Summary
Akira Toriyama passed away at 68, leaving behind an unparalleled manga legacy.
His work on Dragon Ball influenced many modern anime and manga series.
Toriyama’s visionary balance of humor and action made his manga and art style iconic.
Akira Toriyama, the critically acclaimed creator of Dragon Ball, has passed away at the age of 68 according to a post on X by Dragon Ball’s official Twitter account. The beloved manga creator leaves behind an unassailable legacy and will certainly be missed by his loved ones and fans across the globe.
On March 1st, Toriyama passed away at 68 from an acute subdural hematoma, according to Dragon Ball’s X account. The post goes on to say that a small funeral service has been held with Toriyama’s immediate family and that fans should avoid sending flowers or other gifts.
Unfortunately, it appears as though Toriyama had a wide variety of projects in the work at the time of his passing. This undoubtedly includes his continued duties working on the Dragon Ball Super manga as well as Toriyama’s involvement with the upcoming Dragon Ball: DAIMA anime.
Akira Toriyama Leaves Behind an Unparalleled Body of Work That Stands the Test of Time
Though Dragon Ball is undoubtedly Toriyama’s most well-known work, the acclaimed creator was famous for a variety of projects. From Sand Land, to Dragon Quest, to Chrono Trigger, Toriyama’s distinctive art style is immediately recognizable to fans of manga, anime, and video games.
Though works like
Dragon Ball
and
Sand Land
contain many thrilling action scenes, Toriyama’s earnest sense of humor remains the radiant soul of his work
Part of what made Toriyama such a visionary manga creator (and caused Dragon Ball to become the juggernaut that it is), was his immaculate balance of action and comedy. Though works like Dragon Ball and Sand Land contain many thrilling action scenes, Toriyama’s earnest sense of humor remains the radiant soul of his work. It’s partly this humor that made his manga so visionary, in addition to Toriyama’s unapproachable artwork and incredible panel layout that kept readers on the edge of their seats.
Jackie Chan films were a major influence for Toriyama’s work on
Dragon Ball
, which makes sense given the often humorous nature of Chan’s movies.
Dragon Ball Remains One of the Most Influential Anime & Manga Franchises of All Time
Akira Toriyama’s work on Dragon Ball made it incredibly influential. Classics like One Piece and Naruto both show obvious influence from Dragon Ball with epic transformations and dynamic action. Apparently the feeling of admiration was mutual, as One Piece got a shoutout Easter Egg in Dragon Ball Super. Dragon Ball is so influential that even more modern series like My Hero Academia, Jujutsu Kaisen, and One-Punch Man are still taking inspiration from Toriyama’s masterpiece.
Dragon Ball’s
original manga ran from 1984 – 1995.
Few mangaka can claim the status of a legitimate titan like Toriyama can, and his loss will be felt by manga creators and fans the world over. Dragon Ball remains one of the greatest manga of all time, ensuring that Akira Toriyama’s legacy as one of the greatest mangaka of all time will endure.
All chapters of Dragon Ball are available on Manga Plus.
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Dragon Ball
From the creative mind of Akira Toriyama, Dragon Ball is a mega multimedia franchise that spans back to the 1980s. Dragon Ball expanded quickly, starting as a serialized manga for Weekly Shonen Jump in Japan. It made its way overseas via manga and an anime adaptation that is enjoyed worldwide. Dragon Ball was the initial starting animated series that followed the adventures of the young Son Goku as he sought after the Dragon Balls. These mystical orbs would grant the wish of any who gathered them together. Then, the series would branch off into the immensely popular Dragon Ball Z, which followed Goku as an adult and featured high-intensity battles and Goku’s never-ending search to be the strongest. The series has also enjoyed several popular video game adaptations and continues to release several new animated series and theatrical films up to the recent popular Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero.
Created by Akira Toriyama
First Film Dragon Ball: Curse of the Blood Rubies
First TV Show Dragon Ball
Latest TV Show Super Dragon Ball Heroes
First Episode Air Date April 26, 1989
Latest Episode 2019-10-05
Cast Sean Schemmel , Laura Bailey , Brian Drummond , Christopher Sabat , Scott McNeil