Japanese author Akira Toriyama, the "father" of the world's best-selling Dragon Ball series, has passed away at the age of 69.
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| Japanese author Akira Toriyama, 'father' of the Dragon Ball series. (Source: Gfinity) |
On March 8, Nikkei Asia quoted a representative of Shueisha publishing house - the copyright management unit of Dragon Ball - saying that the artist passed away on March 1.
In a statement on social network X, a representative of Mr. Toriyama's company Bird Studio said that the famous author passed away due to a brain hemorrhage, and expressed regret at this unexpected departure when he was still involved in many creative projects.
"Mr. Toriyama left behind many manga series and works of art. We hope that Akira Toriyama's unique world will be loved by everyone for a long time to come," the statement stressed.
Mr. Toriyama was born in 1955 in Aichi Prefecture. He studied design at a junior college and worked for an advertising agency in Nagoya for three years before becoming a professional manga artist when he was about 20 years old.
He first became known for the manga series Dr. Slump (1980-1984), for which he won the Shogakukan Manga Award in 1981.
In 1984, he released the Dragon Ball series, which became a hit, selling more than 500 million copies worldwide, including 35 million in the Japanese market.
This author once revealed that the Dragon Ball series was inspired by Chinese kungfu movies, especially the setting in the novel Journey to the West .
Dragon Ball tells the story of Son Goku's growth as he learns martial arts and explores the world in search of the Dragon Balls, which grant him wishes. He meets many friends and fights against hostile forces that plot to steal the Dragon Balls to rule the world.
The Dragon Ball series has since been adapted into an anime and live-action film.
In Vietnam, Kim Dong Publishing House bought the copyright to publish this comic book series and it is widely read by children.
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