Manga Artists pay tribute to “Dragon Ball” creator Toriyama Akira, who passed away on March 1st

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With the surprising announcement of Toriyama Akira’s death (who passed away on March 1st due to acute subdural hematoma), many manga artists are paying tribute.

“ONE PIECE” creator Oda Eiichiro’s comments are as follows:

It’s too early. The hole is too big. The thought of never seeing you again fills me with sadness. I’ve admired you so much since I was a child, and I remember the day when you called me by my name for the first time, and the day when you used the word “friend” to me, and the day when I had a great time with Kishimoto-san on the way home. I also remember the last conversation we had. He is one of the people who took the baton from the era when reading manga would make you stupid, and created an era where both adults and children read and enjoy manga.He showed us the dream that manga can do things like this and that we can go to the world. He gave it to me. It was like watching a hero push forward. The excitement and excitement of the Dragon Ball serialization is probably rooted in the childhoods of not only manga artists but also creators active in all industries. That existence is a great tree. For manga artists of my generation who have stood on the same stage, the closer I got to Toriyama’s works, the more I realized that they had a greater presence. Almost scary. But I’m just happy to see the easy-going man himself again. Because we love Toriyama-sensei on a blood level. We would like to express our respect and gratitude to the richly creative world that Toriyama Sensei left behind, and pray for his repose from the bottom of our hearts. I hope that heaven will be a pleasant world just as you envisioned it.

Oda Eiichiro

“Video Girl Ai”, “DNA2”, “Tiger & Bunny” creator Katsura Masakazu’s comment are as follows:

I feel weak and have no energy. I don’t want to comment on things like this. But I’ll write something. If I start writing it down, it will probably end up being quite long since there are so many things I want to say, but I will try to keep it as concise as possible. However, I’m not in the right mood, so please forgive my ramblings. Even if I think back. I’m not exaggerating, I have nothing but happy memories of when I went to visit your house, when I had you stay at my house, when we went out to play, and every time I called you, I laughed until I was tired. he was an interesting person. Lewd, cute, poisonous, and humble. In my main job, manga, I did some collaborative work, but that was fun too. But 99% of the time, we never talked about manga. As a manga artist, the scenery I see and the level of the artist are so different that I never really thought about their greatness. I understand. However, when I met him, I didn’t feel that in the slightest. It’s his personality. That’s why I still think of him more as a friend than a great manga artist. Last summer, before I had surgery, he seemed to have heard about it somewhere and sent me an email. Honestly, it’s rare for me to receive an e-mail from someone who seems concerned about my health. We’ve known each other for 40 years, but this may have been the first time I’ve been treated so kindly by Toriyama-san. I thought it was going to snow. Usually we only joke or talk nonsense. Well, this isn’t the time to worry about other people, at all.

I really regret why I didn’t call you after you emailed me. It’s a shame that I can’t make long phone calls anymore to talk nonsense. I have a lot of things I want to talk about. There are many stories. As always, if you have no interest in a story, I would like to talk about it again, even if you just listen to it blankly. It’s no good that the last time you replied to my e-mail requesting that I contact you again was a simple OK. It hurts from the bottom of my heart.

“Naruto” creator Kishimoto Masashi wrote the following comments:

To be honest, I don’t know what to write or how to write about this suddenly. But right now, I would like to express my thoughts and feelings to Toriyama-san, something I wish he would have asked me someday.When I was an elementary school student in the lower grades of Dr. Slump, I grew up with Dragon Ball and my teacher’s manga all the time in the upper grades, and it was natural for me to have my teacher’s manga next to me as part of my life.

Even if I had a bad time, the weekly Dragon Ball made me forget it. It was a relief for me, a country boy who had nothing, because I really enjoyed Dragon Ball too much!I was a college student.Suddenly, Dragon Ball, which had been a normal part of my life for many years, ended.It was incredible. I felt a sense of loss and didn’t know what to look forward to.But at the same time, it was also an opportunity for me to truly understand the greatness of the teacher who created Dragon Ball.I also want to create works like his. I wanted to create! I wanted to be like my sensei!

As I followed my sensei’s footsteps and aspired to become a manga artist, that sense of loss began to disappear.I enjoyed making manga.By following my sensei, I found new ways to enjoy myself. I was able to do it. You have always been my guideline. I have always looked up to you. I may be a nuisance to you, but I am grateful to you. For me, he was the god of salvation and the god of manga. When we met for the first time, I was so nervous that I couldn’t speak a single word.However, as we met many times at the Tezuka Prize screening meeting, we were able to talk.  As Dragon Ball Children, Oda-san and I were able to talk. When I went back to being a child and excitedly talked about how much Dragon Ball was fun, as if it were a competition, I will never forget the way he smiled, looking a little embarrassed, even though he didn’t look like he was trying to be funny. I just received a copy of Dragon Ball. I feel an even greater sense of loss than when Dragon Ball ended…I still don’t know how to deal with this hole in my heart.Right now, I can’t even read Dragon Ball, which I love  .I want to tell my teacher about this… I don’t feel like I can write properly either. Everyone around the world was still looking forward to your works. If one wish from Dragon Ball really comes true… I’m sorry… maybe that’s selfish of me. However, I am sad, sensei. Thank you, Sensei Akira Toriyama, for the many enjoyable works you have created over the past 45 years.Thank you very much for all your hard work.I am deeply saddened by the loss of the family members left behind. I will. Please take care of yourself. I pray that Toriyama Akira  rests in peace. 

Kishimoto Masashi