One year for monthly publication. 506 pages written, illustrated, published, and approximately 80.4 million reads. Characters that could be those of a serialized professional manga, but they are not. Dragon Ball Kakumi It is the result of the work of Poisson Labo, Reenko and Darkows, three French fans of Dragon Ball, Famous manga by Akira Toriyama. This is the unofficial sequel to the formal sequel. Little lost? We summarize.
Unprecedented success for French manga fans
The project dôjinshi (a Japanese word meaning fan-made manga), was born in 2018, after the broadcast of the last episode of Dragon Ball SuperThe official sequel to the manga mainstay Dragon Ball. Darkows, who was then a YouTuber specializing in Mangas and a fan of the series, posted an announcement on the forums to continue the story with a fan of the manga. He recruited about a dozen people, including Rinco and Poisson-Labeau. The first version of the project was born, but was discontinued after two seasons.
“Two years later, I sent a letter to Darkows and Reenko to suggest they take on the project as a threesome,” said Boisson-Labeau. 20 minutes. Then the machine is gradually put into place. After several months of work, on August 25, 2021, the first chapter of the final version of Dragon Ball Kakumi Posted on Mangadraft. The success is that the site could not stand the massive influx of audience and had to upgrade its servers twice. A fan’s creativity never generated so many reads once it was published.
Japanese publishing rhythm for this French manga
“Before, it was casual,” Renko recalls with humor. Now, each member of the trio has a specific and complementary role. “Darkows and Reenko have a Google Doc with the text, they write page by page about what’s going on in class, then I adapt during the storyboard before moving on to the final panel,” explains 17-year-old Poisson Labo. Effective division of tasks enabled them to publish ten chapters, the equivalent of two volumes. Chapter 11 is currently in writing and will be released on August 25. One year to the day after the adventure begins.
“At first, we had three chapters in advance, but today we produce one chapter a month, and we are to the rhythm of Japanese publishing,” says the designer. Rhythm requires adapting your work and study time to progress on the board. “I’ve found quite a few strategies to save time for painting,” continues the painter. Everything related to the courses, I do in class, an essay on literature, I can do during the Spanish course (laughs). Sometimes I print script and draw storyboards in high school. »
The scriptwriters were not neglected, the writing takes place throughout the day: “Team Kakumei is an example that you always have time to do something, explains Darkows. Reenko works 35 hours a week and I have 40-45 hours at work, but we always have time. Going out. From the bathroom, during his lunch break… and he’s working.” A continuous rhythm, requiring a one-month break every five seasons, but that’s why this dôjinshi is so successful.
Dragon Ball Kakumi where you succeed Dragon Ball Super Failed
“There is a real artistic approach. Not only are the fans having fun, the fans are really the ones who want to tell something with them. Dragon Ball Analyzes Alvin Labicot (the pseudonym of Chef Otaku), YouTuber, author of manga Arena and fan of Akira Toriyama’s work. Dragon Ball Kakumi It explores the script elements left aside by the official sequel with real maturity and sincerity.
upside down, Dragon Ball Super Chef Otaku seems to have been born out of a simple marketing will. They are looking to sell miniatures and attacks on cards. Dragon Ball Super, it really became a derivative of the license. In fact, the series is paying off tremendously. It is the most profitable license from Toei Animation (Japanese production studio) and Bandaï-Namco (video game and game empire). With such economic risks, the creative side of the current manga is necessarily limited. The scenario becomes a tool to allow the characters to unlock new transformations, all new designs and thus new statues.
Can we compare fan manga to professional manga?
I enjoy reading more Dragon Ball Kakumi what are you reading Dragon Ball Super, admittedly. But it’s different. I know the former is a fan manga and enjoys the freedom of fan manga,” points out Chief Otaku. This artistic freedom, screenwriting, and themes Dragon Ball Super And its authors, Toyotaro and Akira Toriyama, do not.
“Can we really compare? Remember Darkows. We’re totally free. We don’t have marketing restrictions, we don’t have any censorship. We’ll be in Japan with guys behind our ass checking every painting, it’s going to be a lot more complicated. I think we’d be less good.” They don’t seek denial Dragon Ball Super And for good reason, without the latter, their project would not have existed. Their only goal is to “make manga for fans”. A dôjinshi that revolutionized French manga, hence its name which can be translated as Dragon Ball Revolution.
