Dragon Ball AF

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Summary

  • The “Dragon Ball AF” phenomenon originated from an image of a fan-made character inccorectly labelled as Super Saiyan 5 Goku from a GT sequel.
  • Various fan-made series emerged based on “Dragon Ball AF”, including creations by the viral image’s creator, David Montel Franco, as well as the Japanese artist we came to know as “Toyotaro”.
  • The widespread sharing of speculated transformations and villains like Xicor sparked an explosion of Dragon Ball fan fiction in a “post-Dragon Ball” landscape.

The Dragon Ball series by Akira Toriyama, renowned without needing an introduction, has served as the foundation for numerous anime, manga, and other forms of media creations. Following the conclusion of Dragon Ball GT in 1996, the Dragon Ball franchise persisted into the 2000s, with various periods of video game adaptations, original video animations (OVAs), and films. However, as for the main storyline, it ended with the Buu Saga. The void left by Dragon Ball, after it played such a significant role during the Golden Age of Shōnen Jump, was concerning, particularly for fans who watched Goku’s growth from childhood to maturity, making the popular image of Goku in his “Super Saiyan 5” transformation so widespread.

The phrase “Dragon Ball AF” refers to a fan-made continuation of the popular Dragon Ball series, as indicated by the show’s logo appearing on an iconic image. This fan fiction sparked enthusiasm among viewers who not only hoped for more after the conclusion of GT but also imagined new adventures for characters like Goku and the rest of the cast beyond the official end of the series. The artist responsible for Dragon Ball Super, Toyotaro, is one such creator who has contributed to these fan-made stories.

The “Dragon Ball AF” Backstory

How One Image Sparked an Entire Myth

There are various accounts about when and how the first image associated with Dragon Ball AF became popular, but it’s been established that an illustration labeled as Super Saiyan 5 Goku was initially a depiction of David Montel Franco’s original character, Tablos, in his “Spirit Killer” form. This artwork appeared in the May 1999 issue of the Spanish hobby magazine Hobby Consolas.

In October 2000, a mislabeled picture of Spirit Killer Tablos was posted on majin.com, a specialized site, where it was incorrectly identified as “SSJ5 Goku” from the anticipated sequel to Dragon Ball GT, which the administrators asserted was genuine.

Initially spreading a false rumor about Dragon Ball AF on their site, they later acknowledged being deceived by a fraudster. Originally confined to the English-speaking world, this misinformation quickly escalated beyond its initial boundaries, gaining traction even in Spanish-speaking communities. The image of Franco’s OC was initially part of an April Fool’s prank (hence “AF”), suggesting a continuation of the Dragon Ball franchise following GT. The character Tablos became synonymous with Dragon Ball AF, and numerous fan-created series bearing that name or set after GT gained significant popularity among fans.

  • “Dragon Ball AF” by the creator of the original “Super Saiyan 5” illustration, David Montel Franco.
  • Dragon Ball AF by Youngjijii, a Japanese artist who was later accused of blatant plagiarism and tracing in his work.
  • Dragon Ball New Age by Malik Torihane, which ran in the early 2010s and was rebooted in 2018.
  • Dragon Ball AF by Toyble, a Japanese lifelong fan of Dragon Ball who tried to coalesce the various fan conjectures and stories into a single coherent narrative. Working on Dragon Ball AF got him noticed, leading to his eventual selection to be the lead artist in the official continuation of the Dragon Ball franchise after Z. Toyble was in fact the artist we came to know as “Toyotaro”.

The Dragon Ball AF Phenomenon

“Alternate Future”

A standout characteristic of Dragon Ball AF during the 2000s was the widespread distribution of images depicting characters in advanced stages and speculative transformations, similar to “SSJ5 Goku”. The series introduced several villains for each Dragon Ball AF, but a particularly popular tale centered around Xicor, a wicked son born out of wedlock to Goku (a character resembling Goku Black). In a peculiar way reminiscent of the butterfly effect, the fan fiction phenomenon surrounding Dragon Ball AF set in motion a series of events that eventually led Toyotaro to become a mangaka, and he followed in the footsteps of one of the most esteemed artists in the medium to carry on one of the most significant works of fiction in human history.

Although Dragon Ball AF never actually existed, many fans during the 2000s clung to it as a distant possibility for the resurgence of the Dragon Ball series. At the time, this continuation was only found in video games and an OVA released in 2008 that introduced Vegeta’s brother.

As an observer, I can’t help but marvel at the remarkable journey of an artist like Toyotaro. Known for his work on “Dragon Ball AF,” he was destined to create the actual continuation of this iconic series, a turn of events that feels almost prophetic within the Dragon Ball universe. This unexpected yet fitting twist only makes the enduring presence of Dragon Ball more delightful.

Today, the thriving Dragon Ball multiverse, encompassing non-canon iterations such as Dragon Ball Heroes, takes me back to a simpler era when fans would flock to YouTube to watch passionate, albeit clumsy, fan videos exploring countless storyline possibilities for this legendary narrative.

The rise of Toyotaro, in part due to the Dragon Ball AF phenomenon, underscores the importance of fan communities, dojinshi, and the seemingly eternal life of certain media forms. It’s a testament to the creative energy that fuels the enduring popularity of Dragon Ball.

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2025-02-06 19:24