Famed Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama was announced dead at age 68. Akira Toriyama was an artist who made a significant impact on the manga and anime world. His fame began with his first work Dr. Slump, earning the 1981 Shogakukan Manga Award.
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However, it was his next series, Dragon Ball, that made him world-famous, and it expanded into a massively successful multimedia franchise. Toriyama additionally provided the art styles and character designs for video games such as Dragon Quest, Chrono Trigger, and Tobal.
AKIRA TORIYAMA HAD A MASSIVE IMPACT ON MULTIPLE INDUSTRIES
On March 8, 2024, Bird Studio announced that Toriyama died the week prior of acute subdural hematoma. He had planned to undergo surgery for a brain tumor in February 2024, likely related to the injury that took his life. His family held a private funeral, and per his wishes to maintain privacy no gifts, visits, or interview requests will be accepted. You can see the announcement from Bird Studio below:
All those who admired and found inspiration in Toriyama’s work mourned his passing and posted tributes on social media. Notable figures who expressed their condolences include Eiichiro Oda, Masashi Kishimoto, Masako Nozawa, Emmanuel Macron (see below), and Gabriel Attal. During the 18th Seiyu Awards on March 9, 2024, there was a moment of silence for Akira Toriyama as well as for Chibi Maruko-Chan voice actress TARAKO (December 17, 1960- March 4, 2024), commemorating their contributions to the anime industry.
May Akira Toriyama always be remembered and rest in peace (April 5, 1955 – March 1, 2024).
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How do you feel about Akira Toriyama’s passing? What will become of his franchise moving forward? What is your favorite thing about Dragon Ball? Let us know in the comments.
SOURCE: Dragon Ball
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