Akira Toriyama, the influential creator of the “Dragon Ball” manga and anime franchise, has died at age 68, it was announced on Friday.
The franchise’s official website said Toriyama died on March 1 due to a blood clot in his brain.
A funeral service was held with members of Toriyama’s immediate family. Dates for official farewell events have not yet been announced.
The post on the website expressed sadness and regret at Toriyama’s sudden death, saying that he was “passionately working on many projects” and that “there was so much more that he wanted to accomplish.”
The post also expressed gratitude to Toriyama’s fans.
“He was supported by so many people from around the world who allowed him to be able to continue his creative endeavors for over 45 years,” it said.
“We sincerely hope that the world of Akira Toriyama’s unique works will continue to be loved by everyone for a long time to come. Please accept our deepest gratitude for your kindness and friendship during his lifetime,” it added.
A woman has her photo taken with a statue of Dragon Ball character Son Goku in Tokyo on Friday. | AFP-JIJI
Toriyama’s first foray into the manga industry came when he entered a competition for up-and-coming writers in the Weekly Shonen Jump comic magazine. While his submissions did not win, they attracted the attention of Kazuhiko Torishima, who worked at the manga giant, and would later become Toriyama’s editor, according to IT media.
This led to Toriyama making his debut in 1978 with “Wonder Island.” Following his debut, he produced many popular works, such as “Dr. Slump” and “Dragon Ball” for Weekly Shonen Jump.
In particular, “Dragon Ball,” which began serialization in 1984, became an international phenomenon and one of the best-selling and highest-grossing manga series of all time, with over 260 million copies sold worldwide in over 20 countries.
The anime adaptations of “Dragon Ball,” including “Dragon Ball Z” and “Dragon Ball Super,” became wildly popular overseas and have been broadcast in over 40 countries.
The series spawned a vast array of merchandise, including action figures, trading cards, clothing and video games, making it a mega-franchise. Video game titles based on the franchise also reached widespread popularity.
“Dragon Ball,” which began serialization in 1984, became an international phenomenon. | AFP-JIJI
Toriyama was the illustrator and character designer for the franchise’s video game series, and lent his creative mind to other video games as a character designer for the Chrono Trigger and Dragon Quest role-playing games.
Toriyama and “Dragon Ball” have been credited with influencing a multitude of renowned creators, and tributes began to pour in from around the world after his death was announced.
Eiichiro Oda, the author of “One Piece,” credits Toriyama as having had a significant influence on his work, and made a statement on Shonen Jump’s official website lamenting the loss of one of the industry’s giants.
“It’s too soon … sadness washes over me when I think about how I will never see him again,” he said in the statement. “May heaven be the joyous world he envisioned.”
Toriyama’s impact on the creative sphere extended beyond Japan.
French director Pierre Perifel has cited “Dragon Ball” as inspiration for his work on the DreamWorks Animation film “The Bad Guys,” and Ian Jones-Quartey, a producer of the popular American animated series “Steven Universe,” has expressed admiration for both “Dragon Ball” and “Dr. Slump,” saying that he uses Toriyama’s vehicle designs as a reference for his own creations.
At a news conference Friday, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi commented on Toriyama’s death, stating “Toriyama created works that were loved not only by people in Japan, but those overseas.”
“We offer our heartfelt condolences on this day of mourning.”
Toriyama received numerous accolades throughout his illustrious career, including the Shogakukan Manga Award and a decoration for a Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters by the French government in 2019.
He was due to be honored with a Lifetime Achievement Awards at the 2024 Tokyo Anime Awards Festival, which kicked off on Friday.
