TOKYO: Japanese manga comic creator Akira Toriyama, best known for his Dragon Ball series that spawned widely popular films, video games and TV shows, died on March 1 from a blood clot in his brain, his production

studio said on Friday. He was 68.

“It’s our deep regret that he still had several works in the middle of creation with great enthusiasm,” the studio said in a statement posted on its website. “We hope that Akira Toriyama’s unique world of creation continues to be loved by everyone for a long time to come.”

Dragon Ball was first serialised in Shonen Jump comic magazine in 1984 and was later adapted into movies, video games and TV series distributed in more than 80 countries.

Toriyama was also known as a character and monster designer of the blockbuster role-playing game series Dragon Quest.

Many fans, and Japan’s top government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi, paid tribute to Toriyama and the global influence of his work.

“We will never forget Akira Toriyama for the gift he left on this earth. I can’t imagine a world without Dragon Ball,” a fan wrote in a section below the post.

Published in Dawn, March 9th, 2024