Android 21 Gets 'Dragon Ball' Manga Makeover

Android 21 was a big hit with Dragon Ball fans when she was first revealed for Arc System Works' [...]

By Nick Valdez

Android 21 was a big hit with Dragon Ball fans when she was first revealed for Arc System Works' Dragon Ball FighterZ fighting game. Her design, her role in the story mode, and her overall place in the series' canon made her an instant favorite.

Her design is so well done, in fact, that seeing her in manga form is more natural than anyone would expect.

Twitter user @tarutaruiiigo shared some impressive art pieces of Android 21 in her Majin form in the style of Akira Toriyama's original Dragon Ball manga. The sketches include a great portrait of the "Good" version of the character, her hugging Android 16 (which is explained in the game's original story mode), a mid-air battle with Android 16 (which also happens in the story mode), and even sneaks in a great portrait of Android 18.

Each piece is highly detailed and goes to show how strong Android 21's design is, which only makes since she her creation was a collaborative effort between series creator Akira Toriyama and Arc System Works' directors. Taking their suggestions into account, Toriyama created Android 21's design but didn't have much direct input into her story.

Arc System Works approached Toriyama with their ideas and what they needed out of a new villain, and after Shueisha's suggestion that she transform, Toriyama drew the resulting design. Though he had no other creative involvement, this new fan-art combined with how well she fits into the series canon proves why she's a great character from every point.

Dragon Ball Super airs on Crunchyroll Saturday evenings at 7:15 p.m. CST. Adult Swim airs the English dub during its Toonami block Saturday evenings at 9:30 p.m, and is now available to stream on FunimationNOW and Amazon Video.

If you want to catch up with the English dub, the first 39 episodes of Dragon Ball Super are now available to stream on FunimationNOW, Crunchyroll's VRV service, and available to purchase on Amazon Video. The 39 episodes span the full range of what has aired in the North America and covers the "Battle of Gods" arc, "Revival of F" arc, and the most recently ended "Universe 6" arc.

There is also currently a new Dragon Ball film in the works for 2018. The film will focus on the Saiyans, the "origins of Goku's power," and potentially the story of the very first Super Saiyan God.Not only does it aim to be the best film in the series, original creator Akira Toriyama will be contributing to the film's script and new character designs.

Dragon Ball FighterZ is currently available for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC.

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