It has been a difficult first ten days of the month for followers of anime, manga, and media worldwide, with the passing of legendary artist Akira Toriyama. The creator of Dragon Ball — one of the most famous media franchises ever globally — died due to acute subdural hematoma, with fans still coming to terms with the loss of such an influential figure.
The mangaka also created other works of fiction like Dr. Slump, Pink, and Go! Go! Ackman, aside from acting as a character designer for famous video games like the Dragon Quest series, Chrono Trigger, and Blue Dragon. Interestingly, in his last interview, the Kiyosu, Aichi, Japan, native had claimed that he never saw much of his work that had been turned into anime, even apologizing to the staff of the creators of these shows.
Of course, with the demise of such a beloved and noteworthy personality, there was much talk and discussion online about his life, contributions to art and manga, and how he affected the lives of millions growing up. That included Twitch users who shared messages and memories of their encounters with Akira Toriyama or his works on the chat of various channels.
Akira Toriyama touched the lives of millions across generations
Between March 1 — when the acclaimed artist passed away — and March 10, the usage of his name and the work he is best associated with reached the thousands on Twitch chat. Sticking with the man himself, the terms 'Akira Toriyama,' 'Akira,' and 'Toriyama' were mentioned 192.4K times across 14.7K channels as fans spoke about his contributions to the industry.
Such has been the impact of such creations that many countries have been mourning his death, including China, Argentina, and The UK. Many prominent streamers, including TheGrefg, carolinekwan, and k4sen, also discussed Akira Toriyama's death and how it had affected them.
The word anime was used the most, with 220.3K mentions across 23.8K channels, and understandably so. The Dragon Ball anime that first came out in the mid-1980s would go on to revolutionize the way cartoons based on manga were made while boosting its popularity big-time in the Western world.
Dragon Ball has also been cited by many newer manga artists as a source of inspiration for them, with its manga selling over 260 million copies worldwide. The anime and numerous movies, meanwhile, have been broadcast in more than 80 countries. Its pulling power can be seen in the fact that the series got 72.6K mentions across 12.3 channels on Twitch chat during the first ten days of March.
The main character of the series, Goku, has entered folklore as the ultimate good guy, with his ability to repeatedly rise when the chips are down reflecting a changing society and world over the last 50 years and resonating with millions worldwide. That is why his name had almost 90K mentions on chat, while Vegeta, the antithesis of Goku and someone with thousands of fans himself, was mentioned 28K times.
For fans of the manga creator and his various works, there is some news that can help them carry forward his legacy and enjoy more of his work. Dragon Ball Daima, a new anime series, will be released in Fall 2024 to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the original manga. It will air on Fuji TV in Japan, with broadcasting details for other regions to be announced soon.
