My Hero Academia Creator Horikoshi Enhances Goku with Pro-Hero Upgrade for Dragon Ball Super Gallery Project

On Tuesday, October 1, 2024, the latest installment of the Dragon Ball Super Gallery Project was unveiled, featuring artwork by Kohei Horikoshi, the renowned creator and mangaka behind My Hero Academia. Horikoshi reinterpreted the cover of the 13th volume of the original Dragon Ball manga series by the late artist Akira Toriyama, adding his unique flair as each participating mangaka has done for their entries.

The Dragon Ball Super Gallery Project aims to have 42 different mangaka each recreate one of the original volume covers from Toriyama’s legendary manga series in their own distinctive styles. With Horikoshi from My Hero Academia already contributing his piece, a highly anticipated upcoming entry is expected from Eiichiro Oda, the celebrated mangaka of One Piece.

Horikoshi’s Unique My Hero Academia Art Style Featured in Dragon Ball Super Gallery Project

Overall, Horikoshi’s interpretation of the 13th volume cover for the Dragon Ball Super Gallery Project remains fairly close to the original design. A youthful Son Goku is depicted in his iconic gi, equipped with his power pole on his back and perched atop a jeep. Notably, Horikoshi has given Goku a fresh look, with new sneakers that coordinate with the jeep’s color scheme in his version.

In addition to a color shift from a vibrant green to a more subdued earthy brown with darker accents (like the grill and front bumper), the style has been revitalized as well. Where Toriyama’s cover exhibits signs of age through the jeep, Horikoshi has modernized it with a sleek, contemporary design. The most significant transformations come from Horikoshi’s distinctive art style, which lends a much more angular and sharp appearance to the artwork.

Alongside his submission, Horikoshi included an artist’s comment, as all participating mangaka do; however, as of this writing, a translation of this note is not yet available. Typically, these messages serve to honor Toriyama and reflect the profound influence he has had on their work. Following his passing, some have also utilized this space to pay tribute to his legacy and contributions to the manga industry.

Horikoshi launched his acclaimed My Hero Academia series in July 2014 within Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine, where it ran until its conclusion in August 2024, mirroring the duration of Toriyama’s original series. The anime adaptation, produced by Studio BONES, continues to captivate audiences as it enters its seventh season.

Toriyama’s Dragon Ball series first saw syndication in November 1984 and continued until May 1995. The Dragon Ball Super Gallery Project serves as a tribute to this iconic manga series. Tragically, Toriyama passed away on March 1, 2024, due to an acute subdural hematoma at the age of 68. The forthcoming Daima anime series is set to be the final project in the franchise, which Toriyama was deeply involved in.

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