The creator of the famous manga “Dragon Ball”, Akira Toriyama, dies at the age of 68

The mangaka Akira Toriyama, creator of world-famous series Dragon Ball And Dr. Slump, died at the age of 68, his publishing house and studio announced on Friday March 8. “We at Shueisha and the editorial department are deeply saddened by the sudden news of his passingwe can read in a press release from the publisher. We would like to pay tribute to his great achievements, express our gratitude and offer him our sincere condolences.”

Born in Nagoya in 1955, Akira Toriyama was primarily known for manga Dragon Ball, created in 1984 and chronicling the life and adventures of martial arts prodigy Son Goku since his childhood. It was loosely based on the 16th century Chinese novel The Journey to the West.

The manga has sold at least 260 million copies worldwide according to the specialist site Mangazenkan. It has generated numerous adaptations for television, cinema or video games and has had numerous sequels such as Dragon Ball Z or more recently Dragon Ball Super.