Akira Toriyama, famed Mangaka and creator of the Dragon Ball franchise, has passed away at the age of 68. A tremendous blow to society. Dragon Ball is the single-most popular anime and manga of all-time, in terms of global reach. He can be credited with bringing manga and anime to the West. Without him, the genre is not as popular as it is today, plan and simple.
Picture this: you’re a kid in the late 90s and early 00s, it’s 11pm and the robot TOM just popped up on your screen – it’s time for Adult Swim. You have school in the morning, but you stay up anyway to watch your new favorite show – Dragon Ball Z.
You gotta understand man, literally half of modern pop culture doesn’t exist without Toriyama
— Volk (@ladolcevolk) March 8, 2024
Dragon Ball is genuinely probably one of the most important pieces of fiction ever made
— hatok (@HatokTalk) March 8, 2024
He was a giant, and when Dragon Ball Z ended in 1996, its reruns raised an entire generation of kids in America. It’s unfortunate that the story of Dragon Ball Super won’t be finished by Toriyama (or maybe at all?), but the joy he filled in people’s hearts when he brought back the franchise in 2015, after 18 years, was awe-inspiring.
Toriyama was the definition of a living legend, and I’m sad he’s gone.
Eiichiro Oda and Masashi Kishimoto, creators of ‘ONE PIECE’ and ‘NARUTO’, have released statements about the tragic passing of Akira Toriyama.
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) March 8, 2024
“The hole is too big. The thought of never seeing you again fills me with sadness. I’ve admired you so much since I was a child.” pic.twitter.com/GDpjl3rWE3
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