Akira Toriyama, Creator of Dragon Ball, Passes at 68

Facts

• Japanese artist and anime creator Akira Toriyama, best known for creating the popular manga Dragon Ball, passed away on March 1 at the age of 68, according to Bird Studio.¹
• His studio announced his death one week later on Friday, revealing that the iconic created died from an acute subdural hematoma. A small funeral for his family and a few close friends was held for Toriyama, according to the Dragon Ball website.²
• One of the most influential creators in Japanese media, Toriyama started the Dragon Ball series in 1984, selling millions of comics worldwide and adapting his creations into immensely popular TV shows, video games, and movies. The studio says Dragon Ball has sold 260M copies altogether.³
• He first entered the manga industry at just 23 years old after participating in an amateur creator contest in Kodansha’s Weekly Shonen Magazine, and he went on to create many popular comics and shows in addition to influencing the gaming industry.⁴
• Dragon Ball was a martial arts fantasy franchise that centered around Son Goku, a superhuman boy from outer space with a monkey who is on a quest for seven dragon balls.⁵
• Fans and fellow anime legends alike flocked to social media to express their condolences and admiration for Toriyama, with tribute posts garnering thousands of likes.⁶

Sources: ¹NBC, ²BBC News, ³Associated Press, ⁴IGN, ⁵CNN and ⁶USA Today.

Narratives

• Narrative A, as provided by The Ringer. Akira Toriyama's death is a gut-wrenching tragedy for millions of manga fans worldwide, and we should use this time to honor the brilliance of Toriyama and celebrate what he has meant to the world of anime and media as a whole. Dragon Ball completely transformed Japanese comics and media, turning the beloved genre into a global phenomenon. Toriyama was an unprecedented genius. His creativity and storytelling created a limitless universe that has united people from opposite ends of the world, and his work remains extremely popular to this day. Toriyama's brilliance will never be forgotten, and his legacy will continue to live on.
• Narrative B, as provided by Hive. Akira Toriyama meant a lot to many people, and his death is deeply saddening to everyone in the manga community. While he was one of the most famous manga creators, unfortunately, much of his work became stale as he tried to adapt to a broader audience. After reaching pop culture icon status, Dragon Ball jumped the shark, and Toriyama did little to save his creation from becoming just another over-commercialized production. We can honor the life and legacy of Toriyama while also recognizing the trajectory of his creative process.

Predictions