As you all know, famous Dragon Ball and Dr. Slump manga artist and creator Akira Toriyama passed away recently on March 1, 2024. His death was then announced on March 7, 2024, by the official Dragon Ball website and its Twitter account. There is worldwide mourning across the spectrum, and many manga artists, game developers, celebrities, athletes, and even political leaders, have expressed their sadness over Toriyama’s death.
The most notable ones, One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda, and Naruto creator Masashi Kishimoto, have released a long statement in regard to Toriyama’s passing, and the amount of emotion expressed by the two legends. Their statements were released via official Weekly Shonen Jump.
Eiichiro Oda’s statement.
It is too early.
The hole is too big. Sadness washes over me when I think that I will never see him again.
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. On the way home from the day you used the word “friend” for me and Kishimoto, I remember being overjoyed with Kishimoto. I also remember the last conversation we had.
I was one of those who took the baton from the days when reading manga made you a fool, and he also created an era when both adults and children could enjoy reading manga. He showed us the dream that manga can go worldwide. It was like watching a hero going forward.
For not only mangakas but also creators in various industries, the excitement and emotion of the time of Dragon Ball serialization must have taken root in their childhood.His existence is like a big tree.
For the manga artists of our generation who stood on the same stage, Toriyama’s works became more and more important to me as I got closer to the same stage. I even felt being scary. But I am just happy to see the aloof man himself again. Because we love him on a blood level.
With respect and gratitude for the creative world he has left behind. I pray for his soulful rest in peace.
May heaven be the joyous world he envisioned.
Masashi Kishimoto’s statement.
“I honestly don’t know what to write about this sudden event. But for now, I would like to share my thoughts and feelings that I had hoped for one day Mr. Toriyama would ask me about it. I grew up with his manga, Dr. Slump in the lower grades of elementary school and Dragon Ball in the upper grades, and it was natural for me to have his manga as a part of my life. Even when I was having a bad day, the weekly Dragon Ball made me forget about it. As a country boy with nothing, that was a relief to me. I really enjoyed Dragon Ball too much! I was a college student. Suddenly, Dragon Ball, which had been a part of my life for so many years, came to an end. I felt a tremendous sense of loss and didn’t know what to look forward to.”
“But at the same time, it was an opportunity for me to truly understand the greatness of the master who created Dragon Ball. I wanted to create a work like his! I wanted to be just like him! And as I followed in his footsteps to become a manga artist, I began to feel less and less lost. It was because I enjoyed making manga. By following him, I was able to find new enjoyment. Sensei was always my guide. He was my admirer. I may be annoying to him, but I am grateful to him. For me, he was truly the God of salvation and the God of manga.”
Kishimoto then took the opportunity to talk about his first meeting with Toriyama, “When I first met him, I was too nervous to say a single word. But after meeting him many times at the Tezuka Award judging, I became able to talk. I will never forget the slightly embarrassed smile on his face when he and Mr. Oda talked excitedly about how Dragon Ball was fun, as if they were children again and were engaged in a competition.”
“I just received the news of Sensei’s passing. I feel a tremendous sense of loss, more than when Dragon Ball ended… I still don’t know how to deal with this hole in my heart. I can’t even read Dragon Ball, which I love. I don’t even feel like I can write this message to Sensei properly. Everyone in the world was still looking forward to your work. If I could really have one Dragon Ball wish come true…I’m sorry… That may be selfish of me, but I am sad, Sensei. Akira Toriyama-sensei, thank you for 45 years of enjoyable works. And thank you for your hard work. I am sure that his family members are still deeply saddened by this loss. Please take care of yourselves. I pray that Akira Toriyama-sensei may rest in peace.”
Akira Toriyama was a manga artist and famously known for creating Dragon Ball and Dr. Slump. He was one of the most successful manga artists of all time, and played a pivotal role in revolutionizing Shonen manga and manga and anime as a whole. He was known for his iconic art style that remains unique to this day, and has even illustrated other projects such as Dragon Quest and Chrono Trigger. His Dragon Ball manga sold a total of 260 million copies, making it the fourth best-selling manga of all time. His characters, such as Goku and Vegeta, became iconic sensations not only in manga and anime, but in pop culture as a whole. Becoming a worldwide phenomenon, and was instantly recognized by many people in other nations and spawned a passionate fandom that still persists to this day. Notably, his success with Dragon Ball contributed to the manga industry’s peak circulation that lasted from the mid 1980s towards the mid 1990s. Finally, his Dragon Ball franchise was ultimately responsible for contributing to the popularity of anime and manga internationally, thanks to the Dragon Ball Z anime adaptation, which received an acclaimed reception worldwide. He won the Shogagaku Manga Award in 1981 with his Dr. Slump manga, and in 2019, he was decorated the Chevailer of the French Orden Des Arts et des Letteres for his contribution to arts. Akira Toriyama will forever be remembered for his contribution to the manga industry.
Sources: Shonen Jump
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