RIP Akira Toriyama, Master of the Dragonballs

[Michael Hopcroft]

I thought this would be an Internet hoax, but evidently it isn't: the creator of the immensely popular Dragonball series of manga and anime, Akira Toriyama, has passed away at the age of 68.

 

Even if the name is not familiar, gamers would have to have been living under very large rocks to be completely ignorant of Dragonball. Starting as a comical riff on the classic novel Journey to the West, it featured a strong but naive boy named Son Goku who is enlisted by a girl scientist to track down seven magical orbs which, when brought together, would summon the godlike dragon Shenron to grant the user one unconditional wish. Along the way, they encounter a string of eccentric characters and powerful adversaries like the totalitarian Red Ribbon Army, as well as a lecherous martial arts instructor who teaches Goku devastating techniques, which had him growing unimaginably powerful.

 

Fats forward thirty years. Goku has grown up, married, and sired a son, all the while remaining a big, lovable oaf. But then he learns the secret of his own past -- not only is he not really human, but he was actually sent to Earth as an infant to destroy the planet on behalf of the might Saiyan Empire. This is something Goku unconditionally rejects, choosing to protect instead of destroy and love instead of hate. This puts him in conflict with many ever-more-powerful adversaries, including the Saiyan general Vegeta who would become his great rival. A riff on a novel about the rise of Buddhism in Eastern Asia switched into a riff on the Superman mythos, spawning some of the most spectacular super-brawls ever drawn and animated.

 

Ironically, Toriyama was asked to write Dragonball because his previous series, the wacky comedy Dr. Slump, had gotten too weird in the eyes of his publisher. 

 

But his influence did not stop with manga and anime. He also had a role in the creation of such significant video games as the Dragon Quest franchise, Blue Dragon, and more. But it is Dragonball, and its enormous impact on global popular culture, that was his crowning achievement.

[Ragitsu]

Dragonball is the ultimate anime "comfort food".

[Hermit]

I teased the series, but I also got a kick out of Dragonball Z. A single battle would take several episodes because of the posing and speeches, and it was silly but also glorious if cheesy pageantry in its way .

Respect to the creator of a romp that brought a lot of fun to folks

[Lord Liaden]

Never cared for the world or the characters of Dragonball, but the series did have some spectacular visual moments. But 68 is too young to pass these days, and I'm sorry for his family and friends.

 

Nonetheless, anyone with a legacy that many people continue to love is never gone.

[Stanley Teriaca]

I just made my own tribute post when I spotted this one. So forgive me.

 

Break out your Fusion Labs copy of the Dragonball Z RPG today, if you actually have a copy. He will be missed.

[megaplayboy]

His creations will have a permanent home in fictional character "who beats who" discussions.  Immense influence on other Manga and anime and video game creators.

Sort of a Japanese Jack Kirby but with more of a sense of fun.