Sand Land, the new Hulu/Disney Plus anime adaptation of Akira Toriyama’s other big manga, is gaining the attention of critics – with one calling it a "final masterpiece" from the late Dragon Ball creator, who died in early March.
08.03.2024 - 17:51 / wccftech.com / Nathan Birch
Late last evening it was sadly announced that Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama had passed away. He was 68. While Toriyama stood as one of the giants of the anime and manga industry, largely due to success of Dragon Ball, as well as lesser-known series like Sand Land and Dr. Slump, his contributions to the world of video games were almost as significant and perhaps even more varied.
Toriyama contributed monster and character designs to every entry in the fan-favorite, and very popular in Japan, Dragon Quest series. He was also the lead artist for titles like Chrono Trigger, Blue Dragon, and the Tobal fighting games. Of course, Dragon Ball Z has also been adapted into a near-countless array of different video games over the years. Dragon Quest XII, the next core entry in the series, is in the works, but it’s unclear how Toriyama’s death may impact its development.
The official Dragon Ball X account provided the following statement following Toriyama’s death...
“We are deeply saddened to inform you that Manga creator Akira Toriyama passed away on March 1st due to acute subdural hematoma. He was in age of 68. It's our deep regret that he still had several works in the middle of creation with great enthusiasm. Also, he would have many more things to achieve.
However, he has left many manga titles and works of art to this world. Thanks to the support of so many people around the world, he has been able to continue his creative activities for over 45 years. We hope that Akira Toriyama's unique world of creation continues to be loved by everyone for a long time to come. We inform you this sad news, with gratefulness for your kindness during his lifetime.
Future plan for commemorate gathering is not decided, we will let you know when it's confirmed, We deeply thank you for your understanding and support as always.”
What are some of your favorite Akira Toriyama creations? I came to his work through Chrono Trigger first, although fairly soon afterward I discovered Dragon Ball Z, and what a big moment that show’s debut was for every anime-loving 90s kid. Later in life I gained a real appreciation for the Dragon Quest series -- no other JPRG comes close to touching its monster designs. RIP Toriyama, and thanks for the memories.
Sand Land, the new Hulu/Disney Plus anime adaptation of Akira Toriyama’s other big manga, is gaining the attention of critics – with one calling it a "final masterpiece" from the late Dragon Ball creator, who died in early March.
Manga creator Eiichiro Oda - who last week announced that One Piece would be taking a three week "scheduled maintenance" break - has commented once again on the recent passing of his friend, and fellow legendary mangaka, Akira Toriyama.
Nearly 50 talented artists recently joined together to create an amazing mural in tribute to the late Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama. Earlier this month, fans of anime and gaming alike were saddened by the heartbreaking news that Toriyama had passed away from acute subdural hematoma at age 68. Dragon Ball itself has spawned countless video games, but Akira Toriyama also had a hand in creating legendary titles like Chrono Trigger and the Dragon Quest series, and numerous other franchises like Sonic the Hedgehog have drawn influence from his work.
Sand Land, the video game adaptation of Akira Toriyama's beloved manga series, now has a demo on Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, PS4, and Steam, ahead of it full launch in April.
A demo for Sand Land is out now on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X and S, and PC via Steam, publisher Bandai Namco has announced.
Akira Toriyama, the artist behind iconic manga like Dragon Ball, has passed away aged 68. His death was confirmed by the official Dragon Ball website, which noted that he still had “several works in the middle of creation”. A statement added: “He has left many manga titles and works of art to this world. We hope that Akira Toriyama’s unique world of creation continues to be loved by everyone for a long time to come.”
Akira Toriyama, the creator behind the vastly successful Dragon Ball franchise, has passed away age 68.
Several Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2 players came together in order to pay respects to the late creator of the franchise, Akira Toriyama. Many players went into the online lobbies of Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2, joining a community-wide effort to honor Akira Toriyama. These tributes were posted on social media.
Several Final Fantasy 14 players took to the streets of Ul'dah to pay respects to the late Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama, with campfire vigils and outfits based on characters that Toriyama drew over his career. These vigils in Final Fantasy 14 are ongoing at the time of writing and are being held across several data centers, such as Aether and Crystal in North America.
We lost one of the world's greatest creative minds earlier this month, as Dragon Ball creator and Dragon Quest character designer Akira Toriyama sadly passed away at the age of 68. His work on the likes of Dragon Ball, Dragon Quest, Chrono Trigger, and Blue Dragon has inspired millions across his entire career, and many have been paying their respects to the legend on social media.
Anime fans around the world wasted no time in paying respect to Akira Toriyama, the prolific mangaka of Dragon Ball, who passed away in the past week due to a blood clot in the brain. With modern anime and games so heavily influenced by the prolific series, Final Fantasy 14 fans were no exception.
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.