Toyotarou, the official artist for Dragon Ball Super, recently revealed a new piece in his “Toyotarou Tries to Draw” illustration series. This artwork pays homage to Akira Toriyama, highlighting his favorite self-created character as a heartfelt tribute to the late manga legend.
According to the Dragon Ball official website, Toyotarou’s latest drawing focuses on COWA, a 14-chapter manga serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump between 1997 and 1998. The story features Mako Maruyama, a former sumo wrestler with a striking appearance who leads the central group of characters.
In a beautiful homage to Toriyama, Toyotarou captures the aim of friendship in his COWA illustration (Photo: Dragon Ball Artwork/Toei Animation)Though not as globally recognized as Goku, Maruyama holds a special place as Toriyama’s favorite protagonist. The illustration also includes Paifu and Jose, Maruyama’s playful companions. Readers can view Toyotarou’s artwork below.
Toyotarou Revisits Toriyama’s Unique Picture Book-Style Manga
Unlike Toriyama’s earlier works, COWA adopted a “picture book” narrative style, as noted by the Dragon Ball website. Its debut chapter was fully colored, an unusual feature in serialized manga.
The story extend in a world inhabited by humans, ghosts, and monsters, centering on a mysterious illness called “Monster Flu.” Paifu, a mischievous half-vampire, half-werekoala boy, embarks on a quest to find a cure, which can only be created by a witch residing atop Horned-Owl Mountain.
Accompanying him are his friends, Jose and Arpon. Maruyama’s involvement begins when Paifu and his group enlist his help for their mission. Once a celebrated sumo wrestler, Maruyama became an outcast after an accidental death during a match.
Paifu deceives him by promising a fictitious one-million yen reward for his assistance. Although he later discovers the ruse, Maruyama remains committed to the group and helps them complete their journey.
Anticipation Grows for New Dragon Ball Super Content
Toyotarou has largely refrained from releasing new Dragon Ball manga since March 2024, apart from occasional teaser illustrations and spinoffs. However, fans won’t have to wait much longer.
Jump Festa 2025 confirmed the release of a new one-shot on Feb. 20, featuring Goten, Trunks, and a lesser-known character called the Clean God. While the announcement is promising for Dragon Ball Super’s future, V-Jump has not yet disclosed when the series will resume its regular monthly serialization.