Remembering Akira Toriyama, Creator of Dragon Ball

By Nicole Celic, Adult Librarian
April 24, 2024

Akira Toriyama

black and white drawing of Akira Toriyama with drawings of manga characters behind him

The year of the dragon begins with the passing of a dragon. Akira Toriyama (1955–2024) was a manga artist most well known for his creation of Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z, with their anime adaptations finding critical success worldwide. Many librarians owe their love of manga, reading, and literature to Akira Toriyama because they loved his works. We owe it to Toriyama, to acknowledge his legacy, to the lasting influence he has had on all of our lives. Below, staff of The New York Public Library remember the legacy that was Akira Toriyama, with displays, staff testimonials and recommendations. 

NYPL Staff Remember the Legend

Akira Toriyama Display at SNFL

Akira Toriyama Display at Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library

Photo: Linda Yau 

Back in the 1980’s, a bit of time before Dragon Ball, there was another series that is attributed to Akira Toriyama, Dr. Slump. This series completely changed my life in terms of enjoying a culture, watching anime, and reading manga. Many people can speak about Dragon Ball and  Dragon Ball Z and that is true, because that was a very big hit that influenced a lot of people into knowing about Japanese animation. But Dr. Slump was the series that launched Mr. Toriyma’s career. In this series, Mr. Toriyama, self-inserted himself as a gag character as a bird, or as a robot, or as a nameless character wearing a face mask, made a deeper impression on me. Now Arale-chan, the main character of Dr. Slump does appear in Dragon Ball, and she does appear in works beyond her original series, which is a 18 volume manga series. From Mr. Toriyama’s Dr. Slump series, I can say, was my first anime I enjoyed as a child. Anime and manga is a lifelong personal hobby and passion I enjoy greatly that reflects in the work that I do as an Adult librarian. –Linda Yau, Adult Librarian, Stavros Niarchos Foundation Library

Akira Toriyama Display at the Bronx Library Center

Akira Toriyama Display at the Bronx Library Center

Photo: Jonathan Shapiro 

There is too much to say about Toriyama, from his influence on manga to his brilliance as a draftsman and character designer to the way he breathed Japanese and Chinese mythology into a new life across global pop culture. Almost anywhere in the world, people recognize Goku, as the massive tributes in Argentina on the news have shown. But among the ki attacks and rapid fire martial arts fights, beloved and parodied for their excessive screaming and muscles bulging out to Schwarzeneggar-esque degrees, I find that one underappreciated part of Dragon Ball, and all of Toriyama's work, is his humor. Dragon Ball's a funny series, often in a super crass and silly way. The fans who remember the early series remember the ridiculousness of Oolong's wish or Goku's sparring with Krillin remember the belly laughs that came along with them. Even once it became a battle manga, we still got to enjoy Frieza's Ginyu force being named after everything you'd find in the fridge, or Vegeta's transformation from genocidal warlord into earthbound wife-guy.

Dragon Ball is funny enough, but I don't want to sell short the ways Toriyama left me gasping for air. Dr. Slump is the funniest anime of all time, and it's wild that few Americans have seen it (go to Japan and it's another story). The madcap adventures of a little robot girl in a world full of scatological delights and skewerings of pop culture. It's like a cross between Spongebob and Calvin and Hobbes with an odd sci-fi twist. I think my favorite part of Toriyama's humor is how personable it feels, like half the stuff is just there because it made him laugh. Nothing was calculated with him, though that hardly kept him from being a shrewd businessman. He loved samurai movies, but also spaghetti Westerns and Hong Kong martial arts, tossing in the tense, drawn out stand offs of the former and the wild, frenetic part-slapstick-part-deadly-action of the latter. His works were truly the result of an artist who believed in translating what he loved about comics, movies, music, and everything that brought him joy over the course of a life that was cut too short.

On the day the news broke, we in the Teen Zone of the Bronx Library Center cobbled together the best memorial we could do. Rest Well in Other World. –Jonathan Shapiro, Young Adult Librarian Trainee, Bronx Library Center

Akira Toriyama Display at Van Nest Library

Akira Toriyama Display at Van Nest Library

Photo: Tabrizia Jones 

Dragon Ball Z was the first piece of pop culture that I recognized as Japanese when I was a kid. And like so many other people my age, it drove towards other media: books, manga, music, etc; originating from Asia. DBZ was always a topic for discussion in everyone's middle school. –Rene Lora, Young Adult Specialist II, West Farms Library

Dragon Ball Z and Sailor Moon were my first introduction to anime. Growing up on a small island, I fondly remember gathering with my siblings to watch DBZ. It was a cherished family bonding time that sparked my love for anime and inspired me to become a voice actor (A dream of mine). Thank you, Toriyama-sensei, for blessing us with such incredible art. DBZ isn't just an anime to us; it's a cultural phenomenon. It paved the way for other anime and profoundly shaped my childhood. Vegeta was the first anime character I truly adored. I'll always be a dedicated DBZ fan. Rest in peace, Toriyama-sensei, you've done an amazing job! –Kadian Reid, Adult Librarian, Bronx Library Center

Akira Toriyama Display at Kingsbridge Library

Akira Toriyama Display at Kingsbridge Library

Photo: Nicole Celic 

I personally feel that another part of my childhood has been taken from me. For myself and many who grew up in the 90s, Dragon Ball was that title that introduced us to the world of anime (along with Sailor Moon). The story of Goku, the saiyan who not only fought to save his home and his loved ones from dangers all over the universe but also showed that strength can come from compassion. Look at his friendships and rivalries with Piccolo and Vegeta: They were once his enemies but they later became members of his trusted Z-crew. Goku is one of the most admired characters in anime and manga, and he has been since 1984 when Dragon Ball was first published in Weekly Shonen Jump. Goku is a hero admired by everyone, transcending generations young and old. And we have Toriyama-sensei to thank for that. –Renee Scott, Senior Young Adult Librarian, Washington Heights Library

Akira Toriyama Display at Van Nest Library

Akira Toriyama Display at Van Nest Library

Photo: Tabrizia Jones 

Akira Toriyama was a trailblazer not only because he showed a new way to read in books called manga but he also exposed people of all ages to a whole new world of shows and TV, a new culture other than their own! Dragon Ball has influenced and paved the way for new genre animators and mangaka artists. He will be truly missed. –Marissa Morales, Information Assistant, Parkchester Library

The news of Akira Toriyama's death got me thinking of the times that I watched Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z when I was a kid. I would watch episodes repeatedly when I was a teen. I would play Dragon Ball Z games on PlayStation 2. I still play new Dragon Ball Z games as an adult from time to time. I would relate to the characters and their choices. When I think of Goku, I see him always smiling and having a positive attitude, Vegeta: not abandoning yourself and having pride in where you come from, Piccolo: having discipline and showing that people can change, Krillin: having fun is also part of training, Gohan: always fighting for those you care about, Master Roshi: He taught us to work hard, study hard, eat well, play well, and sleep plenty! I just want to say, Thank you Akira Toriyama, thank you for making my childhood special. –Freddie Mendez, Young Adult Librarian, Washington Heights Library