Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball is arguably the most popular name in the Shonen genre, featuring Son-Goku as its protagonist. He is probably one of the most renowned and powerful anime characters ever created. Kakarot is known for being a power-hungry warrior who would put the fate of Universe 7 at risk just to battle strong foes.
Though as a kid, it felt quite intriguing to watch, as we grew up, he transitioned into a character that would capture your appreciation and attention by serving as the ultimate role model. This notion proved to be true when Noah Lyles, the professional sprinter, penned down a heartfelt note to Akira Toriyama and his protagonist for his unusual behavior on the track.
Noah Lyles Pays Homage To Akira Toriyama By Striking Goku’s Kamehameha Pose
There’s no denying that Goku is one of the most influential characters in the manga and anime industry. He has inspired the likes of Eiichiro Oda and Masashi Kishimoto, but it did not just lead to more titles from his work.
It did not just stop there because, over the years, the Saiyan Warrior has proved to be an inspiration, teaching us not to give up hope and teaching us valuable life lessons to transform into our ultimate version of ourselves.
Noah Lyles is a dynamic force in men’s sprinting, known for his remarkable speed and distinctive style. The runner competed in the 2024 New Balance Grand Prix at the 60-meter sprint, where he demolished his rival Christian Coleman in a record time of 6.44 seconds.
After winning the race, he could not control his emotions, felt a surge in power level, and celebrated in a way that became the highlight of the tournament. The athlete hit the Kamehameha pose after bagging the gold, and later on his social media handle, he opened up about how he found inspiration from the fictional character.
Lyles took to Instagram, where he wrote heartfelt lines about the Saiyan, before wrapping it with a heartwarming note for Akira Toriyama, the creator of the show.
The athlete has a golden opportunity to win Olympic gold this year, as he is all set to compete in the 100-meter semi-finals alongside notable runners like Kishane Thompson and Marcell Jacobs, among other competitors. Though Lyles does not have the record time, he will give his all, like Kakarot, to bag the medal!
Kohei Horikoshi Paid Tribute to Akira Toriyama’s Goku in His My Hero Academia
Not only Noah Lyles but also Kohei Horikoshi were immensely influenced by Toriyama-Sensei’s magnum opus. Horikoshi-San, the creator of the renowned Shonen series Boku No Hero Academia, popularly known as My Hero Academia, was inspired by the Saiyan Warrior and built a strong opinion following his Super Saiyan transformation.
In one of the old interviews shared in r/BokuNoHeroAcademia, the mangaka opened up about how he used to have a great time reading Toriyama-Sensei’s Dragon Ball manga as a kid. He said,
A manga that I enjoy is definitely Dragon Ball, and when I was young I always kept reading Dragon Ball. I kept reading the same volume. I think it was the place a little bit before the android, Cell, started the Cell Games? I don’t know why, but I kept rereading this volume. In terms of anime, there were a lot of anime that was on TV at 6 PM. I really like Mashin Hero Wataru, rewatched that many times. I also dressed up as Zurugibe Shibaraku, which is a character from that show.
He added that Dragon Ball made him believe that “strong characters packed with muscles.” Hence, he designed All Might, following the legendary protagonist.
My impression that strong characters are packed with muscles is probably because of Dragon Ball’s influence. I really like the body shape of Goku when he goes Super Saiyan, which might be where All Might’s concept came from.
Art inspires art, as Kohei Horikoshi’s MHA has a massive fan following and is believed to be one of the best new-generation Shonen series.
Dragon Ball Super and My Hero Academia can be streamed on Crunchyroll.
