Akira Toriyama is one of the most influential names in the world of manga and anime, recognized mainly for being the creator of Dragon Ball, one of the most iconic and revolutionary series of this genre. Toriyama had been regarded as one of the authors who changed the history of manga, as his works are highly influential and popular, particularly Dragon Ball, which many manga artists cite as a source of inspiration.

Born on April 5, 1955, in Nagoya, Japan, Toriyama has stood out for his unique drawing style and his ability to tell captivating stories that have captured the imagination of audiences around the world.

From a young age, Toriyama showed an interest in drawing, but it wasn’t until after dropping out of college and working at different jobs that he decided to pursue a career in manga. His talent was soon recognized, and in 1978, he published his first serialized work, “Wonder Island,” in Weekly Shōnen Jump magazine.

Toriyama found early success in the manga industry with the creation of the popular “Dr. Slump” series in the late ’70s, winning a Shogakukan Manga Award in 1981 and supervising two subsequent anime adaptations. However, that acclaim was nothing compared to “Dragon Ball,” a continuation of his kung fu movie-influenced “Dragon Boy” one-shot. First published as a serial in 1984, “Dragon Ball” has grown to become one of the best-selling manga series ever. It’s also credited as popularizing the medium of manga across the globe, further bolstered by its various anime adaptations’ enduring audience in Western countries.

An artist who largely worked outside the public spotlight, Toriyama’s work extended beyond “Dragon Ball” throughout his life, especially after taking a smaller creative role with the property in the ’90s. His other credits include various one-shot manga runs, as well as character designs for video game classics like “Chrono Trigger” and the “Dragon Quest” series.

Toriyama returned to “Dragon Ball” in the 2010’s, with the manga artist receiving a screenplay credit on the film “Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods,” then the first “Dragon Ball” feature adaptation in nearly 20 years. He has stayed involved with the property throughout its recent run of film productions, including the most recent, 2022’s “Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero.”

Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama dies at 68

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    • Frank [he/him, he/him]@hexbear.netEnglish
      3·
      7 months ago

      People generally don’t get shot every day. Violent crime is often more common in suburbs than it is in cities. It’s not all roses, but the stereotype of American cities as warzones is mostly just silly.

      God, how to get over that. Idk, I guess just go visit? Pick a neighborhood and go wander around? Talk to people at bus stops? Anxieties can be tricky because they’re not necessarily tied to what you know, so just saying “it’s not like that” won’t help.

      Definitely stay away from local reddits and don’t sign up for nextdoor. The hitler particles are so think you don’t even need the hitler-detector to see them.

      I got crimed a bunch of times living in minneapolis and it was never a big deal. People would get in to my car and rifle through my glove box. I think someone took the knife I keep in there once, but they never caused any damage. One of my friend’s cars got stolen but we got it back in a few days, and they actually topped off the tank. Other people’s cars have gotten stolen and trashed. Someone did break the window of my car and steal a backpack, but it was full of dirty underwear because I was travelling and I guess they just grabbed the first thing.

      Bike theft gets talked about a whole lot because it’s relatively low risk and bikes are useful to have. Car theft is another one, where if you know how to boost the car it’s often relatively low risk. idk what people do with the cars, a lot of it just seems to be joyriding. A lot of “crimes” are trespassing and shit, or being black in public. A lot of it’s just survivorship bias stuff, where people who do get crimed talk about it loudly, while most people aren’t getting crimed.

      Definitely go hang out with the local orgs. See if there’s food not bombs. Go to the local library and say hi to the librarians. Say hi to crust punks and homeless people when you can.

      I’ve been playing Pokemon Go lately as an excuse to get out and meet people. I haven’t made any friends yet but there’s a few acquaintances I recognize now. A lot of cities will have a spot with a lot of pokemon to catch where people will go during special event days, and it’s easy to spot the group of nerds focused on their phones. Most folks, when I’ve gone over and asked “hey, can I join y’all?” will say yes.