The Evolution of Tadayoshi Yamamuro's Art Style (Part 1)

Dragon Ball like many franchises has its fair share of much-loved animators. Names like Yuya Takahashi or Naotoshi Shida are more than familiar to fans. However, one animator that has earned the most notoriety out of them all is Tadayoshi Yamamuro.
His approach in Dragon Ball Z helped usher in a new and cleaner look to the series visuals while simultaneously hampering it many years later. So join me today as we track the evolution and somewhat devolution of Yamamuro's art style!
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►Featured artist: / muladraws
►Instagram: / d.bz_arts
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►Twitter: / zadoxz
💿Music credits:
A.L.I.S.O.N - Golden Dust
oDDling - Make Believe
Emil Rottmayer - T.I.M.E (Part 2)
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[@Dean123123100]

I love his style because in every episode Tien got a little more jacked each time

[@arpitrohilla285]

"Tien, the doctor said..." "That's why we don't visit the doctor anymore."

[@JeromeProductions]

Yep

[@raihaan1819]

I think it's cos he's been lifting

[@korosujx3227]

@@JeromeProductions Yup

[@draxel3draxel240]

@@korosujx3227 yah

[@joshhamester]

Imagine being so good you draw with sunglasses on

[@Gaming_Hub_UK]

Must be shadow or a photochromic lense

[@forgottenrelics1197]

I only just noticed that now lol

[@mechajay3358]

He's artwork was great in beginning, but the Buu Arc is where he was at his peak.

[@leftfoedead]

Facts

[@najmashahin9427]

I would say cell saga

[@cd2ogz1]

1000% agree buu arc was his best work by faaaar!

[@itsyaboy490]

Yea buu saga for sure. Cell saga was just a better arc overall but the animation and art in the buu arc was better. Especially the Goku v Vegeta fight. I hope things move forward in the direction of the Broly movie though. Imagine all of the people who got into DB from that movie alone then they have to watch a new series with that trash animation. You can lose viewers that way.

[@aavila1206]

@It’s ya boy The new Broly? The animation looked like playdoh with neon lights. They should be trying to emulate the animation and art of the Fusion Reborn/Wrath of the Dragon movies. Those were by far the most beautiful art in animated Dragonball.

[@akil5695]

Yamamuro was one of the people that elevated dragon ball interms of visuals also he is the one that downgrade the visuals in dragon ball

[@forgottenrelics1197]

Yes quite ironic haha

[@andrewjordan6828]

true, he destroyed Super with that ugly art style and in my opinion completely destoyed the replay ability of the series, i doubt you'll come across many that have rewatched super no matter how much they enjoyed it... dragonball plastic lmao

[@akil5695]

@@andrewjordan6828 super dragon ball heroes is also an example

[@ChaotixHiro]

@@andrewjordan6828 good thing Shintani took over and saved super with the DBS Broly movie

[@andrewjordan6828]

@@akil5695 true, as a hardcore dragonball fan i can't watch heroes lol

[@williamcase426]

This is the first time I've actually seen a detailed video comparing Dragon Ball Z animators. I think it is crazy that people look this much into the detail of this sort of thing, but it does highlight why even in the lens of nostalgia episodes tend to feel ever slightly different in their style from each other, but you can't quiet put your finger on it why.

[@lqayyim]

Literally been thinking this whole watching these videos

[@Steven_M.]

Great video! I miss Krillin looking like a man. Most of DBS had him looking like a cabbage patch kid (except for episode 122 where Takahashi had some great scenes).

[@jasonone8726]

Didn't he look like that in BOG and Resurrection F also? Blame Toriyama for that.

[@najmashahin9427]

Why blame toriyama for that he didn’t animate in bog and resurrection of f cause he’s s a manga artist and he doesn’t even draw dB nowadays

[@jasonone8726]

@@najmashahin9427 Toriyama doesn't draw manga anymore, but he's the one that did the designs for Super and the last 3 movies. You can look up his character sheets for Super.

[@rashidmohammad8653]

True

[@KaiserMattTygore927]

I really detest the sheen or lighting that every character has to have nowadays, The characters look like plastic action figures.

[@AirAmour]

You're right, if I'd want the characters to look like shining plastic, I'd just play the Xenoverse games.

[@jxjxtheumbra7961]

Agreed

[@vedprakashsahu4697]

yep. In the Image Comparision at 9:24 shows it . Even though It's different in the right image cause his ssj aura is on, but that extra plasticy shine has become normal now. I much prefer the left image artstyle and i still love Old School animation just for that cause

[@86Fallowcp]

@@vedprakashsahu4697 I honestly think they are perfect whenever they have their aura on

[@antsupporter2426]

god im fine if he draws promotional art like that with highlights everywhere buts its littered in 90% of dragon ball super

[@forgottenrelics1197]

Yeah I don't mind highlights although they are over used lol

[@MALAKAI1107]

I don't like the highlights either

[@trapadvisor]

Yeah straight black looks so sleek

[@paulmoses3381]

@@forgottenrelics1197 same but when are you doing part 2.

[@hawshimagical]

to me it looks like he felt like moving into a more "promotional art" role. his style in Z with shading that looks natural makes much more sense in anime context. but in his modern style he puts the shading where he just wants to emphasise, which makes sense for posters/wallpapers. takahashi proves how good yamamuro's style can look in anime, but it doesnt look intended for a whole anime. yamamuro seems to be catching on though, because the latest season of heroes removed skin highlights

[@forgottenrelics1197]

Yeah his style of shading gradually moved to using a lot of straights with shapes that don't really accentuate the form of the face leading to that unnatural feeling at times. But yeah hopeful that his work improves over time :)

[@MinhLe19303]

@@forgottenrelics1197 Actually, didn't Nakatsuru and Toriyama did the cheek shading differently?

[@Unfazed1888]

0:00 I KNOW you didn’t just put highlights on his face and called it a day. 😂😂😂 Episode 122 will always stay in my heart. It was truly the first episode where I started analyzing the different art styles- probably the last two episodes before it were drastically different in quality if I remember correctly, haha. Thank you for the analysis!

[@forgottenrelics1197]

Haha no problem

[@kunosaki1302]

The Majin Buu arc of DBZ is what got me intro drawing as kid, yamamuro's art during that time period was peak, whenever I picture dragon ball it's in his cell/buu arc artstyle

[@littlewesternbranchline852]

I like his art in the buu saga

[@kusainel1662]

Namek and Cell 🤩

[@dominikzgazivoda5921]

sayain saga

[@AntwoneAntJackson]

I like that his style kept evolving even if his modern take is less appealing. This makes dragonball feel alive more than most other "anime" in my opinion

[@AntwoneAntJackson]

@Big Brain Tadayoshi's was very noticable to me even as a child though. But you're right a lot of anime have art style changes. Yu Yu Hakusho being another I noticed as a kid

[@TerrifyingSaviourGOO]

As a kid I always had the feeling that the character just matured with time through the artstyle

[@paintbrush3554]

Og Z art just makes me so happy. Brings back the atmosphere that surrounded me as a kid when I discovered dragon ball. Images here are my favs.

[@RisingFist]

Great content buddy. There’s a lot that I personally took away from your breakdown that’ll be helpful with my approach to DB art.

[@Akaden77]

Buu saga was the peak of dragon balls art style

[@subtleprelude2400]

I mean, artists or people in general just change over time. Sometimes a person is not fully aware of the drastic change one slowly makes over the years. I agree that it’s not age or digital media related but rather the small things within the industry and his life that slowly shaped his work. Regardless of my opinion or for everything that has happened, I have a huge amount of respect towards Mr. Yamamuro as an artist for everything he’s done up till now. Whether it’s his perseverance for consistency, hard work, contribution etc, I am quite grateful.

[@tyrannotherium7873]

I love his art from the old days back in z

[@masterkent1]

some of his stuff in gt and the later episodes of the SDBH stuff is pretty good too. Also 90s yamamuro just has my favorite proportions

[@Emanny360]

This video is incredible! Just the one I've been looking for. Yamamuros style evolution has never been talked about and I'm glad you did. Hes the animator that inspires my db art especially in the androids arc.

[@oscarkinny4298]

Cannot wait for part 2. Just cannot. Great observations man, and all well organized. Great job mate.

[@cslack813]

I love these videos. So fun to see the progression. Great work man!

[@ariathyf144]

The digital art DBS is painful to watch in comparison to what happened in Z.

[@great159]

Super is such trash it makes GT look like gold for real💯

[@longlivetheblackmamba2-8-24]

@@great159 I mean GT was kinda lit fr

[@TheSlingshotKid73]

@@great159 GT was never bad tho... I personally liked it.

[@gaming4life788]

You people love to complain don't you

[@UnifiedEntity]

His work was peak in the 90s for me personally.

[@dargossss]

Definitely a drop in quality in some parts of the Buu saga, but not as jarring as the angular plastic look from later works. Thanks for the good video.

[@amiqai]

This was a really good video. Looking forward to Part-2.

[@csciabar]

Please keep up the great work! I always think about the different artists and changes over time when i watch.

[@forgottenrelics1197]

Thanks man glad you enjoyed it!

[@c-st4r]

Makes me want to watch DBZ again...

[@Silas_cv1]

I might loll

[@vedprakashsahu4697]

Me too. Specially cause of those fighting scenes from Namek shown in this vid. I really love the Old School art style man

[@lonesailordee3886]

Well, that explains why so much of the early 2000s art looked wonky

[@flipzzilla4556]

Awesome analysis bro!

[@CheemsBased]

These vids are such a treat, keep up the great work!

[@forgottenrelics1197]

That's for the support, I genuinely appreciate it.

[@MrNickCallas]

awesome job here man. was always curious about this

[@ryanstrumpfler8115]

Ugh your breakdowns are so good. So fucking cool. Makes me wanna go back and watch Z. The Buu saga looked cleannnnnnn

[@jamiemcneil9682]

Another great video 👍

[@MulaDraws]

I love your videos man, and thanks for the shout out!

[@sylion2305]

Excellent video! Another!! ^^

[@ismailbrkic3640]

Bruh i have watched all of ur vids in about 5 days and i gotta say...i just now subscribed

[@IJC144]

I rlly like this one, keep up the good work, Todayoshi Yamamuro is a 🐐

[@farazjamil6687]

fantastic video once again

[@ZARAHAnimation]

Lot of people just jump to late 2000's - early 2010's as a start for his art style change but it's been slowly showing since the late Buu Arc, which surprised me tbh. Those Vegeta frames I would've told you were Photoshopped if you told me Yamamuro drew them. Great video as always, and I'll be on the lookout for part 2!

[@specialnewb9821]

Very excited for the whole series. One of the things about the smaller ears is it makes the Saiyans seem a bit less like monkeys. Another is that the big chins seem far less prominent in the modern style, and I think this leads to the detailing on the face looking too busy since you don't have that larger clear area.

[@XaviKun]

wake up babe, new relic video

[@Gaming_Hub_UK]

Really love works. Can understand overtime his style being a bit different but still I really like his attention to details especially in resurrection of Fa and Path to power

[@Iianization]

People forget while judging Yamamuro's art style that crosshatching takes TONS of time, and in animation you need to cut that down. I feel Yamamuro got rid of that as the show went on so they could produce faster and maybe even be more faithful to the manga's style.

[@donossas4975]

Your channel is so underrated bro

[@trendchamberlain8752]

it's nice to have people point out things I noticed while watching DBZ while growing up.

[@808_rafa]

I love watching these videos, even though I understand nothing about illustration. My favorite art style is probably from the last couple of arcs and the Janemba movie

[@Max_Rex]

Itd be cool to see you do a short video on the difference of coloring of ss hair (aura on and off) between namek and buu/beyond. That dark gold hair w pale skin always let's you know it's the beginning of the legend.

[@JimboSlice44]

So cool to hear A.L.I.S.O.N in this, I love his stuff especially this track, good pick!

[@itsfrice1234]

Bro u deserve more subs ong

[@TheUncannyOne]

One of the 🐐’s

[@itzjtz1559]

That’s what I like about mainstream anime, the art style evolves and changes over the years and you can see it clearly too🔥

[@gtafan110010]

I really love the buu arc art. It just had such a good balance of detail and animation. The entire episode of goku ssj2 vs kid buu is full of great shots

[@jasonone8726]

Thank Keisuke Masunaga for that episode.

[@jesusrod9889]

I love the little highlight on the picture of Yamamura himself

[@hinatashoyo2999]

Ep 229 looks so sick 🔥 🔥🔥🔥 Also episode 168 looks also so Damm gooooooood Ahead of its time

[@justsometokyodollar1842]

I like that edit at the beginning of the video showing the highlights on Yamamuro lol

[@fizzy360wolf]

0:14 the lipsync is perfect

[@kingnick6260]

Do you have a Patreon; this is great work! I'd always noticed something "off" with DBZ's animation style per episode as a kid, yet couldn't quite put my finger on it since most cartoons at the time were quite consistent in animation. Then the transition between episode 120 where Trunks 1st cut Frieza in half towards the end, and the beginning of episode 121 made it glaringly obvious (to me) there was more than one key animator. Thanks for putting this content together!

[@SuperSaiyanDate]

9:15 This transition shows SO well how in comparison to DBZ - you notices INSTANTLY how much worse DBS art-animation is.

[@AlphaProto]

This was good information.

[@Birdfl3w]

I love how matte the majority of DBZ was in terms of coloring, he didn't use white highlights with a few exceptions. And the slight graininess(?) and washed out look of the 90's was perfection.

[@supersubatomicsonicgenerat4688]

Honestly yeah I do miss classic Yamamuro and honestly he was the one that made Dragon Ball recognizable for me fact actually sometimes I think my art style kind of looks like his classic style and I don’t even draw dragon ball that much

[@VD-pb5kz]

Enjoy watching these videoes...keep it up!

[@kameartz]

I really loved yamamuros Z style, especially in the cell and buu saga. For now I think Takahashi has the best design of drawing figures 🤔

[@onlyuchihaz4046]

best dbz artist

[@Volfyrion]

Cool vid

[@dinogt8477]

its amazing

[@johtojourneys6061]

I miss the 90s art anime style so much lol

[@trisxart2393]

Cool

[@vincentn.9744]

122 & 127 to me are the best saiyan look … elegant powerful and so vibrant … that Super Saiyan transformation in both episodes still gives me chill

[@julzshooter]

The art style during the Frieza saga was my favorite. That gritty look just worked great with all the action etc.

[@psoltani44]

really feel like super's animation took a huge shit on mid/late dbz's

[@calebquinn3027]

Ahh big man

[@forgottenrelics1197]

Brotha Quinn

[@JK-zl2ux]

Nice

[@ImHoldingDownBack]

This man yamamuro had it going on in Z and movies/movie promos

[@AccelSternritter]

Would it be possible if you make a video talking about the SSJ3 and those rumours that the animators hated that transformation because it was super difficult to animate?

[@dannybenhur6123]

Every time, it got more badass...

[@MrAlwaystekken]

One of the best Dragon Ball designers and animators. pity that now he is the faded shadow of himself ... Part 2 of this video will be `` the involution of Yamamuro ''

[@lancewinchester1000]

For me Maeda has a special place in terms of design, so nostalgic and just unforgettable. Clearly Yamamuro shows some great beautiful art since Frieza Arc, but it's well in the Android Arc where his work take true place and start to be fantastic with so many incredible quality episodes, and I don't talk about of the Buu arc where he clearly reach the perfection. The 86/95 era was the best period ever. Same for the Oav and movies. Dragon Ball Super is an another story, but I think Yamamuro did a great job in the last movies like BOG and ROF with some beautiful arts. The animation is less incredible than before but it works well in them.

[@black2785]

I wonder if future AI can mimic artists and produce double or triple the animation per frame at no time or cost. I hope I’m alive that long to see it. Imagine The entirety of DBZ redrawn by a program to look like Yamamuro’s prime.

[@marinfrombratia]

we are at least 25 years or so from that... Also can't wait for true 4k or so versions of many shows, including DBZ, coming from A.I. So far the upscaling is only decreasing the true resolution of the picture, not increasing. Also al those "FULL HD" transfers that we have are not even true full HD as they remove lots of grain, which is the one making up the picture, so the real resolution. The only animated show that I've seen being transfered in true full hd from film is the first 36 episodes of dragonball z, aka dragon ball levels sets. Sadly they stopped producing them due to the high costs.

[@loregasmic]

Man, I always thought the lines being added to the Super Saiyans' hair for definition was meant to show that their forms were evolving because everyone was trying to reach the "ascended level" of the Super Saiyan and that's when Grades 2, 3 and 4 happened.

[@Spvrinnaeli]

Nothing will ever top his work in 122. That is my favorite look for anything Dragon Ball, something soft between the old and the new.

[@Milos15GameplaysYT]

Yamamuro didn't supervise the episode 122. Animation supervisors were Yuya Takahashi, Hirotaka Nii and Koji Nashizawa with Shida being the storyboard artist. The only thing that Yamamuro animated was the ending of the episode.

[@Spvrinnaeli]

@@Milos15GameplaysYT I'm talking about DBZ, not DBS. When Future Trunks and Goku show each other their SSJ forms.

[@Milos15GameplaysYT]

Oh. I apologise. I thought it was the episode of Super for a second.

[@Spvrinnaeli]

@@Milos15GameplaysYT All good, my friend :)

[@macdaddymario]

Buu arc was the best look the series ever got to when it came to evolving the style and adding more detail. Post Buu arc the drastic downturn by making people shine like plastic at all times and the way less angled eyes just totally suck the enjoyment out of it for me. And whoever decided it was a good idea to toss the established Gogeta look, where he was literally split down the center with one half being the Goku face and the other half being Vegeta's, should be shot. And whoever decided it was a good idea to do that crazy eye thing in the Broly movie should be buried along side him.

[@cd2ogz1]

Totally Agree!

[@86Fallowcp]

Eye thing? From the newer or older Broly movies?

[@MinhLe19303]

I agreed, Buu Saga and every arts after it made characters looks weird. I really hate that rounder, wider and less angular eyes. I don't mind Gogeta's widow, but the Shintani artstyle itself made Gogeta looks so weird and reek of early and Frieza-esque style, lacking the cool and serious looks he had in Fusion Reborn. I appreciate Fenyo for drawing Gogeta Blue in SDBH that closely resemble Fusion Reborn Gogeta, but he still retained a more bigger , wider hair with less detail compare to his Vegito and Fusion Reborn Gogeta.

[@rproductz]

I was heartbroken after they messed up the ssj 2 sparks after this..

[@SuperSaiyanDate]

His work around DB/Z/GT times - stellar. This is his best times and best works in "Dragon Ball". This man is a legend along with Nakatsuru Katsuyoshi. He did "Dragon Ball" the best way ever possible in times. He - is one of the reason why "Dragon Ball" is so well known. His strict corrections and absolutely solid style that also utilizes REAL movements - is the unique thing for modern times of scribbles instead of animation. His work - is the "Dragon Ball". "Dragon Ball" always was this full of life and absolutely solid realistic-esque art and animation - and this is how it looks. Absolutely gorgeous, one of the best animation examples in anime basically. And this is how "Dragon Ball" is measured. P.s. and this is why "Dragon Ball Super" in all of it's sequences from the beginning to the end is utter garbage until it's going to confess that it is a spin-off it really is. Though a very little chances this is going to happen as a marketing strategy of "F-CKING LONG AWAITED CONTINUATION OF A STORY FROM YOUR FAVORITE F-CKER TORIYAMA" is much more profitable in all audience scale than saying the truth that "Dragon Ball" got a reboot for kids audience.

[@metalizim2010]

His art is the bomb

[@ivanhernandez8070]

Personally, I thought the Buu Arc, visually, was peak Yamamuro. That's the aesthetic my brain goes to when I think Dragon Ball. If all of Super looked like that, it would've been an even more enjoyable watch for me.

[@Xeno574]

Yeah but most of the animators on Super are either new, or are OGs that worked on Z, but have forgotten how to draw the Z artstyle properly. Such as Naoki Tate. Man's worked on One Piece for about a decade after GT ended and it shows.

[@iwantparts]

This is a great video I’ve been drawing DBZ since a child and I definitely noticed all of these things

[@NathanMulder]

Cell saga is peak for me, loved the design

[@adarsh4764]

8:25 The best design ever! Right one!

[@rayleigh8]

Episode 229 looks great. That’s the look that should have been kept forever.

[@salazars.4123]

I wish I was as cool as you, bro!

[@justsomeguywithamustache3188]

Yamamuro's 1994 version was at its peak

[@SuiMuiOyiOyi]

i think yamamuro was trying to change how dragon ball would look experimenting with the look a little bit i guess in the z and gt era but as you said way back that the color he uses now days are the main problem with his art working looking like plastic and how he miss use the highlights now days well i think if he were to be as key animator now in the upcoming movie under guys like shida or takahashi just for one or two might make him fix some of his issue as he would have to try to draw and match the scenes like he did way back and who knows we might get him back to his old look some what but anyways the man is amazing i mean in term of animation specially his marital arts core grapy i think the team really relied to much on him back in likes the 2014s to like the super series instead if this time the series return there should be like different character sheet for each ark like they did in the buu arc it would allow for more fresh look i guess as you won't see i s art style shining throw but many of the under rated talents

[@kusainel1662]

Saga Namek and Cell 😍👌🏼

[@marcusmemelord5589]

I like his art from dbz, yo son goku and his friends returns OVA, and battle of gods due to how whis and beerus looks

[@vinceamaro1382]

I still love classic Yamamuro because that's the art I was inspired with a mix of Shintani

[@mathematics557]

Yamamuros art style in the Android/cell era was at its best 🔥🔥🔥💪🏾💪🏾💪🏾

[@MADKapo]

I feel like the pictures at 8:38 would be a better thumbnail it's just incredible that the same person drew the same character so different at two points of his life.

[@carlosaponte1331]

I really miss REAL ART...REAL DRAGONBALL art. It's so sad...what DRAGONBALL looks like today.

[@ruggie.74]

Episode 122 is REALLY where the art-style in DBZ started to look incredible.