As of the 1st of March, famed manga artist Akira Toriyama passed away at the age of 68. The cause of death was Acute Subdural Hematoma, and for anyone who doesn’t know what that is, it is when blood collects between the skull and brain, and in small or symptonless cases it merely needs to be watched over. For more extreme cases, surgery is required. An A.S.H. is usually caused by a head injury strong enough to burst blood vessels, which in turn can cause pooled blood to push on the brain. Things that can increase the risk include age, blood-thinning drugs, and alcohol abuse. Symptoms of an Acute Subdural Hematoma include headaches, confusion, vomiting, slurred speech, or even a coma may appear immediately or weeks after a head injury, and in some cases an A.S.H. doesn’t even cause symptoms. Only thing that wasn’t said was where Mr. Toriyama died, but that is not my place to know.
However, I’m typing this up (As of this past Friday) as a way to show my respect for a legend, yet ironically enough I never had the biggest connection to his work. Kinda like when I talked about Kentaro Miura’s passing back in 2021 (Read here for my thoughts on that), I never got into things like Dragonball & all it’s spinoffs (Though I have watched a sprinkle of episodes here & there), or the various games in which his artstyle was used, but it wasn’t cause of some philosophical difference. For me, I wasn’t a massive fan because they simply didn’t click for. Dragonball & the various sub-series are not bad by any means, but they never connected in the right way for me. And yet.....
I feel a giant hole in my spirit. A guy, who’s work I never interacted with in any meaningful way, is now gone, and I feel like something is missing in my life now. I feel like there’s a little less light coming from the sun, or from the moon and stars at night. Casual anime fans may not understand, but Mr. Toriyama crafted not just a world with Dragonball, but the basis for the entire Shonen genre that’s still going strong today. Toriyama’s work has been a massive inspiration for the creators of One Piece, Naruto, and Bleach to name just a few. He didn’t just inspire those series, but for any otaku/weeb, cosplayer, or vtuber that continues to put out content to this very day. Mr. Toriyama’s message for life was very simple: if you’re able to be your foes, then there’s a chance you’ll stand tall & be stronger for it.
And that’s my thoughts on the passing of Akira Toriyama. Again, I may not have been a massive fan of his work, but I can’t deny the sheer influence he had, and perhaps I might begin to get into his library of material now that he’s gone. In any case, I hope we’re all still hanging in there, and I’ll get back to my scheduled program this Friday. In the meantime.....
IT’S OVER 9000!!!!
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Here are some lighthearted videos that were inspired by Mr. Toriyama’s works. Click on the links, and enjoy:
Super Deluxe Meat Course from Dragon Ball Z (Arcade with Alvin)
Bucket Ramen from Dragon Ball Super (Anime with Alvin)
Dragon Balls from Dragon Ball Z (Anime with Alvin)
DBZ Drinks for kids who got old (How to Drink)
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