In Honor of Akira Toriyama

It would not be an exaggeration by any means to say that without the creation of Dragon Ball, I may not have ended up where I have. Sadly, the creator of the beloved series and renowned Japanese artist passed away in March of 2024. It only feels right to include a tribute to the man who created something that influenced the path my entire life took.

Akira Toriyama (Japanese: 鳥山明, Toriyama Akira) Was born on April 5th 1955 in Kiyosu, Aichi, Japan. He was passionate about art and illustration at a very young age, and this lifelong interest turned into him becoming one of the most renowned and beloved artists in Japan. His artwork and influence reached across many platforms of Japanese media, including Manga, Anime, as well as the Video Game industry, where titles such as Dragon Quest, and Chrono Trigger, utilized his art for their character designs.

His definitive creation, the Dragon Ball Manga, would go on to become of the best selling Manga series of all time, eventually spawning the creation of the Dragon Ball Anime, and the rest, as they say, is history. Toriyama and his creations no doubt influenced entire generations of children and adults alike, and his passing was mourned by the entire world, becoming an even more talked about topic than the USA's State of the Union address at the time.

His impact was immeasurable, and his contributions to arts, media, and society will no doubt live on forever as people like myself and countless others continue to enjoy, share, and create, inspired by his wonderful works of art and media. Akira Toriyama, may you rest in peace. Your gifts to this world will live on forever.