Son Goku fans are in mourning. The mangaka Akira Toriyama, creator of Dragon Ball and Dr SlumpThe world-famous series of the same name, died at the age of 68 from a subdural haematoma, his publisher and studio announced on Friday.
"At Shueisha and within the editorial department, we are deeply saddened by the sudden news of his death," reads a statement from the publisher.
Dragon Ball "is like a miracle
Born in Nagoya, Japan, in 1955, Akira Toriyama was best known for his manga Dragon Ballcreated in 1984, recounting the life and adventures of martial arts prodigy Son Goku from his childhood onwards. It was loosely based on the 16th-century Chinese novel Peregrination to the West. The manga has sold at least 260 million copies worldwide, according to the specialist website Mangazenkan. It has spawned numerous adaptations for television, film and video games, as well as sequels such as Dragon Ball Z or more recently Dragon Ball Super.
"For me, Dragon Ball is like a miracle", said its creator in an interview with the daily newspaper Asahi in 2013. "It has helped someone like me, who has a twisted and difficult personality, to do a decent job and be accepted by society". In the interview, however, he said that he had "no idea" why the series was such a global success. "When I drew the series, all I wanted was to please the boys in Japan".
Akira Toriyama was also the author of many other manga series, including Dr Slumppublished between 1980 and 1984 in the weekly magazine Shonen Jumpabout a little android girl with formidable strength created by a scientist. He had also created characters for several video games, including the series Dragon Quest or the 1990s role-playing game Chrono Trigger.
Eiichiro Oda's tribute
In 2013, the mangaka was awarded the Special Prize at the 40th Angoulême International Comics Festival for his body of work. Eiichiro Oda, creator of the manga One PieceIn a statement, Akira Toriyama expressed his regret at his "too early" death, which leaves "a great void". "To think that I'll never see him again... I'm overwhelmed with sadness", he added.
Text by 20 Minutes with AFP
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