'Dragon Ball' Creator Akira Toriyama Dies at 68

by Vindstot
Mar 7, 10:28 PM | 165 Comments

Renowned manga creator Akira Toriyama, best known for his Dragon Ball manga, died on March 1 due to acute subdural hematoma. He was 68. The funeral was held privately by his family.

Born in April 1955 in Nagoya, Toriyama's passion for art began at an early age. After graduating from the Aichi Prefectural Ichinomiya Institute of Technology High School in 1974, he was mostly self-taught as an artist, launching his manga artist career.

Toriyama's breakthrough came with Dr. Slump, his first major manga series, which debuted in 1980. This comedic manga, featuring the misadventures of a quirky inventor and his android creation, showcased Toriyama's distinctive art style and humor, laying the foundation for his later success with Dragon Ball.

In 1984, Toriyama introduced the world to Dragon Ball, a manga series that would go on to become one of the most successful and influential franchises in the history of Japanese pop culture. Set in a fantastical world filled with colorful characters and epic battles, Dragon Ball captured the imagination of audiences around the globe, spawning multiple anime adaptations and becoming a cultural phenomenon.

Toriyama's talents extended beyond manga to character designs for various video games. Notably, he contributed to the Dragon Quest series, Chrono Trigger, and Blue Dragon, helping define the visual identities of these beloved franchises.

Dragon Ball Daima, the latest installment in the Dragon Ball series, is scheduled for a Fall 2024 premiere, with Toriyama credited for the original work, story, and character design. Additionally, his manga Sand Land was adapted into an anime movie last August, with an anime series debuting on March 20.

Source: Oricon News, Nikkei

Mangaka Life Event

20 of 165 Comments Recent Comments

"legends never die"

May 3, 7:57 PM by LusenProd

RIP, your fans will make sure your story stays alive (2)

Apr 29, 11:36 AM by AcbSnakeDemon

rest in peace, legend

Apr 3, 4:52 AM by VitorZ7

The GOAT. Legends never die !!

Apr 2, 8:14 PM by VyseLegendaire

Really late to reply to this thread since I just recently logged in, but rest in peace. I originally saw Dragon Ball on Nicktoons and it's one of the reasons why I'm into anime/manga as much as I am now. Rest in peace.

Mar 22, 8:40 PM by Shreeder4092

So sad. Even if you aren’t a Dragon Ball fan this hits hard. Man literally helped make Anime a big part of pop culture.

Mar 14, 3:20 PM by removed-user

R.I.P. Akira Toriyama, Legend

Mar 14, 12:23 PM by His0kaDevv

Rest in Peace Legend!

Mar 14, 10:31 AM by PirateHasan

I grew up watching DBZ back in the day, I was obsessed with it.

RIP Akira, you will be missed.

Mar 14, 5:27 AM by Nameless980

RIP. I truly believe there isn't an anime/manga fan alive who wasn't impacted by this guy, even if only indirectly.

Mar 12, 9:07 PM by malvarez1

damn larpers be larping out.................