Yesterday, the world went into grieving as the tragic news of Akira Toriyama’s untimely passing shocked, leaving anime and manga fans in disbelief. The prolific visionary behind the fan-favorite series, Dragon Ball, had created a dedicated fan base with his vibrant and gripping storytelling abilities. Throughout the series, the mangaka artist introduced many fan-favorite characters like Vegeta, Piccolo, Gohan, Trunks, Gotenks, and our beloved protagonist Kakarot.
The passing of Toriyama marks the end of an era, leaving a void that will be difficult to fill. Masako Nozawa, the voice actor behind Kakarot/Goku, was grief-stricken by the demise of Toriyama and shared some words that will rip apart the hearts of the fans, as the creator was one of the most beloved figures of the manga and anime industry.
Masako Nozawa Shares The Piercing Words Akira Toriyama Once Told Her
Masako Nozawa has been voicing our beloved Kakarot since 1986, which happens to be the year that the anime was first aired and became a fan favorite. Since then, Nozawa-san has taken good care of our beloved protagonist as she is synonymous with the character, and it feels absolutely bizarre to think someone else could voice the character better than her.
After it was reported by the official DB channel on X that Akira Toriyama had left us on March 1st, 2024, at the age of 68 from an acute subdural hematoma, everyone was in disbelief. Nozawa-san mourned the death of the creator, and she has shared a conversation that will make every Dragon Ball fan teary-eyed.
In a post shared by Hype (@DbsHype) on X, Nozawa-san has finally shared a statement on the tragic passing of the legendary creator expressing her disbelief and how Toriyama-Sensei entrusted her with Kakarot’s care. She said,
“I don’t want to believe it. My head is empty because I don’t want to think about it. Even so, every time I see Goku, I remember what Toriyama Sensei said to me, ‘You will take care of Goku, won’t you?’”
“I cherish that moment. It makes me think: ‘I will stay by Goku’s side until my strength runs out completely’. Sensei, please watch over us from the heavens. We hope you depart in peace.”
The words have shattered the hearts of the fans as they reacted to this on social media, offering their prayers to the creator of their favorite series.
Fans React To The Harrowing Words of Nozawa-San
When the voice actor shared the poignant words of Toriyama in her statement, the fandom was in disbelief and continued to be in grief and mourning the loss. The fans shared their heartfelt comments on how Nozawa-san has taken good care of the fan-favorite character, whereas some fans reflected on the hard-hitting words shared by Toriyama.
The fans tweeted,
Thank you Toriyama for the unforgettable memories pic.twitter.com/ofr8uwKPZd
— TINO BAMBINO (@TinoBambino3) March 8, 2024
When an artist is loved like #AkiraToriyama was & always will be, that tells you something about their character ♥️
— Joseph Jernigan (@jjernigantweets) March 8, 2024
Oh this just made me cry 🥲
— Monkey D. Booty (@BigFreakBitxh) March 8, 2024
“You will take care of Goku, won't you?” pic.twitter.com/zsziLLEFlQ
— ENKSGAMING (@EnksGaming) March 8, 2024
I don't even have words for this.
They are truly Goku's Mother and Father. https://t.co/AHKOiPV64b pic.twitter.com/qdJbehM1mz— Bobbington 🇸🇴🍉 (@MugiwaraBobert) March 8, 2024
Needless to say, the entire fandom has been in mourning, and these words by the creator have sent shockwaves in the anime and manga community. Toriyama-Sensei’s profound and magnificent contributions to the art form and popularising it in the Western hemisphere before the social media age remain outstanding and unparalleled.
As a result, Eiichiro Oda and Masashi Kishimoto have coined a new term called “Dragon Ball Children,” symbolizing a new wave of creators influenced by Toriyama’s groundbreaking contributions.
May you find eternal peace, Toriyama-Sensei, your legacy resonates within the hearts of those whom you have inspired.
