How Akira Toriyama shaped childhoods across the world through Dragon Ball
It was the mid-2000s. Almost every afternoon I would boot up my Playstation 2 and play Dragon Ball Z: Budokai 3, killing time till the evening when I would tune in to Cartoon Network's Toonami segment to watch the latest episode of the Dragon Ball Z anime. In between, I would try to draw Dragon Ball characters and repeatedly watch the few DVDs I had of the spin-off films. At school, I would have arguments with other kids about whether Goku's "Super Saiyan 5" transformation actually existed, with some kids even using bootleg stickers or YouTube AMVs as "proof". To say Dragon Ball was a fundamental part of my childhood would be an understatement.
On March 1, 2024, the creator of Dragon Ball, Akira Toriyama, passed away. Once the news was made public a week later, you could tell that millions of people, including myself, just suddenly lost a person who helped shape their childhoods without even knowing it. A man who created such an iconic world which captivated so many, a maestro who influenced not only manga and anime but pop culture as a whole – gone too soon.
While Dragon Ball is undoubtedly his most famous creation, Akira Toriyama also created several other acclaimed manga like Dr. Slump and Sand Land, and he worked on several popular videogames like Dragon Quest and Chrono Trigger. He has arguably one of the most instantly recognisable and iconic art styles on the planet. Even if you are someone who does not watch anime, there is a high chance you have seen Dragon Ball characters and Toriyama's artwork at one point or another.
Akira Toriyama was a master in world-building and drawing epic earth-shattering battles with his unique approach to storytelling. His works have influenced the lives of countless people in more ways than just entertaining them. Just looking at the responses of fans both before and after his passing, you will see tales of how people overcame depression, got motivated to work out and physically improve, managed to make lifelong friends and so much more, all by being inspired by his stories.
Whether it's Goku's optimistic personality and constant perseverance to achieve new power levels, Vegeta moving on from his evil past and turning his life around, or Trunks' unyielding hope in fixing his dying timeline, these characters and stories have resonated with people all over the world. His character work is not the most complex, but it's the simplicity and relatability of how they are written that makes them timeless.
To me, Akira Toriyama's legacy is much more than his worldwide influence on comics, animation, and films. To me, his legacy lies in how he managed to inspire so many children and adults through his creations. His legacy lies in how he impacted the lives of so many, and how his work will continue to do so for generations to come. He was an artist who taught kids all over the world that with enough hard work and faith, you can achieve unforeseen heights and successes. As Toriyama once said, "Tackle life with as much energy as Goku!"