Dragon Ball Z creator Akira Toriyama dies at 68, the shocking news has left the anime fans in shock. The Japanese manga and anime Dragon Ball series is quite popular and influential globally. Young kids from several countries have memories associated with it and the characters of the series.
On Friday, March 8, 2024, the production studio of Akira revealed his death due to a brain condition. Dragon Ball is a fantasy martial arts franchise featuring Son Goku and Z Warriors. In 1984, Toriyama created the franchise, Goku as a protagonist who fought against evil and embarked on the journey to obtain seven dragon balls.
Goku had superhuman strength and a monkey tail, however, he came to heart from outer space. One of the most successful and global hits of Japanese manga is Dragon Ball Z Universe. The manga is similar to Avengers, Marvel, and X-Men comics in America.
Dragon Ball Z’s official website, Bird Studio, and Capsule Corporation Tokyo shared Toditama’s death news with everyone. According to the statement, they were showing their deep regrets to the creator of a famous anime series. Moreover, it also revealed that he was passionately working on various projects and they were midway done.
Apart from that, it appreciated and honored his works as he has left many titles and works of art to the world. If he was still alive, he might have achieved many more things. The statement ended with gratitude to Akira’s fans for his works and all the love he got.
After the Dragon Ball Z Creator Akira Toriyama died on March 1, 2024, it was revealed that the artist was facing acute subdural hematoma. The brain bleeding resulted in his death.
About Akira Toriyama
Toriyama was born on April 5, 1955, in Kitosu City, Japan. At the age of 23, he started drawing manga in Aichi prefecture and made his debut as a cartoonist in 1978. Weekly Shonen Jump, a manga fan magazine published his short story. In the same magazine, he featured his Dragon Ball Z series in 1984.
Dragon Ball was the most significant work of his life which brought him fame and recognition. The series has been around for more than four decades and left a historic mark on the world. Presently, the anime series is known as a classic.
The classic Chinese novel Journey to the West inspired the franchise and has been adapted to anime since. In 2009, Hollywood also released a movie “Dragon Ball Evolution” based on the manga characters and plot.
In the initial seasons, the story primarily focuses on Son Goku as he sets on his quest to locate the dragon balls and fend off the evil villains. As he ages, the plot shifts to his descendants and other Z warriors. The main storyline remains the same and Goku goes to heaven, but often helps his descendants in need.
When a person gets the dragon balls, he can summon the divine dragon Shen Long who can grant any wish. However, Goku ended up using all his wishes for the people on earth. Sometimes, he wished for the repair of the earth which was heavily destroyed by the villains or his friends.
The major themes of the series are courage, friendship, family, action, and kinship. The characters had strong bonds with one another.
How Did Other Japanese Manga Authors React on Toriyama’s Death?
Dragon Ball Z creator Akira Toriyama dies at 68 news didn’t only disappoint fans, but other anime or manga authors were in shock as well. They couldn’t stomach such sad news that an asset to the manga industry had met his maker.
Yuji Horii, a Japanese author and game designer who has worked with Toriyama for a long time on the popular game Dragon Quest wrote on his X account about his friend. Yuji was unable to believe that Akira was no more.
Likewise, One Piece manga series author Eiichiro Oda said that his heart is sad. When he thinks that he won’t see his friend again, it makes him overwhelmed.
China Foreign Ministry Response to Akira’s Death
The neighboring country China also shared condolences towards Dragon Ball Z Creator Akira Toriyama dies news. On the Weibo social media platform, there were 40 million views and thousands of discussions on the topic. The Chinese showed great interest in the manga series as it was inspired by the Chinese Literature “Journey to the West.”
The China Foreign Ministry also expressed their deep condolence and sympathy officially to Mr Akira Toriyami and his family. Moreover, they were eager to have more interactions between both countries for Sino-Japanese cultural exchanges. The cultural exchange is the major reason for their friendship as well, said Mao Ning (a spokesperson at China’s Foreign Ministry).
Did the news about Dragon Ball Z creator Akira Toriyama diss at 68 shocks you as well and bring memories back, comment below.
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