Akira Toriyama, Dragon Ball Creator and Co-writer of Chrono Trigger, Has Passed Away
Akira Toriyama has died. The creator of the popular Dragon Ball and one of the most important figures in manga history was 68.
Akira Toriyama, the father of the Dragon Ball series, has died at the age of 68. As reported by the brand's official channel, the mangaka passed away on March 1st due to a subdural hematoma.
The funeral was attended solely by the closest family members and a small number of relatives. Studio Bird and Capsule Corporation Tokyo, established last year by Akio Iyoku, a long-time editor associated with DB, are requesting fans to honor the deceased's wish for peace by refraining from sending flowers or condolence gifts, visiting, or attempting to conduct interviews with family members.
No decisions have been made yet regarding the "memorial meeting" for the artist.
The official announcement of Akira Toriyama's death. Source: Dragon Ball/X.
Akira Toriyama was born in 1955, and his debut as a manga artist in 1978 is a crucial moment in manga history. His first creation, although popular in its own right, was just another of many mangas published in the Weekly Shonen Jump magazine. Only Dr. Slump (1980-1984) solidified the mangaka's position, but not all of his works gained acclaim later on.
Akira's undoubtedly greatest manga didn't immediately capture the readers' hearts. Besides, the first chapters of Dragon Ball have little to do with what the series looks like now. Various changes originated from here, partly inspired by Kazuhiko Torishima (Toriyama's editor at the time) and from experiences with the Dr. Slump series. This was primarily the debut of Krillin as a character contrasting with the "too simple" Goku, and the Martial Arts Tournament (the famous Budokai Tenkaichi).
The focus of Dragon Ball shifted to fights from the saga related to this tournament, which eventually became the series' foundation instead of the ubiquitous gags seen in Doctor Slump (although these gags never left the series and are now a stereotypical formula for all "shonen" manga).
The rest is history: Dragon Ball is one of the best-selling manga of all time and, above all, a series that has inspired countless artists. Son Goku's adventures have been and continue to be a model for many "shonen" series, including Naruto and One Piece - the absolute bestseller among Japanese comics, with over 500 million volumes sold (via CrunchyRoll). Both manga artists, Masashi Kishimoto and Eiichiro Oda, reiterated this in statements where they expressed their remorse and gratitude towards Toriyama for his work (via Anime Corner).
There's nothing to write about the references to DB. If you've read/watched any modern manga/anime, you've most likely come across an easter egg referring to Goku and company (and probably not just one). Moreover, creators from outside Japan (Steven Universe) or the comic book industry (Tekken, Mario) also admit to the influence of Toriyama's works. After all, he had a hand in creating such cult games as Chrono Trigger and the Dragon Quest series.
The status of Dragon Ball is also proven by the fact that after almost 40 years (sic!), fans aren't tired of Son Goku's adventures. Certainly, they complain about the worse licensed works or episodes of the latest series as detracting from the brand, and even older chapters and episodes have their critics.
Nevertheless, it's clear that DB still has a place in the hearts of viewers - and also players. The comeback of the iconic fighting game series has generated significant interest, with Sparking! ZERO currently being one of the most frequently added titles to Steam wishlists (via SteamDB).
