Summary
- Fans worldwide mourn the loss of legendary manga artist Akira Toriyama, creator of
Dragon Ball
. - Tribute tweets pour in from fans expressing how Toriyama’s work has impacted their lives.
- Creators of
One Piece
and
Naruto
pay homage to Toriyama, highlighting his monumental influence.
Manga and anime icon Akira Toriyama, the creator of the hugely beloved Dragon Ball franchise, has sadly passed away at the age of 68, and fans have now taken to social media to pay tribute and share how the artist has impacted their lives. Toriyama tragically died from acute subdural hematoma on March 1, 2024, with Bird Studio announcing his passing within the last few hours.
“Akira Toriyama dying feels like entire World just broke,” says one fan, with another adding that we have now “lost a legend who changed the anime space forever.”
Dragon Ball remains one of the best known, and best loved, manga and anime series’ of all time, with Toriyama touching millions and millions of fans all over the globe. “Few are as influential as Akira Toriyama,” one fan says, with another disclosing how much the artist’s work has impacted their life.
The Creators of One Piece & Naruto Pay Tribute to Akira Toriyama
The creators of some of the world’s most acclaimed anime and manga, One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda and Naruto creator Masashi Kishimoto, have now paid tribute to Akira Toriyama, with Oda sharing a deeply personal reaction to his passing and saying, “I sincerely pray for his peaceful rest.”
“It’s too soon. The void left behind is too large. The sadness overwhelms me when I realize I’ll never meet you again. From my childhood, I’ve admired you. I remember the day I was first called by name. On the way home after the day you used the word “friends” for us, I remember the joyous moment with Kishimoto-san. I remember our last conversation.
Taking the baton from an era where reading manga was considered foolish, you helped create an era where both adults and children enjoy manga. You showed us that manga can do this, that it can take us to other worlds. It felt like watching a hero charging forward. Not just for manga artists, but for all the creators who were children during the serialization of Dragon Ball, the excitement and inspiration remains rooted. Your presence is like a giant tree.”
Masashi Kishimoto, creator of the manga series Naruto, heaped praise on the influence of Toriyama, addressing him as “Sensei,” and saying he is “overwhelmed with a sense of loss even greater than when Dragon Ball ended.”
“I honestly don’t know what to write in such a sudden situation. But I want to convey what I’ve always wanted to ask Toriyama-sensei, my thoughts. From early elementary school with Dr. Slump to later years with Dragon Ball, Sensei’s manga has always been with me, becoming a part of my life. Even when things were tough, Dragon Ball every week made me forget about it. It was salvation for a rural boy like me. Because Dragon Ball was just too much fun! It was during my university days when suddenly, Dragon Ball, which had been a part of my life for so long, ended. I felt an overwhelming sense of loss and didn’t know what to look forward to anymore. But at the same time, it was an opportunity to truly understand Sensei’s greatness, the one who created Dragon Ball.
I want to create works like Sensei! I want to be like Sensei! Pursuing manga artist, I gradually overcame that sense of loss. Because making manga was fun. Sensei was always my guiding star. I admired him. Sensei might find it bothersome, but I’m grateful anyway. He was truly a god of salvation and manga to me.”
Akira Toriyama will be sorely missed. You can read both Eiichiro Oda and Masashi Kishimoto’s statements below.
This story originally appeared on Movieweb
