The creator of Goku has journeyed to the otherworld. Iconic mangaka Akira Toriyama passed away at age 68 on March 1. The cause of death is said to be a Subdural Hematoma. The news was announced by Bird Studio and Capsule Corporation Tokyo. You can read the statement here.
Toriyama first got his start on the series, Dr. Slump, which ran for over 4 years in Shonen Jump. Following Slump’s conclusion, Toriyama began the work for which he was most known: Dragon Ball.
Modeled after Journey to the West, the series centers on Goku, a young boy with a tail who travels worldwide searching for the mystical Dragon Balls. When all seven are collected, the Eternal Dragon Shenron will grant a single wish. The series ran from 1984 to 1995, spanning a variety of spin-offs, toys, games, and, most notably, a generation-defining anime series often credited with popularizing anime in the United States.
With just Dragon Ball, Toriyama’s legacy has been assured, yet he was far from done Concurrently with Dragon Ball, he also credited the designs for the long-running Dragon Quest video game series. Outside of his own work, Toriyama was well known for building up the new generation of Mangaka, including the likes of Masashi Kishimoto and One Piece’s Eiichiro Oda. Toriyama even wrote Bleach creator Tite Kubo a letter of encouragement following the failure of Zombiepowder
In recent years, Toriyama was convinced to return to the Dragon Ball franchise and supervised Dragon Ball Z Battle of the Gods, Dragon Ball Z Revival of F, and the creation of Dragon Ball Super. He followed that up with the 2022 film Dragon Ball Super Superhero presumably, his final creative work in animation will be the upcoming Dragonball Daima and the Sandland film.
It’s difficult to fathom that Toriyama has passed. He has inspired so many, and he will no doubt inspire many more generations to come. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family during this difficult time. What was your favorite memory of Toriyama’s work? Let us know in the comments!
