Next Dragon Ball Super Gallery Project Entrant: Kohei Horikoshi

On Friday, August 31, 2024, it was announced that Kohei Horikoshi, the creator of My Hero Academia, would be participating in the Dragon Ball Super Gallery project for the series’ 40th anniversary. This confirmation came after the release of the 24th volume cover, which was redesigned by Masanori Morita, the mangaka behind Blues. Horikoshi was chosen as the next entrant for the project.

The Super Gallery project is a tribute to Akira Toriyama’s iconic Dragon Ball manga series, which originally ran from November 20, 1984 to May 23, 1995. Each month, a different mangaka will illustrate one of the series’ 42 volume covers in their own distinct style. The manga was originally published in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine, which also featured the now-concluded My Hero Academia series.

Dragon Ball Super Gallery’s latest release sets up My Hero Academia’s Horikoshi as one of final four mangaka

Masanori Morita’s contribution to the Dragon Ball Super Gallery project involved revamping the cover of volume 24, which originally depicted Son Goku, Son Gohan, Krillin, and Vegeta. Morita’s interpretation featured a similar art style to Blues, with each character being redrawn and given updated expressions. Additionally, their positions on the cover were changed from the original. However, Son Goku’s fierce scowl remained at the forefront in Morita’s version.

Although Morita’s works, such as Rookies and Blues, are highly popular in Japan, they may not be as well-known among Western fans. This is because these famous works have not been officially translated and localized for international audiences. While the latter was adapted into two anime films in 1992 and 1993, it is uncertain whether they were released internationally, but it is likely that they were not due to the time period.

As previously stated, the announcement of Morita’s participation also confirmed that Horikoshi would be the next entrant, solidifying his place as one of the final four contributors to the project. The remaining volumes are 1, 13, 30, and 42. It is widely believed that in light of Toriyama’s passing, One Piece mangaka Eiichiro Oda will revise volume 42 as the final installment.

Despite being heavily documented throughout Oda’s career, his mentor-and-student-like relationship with Toriyama has remained strong. This is evident in how Oda’s manga has achieved the same levels of longevity and cultural impact as Toriyama’s in Japan. It is no surprise then, that there is speculation that this will be the perfect way to conclude the project. Similarly, it is expected that Horikoshi will follow suit next month with either 1, 13, or 30.

The My Hero Academia manga by Horikoshi was published from July 7, 2014 to August 5, 2024. So far, 422 out of the 430 chapters have been compiled into 41 volumes. The final volume, which will be released in Japan on December 4, 2024, will bring the total number of volumes to 42.

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