The renowned manga creator Akira Toriyama, widely acclaimed for the iconic "Dragon Ball" comics and anime, has passed away at the age of 68, as confirmed by his production team on Friday. The official X account of the "Dragon Ball" franchise shared a statement revealing that Toriyama succumbed to complications arising from an acute subdural hematoma on March 1. In expressing profound sorrow for the loss, Toriyama's Bird Studio conveyed regret over the fact that the prolific creator had numerous ongoing projects in which he was fervently involved.
Despite this, the statement recognised Toriyama's substantial contributions to the realm of manga and art, leaving behind a legacy of cherished works.
This news hasn't been easy on the fans either. Let us have a look at how fans are reacting to the saddening demise.
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Fans React To Akira Toriyama's Death
A fan tweeted, "Rest in peace to Akira Toriyama, the creator of the Dragon Ball series. Our childhood hero and an inspiration to all other anime/manga."
A Dragon Ball fan shared an emotional scene from the show where Son Goku bid farewell to Vegeta before his death. Along with the video, the user wrote Goku's dialogue in the caption that read, "This is too much, man … 'goodbye, my friend' .. thank you so much, Akira Toriyama."
A user claimed to have shared Hollywood actor Jackie Chan's post on Weibo in which Chan said, "Akira Toriyama-sensei, thank you for creating so many classics, they will always be with the world, farewell."
An artist paid tribute to the legend in his own way and wrote, "Akira Toriyama inspired so many of us, I don’t normally do a lot of my art in colour, but if I’m doing a tribute to him it has to be special. To a lot of my followers and mutuals, keep being creative, tell your loved ones how much you care about them, and smile today."
Another user posted, "Hello everyone, I still can't believe what happened, I made this tribute to him, Akira Toriyama literally changed my life with Dragon Ball, I hope he lives forever in our hearts, and We never stopped loving Dragon Ball, rest in peace Akira sensei!"