Do you want to go someplace nice? It’s a special type of nice we’re talking about. Nice cause it’s filled with dozens of shades and colors, nice cause it’s bustling, busy and picturesque, nice cause it’s surprising and you never know who you gonna encounter. Oh, and there are plenty of characters to meet, personas really! From around, probably. What do you say? Ok… off we go. Welcome to Toriyama Street!

Is the street named after a famous Japanese manga artist and character designer, author of the world famous Dragon Ball series, Toriyama,? Could be, as the chronicler and street „photographer” TULO, documenting the retro-futuristic Tokyo-like area, admits in one of his interviews for Coveal magazine:

„Manga, video games and Japanese fashion have always been my greatest source of inspiration and have helped shape my aesthetic. I’m a great fan of the work of the famous mangaka Akira Toriyama. I have always been fascinated by the irony and peculiarity of all his characters and that’s why I came up with the idea of creating an imaginary world populated by heroes, villains, aliens, monsters, and (extra)ordinary people. All of them are extremely cool, some can’t wait to tell you something weird about them, while others have no desire to talk to us…well, it’s not easy to deal with them, but they will make you smile.” 

The aesthetics of the Toriyama Street project is truly exceptional, a blend of the best outtakes from Capcom’s Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat and Humans of new York all together. The visuals are stunning, the world created by TULO is very tempting for us to dream it was real but the hidden beauty lies in the great attention to details the author pays when describing the stories behind the met personas. It’s like a small book of little narratives you crave for to be updated when you’re done with the available ones. Some characters are one step away to get fallen in love with, some are scary as hell. Chronicles well written. We have always been huge fans of the generative AI and some decent storytelling; that’s a perfect combination. TULO knows his ways! Ok, let’s get moving, there’s plenty to see on our way. 

source: Instagram

“I’m a WizardWriter and I’m working on this wall but I’ve run out of MagicalPaint. I have some more back home. Come with me my friend, I’ll show you my MobileLab in the park. What I’m painting? It’s a MagicalPortal I will use for my interdimensional travel”

source: Instagram

“Summer can be very hot here in ToriyamaStreet, do you want to try my MagicPiñaColada? It’s made with a rare UltraAnanas that I personally pick in the HottestIsland, the only place where this ananas can grow. Its UltraVitamins give you the same coolness of a last gen UltraCyberAirConditioner”

source: Instagram

“We are specialized in DragonEnergy. We work here in ToriyamaStreet at NGUR Corp. headquarter, where NewGenUltraRobots are built. For every energy glitch we have to descend trough this manhole into the ControlRoom, a chamber very close to the sewers of the street, right where the famous Dragon sleeps. Without the mighty energy of the Dragon’s Snoring NGUR corp. wouldn’t even exist. Come on, I’ll show you the ControlRoom! But don’t make too much noise, the Dragon has already awakened once and might do it again…”

source: Instagram

“I’m going to the MagicIslands. They are very far from ToriyamaStreet, you have to cross the whole Ocean…or you can use the Magical Portal painted on this wall. But you need to have a clear and relaxed mind to use it…that can be trickier than crossing the the Ocean”

source: Instagram