Artists, friends, fans, mourn death of Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama

The death of Akira Toriyama, creator of the globally famous manga and anime Dragon Ball franchise and one of the most influential creators of all time, at the age of 68, was mourned by his fellow artists, friends, and fans.

Toriyama died on March 1, 2024, but was only confirmed through a statement on March 8, 2024, by his production company Capsule Corporation Tokyo and Bird Studio, the manga company he started in 1983.

No location of his death was publicized by his company nor by Mr. Toriyama’s family.

According to his studio, he suffered Acute Subdural Hematoma (SDH), a type of bleeding near the brain where blood clotting  occurs between the surface of the brain and dura mater due to stretched out and torn veins on the brain’s surface.

Toriyama’s death was mourned privately by his family and a very few relatives.

“He would have had many more things to achieve,” the statement read. 

“However, he has left many manga titles and works of art to this world…We hope that Akira Toriyama’s unique world of creation continues to be loved by everyone for a long time to come,” the studio continued as they thanked the fans people who supported Mr. Toriyama for over 45 years.

Friends and fellow artists of Mr. Toriyama mourned his loss through various social media.

Eiichiro Oda, creator of shōnen One Piece series, also mourned the loss of his friend and a fellow artist.

“It is too early. The hole is too big. Sadness washes over me when I think that I will never see him again,” Oda said in a message board hosted on Shōnen Jump.

He mentioned that they used to live in the era where “reading manga made you a fool,” but “he [Toriyama] also created an era where both adults and children could enjoy reading manga.”

The creator of Naruto, another shōnen series, Masashi Kishimoto also expressed his condolences in the same obituary page.

“Honestly, I don’t know what to write or how to write about something so sudden. However, for now, I would like to express my thoughts and feelings to Toriyama-sensei, something I wish he would have asked me someday,” Kishimoto said.

For Kishimoto, the loss of his teacher is an even greater sense of loss than when Dragon Ball ended, to the extent that he couldn’t read his favorite series. 

Chinese action movie superstar Jackie Chan expresses himself in Chinese microblogging site, Weibo with their photo together captioned “Mr. Akira Toriyama, thank you for creating so many classic works, they will be with the world forever.” 

Akira Toriyama took a huge inspiration of Dragon Ball from the movies of Jackie Chan, especially the Drunken Master in 1978 which was the great reason of the creation of Dragon Ball, that will be later on labeled as the Father of Shōnen Anime due to many following series and cartoons are inspired from this creative work.

Fans all over the world grieved and expressed their sympathies and condolences on social media.

“Through his iconic characters and imaginative storytelling, Akira Toriyama has left an enduring legacy that spans generations. From Goku’s journey to the dynamic world of Dragon Ball, his influence on manga, anime, and pop culture is truly legendary,” a fan said in an X post.

Another fan shared in X sent his condolences, “You introduced an entire generation to anime & manga. Your influence cannot possibly be overstated. Rest easy, Akira Toriyama.”

“Inspired, Learned, Grew by your creation.. Thank you and Goodbye.. Toriyama-sensei,” an X netizen posted in grief..

A fan from Facebook could not express much as he posted “I have so much to say but I will leave it at this.. Rest in Peace, Akira Toriyama.”

Another fan reminded the fans are sharing more than just a hobby, “We treasure the many beloved stories and characters he gave to us. May his legacy live on through our shared memories and future inspiration.”

The fans will surely carry on the legacy of Mr. Toriyama for more generations to come, as a fan shared his thoughts, “From so many generations, thank you for the beautiful memories and moments, Toriyama-Sensei. We lift both our hands up in the sky in honor of you.”

Akira Toriyama first reached his fame through the Weekly Shōnen Jump from 1980 – 1984 with his Dr. Slump series, which bagged the Shogakukan Manga Award for shōnen and shōjo manga series of the year. 

Mr. Toriyama is also popular for his great contribution in designing the characters for the game Dragon Quest.