Akira Toriyama, well known for his work on projects such as the Dragon Ball series and the Dragon Quest video games has unfortunately passed away at 68. This has been a national tragedy that has not only impacted Japan and the manga industry but the world that has grown to love the characters and worlds that Akira Toriyama has brought to life. The well known mangaka has been paid tribute not only by mangakas but by sports athletes, sporting teams, producers, actors, and people alike who were touched in one way or another by his work. Echiro Oda, the mangaka who made One Piece wrote “ With respect and gratitude for the creative world he has left behind. I pray for his soulful rest in peace. May heaven be the joyous world he envisioned”. European soccer club Real Madrid, paid tribute to the artist as well by posting multiple pictures of players paying tribute to Akira and his work by doing poses from his manga Dragon Ball Z. No matter how disconnected one may be from anime and manga, Akira Toriyama revolutionized an industry that used to be belittled and titled as childish, allowing for future mangaka to flourish and pursue their dreams of making manga.

No matter what language you speak, no matter where you come from, and no matter your place in the world, we have all found ourselves trying to be like Goku. I remember being 6 years old and screaming my lungs out in an attempt to become a Super Saiyan. The beauty of his work reached me when I was across the globe from the critically acclaimed artist. Though I never met Akira Toriyama, I cannot doubt that without him and his creativity; I would not be who I am now. Akira’s work was not only influential but it also had messages that encourage positive behavior and following a positive lifestyle. Dragon Ball has also brought me closer to my family. I remember being in Coalcoman and turning on the tv by hand, feeling the static from the screen lifting my hairs as if I could feel the energy touch me. Me and my cousin Kevin would turn the channel to channel 7 which would play Dragon Ball Z Kai every now and then, we’d be going crazy as our grandpa saw us pretend to fight from a safe distance. Me and Kevin have had countless hours spent together on the playstation game “budokai tenkaichi 3”, I remember vividly us timing an attack as for the attacks to clash and light up the screen making our faces bright with the color of whatever was fluorescently bouncing off the screen into our joyous eyes. I’d like to thank Akira Toriyama for reaching nations, breaking language barriers and frontiers and touching the souls of millions. “ Tackle life with as much energy as Goku, I’ll try to do the same” – Akira Toriyama