Akira Toriyama passed away on March 1st after leaving an indelible mark on the anime industry. Many of our writer’s lives were touched by the master mangaka, so we asked them to say a few words about the impact he had on them. Here’s Kasaix looking back on his brother’s and his shared love of Dragon Ball Z.
At a Loss for Words
I’m normally a pretty good writer, but this tragedy has stripped me of this mastery of words. Akira Toriyama is one of those rare people who appear once in a generation. They change the world with their work, and they leave behind an immortal legacy. There will be otaku a century from now enjoying Goku’s incredible adventure.
Toriyama’s passing has made me remember the most unusual things from my past. I grew up watching Dragon Ball Z. Memories fade over time, but I remember I was a young man living at my aunt’s place watching Toonami on their old TV. We watched Dragon Ball Z religiously. I’m not sure about my cousins, but my brother and I have the same love for this series now that we did way back then. Their friend set up a moving GIF background for their computer, so multiple small Super Saiyan Trunks set off some ki blast repeatedly. It was cool to see. My brother drew this picture of Super Saiyan Trunks that hung in our room for years.
Akira Toriyama’s passing has hit me as hard as Kazuki Takahashi’s untimely passing. I had never met either man, but they both impacted my life in ways I hope they knew. Surely they realized that their works were enjoyed the world over. Akira Toriyama’s death has made the world a little less bright. However, his legacy will most certainly stand for all time.
“Got Me Through Dark Times”
As I said, my brother, Tovarish, loves Dragon Ball as much as I do. He respects Akira Toriyama just the same, and his death affected us both. He summed up his thoughts in a brief post on X:
Dragon Ball got me through some rough/dark times. I’m sure he knew what this series meant to people. But I don’t know if he knew how much. I can’t imagine the person I’d be if it weren’t for Dragon Ball. This is gonna sting for a while.
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Did Toriyama-sensei influence you? What was his most influential work, in your opinion? Tell us in the comments.
