The renowned manga author of Dragon Ball, Dr. Slump and numerous more works, Akira Toriyama, passed away at the age of 68. The official X (Formerly Twitter) account for Dragon Ball has released an official statement. It would be impossible to overestimate Toriyama’s impact on the anime medium given how many stories his universes helped create about the Z-Fighters and the anime genre as a whole.
The adored manga author has left behind an unquestionably established legacy and will be sorely mourned by his family, friends, and admirers everywhere. His work created the path for the anime world, and it led the industry to the global getway. Even people who don’t know about the anime industry know about Dragon Ball.
The mangaka was a big influence on not only Dragon Ball fans but many other manga creators like Eiichiro Oda, the creator of One Piece, and Masashi Kishimoto, the creator of Naruto, were also inspired by the legend. He helped develop Dragon Ball into a global franchise, and his work became an inspiration for many others.
The Godfather of Anime, Akira Toriyama Passes Away at 68
An announcement about Akira Toriyama’s passing was made by the official Dragon Ball X account (formerly Twitter). According to the statement, Toriyama died on March 1st from an acute subdural hematoma, which is a kind of bleeding near your brain, caused by a head injury or some internal problems.
Information ; Dear Friends and Partnershttps://t.co/85dXseckzJ pic.twitter.com/aHlx8CGA2M
— DRAGON BALL OFFICIAL (@DB_official_en) March 8, 2024
It also disclosed that Toriyama was working on a wide range of projects at the time of his passing away. This certainly includes his ongoing responsibilities to work on the Dragon Ball Super manga and his participation in the soon-to-come Dragon Ball: DAIMA anime. Toriyama’s demise has shocked the entire anime community, and fans are praying for his family.
A private funeral service was performed, attended exclusively by close family members in observance of Toriyama’s wishes for seclusion and peace. It was also made clear that at this time, the family would not be taking gifts or flowers as condolences, nor would they be doing interviews with the media.
Akira Toriyama Was a Legend in the Anime Industry
Toriyama was a Japanese character designer and manga artist. His immensely popular manga series, Dr. Slump brought him widespread recognition before he went on to create Dragon Ball, which revolutionized the anime and manga industries, and worked as a character designer for several well-known video games, including Chrono Trigger, Blue Dragon, and the Dragon Quest series.
Since many manga artists look to Toriyama’s works as inspiration, especially Dragon Ball, which has garnered enormous influence and popularity, he is considered one of the writers who altered the course of manga history. Dragon Ball became one of the most popular and successful mangas in the world, selling 260 million copies globally.
Toriyama’s death has come as a big shock to the entire anime industry. Fans are mourning the death of the creator all over the world and according to the post by Dragon Ball’s official X account plans for a commemorative gathering to honor Toriyama’s life and work have yet to be created but it will be organized soon.
