The death of Akira Toriyama at age 68 is mourned by fans of his works, including the beloved “Dragon Ball” series and other popular anime.
The renowned creator of the highly successful Dragon Ball and other beloved anime, Akira Toriyama, has passed away at the age of 68, according to a statement from his studio on Friday.
The Dragon Ball manga series by Toriyama, which began in 1984, has been a huge success worldwide with millions of copies sold. It has also been made into immensely popular animated shows, video games, and movies.
According to a statement from Bird Studio, Toriyama passed away on March 1 due to a blood clot in his brain.
According to a statement from the Dragon Ball website, as reported by BBC.
“He would have many more things to achieve. However, he has left many manga titles and works of art to this world,” his studio said. “We hope that Akira Toriyama’s unique world of creation continues to be loved by everyone for a long time to come.”
A television series based on Toriyama’s “Sand Land,” a 2000 desert adventure tale that was later made into a 2023 anime film, is set to debut on Disney+ next spring.
Social media was flooded with messages of condolences and grief from fellow creators and fans.
According to Eiichiro Oda, the renowned manga artist of “One Piece,” Toriyama’s influence is comparable to that of a “large tree” for up-and-coming artists.
“He showed us all these things manga can do, a dream of going to another world,” Oda said in a statement. His death leaves “a hole too big to fill,” Oda added.
Bird Studio expressed gratitude towards fans for over four decades of support. They also hope that Akira Toriyama’s distinct imaginative realm will continue to be adored by all for many years to come.
Toriyama was born in the central Japanese prefecture of Aichi in 1955. He began his career as a manga artist in 1978 with the release of his adventure comic “Wonder Island” in the magazine Weekly Shonen Jump. His series “Dr. Slump,” which began in 1980, became his first big success.
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Despite gaining popularity and fame, Toriyama shied away from the public eye. During a 1982 interview with NHK, a Japanese broadcasting network, he expressed his desire to simply continue creating manga.
According to the studio, the overall sales of Dragon Ball, which follows the journey of a boy named Son Goku as he seeks seven mystical balls capable of granting wishes, have reached 260 million copies.
Toriyama was also responsible for creating character designs in the popular video game franchise, Dragon Quest. His work was recognized with awards not only in the manga industry, but also internationally, such as being named a Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters in France.
The popularity of “Dragon Ball” brought about widespread acceptance.
Toriyama gained recognition among comic enthusiasts in the early 1980s through his work “Dr. Slump,” but it was his internationally renowned and culturally significant creation, “Dragon Ball,” that solidified his status as a legendary manga artist.
In a rare interview in 2013, Toriyama stated that “Dragon Ball” is akin to a miracle as it has assisted individuals, such as himself with unconventional and challenging personalities, in performing admirably and being acknowledged by society.
He stated that he dislikes socializing and has more pets than friends.
In a 2013 interview with Japan’s Asahi Shimbun, Toriyama revealed the key to his impressive productivity is being disciplined in meeting deadlines.
According to him, this is due to my past experience as a designer at a small advertising agency. I witnessed firsthand the consequences of missing deadlines, even if it was only by a small margin.
However, he acknowledged the difficulty of it all, stating, “In creating manga, I am required to draw many repetitive images. I have a tendency to become easily bored, so while it was enjoyable, it was also quite challenging. There were numerous occasions where I wished for it to be over sooner.”
He expressed his desire for readers to enjoy reading his works.
Toriyama expressed surprise at the extent of his success.
“I solely aimed to appeal to males in Japan during the creation process of this series.”
The report includes contributions from AFP.
Source: cbsnews.com