Akira Toriyama leaves behind an unparalleled manga legacy.
ADVERTISEMENTAkira Toriyama, the creator of the best-selling Dragon Ball and other popular anime who influenced Japanese comics, has died at the age of 68.
Toriyama's Dragon Ball manga series, which started in 1984, is an international million-seller that also turned into hugely popular anime series, video games and films.
Toriyama died of a blood clot in his brain, his production office Bird Studio said in a statement.
“It's our deep regret that he still had several works in the middle of creation with great enthusiasm,” the studio said. “He would have had many more things to achieve. However, he has left many manga titles and works of art to this world."
The office thanked his fans for their support of his creative activities for over 45 years. “We hope that Akira Toriyama's unique world of creation continues to be loved by everyone for a long time to come."
Born in the Aichi prefecture in central Japan in 1955, Toriyama debuted in 1978 in the Weekly Shonen Jump magazine. His Dr Slump series that started in 1980 became a huge hit, elevating him to a best-selling young comic artist.
Dragon Ball, the story of a boy Son Goku and his adventure in search of seven magical balls to make his wishes come true, has sold 260 million copies altogether, according to the studio.
Toriyama also designed the characters for the video game series Dragon Quest. He also received manga and art award in and outside Japan, including the Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters from France in 2019.
Toriyama's work on Dragon Ball made it incredibly influential, with classics like One Piece and Naruto influenced by the manga.
In a heartfelt post, One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda said (as translated by Reddit user Death_Usagi):
It is too early.
The hole is too big. Sadness washes over me when I think that I will never see him again.
I have admired him so much since I was a child, so I remember the day he called me by name for the first time. On the way home from the day you used the word "friend" for me and Kishimoto, I remember being overjoyed with Kishimoto. I also remember the last conversation we had.
I was one of those who took the baton from the days when reading manga made you a fool, and he also created an era when both adults and children could enjoy reading manga. He showed us the dream that manga can go worldwide. It was like watching a hero going forward.
For not only mangakas but also creators in various industries, the excitement and emotion of the time of Dragon Ball serialization must have taken root in their childhood.His existence is like a big tree.
For the manga artists of our generation who stood on the same stage, Toriyama's works became more and more important to me as I got closer to the same stage. I even felt being scary. But I am just happy to see the aloof man himself again. Because we love him on a blood level.
With respect and gratitude for the creative world he has left behind. I pray for his soulful rest in peace.
May heaven be the joyous world he envisioned.
