoya in 1955, the die was cast when a young Akira first watched One Hundred and One Dalmatians. Spellbound by the quality of the animation, Akira decided that it was his dream to be as talented as the Disney animators. This objective was intensified in…