If only the Dragon Balls were real and wishing someone back were THAT simple...

It's a sad day for creative minds and fans of manga/anime across the globe. If you've heard the news, we have officially lost one of the greatest and most influential minds to ever grace the artistic world and all of fiction, Akira Toriyama (1955-2024). The mad genius behind the artwork for legendary franchises such as Dragon Quest, Chrono Trigger, Dr. Slump, Blue Dragon, etc. But most of all, he's the mastermind who introduced the world to the iconic Dragon Ball franchise, the #1 greatest & most influential manga/anime series of all time (at least in my personal opinion).

Since the early 80's, his legacy has influenced and revolutionized entire generations across the globe with his unique artstyle, detailed designs, complex characters, imaginative worlds, and ingenious storytelling. He's created something beautiful unlike anything we've ever seen before that continues to endure in popularity, beloved by both children and adults today!

Even if you were never a fan of Dragon Ball, there is not a single person on the planet who can deny its near-universal impact and appeal across modern media to this very day, from both western+eastern cartoons, live-action TV series, movies, video games, you name it! Goku, Vegeta, Piccolo, Frieza, the Eternal Dragon, the Kamehameha Wave, the Super Saiyan Aura/Transformation, the badass fight scenes, they're are all SO ICONIC STAPLES, they're practically ingrained into the fabric of our society.

The OG Dragon Ball in particular (+DBZ) remains some of my most favorite shows of all time. My older brother and younger sister are also massive fans of the series and turned into anime fans as a result. Even I was never the biggest anime fan, as I've always heavily preferred western-animated cartoons to anime, but even then I always had a soft spot for Dragon Ball. For most people in the Americas like me, besides PKMN, DBZ was LITERALLY THE GATEWAY to every other anime I've watched from that point onward. I can say for sure that no other anime series could have that same effect. Even other anime creators like that of Naruto and One Piece all attribute credit to Toriyama's influence, not to mention the Abridged parody series by TeamFourStar were all made by dedicated fans of the original series, further spreading the love for DBZ in a different light across the board!

I know I am not alone when I say that Toriyama's work was an inspiration to US ALL growing up, and I personally have to give much of my credit to him for my artstyle, as I wanted to imitate his work at one point. You know how in my personal art style I draw eyes in an anime-like fashion? I owe most of that to Toriyama's influence on me!

There will never be anyone else quite like him. In terms of the entire manga/anime industry, he was the GREATEST mangaka who ever lived. Toriyama is simply an unsurpassed, untouchable legend, and IMO, no one can ever leave the same impact as he did or fill his shoes. There. I said it. Say what you want, but I stand by that statement 100%!

Take it easy in Other World, Mr. Toriyama!
May King Yemma welcome you with open arms and save a special place you in Heaven!Thank you for contributing to the world with your timeless masterpieces!
YOU WILL ALWAYS BE THE BEST, NOW AND FOREVER!

In tribute, here's my artwork to the GREATEST OF ALL TIME (THE GOAT), hanging out with King Kai here sending off his message to Earth! Enjoy the artwork!
P.S. The font I used is called "ITC Serif Gothic Std", the same font used in the logo for Chrono Trigger, a.k.a. one of the greatest JRPGs ever made that Akira also worked on!

Mar 8, 2024