TOKIO.- The creator of the popular cmics and cartoons Dragon Ball, he japanese Akira Toriyama, died at the age of 68, his death was announced on Friday. editorial and its production studio.
First published in 1984, Dragon Ball It is one of the best-selling comic franchises of all time and has expanded into numerous anime series, films, and video games.
“We are deeply saddened to report that manga creator Akira Toriyama passed away on March 1 due to an acute subdural hematoma,” the franchise published. Dragon Ball on his official account on the social network
“However, he has left many manga titles and works of art in this world (…) We hope that the unique world created by Akira Toriyama will continue to be loved by everyone for a long time,” he added.
The study points out that the creator’s funeral already took place in the presence of his family and very few close friends and asked his followers not to send flowers or gifts of condolence.
Dragon Ball It is one of the most successful and influential manga comics of all time. According to the specialized website Mangazenkan, it sold at least 260 million copies worldwide. The story, loosely inspired by a 16th century Chinese novel, began to be published in episodes in the magazine Shonen Jump from the Shueisha publisher.
They said in a statement that they were: “deeply saddened by the sudden news of his death.”
Manga Transcendence
Its protagonist is Son Goku, a warrior expert in martial arts who travels the world in search of magic balls that, when gathered, summon a dragon with powers. With allies like Krillin, Vegeta, Piccolo, Ten Shin Han or his son Gohan, they will fight against monsters like Frieza or Cell that threaten the future of the Earth.
Born in 1955 in Nagoya, central Japan, Toriyama first gained popularity with the comic Dr. Slumpalso converted into a television series.
Then the phenomenon arrived Dragon Ball and its multiple consequences. Not all of them were a success: the live-action film Dragonball evolucin (2009) collapsed at the box office and received devastating reviews. For the specialized journalist Tadashi Sudo, Toriyama was a model for many manga artists.
“I knew exactly what everyone wants to read: adventures and character growth,” he told AFP.
Eiichiro Oda, creator of another great Japanese manga franchise like One Piece, He assured in a statement that Toriyama died too soon and that he left a very high bar. “To think that I will never see him again (…) I am overcome with sadness,” said Oda.
Dragon Ball, especially following the television adaptation released in 1988, contributed to the popularity of manga abroad, but also had its controversies. In the years 1980-1990, there were many who criticized the violence, the scenes of nudity or the inclination of some of its characters to touch female buttocks.
In a 2013 interview with the Japanese newspaper Asahi, Toriyama said that his comics were dedicated to entertainment. “I just hope that readers have fun reading my work. I don’t want them to get anything else,” said the creator, never worried about sending a message on his sleeve.
The designer defined himself in this interview as a difficult person, for whom the success of his comic was a miracle.
“Dragon Ball “It’s like a miracle, considering how it helped someone like me, with twisted and complicated personalities, to have a decent job and be accepted in society.”
FUENTE: AFP
