1st March 2024, was a dark day for the anime and manga community as the world lost the legendary Akira Toriyama, creator of the Dragon Ball franchise. It was truly a sad moment, as Toriyama was one of the few creators who was responsible for the global recognition of the anime and manga industry. His magnum opus is considered to be one of the greatest franchises to ever see the light of day.
According to the reports, the cause of Toriyama’s death was an acute subdural hematoma. The mangaka never did reveal much about his personal life, and because of this, no one except his acquaintances knew about his health issues. However, during his last interview, he might have hinted that he was facing some health problems.
These health problems are probably the reason why he is no longer with us. However, the mangaka believed that the reason for his sickness was the lifestyle that he lived during his younger days.
Akira Toriyama’s Final Speech Before His Death
In December 2023, Toriyama was told that the Tokyo Anime Award Festival 2024 decided to honor him with the Lifetime Achievement Award. The prize was to be given to him live on stage at the festival in March, and he was asked to prepare a speech for it which was shared by u/Justhuman963. In the last moments of his speech, Toriyama gave a subtle hint about his concerning health problems.
Toriyama stated:
Finally, I would like to thank everyone who has supported me so far! I am not sure how much more I can do, as I am not very confident about my health, probably due to my lifestyle when I was younger, but I will try my best to create more interesting pieces of work, so please continue to support me!
Even when he was suffering from sickness, he wanted to entertain fans by creating even more intriguing narratives and stories, probably for Dragon Ball. He truly was a gift to the community, and his work has inspired many other manga creators and will continue to do so for generations to come.
The Last Piece of the Legacy of Akira Toriyama
Although Akira Toriyama is no longer with us, he has left a final piece of art for his fans in the form of Dragon Ball Daima. It is the last Dragon Ball series to which Toriyama contributed, and fans are eagerly waiting for it to be released in October 2024. The series follows a new art style and a completely unique narrative that has never been seen before.
The series will even introduce new characters like Glorio and Gomah, who might become canonical in the future storylines of the Dragon Ball franchise. The trailer for the anticipated series was recently released by Toei Animation, and although it did not give much hindsight on the plot, it certainly poked at Dragon Ball fans’ interest.
After the death of Toriyama, fans feared about his dream work, and whether or not they would be able to see it to fruition. But according to reports, it looks like Toriyama’s prodigy, Toyotarou, is going to take over Dragon Ball and complete the sequel Dragon Ball Super manga series.
You can watch Dragon Ball on Crunchyroll.
