The very famous and well-known Japanese manga artist behind the Dragon Ball series passed away last week at the age of 68 from a brain ailment, his production studio announced on Friday.
The fantasy martial arts series featuring Son Goku, a child from space with superhuman strength and a monkey tail who sets out on a quest for the seven dragon balls, was created by Toriyama.
Since its 1980s debut, the Dragon Ball universe has captured the hearts of countless manga-loving kids and adults worldwide, making it one of Japan’s most popular international hits.
Dragon Ball’s official website revealed Toriyama’s passing on Friday through a joint statement from Bird Studio and Capsule Corporation Tokyo. “It’s our deep regret that he still had several works in the middle of creation with great enthusiasm,” it said.
“He would have many more things to achieve. However, he has left many manga titles and works of art to this world,” it added, thanking fans for their support on Toriyama’s behalf.
The artist died of acute subdural hematoma, a form of brain bleeding, the statement said.
Born on April 5, 1955 in Kiyosu City, Aichi prefecture, Toriyama began drawing manga at the age of 23.
He made his debut as a cartoonist in 1978 by submitting a short story to manga fans’ magazine Weekly Shonen Jump.
His “Dragon Ball” series went on to be featured in the same magazine in 1984 and was front and center of a creative career that spanned more than four decades.
The franchise is based on classic Chinese novel Journey to the West and has since been adapted into into anime and the 2009 Hollywood action movie “Dragon Ball Evolution.”
As Son Goku sets off for his quest in search of the seven dragon balls, he fights off villains along the way and protects the Earth. As he ages, the storyline shifts to his descendants and friends.
The dragon balls, when collected, can summon Shen Long, a divine dragon that can grant any wish. Son Goku often ended up spending the wishes on his friends or restoring a heavily destructed Earth in the series centered on courage, friendship and kinship.
Longtime friend of Toriyama, prominent Japanese author and game designer Yuji Horii, claimed that the two of them collaborated on the hit game Dragon Quest. I’m in shock that he’s no longer with us,” he posted on social media site X.
The manga artist of “One Piece,” Eiichiro Oda, expressed that the idea of never seeing his buddy Toriyama again “fills me with sadness.”
“Took the baton from the era where reading manga would make you stupid, Toriyama created an era where manga is enjoyed by both adults and children.” On the Shonen Jump website, Oda stated, “He gave us hope that manga can do such feats and that we can travel the world.
Online, a large number also paid respect to the manga titan. FOR MORE TRENDING NEWS CLICK….
