Creator of Dragon Ball, Akira Toriyama, dies at 68

Manga artist Akira Toriyama, who shot to global fame for his influential Dragon Ball comics and anime franchise, has died.

In a statement, the artist’s manga and design production firm Bird Studio announced that the 68-year-old Japanese died on March 1 due to an acute subdural haematoma – a serious condition in which blood collects between the skull and the surface of the brain.

“It’s our deep regret that he still had several works in the middle of creation. Also, he would have many more things to achieve,” said the studio in a statement published on X, formerly known as Twitter.

The statement, which thanked people around the world for their support for Toriyama’s career of over 45 years, said a funeral service had been held with his family and a few relatives.

It called for privacy, and added: “Following his wishes for tranquility, we respectfully inform you that we would not accept flowers, condolence gifts, visiting, offerings and others.

“Also, we ask you to refrain from conducting interviews with his family.”

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Born in 1955, Toriyama rose to prominence for serialising his comics Dr Slump and Dragon Ball in Weekly Shonen Jump, one of Japan’s most popular comic magazines catered towards boys.

Dragon Ball, which started in 1984 and was inspired by the Chinese classic novel Journey To The West, followed the adventures of protagonist Son Goku and his search for seven spheres – known as the Dragon Balls – that can summon a wish-granting dragon when the magical balls are united.

Along the way, the character, based on the cheeky mythological figure Sun Wukong, fights with various villains, many of whom are also on the quest to find the orbs.

The series, which was the top-ranked title during its decade-long run in the anthology, became one of the best-selling manga series of all time, with about 260 million copies sold worldwide by 2022 and translated in over 40 countries.

Toriyama, who has been dubbed by fans as the grandfather of modern comics and animated films aimed at adolescent boys, also influenced scores of celebrities and fictional series in Japan, notably One Piece, Naruto and My Hero Academia.

His other works include manga Sand Land and video games Dragon Quest and Chrono Trigger.

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Capitalising on Dragon Ball’s fame, the manga was followed by spin-offs Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball GT and Dragon Ball Super, collectibles, movies and video games.

Not all spin-offs have been a success, however, with the live-action movie Dragonball Evolution (2009) bombing at the box office and attracting withering reviews, AFP reported.

One of the works that Toriyama had been working on before his death was the release of upcoming anime Dragon Ball Daima.

Several of his friends like One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda and Dragon Quest game designer Yuji Horii have posted tributes on Dragon Ball publisher Shueisha’s website.

“It’s too early. The hole is too big. I have admired him so much since I was a child, so I remember the day he called me by name for the first time,” Oda wrote, as he credited Toriyama for being one of the trailblazers to create an era where both adults and children could read and enjoy manga.

Speaking to Japan’s Asahi newspaper in 2013, Toriyama said he had a “twisted, difficult” personality. He called Dragon Ball a miracle that helped someone like him do a decent job and get accepted by society.

He said: “I just hope that readers will have a fun time reading my works. There’s nothing else I want them to achieve.”

While there is a possibility for a gathering to commemorate Toriyama, the details have yet to be finalised and will be announced when it is confirmed, according to Bird Studio.

The artist is survived by his wife, Yoshimi Kato, and their two children.

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This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.