Renowned Japanese manga artist Toyotarou, who gained fame as the author of the Dragon Ball spin-off Dragon Ball Heroes and was later handpicked by Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama as his official successor, recently shared a photo of the VJump cover he illustrated on social media.
While the announcement excited many fans, some eagle-eyed observers noticed a striking detail about the artwork.
Japanese Twitter users @Hahihuhegay and @dragonball930 pointed out that Goku’s pose on the cover bore an uncanny resemblance to a panel featuring Marvel superhero Captain America.
Upon further inspection, it appeared that Toyotarou had traced the pose directly from the Captain America illustration.
This revelation sparked significant controversy among Dragon Ball fans, as tracing is considered a major ethical violation in the Japanese publishing industry. Fans are now calling for Toyotarou to address the issue and provide an explanation.
The original artwork referenced by Toyotarou was created by Dexter Soy, a Filipino comic artist known for his work with both Marvel and DC Comics.
Surprisingly, rather than being upset, Soy expressed mixed feelings about the situation. In a tweet, he mentioned feeling flattered by what could be considered an “homage” but was also puzzled as to why a professional artist like Toyotarou would resort to tracing his work.
Dexter Soy’s tweet read:
“Apparently tagged with this tweet and a part of me feels flattered at the same time I’m scratching my head.”
The tweet was accompanied by the image comparison, showing the traced pose of Goku and Captain America’s original panel.
As the controversy continues to brew, Dragon Ball fans await an official response from Toyotarou or his publishers. This incident raises broader questions about artistic integrity and creative inspiration in the competitive world of manga and comics.
Apparently tagged with this tweet and a part of me feels flattered at the same time I’m scratching my head. pic.twitter.com/szBhdN9DeU
— death_star soy (@dextersoy) May 22, 2018
This is surreal. I grew up as a kid referencing (not tracing) arts of dragonball cards! And now I’m flattered that a dragonball artist is tracing my work! This is weird
— death_star soy (@dextersoy) May 22, 2018
