Akira Toriyama, creator of Dragon Ball and Dr. Slump, dead at 68

Gemini

Rising Star
BGOL Investor


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Chiyo

Rising Star
BGOL Investor

I imagine most guys in their 30's or maybe even 40's feel the same way.

Dragon Ball was THAT show. It really changed everything.

I didnt want to create until I saw it. Really was special, and Toriyama was a very special guy.

He also did the design for Dragon Quest which is bigger than Dr.Slump, but I put Dr.Slump in my title because I liked it a lot as a kid also. :lol:

I'm probably going to cry over this at some point. If you like the art of storytelling, Anime, or even animation in general you have to like Toriyama.
 

JustChillin

Electric Relaxation
BGOL Investor


I remember waking up one Sunday morning, flipping through channels and on channel 11 was this anime where they are flying and shooting lasers at each other.

I woke my brother up like “you gotta see this! Never seen anything like this”

Been a fan ever since. Been watching Dragonball for 30 years at this point.

Rest in peace Toriyama-san and thank you for being a huge part of my childhood/adulthood/life.
 

Chiyo

Rising Star
BGOL Investor


I remember waking up one Sunday morning, flipping through channels and on channel 11 was this anime where they are flying and shooting lasers at each other.

I woke my brother up like “you gotta see this! Never seen anything like this”

Been a fan ever since. Been watching Dragonball for 30 years at this point.

Rest in peace Toriyama-san and thank you for being a huge part of my childhood/adulthood/life.
Its wild how things spread in the days before everybody had the internet.

Pokemon came on UPN and as a kid I'd get the dials mixed up between WB and UPN. One day I got it wrong and saw Piccolo training Gohan and that was it. Before I knew it everybody else at school was watching it.

This was even before Toonami was a thing

The show really did go viral in the US.
 

ansatsusha_gouki

Land of the Heartless
Platinum Member
Without him and Osama Tezuka anime wouldnt be so big today. Every mangaka was influenced by those two in some way, especially Toriyama.There wouldn't be no Bleach,Naruto,One Piece,Yuyu Hakusho and etc without Toriyama.


Rest In Peace Toriyama
 

neptunes007

Rising Star
BGOL Investor
R.I.P

This man’s affect on culture was insane. I remember the day I found out about Dragon Ball Z, man after that I stopped watching every super hero cartoon that was out. Nothing came close to Dragon Ball Z. And the emulator games for PC along with Budokai series for PS2, don’t get me started.

And the movies: Tree of Might and World’s Strongest were the shit
 

fonzerrillii

BGOL Elite Poster
Platinum Member
RIP to a legend whose work was loved by generations of people..

Dragon Ball Z single-handedly got me through college back in 1998... I loved the show so much Vegeta has been my avatar from the moment you could add avatars on this board and I have never switched.

 
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fu2

Rising Star
BGOL Investor
Damn man. I went through a lot of paper drawing Dragon Ball Z characters growing up. One of the few people's works that acted as a bridge between age ranges, cultures, and language barriers. You could have an hour long conversation with someone you just met just talking Dragon Ball. One of the franchises responsible for inspiring so many people to use their talents to be a parts of something they loved. Whether in the art world, game design, action figures collecting and production, and ect, people have built careers off of wanting to be more than just a fan. People got off of their asses became a part the legacy of Dragon Ball because him and his work.

The first time I learned how to order something from somewhere outside of the country was in the 90's when Dragon Ball Z was on cartoon Network before the toys came out for that run in the states. And when they came out, I was on Toys R Us' ass. The one that used to be off of Candler Rd on I-20. The first time I had folks go to the back to check for shit. I'll never forget the day when that guy brought out an unopened case for the first wave of figures and opened it up. That's how I learned about conversion rates and ordering stuff from Japan. And that's when I learned about how far were really behind in the states with the Dragon Ball franchise.

Even though the toys were here in the late 80's when I saw them in a Lionel's Playworld, I had no idea who they were. So when Dragon Ball Z started air in the states before Cartoon Network days, it triggered a memory form that day I saw them in the store. Then the floodgates opened once I began to learn about the VHS dubs, the movies and the manga. Had me driving all around the white areas to find little spots that had comics/anime/import specialty stores.

And for people that weren't as familiar, you became the ambassador. That's why people so passionate about it. It's creations like this that opens your eyes up to the world around you and it sticks with you.

I know I've told this story before on here somewhere before. But It hits different now.
 

Dirtylakerie

Rising Star
Platinum Member
Damn. RIP! Only started watching Dragonball, consistently until the pandemic in 2020. Watching the OG Dragonball series then Z had a brotha hooked on watching anime since.
 

joneblaze

Rising Star
BGOL Investor
Even if you werent an ultra Dragon Ball fan, it was always present whether you were channel surfing,at a comic con or there was some discussion about Manga on some podcast or panel. The impression he made in the entertainment industry is immeasurable. I remember going to a few Fathom DB events at the movie theatre which were always fun. Rest Well thanks for the many years of entertainment
 
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