In Memory Of Akira Toriyama

In Memory Of Akira Toriyama

When I was younger, there was an anime I watched religiously. I collected action figures, color books, sketchbooks, cards, lunch box, wallet, you name it. This anime appeared on Toonami and literally was everything to me.

That was Dragon Ball, the series which basically shaped the world and what got me into my love of other anime, fitness, and in the future martial art. And the fandom just lost the grand father of Manga Akira Toriyama has passed away. As I write this, it seems unreal.

I wanted to put this on my monthly thought page, but it was too important to sum it up in a paragraph.

To be honest, I really don’t know what this post is besides showing respect to Mr. Toriyama. I just needed to put my thoughts out here because I’m still speechless. It’s unreal because of course he’s human, but honestly, he was the Dragon Ball creator. We were so used to our heroes bringing a fallen comrade back with the dragon ball’s but we can’t with Toriyama and it fucking hurts. As a writer, this was my hero, and he inspired the big three which branched shonen anime into what it is now.

When my cousin told me I was stunned, frozen in place. My head grew numb and the only word I could muster was a simple “Damn”. But as more time passed, the hole inside my chest grew bigger. We scoured through to see the letter and still it felt like some cruel joke which no one was laughing at. In fact, tears poured down.

Where do we go from here……

We Create……and respect the memory Toriyama left behind.

So for now, I think it’s been long overdue for a Dragon Ball marathon. I honestly don’t know where to start, whether it’s the anime, manga or games.

The only thing I’ve caught up with are the games and movies, which are a treat. It kills me that Toriyama had seven more projects that he was still working. On, it reminds me of when the Battle of Gods was coming out; it had been almost a decade since Dragon Ball Z ended and GT wasn’t really Canon but Battle of Gods was like coming home after moving out for a couple of years and seeing all of your old friends. It wasn’t just the nostalgia that got you hyped. Toriyama was working on a new universe.

I give the highest props to be in your fifties and sixties and still having a vivid imagination like that. It’s truly remarkable.

It brought me back to that kid, that was so insecure still getting out of his shell staying up past bedtime, tying a cloth around my waist like a karate belt, coming up with imaginary spirit bombs.

Damn, now that I think about it, Dragon Ball has just shaped my life like most. My love of fitness would not be as strong as it is without the series. Trying to climb the levels of super sayian, playing with the action figures and still to this day watching Cooler vs Goku with Drowning pool playing is the best.

And to my dying breath my kids will definitely carry the torch, there will never be a day Dragon Ball will die and it honestly doesn’t matter if you found out about Toriyama through Dragon Ball, Chrono trigger, Dragon quest, Dr Slump, all that matters was that his worked touched something in you or inspired you to do something impactful in your life.

Although I never had the chance to meet him, I am incredibly grateful for the inspiration and the opportunity to witness his remarkable body of work. Being alive in the early 2000s allowed me to witness the incredible growth of anime and see it develop into what it is today.

It really affected my life. Recently I had to repurchase the Ps4 Kakorat game by cyber connect 2. To at least dip my toe back into the world and to feel like the same kid that would stay up all night.

These were my thoughts on Akira Toriyama passing away and, like everyone else, I just had to throw them up somewhere. Something like this deserved its own post.

I want to thank Akira Toriyama for helping shape my childhood like the billions of other fans. I’m hoping he can chill out with King Kai and get some much needed rest.

I hope you can rest in peace and I will continue grinding for that Super Saiyan physique and to show my kids and grandkids one of the greatest anime made.

I would not be where I am if it wasn’t for Dragon Ball Z, so again thank you, Akira.

Rest In Peace

Akira Toriyama