Artists, animators, musicians, and creators pay tribute to Dragon Ball’s Akira Toriyama

polygon.com:

It will take decades for the world to fully unpack all the ways Akira Toriyama shaped our culture. The legendary artist and author, whose death was publicly announced Thursday, was a pioneer in manga, comics, anime, and video games, and his work formed a foundation for everyone in those industries who followed him.

But Toriyama’s presence and importance can be felt far wider than in just the fields he excelled at. It’s hard to think of any single work that’s been as consistently important in the lives of kids growing up as Dragon Ball, which has left its mark on every generation since Toriyama started writing it in the 1980s. Thanks to that fact, rappers, actors, journalists, directors, and just about every creative person you can imagine has had their work or their thinking shaped by Toriyama, in one way or another.

Below we’ve gathered just a few of the incredible tributes to the life, legacy, and work of Akira Toriyama, one of the most important creative thinkers of his generation.

RIP Akira Toriyama pic.twitter.com/kKq6N1Id6k

“Honestly, I don’t know what to write or how to write about something so sudden.

However, for now, I would like to express my thoughts and feelings to Toriyama-sensei, something I wish he would have asked me someday.

I grew up with Dr. Slump in the lower grades of elementary school and Dragon Ball in the upper grades, and it was natural for me to have his manga next to me as part of my daily life. Even if I had a bad experience, watching Dragon Ball every week made me forget about it. It was a relief for me, a country boy who had nothing. Because Dragon Ball was really fun! It was when I was a university student. Suddenly, the Dragon Ball that had been a part of my life for so many years ended. I felt an incredible 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 yours! I