image source, Getty Images
Dragon Ball is part of many Japanese anime fans' childhood
The creator of Dragon Ball, one of the most influential and best-selling Japanese manga of all time, has died at the age of 68.
Akira Toriyama has suffered from acute subdural hematoma, a type of bleeding near the brain, his studio announced Friday.
Dragon Ball is extremely popular all over the world, and the manga series has even spawned manga and movie versions.
Fans are paying tribute to Toriyama for creating a character that has become a part of their childhood.
The Dragon Ball comic series debuted in 1984. It follows the adventures of a boy named Son Goku who collects magical Dragon Balls to protect Earth from alien humanoids called Saiyans.
Mr. Toriyama had some unfinished works at the time of his death.
According to a statement on the Dragon Ball website, he passed away on March 1, and his funeral was attended by only his family and a small number of friends.
“He may still have much to accomplish, but he leaves behind many comic titles and works of art,” his studio said.
“I hope that Akira Toriyama's unique creative world will continue to be loved by everyone for many years to come.''
image source, Getty Images
A photo of Akira Toriyama taken in 1984
Fans expressed their condolences on social media.
“Thank you for drawing a manga that represents my youth. Rest in peace. Thank you for your hard work.'' X's post quickly received 500 likes.
Another Japanese X user wrote, “It's too soon and it's too sad.”
Another user wrote, “His legacy will live on forever. Thank you for creating Akira, the most iconic anime character of all time.”
Born in Nagoya in 1955, Toriyama entered the manga world in the early 1980s with Dr. Slump, which told the story of the girl robot Arale and the scientist who created her.
However, Dragon Ball was his most famous work. For many fans, Goku's growth from a child fumbling through martial arts training to an overbearing hero who shoots electricity from his hands reflects their own struggles with self-doubt as adults.
Fan fiction writers and cosplayers influenced by Dragon Ball style their hair to resemble the character's sharp, spiky locks.
The manga version has been dubbed in many languages, and Dragon Ball action figures are a staple in toy stores from Japan to China to Southeast Asia.
In a 2013 interview with Asahi, Toriyama said he had “no idea” why Dragon Ball became so popular around the world.
He described the series as a miracle “considering how it helped someone with a perverse and difficult personality like me to get a decent job and be accepted into society.”
“When I was drawing this series, all I wanted to achieve was to please the boys in Japan,” he said, according to AFP.
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