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Akira Toriyama, the creator of Dragon Ball, died on March 1, 2024, aged 68. When his studio and publisher announced his death on March 8, tributes from fellow manga creators, animation companies and working artists described a shared thread: many first encountered his work as children, and some carried that early enthusiasm into creative careers.
What was announced about Akira Toriyama’s death?
Bird Studio and Capsule Corporation Tokyo announced on March 8, 2024, that Toriyama had died on March 1, aged 68, from an acute subdural hematoma. The announcement also said he had several works in progress. Shueisha and Manga Plus published the announcement and accompanying statements.
The news prompted responses from organizations that had published or adapted his work, as well as creators who described its personal effect on them. Those are different kinds of tributes: institutional statements recognize a professional legacy, while individual recollections show how a work can shape a reader’s imagination.
How did publishers and animation studios pay tribute?
Shueisha recognized Toriyama’s influence on creators
Shueisha’s editorial departments said his works, including Dragon Ball, had been read and loved around the world. They also pointed to his influence on other artists: “Not only that, but the characters he created, and his creativity has impacted many manga artists and creators.”
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Toei Animation remembered its work adapting his stories
Toei Animation, which adapted Toriyama’s work, expressed gratitude for his guidance and contributions to its productions. Its statement said: “It was a great honor for Toei Animation to be able to adapt the works of such a beloved creator, cherished around the world.” Toei’s March 8 statement speaks to the company’s relationship with the work; it is distinct from the more personal childhood memories shared by artists.
What did manga creators say about Toriyama?
Eiichiro Oda connected Dragon Ball to a generation
One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda reflected on the way Dragon Ball had become part of childhood for creators beyond manga. He wrote: “Not only manga creators, but the excitement and emotions felt with Dragon Ball are deeply rooted in the childhood of excelling creators in various industries,” The point was not simply that other artists admired Toriyama; Oda described a formative experience that crossed creative fields.
Masashi Kishimoto remembered a guiding influence
Naruto creator Masashi Kishimoto described Toriyama’s manga as a natural part of his childhood and recalled looking to him as he became a manga artist. “Sensei was always my guiding light,” Kishimoto wrote in the tribute carried by Shueisha and Manga Plus.
Yuji Horii recalled their Dragon Quest collaboration
Yuji Horii, the creator of Dragon Quest, also paid tribute to Toriyama and reflected on their collaboration. Their work together is another part of Toriyama’s legacy beyond Dragon Ball. ORICON’s report on Toriyama’s legacy includes Horii’s remembrance.
How did Akira Toriyama influence artists and animators?
In a tribute feature, LBB collected memories from international illustrators and animation professionals, including Alexei Bochenek, Ralph Karam, Nicole Tocco, Icaro Yuji, James Gorman, Neko Harris and Mariano Fernández Russo. Their recollections are individual testimony, not a survey of the whole industry. Together, they describe childhood viewing and drawing, attention to character design and storytelling, and the way early enthusiasm for Dragon Ball connected with later creative work. LBB published the tributes on March 12, 2024.
Alexei Bochenek saw an influence across animation
Alexei Bochenek, creative director at Titmouse, linked Toriyama’s impact to the affection fans and creators developed for animation: “Our industry of animation owes so much to Toriyama and to ‘Dragon Ball’ for inspiring creators and fans alike to simply love cartoons, regardless of where they’re from.”
Nicole Tocco remembered drawing scenes with friends
Nicole Tocco, a production coordinator at Hornet, recalled watching episodes with friends and trying to draw favorite moments. “I remember sitting with my friends in our living rooms, watching back-to-back episodes of ‘Dragon Ball’ and trying to recreate our favourite moments through drawings – it is these experiences that bred in me an unimaginable love for art and storytelling.” Her account makes the path from audience to artist especially concrete: watch, remember, draw, and keep making things.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why these tributes return to childhood
Oda and Kishimoto described Dragon Ball as part of growing up; Tocco recalled turning shared viewing into drawings. These memories help explain why Toriyama’s influence was expressed not only as admiration for a celebrated creator, but as a personal account of how stories and images can prompt someone to make art. The statements do not establish that every animator or manga artist was influenced in the same way. They show how several named creators and professionals remember Toriyama’s work as part of their own creative beginnings.
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For the organizations that published and adapted his work, the tributes also marked a lasting professional relationship. Shueisha emphasized the reach of his stories and their effect on creators; Toei remembered the honor of bringing them to animation. Read alongside the artists’ recollections, those statements connect the work’s public life with the private memories of people who watched, drew and later made things of their own.
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