Millions became fans of manga and anime through Dragon Ball. Now the creator of the series, Akira Toriyama, has died.
In 1984, the first story was published under the title Dragon Ball, two years later the anime was launched in Japan and the rest is history. In his home country, Son-Goku’s adventures influenced numerous other artists, while in the rest of the world they served as an exciting introduction to the world of manga and anime. Fans have the creator of the series to thank for all of this: Akira Toriyama. On March 1, the father of Dragon Ball passed away at the age of just 68.
Official Dragon Ball page confirms death of creator Akira Toriyama
Akira Toriyama succumbed to an acute subdural hematoma a week ago and was buried surrounded by close family members. This was reported by the Japan Times . The official website of Dragon Ball states:
It is our deep regret that he had several more works of great enthusiasm in the making. He also could have accomplished many more things. Nevertheless, he has left many manga titles and works of art to this world.
Akira Toriyama celebrated his first successes with Dr. Slump
Akira Toriyama was born in Nagoya on April 5, 1955 and began drawing manga in elementary school. After applying to several Shōnen magazines, his first own work, Wonder Island, was published in 1978.
‘DRAGON BALL’ creator Akira Toriyama has sadly passed away at the age of 68. pic.twitter.com/tTgjQcFn79
– DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) March 8, 2024
He became better known through the manga series Dr. Slump, which was published between 1980 and 1984. The adventures of a girl robot and her inventor were adapted as an anime series while they were still being published.
The influence of Dragon Ball can still be felt today
Inspired by Kung Fu films starring Bruce Lee and the Chinese story Journey to the West, Akira Toriyama then created his most famous hero: Son-Goku.
In the manga series, the boy with the monkey tail sets off with the girl Bulma in search of the seven dragon balls. This resulted in an 8,000-page story and one of the most successful Japanese franchises ever.
(The anime Dragon Ball started in 1986)
The Dragon Ball anime series popularized the drawn moving pictures in Germany and other countries, Son-Goku conquered the cinema, video games and children’s rooms worldwide. The original run of the manga ended after almost 11 years in 1995, but the influence of Akira Toriyama’s creation continues to the present day.
Mangas such as One Piece, Naruto and others were inspired by Dragon Ball, imitating its enormous popularity and attracting the attention of Hollywood producers. All three have received or will receive live-action adaptations.
Akira Toriyama continued to work, creating shorter stories, designing a car and returning to Dragon Ball several times. However, the Dragon Ball creator shied away from the public eye. The official announcement of his death reads:
