Akira Toriyama Passes Away.

[New_Guy]

I just want to thank Toriyama and everyone here for everything and all the best times.

[omegalucas]

Thank you for everything and for the impact made in my life. Rest in peace, Akira Toriyama.

[Bardock God of Time]

Rest in Peace, you've made many great works

[Zephyr]

I don't really know what to say that hasn't already been said. It still doesn't feel real. I'm not really crying, but seeing what a lot of people are saying is making me tear up. I will say it does warm my heart a bit to see posters who haven't been around for a while showing up to pay their respects.

Rest in peace to the one and only.

[capsulecorp]

Legend, he'll never be forgotten.

[Thanos]

With this it's like Dragon Ball itself is dead too and I find it hard to have enthusiasism for new content without him to supervise.

I feel the same way. Nothing quite has that same magic when he isn’t involved. I’ve always had this sense that he was the ultimate authority and every time he dropped new lore it was like a new book of The Dragon Ball Bible. It will be difficult to consider anything henceforth (after Daima to a certain point?) as true “canon” for lack of a better term… but you know the series is too much of a money printer for them to let it stop. It’s like a sudden, devastating end of an era on top of the loss of a legendary man. Hopefully there’s something of a backlog of work to draw from for a while, but knowing his history and writing process he probably never planned much ahead.

[Neo-Makaiōshin]

Hope this doesn’t sound crass but external head injury at 68 seems like such an awful way to go man, I hope it was quick and he suffered little in the process.

[Yuji]

Dragon Ball Super being announced in 2015 stopped me from killing myself. I am legitimately alive (and happy) because of Toriyama. Thank you.

[NeoZ Duwang]

I still can't believe this.

I can't even remember what my first contact with Dragon Ball was, because I've been watching it with my father since I was an infant. I can't even begin to imagine how different I would be as a person if it wasn't for this silly comic about a monkey boy who wants to become strongest. Rest in peace, Akira Toriyama

[SupremeKai25]

Dragon Ball Super being announced in 2015 stopped me from killing myself. I am legitimately alive (and happy) because of Toriyama. Thank you.

A very beautiful post, and a real one. DBS definitely helped me get through many of the hardships in the 2010s.

[Sn4tcH]

Wow,

I've only ever really lurked here for years. But this one I think is bringing everyone out of the woodwork.

I remember in 1995 waking up in the morning, getting ready for school and those first dubbed episodes played on repeat for a couple weeks. I genuinely could not remember the name of the show at the time, so years later when my friend showed me DBZ on Toonami, I was so excited to that kid with the tail all grown up.

Then I went out and bought the single issues, imported tapes, watched it on Telemundo despite knowing 0 Spanish, imported the PS1 games, had like a couple dozen Hot Topic bought T-shirts (Including one incredibly sexy silk SSJ Vegeta button up). I was IN.

And then the community, Obviously Mikes old homepage, Vegeta Insane, Temple O Trunks, and the hours and hours hanging out on the Planet Namek Forums. And lurking here, listening to the podcast, and that feeling of "finding your tribe". It's meant a lot to me in this and other fandoms.

And fandom ebbs and flows, but Dragon Ball has had this staying power that almost nothing else has had for my entire life. Today I enjoy model building, my literal last completed model is Goku from the firgure-rise series. It's poetic in a way.

The realization of "no more Toriyama" meaning no more true, authentic, by the creator Dragon Ball hasn't hit me fully just yet. That his unique abilities, that thing we point to and go "Oh that's a very Toriyama touch" when we watch modern Dragon Ball can't ever happen again.

Dragon Ball was my first OBSESSION, and I can honestly say, it's had a positive effect on my life, whether it just be the hours of entertainment it brought or the friendships it solidified through the mutual enjoyment of it.

And none of that happens without Akira Toriyama. Rest In Peace.

[tinlunlau]

Hong Kong actor-director Stephen Chow just post this on Instagram story with a mention of Akira Toriyama and the promotional poster drawn by Toriyama for the Japanese release of his movie "Journey to the West: Conquering the Demons".

https://www.instagram.com/stories/steph ... pobGk4Nw==

I hadn't seen this before now. That's so cool and perfectly fitting, on multiple levels.

His skill at drawing wacky pastiches filled with fight scenes and poop jokes has practically immortalized him.

It really is incredible not only how perfectly literal this sentence sums up so much of his work, but also what an incredible, once-in-a-lifetime level of impact on the whole world he managed to get from it. To that point...

As a self-admitted "lazy" gag-manga guy that wound up becoming a highly influential battle-manga guy, Toriyama's career was kind of a punchline- the kind of punchline he himself would write.

This too. A sardonic, slacker gag comic artist who draws silly dick and fart jokes becoming a globally beloved and cherished institution completely in spite of himself is exactly the kind of taking-the-piss-out-of-itself joke that Toriyama himself would write. I'm glad that for the most part, he never lost that kind of irreverent sense of humor throughout his work or throughout his life.

I think they got the Dragon Ball anime voice cást to do the Japanese dub for the movie as well so it was only fitting that Toriyama drew for the movie poster as well.

[BlueBasilisk]

I was in genuine disbelief when I read the announcement on twitter last night. Must have read it 10 times before I could finally make the words sink in. We're all so very fortunate to have shared a world with him and for the worlds he shared with us. It's a little darker with his passing, but so much brighter for his having been here. Rest well, and have your worst puns ready for King Kai.

[MagicBox]

I took a (rather sleepless) night to reflect on Akira Toriyama's sudden passing, but I don't feel like it helped. My head is still spinning. I saw Herms' translation of the initial announcement (and I'm grateful that's how I found out). I had to just sit and breathe for a while. My first reaction was to think of his family, because that's really all that matters. My own father also passed away rather suddenly and unexpectedly at 68, so while I would never claim to know exactly what they're feeling, I've felt a similar loss and I wish them peace of mind.

I'm very happy to see that nobody is disputing his talent or undermining his legacy in the wake of his passing. It's not an exaggeration to acknowledge that Akira Toriyama's work is as good as it gets. By "it", I could be referring to comics, visual storytelling, or art at large. I'm flipping through his body of work on my bookshelf and I'm forever overwhelmed by its quality. That paneling! The poses! Those vehicles! The flow of it all! You NEVER get lost reading Akira Toriyama stories. He guides you so seamlessly that you immediately take it for granted.

He was the first to point out that he got into it for the money, and claim there's no inherent value or artistry behind his creations. But you underestimate Toriyama at your own peril. You look at those drawings, you notice the details he was persnickety about... He was a master. And yes, a fraction of that output is problematic. It's the brainchild of an esoteric sense of humor that was born and raised in 1950s/1960s Japan, for better or worse. We can contextualize it, learn from it, criticize the lows when necessary, and savor the highs when they soar.

Dr. Slump and Dragon Ball mean more to me than I can put into words, especially when they're an unadulterated reflection of "him". I've yet to play Chrono Trigger or Dragon Quest. I've yet to see the Sand Land film. I'm thrilled there's so much of "him" left for me to discover. Today, he is the center of our attention... something he never would have wanted. But maybe he can see the humor in it, just this once. And so, I send a thunderous and grateful "BYE'CHA!" to you, Akira Toriyama. You would have hated to receive it, but you may have it nonetheless.

[Innagadadavida]

I took a (rather sleepless) night to reflect on Akira Toriyama's sudden passing, but I don't feel like it helped. My head is still spinning. I saw Herms' translation of the initial announcement (and I'm grateful that's how I found out). I had to just sit and breathe for a while. My first reaction was to think of his family, because that's really all that matters. My own father also passed away rather suddenly and unexpectedly at 68, so while I would never claim to know exactly what they're feeling, I've felt a similar loss and I wish them peace of mind.

I'm very happy to see that nobody is disputing his talent or undermining his legacy in the wake of his passing. It's not an exaggeration to acknowledge that Akira Toriyama's work is as good as it gets. By "it", I could be referring to comics, visual storytelling, or art at large. I'm flipping through his body of work on my bookshelf and I'm forever overwhelmed by its quality. That paneling! The poses! Those vehicles! The flow of it all! You NEVER get lost reading Akira Toriyama stories. He guides you so seamlessly that you immediately take it for granted.

He was the first to point out that he got into it for the money, and claim there's no inherent value or artistry behind his creations. But you underestimate Toriyama at your own peril. You look at those drawings, you notice the details he was persnickety about... He was a master. And yes, a fraction of that output is problematic. It's the brainchild of an esoteric sense of humor that was born and raised in 1950s/1960s Japan, for better or worse. We can contextualize it, learn from it, criticize the lows when necessary, and savor the highs when they soar.

Dr. Slump and Dragon Ball mean more to me than I can put into words, especially when they're an unadulterated reflection of "him". I've yet to play Chrono Trigger or Dragon Quest. I've yet to see the Sand Land film. I'm thrilled there's so much of "him" left for me to discover. Today, he is the center of our attention... something he never would have wanted. But maybe he can see the humor in it, just this once. And so, I send a thunderous and grateful "BYE'CHA!" to you, Akira Toriyama. You would have hated to receive it, but you may have it nonetheless.

Well said. Very well said. I feel the exact same way. That shy, brilliant, quiet man will be missed by people all over the world.

[TonyTheTiger]

Incredibly sad news and extremely infuriating. I owe him a thanks for all the fun and good times.
With this it's like Dragon Ball itself is dead too and I find it hard to have enthusiasism for new content without him to supervise.

I think the best way to respect people's contributions to the zeitgeist is to make sure they outlive the flesh and blood humans who created them. Jerry Seigel and Joe Shuster aren't with us anymore but Superman is. Gene Roddenberry isn't with us anymore but Star Trek is. William Shakespeare, Walt Disney, I could keep going. But these people all threw something out there that continues to benefit the world long after they're gone and it would be a disservice to bury those things alongside them. Dragon Ball is one of those touchstones that people are going to want to tell and retell and spin their own versions of forever and rightfully so. Akira Toriyama did it himself when he used Journey to the West as a springboard, which is hundreds of years old.

[Lord Beerus]

I... I... just... don't know what to say.

Everyone meets their end at some point and I thought I would be ready for this... but I'm... just not. I didn't want to believe the news when I first heard of it, but now that it has truly sunk in, I feel like a small piece of my has died as well.

Akira Toriyama was a shy, simple man whose stories made millions of people laugh, cry, smile and gain a better perspective of culture, not just in fiction, but in certain avenues in life, for the better part of 40 years.

It's no exaggeration to say he was one of the greatest mangaka and his impact on a multitude of industries will be forever felt.

Rest In Peace, Tori-Bot.

[Luso Saiyan]

I think the best way to respect people's contributions to the zeitgeist is to make sure they outlive the flesh and blood humans who created them. Jerry Seigel and Joe Shuster aren't with us anymore but Superman is. Gene Roddenberry isn't with us anymore but Star Trek is. William Shakespeare, Walt Disney, I could keep going. But these people all threw something out there that continues to benefit the world long after they're gone and it would be a disservice to bury those things alongside them. Dragon Ball is one of those touchstones that people are going to want to tell and retell and spin their own versions of forever and rightfully so. Akira Toriyama did it himself when he used Journey to the West as a springboard, which is hundreds of years old.

I disagree. The only thing needed for these works to be respected and continue on is for those in charge of them to continue to make them available to people, as opposed to retell/remake/reinterpret/reinvent them.

Toriyama didn't make Journey to the West. He made his own story, his own fictional world. Although inspired by other works, like most creations are, he made it up and it's distinctly his.

Dragon Ball as a franchise will continue on, irrespective of what anyone here wants, but let's hope they have enough respect to keep the original works of its creator easily available.

[sangofe]

I think the best way to respect people's contributions to the zeitgeist is to make sure they outlive the flesh and blood humans who created them. Jerry Seigel and Joe Shuster aren't with us anymore but Superman is. Gene Roddenberry isn't with us anymore but Star Trek is. William Shakespeare, Walt Disney, I could keep going. But these people all threw something out there that continues to benefit the world long after they're gone and it would be a disservice to bury those things alongside them. Dragon Ball is one of those touchstones that people are going to want to tell and retell and spin their own versions of forever and rightfully so. Akira Toriyama did it himself when he used Journey to the West as a springboard, which is hundreds of years old.

I disagree. The only thing needed for these works to be respected and continue on is for those in charge of them to continue to make them available to people, as opposed to retell/remake/reinterpret/reinvent them.

Toriyama didn't make Journey to the West. He made his own story, his own fictional world. Although inspired by other works, like most creations are, he made it up and it's distinctly his.

Dragon Ball as a franchise will continue on, irrespective of what anyone here wants, but let's hope they have enough respect to keep the original works of its creator easily available.

Yes, and bloody Toei should have the respect to remaster the entire original series. But of course they won't, easy money is all they have in mind.

[Big Black Sayian]

I'm really not as eloquent as some of you . Some of posted some beautiful thoughts. I really can’t describe what Dragon Ball means to me. But I’m very happy to exist at the same time as this series. RIP Toriyama