Creator of the Dragon Ball manga series, Akira Toriyama, passed away at the age of 68

Akira Toriyama, the renowned Japanese manga artist who created the Dragon Ball series, passed away at 68.

He passed away on 1 March due to an acute subdural hematoma. Bird Studio, the manga business established by Toriyama in 1983.

The studio expressed significant sadness and excitement because he had numerous works in progress. "Furthermore, he has numerous other accomplishments to pursue."

The studio recalled his distinctive realm of creativity.

Marvellous manga! France has a strong interest in Japanese animation.

The statement said that he had created several manga titles and art pieces that he left behind. With the help of several individuals worldwide, he has sustained his artistic endeavours for more than 45 years.

Toriyama was born in Nagoya, Japan in 1955. Having drawn since infancy, he chose not to pursue further education and instead started working at an advertising firm after high school, focusing on designing posters.

Akira Toriyama is a Japanese manga artist.

He first encountered the manga business at 23 years old by submitting work to a contest organised by a weekly manga magazine. Although the contest was unsuccessful, he quickly submitted pictures to Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine.

The journal published Toriyama's first piece, Wonder Island, in 1978. Both Wonder Island and its sequel, Wonder Island 2, which included references to the movie culture of the day, such as Dirty Harry and the sci-fi franchise Ultraman, were not well-received by readers.

Unfazed, he continued to draw and, in 1980, created a successful work: Dr. Slump, a comedic story about a robot girl and her challenges as she engages with the world.

Published in Weekly Shōnen Jump until 1984, it ultimately won him a prestigious Shogakukan manga prize in Japan. Following his first success, Toriyama established Bird Studio, and a television anime adaptation was shown shortly after.

In 1982, he wed fellow manga artist Yoshimi Katō, and they had two children together. He maintained a high level of privacy about his personal life and often used a cyborg avatar named Robotoriyama to depict him.

In 1984, Toriyama created Dragon Ball, which propelled him to worldwide fame and positioned him as one of Japan's top-selling manga creators.

Dragon Ball, a manga series that originated from Dragon Boy, was serialized in 519 chapters in Weekly Shōnen Jump from 1984 to 1995. It has since spawned a successful franchise that includes an English-language comic book series, five television adaptations (Dragon Ball Z being the most well-known in the Western world), spin-offs, over 20 films, and numerous video games.

The series is a Kung Fu adaptation of the shōnen manga genre, including elements from Chinese and Hong Kong action films and Japanese mythology. It introduced viewers to Son Goku, a youthful martial arts student on a quest for seven magical orbs that would bring forth a fabled dragon, along with his diverse group of companions and adversaries.

Toriyama continued to provide consultation and promotion for the Dragon Ball brand after its first run ended in 1995. He also worked on shorter projects, sometimes venturing outside the realm of comics. He also provided his unique artwork for the renowned video game series Dragon Quest and Chrono Trigger, among others.

He used his passion for cars to create an electric vehicle that was launched by Japan's CQ Motors in 2005. He described the project as "a deeply personal experience."

He then re-joined the Dragon Ball series, contributing to several film adaptations such as serving as an early consultant for 2012's Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods and as a screenwriter for 2018's Dragon Ball Super: Broly and 2022's Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero.

Bird Studio said that Toriyama had a private funeral with family and requested fans not to bring flowers or other donations.

They said the future strategy for the commemorative gathering has yet to be finalized. "We will inform you once it is confirmed."