Summary
Though the ‘Streaming Wars’ are starting to wind down with some clear winners and losers in sight, it appears that one of those winners might be Disney+. Disney+ always had an advantage by being the exclusive home to their various animated films, Marvel properties, andStar Wars, and few households were going to give up those franchises. Still, one of the markets that Disney+ has struggled a little bit in is Japan, a country that largely has not embraced streaming the way other countries have (this includes Netflix).
However, The Walt Disney Company not only wants to change that, they want to change that by being the home to content that is attached to big names. In Japan, there are few names that are as big around the world asDragon Ballcreator Akira Toriyama, and Disney is now teaming up with him to create a new anime exclusively for their platform.
Who is Akira Toriyama?
Akira Toriyama is a highly influential Japanese manga artist and illustrator, best known for his contributions to the world of manga and anime. He was born on June 06, 2025, in Nagoya, Aichi, Japan. Toriyama is renowned for his work in creating several iconic manga and anime series, and he has had a significant impact on the global popularity of Japanese pop culture.
Toriyama is most famous for creating the immensely popular manga and anime seriesDragon Ball. The series premiered asDragon Ballon TV before eventually becomingDragon Ball Zwhen the mood of the show changed. After that series was created,Dragon Ball GTpremieredwith little to no involvement from Toriyama. Toriyama would eventually return to the franchise to help develop the Dragon Ball Super anime (and several movies as well). While this is his most successful project, Toriyama has had many other successes!
What Are Some of His Non-Dragon Ball Works?
BeforeDragon Ball, Toriyama createdDr. Slumpin 1980, a manga series known for its humor and whimsical characters. It was adapted into an anime series that was a huge hit in Japan (though less so in other countries). As a character designer, he designed the characters for the classic RPGChrono Triggerby Squaresoft and has been the key character designer for theDragon Questseries since it was introduced by Enix (both companies have since merged and have become Square-Enix).
When Microsoft was looking to expand the presence of the Xbox 360 in Japan, one of the games they commissioned wasBlue Dragon, and Toriyama was hired to help write and design the characters for that game. While the game didn’tmove that many Xbox 360 units in Japan, it was loved enough that it resulted in an anime series being produced (also with Toriyama’s iconic artwork).
In the manga world, while Toriyama has not committed to a full-blown series sinceDragon Ball, he did pen the critically acclaimed short seriesCowa!andSand Land. Recently, he decided to revisitSand Land, and this is where our story starts to take some interesting twists and turns.
What Are Some More of Toriyama’s Non-Dragon Ball Works?
While Toritama is primarily known forDragon Ball, some more of his non-Dragon Ballworks include:
Furthermore, he has provided character designs for the following video games:
What is Sand Land?
Sand Landis a manga series created by Toriyama that was serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump, a popular manga magazine, from 2000 to 2001 (and a few years later in Viz Media’s American version of the magazine,Shonen Jump). The series consists of a single tankōbon volume, which was published in 2001.
Sand Land is set in a post-apocalyptic desert world where water has become a scarce and valuable resource. The story revolves around Sheriff Rao, a law enforcement officer, and his loyal sidekick, Beelzebub, who happens to be a demon. Together, they embark on a journey across the arid wastelands in search of a rumored paradise where a vast source of water is said to exist.
The manga explores themes of environmentalism, the consequences of resource depletion, and the importance of cooperation and friendship in a harsh world. As with many of Akira Toriyama’s works,Sand Landfeatures his distinctive art style, humor, and creative character designs (as well as an inside joke that he will still be doing artwork forDragon Questall the way up to the PlayStation 8).
Though not as well-known as some of Toriyama’s other works,Sand Landhas garnered afollowing among manga enthusiastsand fans of Toriyama’s storytelling and artwork. The single-volume format makes it an easily accessible and enjoyable read for those interested in a self-contained manga story with a unique post-apocalyptic setting. Because the story was so brief, it afforded Toriyama many opportunities to expand on and create a franchise.
A film has been released in Japan (a North American release is rumored for 2024) and a massive RPG is being developed around the property. There is also aTV anime that has been commissioned, and to watch it, fans will have to go to a streaming service that is not usually known for exclusive anime titles.
Sand Land Lands on American Soil
Though you may not be familiar with the title, the reality is that American readers were introduced toSand Landin 2002. Viz Media was launching their American version of Shonen Jump, and decided that a new title from the creator ofDragon Ball Zwould be a great selling point for the magazine. It took less than a year for the whole series to be serialized before being published in book form. The manga can still be read online on the Shonen Jump subscription app.
Disney+ Makes a Power Play For Toriyama’s Fans
Though Disney is not known for anime (most of their IP-branded series remain buried, and the Studio Ghibli cataloghas moved over to GKIDS), they have been making some plays at the anime market. Many anime titles are now available on Disney+ as a result of the Hulu merger, but that is a small step compared to their newest move: to be the exclusive distributor forSand Land: The Series. Historically, most original anime showed up on either Netflix or Crunchyroll (and occasionally Hulu through a third party company).
Sand Land
WHERE TO PLAY
Dive into a desert world where both humans and demons suffer from an extreme water shortage - SAND LAND. Meet the Fiend Prince Beelzebub, his chaperone Thief, and the fearless Sheriff Rao, and follow the team on an extraordinary adventure in search of the Legendary Spring hidden in the desert, and much more. The end is only the beginning, as beyond this arid ground lies a mysterious new realm to explore - Forest Land.This action-RPG is a nostalgic and heartwarming world created by Akira Toriyama, where you will become the main character, Beelzebub. Learn how to control his powers and lead your company of heroic misfits, exploring the legendary world of SAND LAND and the brand-new Forest Land. But beware of the many dangers that populate them: between bandits, fierce wildlife, and ruthless Army Generals, reaching the spring and saving the world won’t be easy!Use your tact and imagination to develop tanks and other vehicles that will help you navigate these vast resourceful lands, using a wide array of part combinations. Build up your base of operations into a thriving city, with the help of the people you meet along the way in this desert.
