Akira Toriyama, who was one of Japan’s leading comic book authors and most famous for the successful manga and anime franchise “Dragon Ball,” died on March 1. He was 68 years old.
His death was confirmed on Friday by his manga and design production studio, Bird Studio, and Capsule Corporation Tokyo, which said in a statement which is caused by chronic subdural hematoma, when blood collects between the skull and the brain.
Mr. Toriyama’s body of work, which also includes “Dr. The Slump,” and “Sand Land,” was recognized far beyond Japan’s borders, influencing generations of manga artists and cartoonists. He had several projects in the works at the time of his death, the studio said.
His best-known work, “Dragon Ball,” follows a boy named Son Goku who embarks on a journey to collect the seven wish-granting Dragon Balls. Since its creation in the 1980s, it has reached 42 volumes, sold millions of copies worldwide and become one of the most popular manga, inspiring television, film and video game adaptations.
A full obituary will appear soon.
