View source for Akira Toriyama

{{Short description|Japanese manga artist (1955–2024)}}
{{Distinguish|Akira Takayama}}
{{About|the manga artist|the ophthalmologist and photographer|Akira Toriyama (ophthalmologist)}}
{{Good article}}
{{Use American English|date=March 2024}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2024}}
{{Infobox person
| native_name      = {{nobold|鳥山明}}
| native_name_lang = ja
| image            = Akira Toriyama in 1982.jpg
| caption          = Toriyama in 1982
| birth_date       = {{Birth date|mf=yes|1955|4|5}}
| birth_place      = [[Kiyosu (town)|Kiyosu]], Aichi, Japan
| death_date       = {{Death date and age|2024|3|1|1955|4|5|mf=yes}}
| death_place      = Japan
| occupation       = {{Hlist|[[Manga artist]]|[[Model sheet|character designer]]|[[Product (business)#Product model|model designer]]}}
| years_active     = 1978–2024
| employer         = [[Shueisha]]
| notable_works    = {{idp|
* ''[[Dragon Ball]]''
* ''[[Dr. Slump]]''
* ''[[Chrono Trigger]]'' (character designer)
* ''[[Dragon Quest]]'' (character designer)
}}
| spouse           = {{Marriage|Yoshimi Katō|1982}}
| children         = 2
| awards           = {{idp|
*[[Shogakukan Manga Award]] (1981)
*[[Ordre des Arts et des Lettres]] (2019)
}}
| signature        = Signature of Akira Toriyama.svg
| website          = 
}}

{{Nihongo|'''Akira Toriyama'''|鳥山明|Toriyama Akira|April 5, 1955 – March 1, 2024|lead=yes}} was a Japanese [[manga artist]] and character designer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential authors in the [[history of manga]] and created numerous highly influential and popular series, with his most famous being  [[Dragon Ball (manga)|''Dragon Ball'']].

Toriyama first achieved mainstream recognition for creating the [[manga]] series ''[[Dr. Slump]]'', for which he earned the 1981 [[Shogakukan Manga Award]] for best ''[[shōnen manga|shōnen]]''/''shōjo''. Dr. Slump went on to sell over 35 million copies in Japan. It was adapted into an [[anime]], with a second series created in 1997, 13 years after the manga ended.

From 1984 to 1995 he wrote and illustrated the [[Dragon Ball (manga)|''Dragon Ball'']] manga, [[Serial (literature)|serialized]] in ''[[Weekly Shōnen Jump]]''. It became one of the [[List of best-selling manga|best-selling manga series]] of all time, with 260 million copies sold worldwide,<ref>{{cite web |date=June 15, 2022 |title=Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero Global Theatrical Release Dates |url=https://corp.toei-anim.co.jp/en/press/press-220615.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221212074137/https://corp.toei-anim.co.jp/en/press/press-220615.html |archive-date=December 12, 2022 |access-date=July 13, 2023 |work=[[Toei Animation]] }}</ref>{{efn|Other sources estimate the total [[List of Dragon Ball manga volumes|''Dragon Ball'' tankōbon]] sales worldwide to be 260 or 300{{nbsp}}million copies.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Johnson |first1=G. Allen |title='Dragon Ball Super: Broly,' 20th film of anime empire, opens in Bay Area |url=https://datebook.sfchronicle.com/movies-tv/dragon-ball-super-broly-20th-film-of-anime-empire-opens-in-bay-area |access-date=January 23, 2019 |work=[[San Francisco Chronicle]] |date=January 16, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190116024917/http://datebook.sfchronicle.com/movies-tv/dragon-ball-super-broly-20th-film-of-anime-empire-opens-in-bay-area |archive-date=January 16, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Booker |first=M. Keith |title=Comics through Time: A History of Icons, Idols, and Ideas |date=2014 |publisher=[[ABC-CLIO]] |isbn=9780313397516 |page=xxxix |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hnuQBQAAQBAJ&pg=RA2-PR39 |access-date=August 16, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190210092056/https://books.google.com/books?id=hnuQBQAAQBAJ&pg=RA2-PR39 |archive-date=February 10, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://corp.toei-anim.co.jp/ja/press/press1756269914992343745.html|work=[[Toei Animation]]|script-title=ja:『ドラゴンボール超』劇場版最新作、2022年に公開決定|date=May 9, 2021|access-date=May 18, 2021|language=ja|archive-date=October 25, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211025185940/https://corp.toei-anim.co.jp/ja/press/press1756269914992343745.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://mantan-web.jp/article/20220307dog00m200052000c.html|work=Mantan Web|script-title=ja:ドラゴンボール超Dragon スーパーヒーロー："930倍"超巨大2.4メートルの超ムビチケ好調 3日間で受注200件 想定以上の売れ行き|date=March 7, 2022|access-date=March 15, 2022|language=ja|archive-date=April 21, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220421181024/https://mantan-web.jp/amp/article/20220307dog00m200052000c.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Comipress">{{cite web|title=Top Manga Properties in 2008 - Rankings and Circulation Data|url=http://comipress.com/article/2008/12/31/3733|publisher=Comipress|date=December 31, 2008|access-date=November 28, 2013|archive-url=https://archive.today/20120629000255/http://comipress.com/article/2008/12/31/3733|archive-date=June 29, 2012|url-status=live}}</ref> See {{Section link|Dragon Ball (manga)|Reception}} for worldwide sales breakdown.}}{{efn|In addition to tankōbon sales, ''Dragon Ball'' had a total estimated circulation of approximately 2.96{{nbsp}}billion copies in ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' magazine.{{efn|name=WSJ|See {{Section link|Weekly Shōnen Jump|Manga series}}.}}}} and is considered a key work in increasing manga circulation to its peak in the mid-1980s and mid-1990s. Overseas, ''Dragon Ball''{{'}}s anime adaptations have been more successful than the manga and similarly boosted anime's general popularity.

Beside his manga works, Toriyama acted as a character designer for several video games such as the ''[[Dragon Quest]]'' series, ''[[Chrono Trigger]]'', and ''[[Blue Dragon (video game)|Blue Dragon]]''.

In 2019, Toriyama was decorated a ''Chevalier'' of the French [[Ordre des Arts et des Lettres]] for his contributions to the arts. In October 2024, Toriyama was posthumously inducted into the [[Harvey Awards]] Hall of Fame.<ref name=NYTimes10.11.24>{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/11/arts/harvey-awards-hall-of-fame.html|author=[[Gustines, George Gene]]|title=Harvey Awards Inducts 5 Comic Creators to Hall of Fame|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|language=en-US|url-status=live|date=October 11, 2024|access-date=October 12, 2024|archive-date=October 12, 2024|archive-url=https://archive.today/20241012064817/https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/11/arts/harvey-awards-hall-of-fame.html}}</ref>

== Early life ==
Akira Toriyama was born in the town of [[Kiyosu (town)|Kiyosu]], [[Aichi Prefecture]], [[Japan]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://natalie.mu/comic/news/564176 |script-title=ja:鳥山明が急性硬膜下血腫で死去、68歳 |language=ja |work=[[Natalie (website)|Natalie]] |date=March 8, 2024 |access-date=March 12, 2024 |archive-date=March 8, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240308110839/https://natalie.mu/comic/news/564176 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last1=Yoon |first1=John |last2=Notoya |first2=Kiuko |date=March 8, 2024 |title=Akira Toriyama, Creator of 'Dragon Ball,' Dies at 68 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/08/arts/akira-toriyama-dead.html |access-date=March 9, 2024 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=March 9, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240309021221/https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/08/arts/akira-toriyama-dead.html |url-status=live }}</ref> He had a younger sister.<ref name="Slump11">{{cite book |last=Toriyama|first=Akira|title=Dr. Slump, Volume 11 |year=2009 |publisher=Viz Media|isbn=978-1-4215-0635-7|pages=48, 64, 80, 110}}</ref> Toriyama drew pictures since a young age, mainly of the animals and vehicles that he was fond of. He remembered being blown away after seeing ''[[One Hundred and One Dalmatians]]'' (1961), and said he was drawn deeper into the world of illustration by hoping to draw pictures that good.<ref name="creation">{{cite book |last=Toriyama |first=Akira |title=[[Akira Toriyama's Manga Theater]] |year=2021 |publisher=[[Viz Media]] |isbn=978-1-9747-2348-5 |pages=22, 38, 99, 145, 191, 228, 280, 302, 348, 374}}</ref> He was shocked again in elementary school when he saw the [[manga]] collection of a classmate's older brother, and again when he saw a television set for the first time at a neighbor's house.<ref name="creation"/> He cited [[Osamu Tezuka]]'s ''[[Astro Boy]]'' (1952–1968) as the original source for his interest in manga.<ref name="Pafu">{{cite magazine |title=Mangaka Who's Who - Akira Toriyama |magazine=Pafu |publisher=Zassōsha |date=September 1980}}</ref> Toriyama recalled that when he was in elementary school all of his classmates drew imitating [[anime]] and manga, as a result of not having many forms of entertainment.<ref name="MoviesSpecials">{{cite book |title=DRAGON BALL 大全集 6: MOVIES & TV SPECIALS |language=ja |year=1995 |publisher=[[Shueisha]] |pages=212–216 |isbn=4-08-782756-9}}</ref> He believed that he began to advance above everyone else when he started drawing pictures of his friends.<ref name="MoviesSpecials"/> Despite being engrossed with manga in elementary school, Toriyama said he took a break from it in middle school, probably because he became more interested in films and TV shows.<ref name="creation"/> When asked if he had any formative experiences with ''[[tokusatsu]]'' entertainment, Toriyama said he enjoyed the ''[[Ultraman (1966 TV series)|Ultraman]]'' TV show and ''[[Gamera]]'' series of ''[[kaiju]]'' films.<ref name="Starlog">{{cite magazine |title=Akira Toriyama Interview |magazine=[[Monthly Starlog]]|issue=11|year=1980|publisher=Tsurumoto Room}}</ref>

Toriyama said it was a "no-brainer" that he would attend a high school focused on creative design, but admitted he was more interested in having fun with friends.<ref name="creation"/> Although he still did not read much manga, he would draw one himself every once in a while. Despite his parents' strong opposition, Toriyama was confident about going into the work force upon graduation instead of continuing his education.<ref name="creation"/> He worked at an [[advertising agency]] in [[Nagoya]] designing posters for three years.<ref name="Slump11"/> Although Toriyama said he adapted to the job quickly, he admitted that he was often late because he was not a "morning person" and got reprimanded for dressing casually. Resenting the routine, he became sick of the environment and quit.<ref name="creation"/>

== Career ==
=== Early work and ''Dr. Slump'' (1978–1983) ===
[[File:Dr Slump (2981906771).jpg|thumb|upright|''[[Kanzenban]]'' edition of ''[[Dr. Slump]]'', published by [[Shueisha]]]]
After quitting his job at the age of 23 and asking his mother for money while unemployed, Toriyama entered the manga industry by submitting a work to an amateur contest in [[Kodansha]]'s ''[[Weekly Shōnen Magazine]]'', which he had randomly picked up in a coffee shop.<ref name="creation"/><ref name="ITpart2">{{Cite web|last=Konno|first=Daiichi|url=https://www.itmedia.co.jp/business/articles/1810/29/news002.html|title=『ジャンプ』伝説の編集長は『ドラゴンボール』をいかにして生み出したのか|work=ITmedia|language=Japanese|date=October 21, 2018|access-date=December 24, 2021|archive-date=May 5, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220505180743/https://www.itmedia.co.jp/business/articles/1810/29/news002.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The timing did not line up for that contest, but another manga magazine, ''[[Weekly Shōnen Jump]]'', accepted submissions for their Newcomer Award every month. [[Kazuhiko Torishima]], who would become his editor, read and enjoyed Toriyama's manga, but it was not eligible to compete because it was a parody of ''[[Star Wars]]'' instead of an original work. Torishima sent the artist a [[telegram]] and encouraged him to keep drawing and sending him manga.<ref name="ITpart2"/><ref name="SJ interview">{{cite magazine |title=none |magazine=[[Shonen Jump (magazine)|Shonen Jump]] |issue=1 |publisher=[[Viz Media]] |date=November 26, 2002}}</ref> This resulted in ''[[Wonder Island]]'', which became Toriyama's first published work when it appeared in ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' in 1978. It finished last place in the readers survey.<ref name="creation"/><ref name="ITpart2"/> Toriyama later said that he had planned to quit manga after getting paid, but because ''[[Wonder Island 2]]'' (1978) was also a "flop", his stubbornness would not let him and he continued to draw failed stories for a year; claiming around 500 pages' worth, including the published ''[[Today's Highlight Island]]'' (1979).<ref name="creation"/> He said he learned a lot during this year and even had some fun. When Torishima told him to draw a female lead character, Toriyama hesitantly created 1979's ''[[Tomato the Cutesy Gumshoe]]'', which had some success. Feeling encouraged, he decided to draw another female lead and created ''[[Dr. Slump]]''.<ref name="creation"/>

''Dr. Slump'', which was serialized in ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' from 1980 to 1984, was a huge success and made Toriyama a household name. It follows the adventures of a perverted professor and his small but super-strong robot [[Arale Norimaki|Arale]].<ref name="ANNJT">{{cite news|last=Thompson|first=Jason|author-link=Jason Thompson (writer)|url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/house-of-1000-manga/2011-03-10|title=Jason Thompson's House of 1000 Manga – Dragon Ball |publisher=[[Anime News Network]] |date=March 10, 2011|access-date=March 24, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160916075738/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/house-of-1000-manga/2011-03-10|archive-date=September 16, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> In 1981, ''Dr. Slump'' earned Toriyama the [[Shogakukan Manga Award]] for best ''[[shōnen manga|shōnen]]'' or [[shōjo manga|''shōjo'' manga]] series of the year.<ref name="ShogakukanAward">{{cite web|url=http://comics.shogakukan.co.jp/mangasho/rist.html |script-title=ja:小学館漫画賞: 歴代受賞者 |language=ja |publisher=[[Shogakukan]] |access-date=August 19, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929094941/http://comics.shogakukan.co.jp/mangasho/rist.html |archive-date=September 29, 2007 }}</ref> An anime adaptation began airing that same year, during the [[prime time]] Wednesday 19:00 slot on [[Fuji TV]]. Adaptations of Toriyama's work would occupy this time slot continuously for 18 years—through ''Dr. Slump''{{'}}s original run, ''Dragon Ball'' and its two sequels, and finally a rebooted ''Dr. Slump'' concluding in 1999. By 2008, the ''Dr. Slump'' manga had sold over 35 million copies in Japan.<ref>{{cite web|title=Top Manga Properties in 2008 – Rankings and Circulation Data|url=http://comipress.com/article/2008/12/31/3733|publisher=Comipress|date=December 31, 2008|access-date=March 29, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130630142029/http://comipress.com/article/2008/12/31/3733|archive-date=June 30, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref>

Although ''Dr. Slump'' was popular, Toriyama wanted to end the series within roughly six months of creating it, but publisher [[Shueisha]] would only allow him to do so if he agreed to start another serial for them shortly after.<ref name="Forbes">{{cite magazine |url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/olliebarder/2016/10/15/kazuhiko-torishima-on-shaping-the-success-of-dragon-ball-and-the-origins-of-dragon-quest/#1b1b1ac8d9ab |title=Kazuhiko Torishima On Shaping The Success Of 'Dragon Ball' And The Origins Of 'Dragon Quest' |magazine=[[Forbes]] |date=October 15, 2016 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161017001412/http://www.forbes.com/sites/olliebarder/2016/10/15/kazuhiko-torishima-on-shaping-the-success-of-dragon-ball-and-the-origins-of-dragon-quest/ |archive-date=October 17, 2016 }}</ref><ref name="Chozenshu">{{cite book |title=Dragon Ball 超全集 4: 超事典|trans-title=Chōzenshū 4: Super Encyclopedia|language=ja|publisher=[[Shueisha]]|year=2013|pages=346–349|isbn=978-4-08-782499-5}}</ref> So he worked with Torishima on several [[One-shot (comics)|one-shots]] for ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' and the monthly ''Fresh Jump''.<ref name="Shenlong2">{{cite journal |title=Shenlong Times 2 |journal=Dragon Ball 大全集 2: Story Guide [Dragon Ball Complete Works 2: Story Guide] |isbn=4-08-782752-6|publisher=[[Shueisha]] |year=1995| language=ja}}</ref> In 1981, Toriyama was one of ten artists selected to create a 45-page work for ''Weekly Shōnen Jump''{{'}}s Reader's Choice contest. His manga ''[[Pola & Roid]]'' took first place.<ref name="creation"/> Toriyama was selected to participate in the contest again in 1982 and submitted ''[[Mad Matic]]''.<ref name="creation"/> His one-shot ''[[Pink (1982 manga)|Pink]]'' was published in the December issue of ''Fresh Jump''.<ref name="theworld">{{cite magazine |title=鳥山明 THE WORLD アニメスペシャル |magazine=[[Weekly Shōnen Jump]] |language=ja |publisher=[[Shueisha]] |date=October 10, 1990 |pages=72, 74, 75, 82–86}}</ref> Selected to participate in ''Weekly Shōnen Jump''{{'}}s Reader's Choice contest for a third time, Toriyama had the bad luck of drawing the first slot and had to work over New Year's on 1983's ''[[Akira Toriyama's Manga Theater|Chobit]]''. Angry that it was unpopular, he decided to try again and created ''[[Chobit 2]]'' (1983).<ref name="creation"/>

An official Toriyama fan club, {{nihongo|Akira Toriyama Hozonkai|鳥山明保存会||"Akira Toriyama Preservation Society"}}, was established in 1982. Its newsletters were called ''Bird Land Press'' and were sent to members until the club closed in 1987.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://dragonball.news/news/20190528_wx.html |script-title=ja:[鳥山明ほぼ全仕事] 平日更新24時間限定公開！ 2019/05/28 |work=Dragon Ball Official Site |publisher=[[Shueisha]] |language=ja |date=May 28, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190528143658/https://dragonball.news/news/20190528_wx.html |archive-date=May 28, 2019 |url-status=dead |access-date=May 29, 2019 }}</ref> Toriyama founded Bird Studio in the early 1980s,<ref name="studio">{{cite web|last=Ashcraft|first=Brian|url=http://kotaku.com/dragon-ball-is-made-in-a-very-orange-building-1609446227|title=Dragon Ball Is Made in a Very Orange Building|work=[[Kotaku]]|date=July 23, 2014|access-date=October 14, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160824151427/http://kotaku.com/dragon-ball-is-made-in-a-very-orange-building-1609446227|archive-date=August 24, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> which is a play on his name; {{nihongo|"tori"|鳥}} meaning "bird". He began employing an assistant, mostly to work on backgrounds.

=== ''Dragon Ball'' and international success (1983–1997) ===
[[File:Dragon Ball manga 1st Japanese edition logo.svg|thumb|left|''[[Dragon Ball]]'' logo]]

Torishima suggested that, as Toriyama enjoyed [[kung fu films]], he should create a kung fu ''shōnen'' manga.<ref name="Story">{{Cite book |title=Dragon Ball 大全集 2: Story Guide [Dragon Ball Complete Works 2: Story Guide] |publisher=[[Shueisha]] |year=1995 |isbn=4-08-782752-6 |pages=261–265 |language=ja |trans-title=Dragon Ball Complete Works 2: Story Guide}}</ref> This led to the two-part ''[[Dragon Boy (manga)|Dragon Boy]]'', published in the August and October 1983 issues of ''Fresh Jump''.<ref name="theworld"/> It follows a boy, adept at martial arts, who escorts a princess on a journey back to her home country. ''Dragon Boy'' was well-received and evolved to become the serial ''[[Dragon Ball (manga)|Dragon Ball]]'' in 1984.<ref name="Forbes"/><ref name="AnimeEncyc">{{cite book |last1=Clements |first1=Jonathan |author-link1=Jonathan Clements |last2=McCarthy |first2=Helen |author-link2=Helen McCarthy |title=The Anime Encyclopedia: A Guide to Japanese Animation Since 1917 |date=September 1, 2001 |publisher=[[Stone Bridge Press]] |location=Berkeley, California |isbn=1-880656-64-7 |oclc=47255331 |pages=101–102 |edition=1st}}</ref> But before that, ''[[The Adventure of Tongpoo]]'' was published in ''Weekly Shōnen Jump''{{'}}s 52nd issue of 1983 and also contained elements that would be included in ''Dragon Ball''.<ref name="theworld"/>

Serialized in ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' from 1984 to 1995 and having sold 159.5{{nbsp}}million ''[[tankōbon]]'' copies in Japan alone,<ref name="jump2014">{{cite web|url=http://adnavi.shueisha.co.jp/mediaguide/2014/pdf/boys.pdf |title=Shueisha Media Guide 2014: Boy's & Men's Comic Magazines |publisher=[[Shueisha]] |access-date=April 20, 2015 |page=2 |language=ja |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150721170746/http://adnavi.shueisha.co.jp/mediaguide/2014/pdf/boys.pdf |archive-date=July 21, 2015}}</ref> ''Dragon Ball'' is one of the [[List of best-selling manga|best-selling manga series]] of all time.<ref name="Shueishabest">{{cite web |title=Top 10 Shonen Jump Manga by All-Time Volume Sales |url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2012-10-23/top-10-shonen-jump-manga-by-all-time-volume-sales |publisher=[[Anime News Network]] |date=October 23, 2012 |access-date=November 17, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161008192850/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2012-10-23/top-10-shonen-jump-manga-by-all-time-volume-sales |archive-date=October 8, 2016 |url-status=live  }}</ref> It began as an adventure/gag manga but later turned into a martial arts fighting series, considered by many to be the "most influential ''shōnen'' manga".<ref name="ANNJT"/> ''Dragon Ball'' was one of the main reasons for the magazine's circulation hitting a record high of 6.53 million copies (1995).<ref name="IbarakiInterview">{{cite web |url=http://comipress.com/article/2008/03/31/3452 |title=The Reminiscence of My 25 Years with Shonen Jump |last=Ibaraki |first=Masahiko |translator=Ohara, T. |publisher=ComiPress |date=March 31, 2008 |access-date=November 15, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150912001524/http://comipress.com/article/2008/03/31/3452 |archive-date=September 12, 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://comipress.com/article/2007/05/06/1923 |title=The Rise and Fall of Weekly Shonen Jump: A Look at the Circulation of Weekly Jump |publisher=ComiPress |date=May 8, 2007 |access-date=November 15, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120213050220/http://comipress.com/article/2007/05/06/1923 |archive-date=February 13, 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref> At the series' end, Toriyama said that he asked everyone involved to let him end the manga, so he could "take some new steps in life".<ref>{{cite book |last=Toriyama|first=Akira|title=Dragon Ball, Volume 42 |year=1995 |publisher=[[Shueisha]]|isbn=978-4-08-851090-3}}</ref> During that near-11-year period, he produced 519 chapters that were collected into 42 volumes. Moreover, the success of the manga led to five anime adaptations, [[List of Dragon Ball films|several animated films]], [[List of Dragon Ball video games|numerous video games]], and mega-merchandise. Aside from its popularity in Japan, ''Dragon Ball'' was successful internationally as well, including Asia, Europe, and the Americas, with 300–350{{nbsp}}million copies of the manga sold worldwide.

While Toriyama was serializing ''Dragon Ball'' weekly, he continued to create the occasional one-shot manga. In 1986, ''[[Mr. Ho]]'' was published in the 49th issue of ''Weekly Shōnen Jump''.<ref name="theworld"/> The following year saw publication of ''[[Young Master Ken'nosuke]]'', which had a Japanese ''[[jidaigeki]]'' setting.<ref name="theworld"/> Toriyama published two ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' one-shots in 1988; ''[[The Elder (manga)|The Elder]]'' and ''[[Little Mamejiro]]''.<ref name="theworld"/> ''[[Karamaru and the Perfect Day]]'' followed in issue #13 of 1989.<ref name="theworld"/>

Also during ''Dragon Ball''{{'}}s serialization, Torishima recruited him to work as character designer for the 1986 [[role-playing video game|role-playing]] video game ''[[Dragon Quest (video game)|Dragon Quest]]''. The artist admitted he was pulled into it without even knowing what an RPG was and that it made his already busy schedule even more hectic, but he was happy to have been a part after enjoying the finished game.<ref name="Chozenshu"/> Toriyama continued to work on every installment in the [[Dragon Quest|''Dragon Quest'' series]] until his death. He also served as the character designer for the [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System|Super Famicom]] RPG ''[[Chrono Trigger]]'' (1995) and for the [[fighting game|fighting]] games ''[[Tobal No. 1]]'' (1996) and ''[[Tobal 2]]'' (1997) for the [[PlayStation (console)|PlayStation]].<ref name="IGN">{{cite news|title=74. Akira Toriyama|url=http://www.ign.com/top/game-creators/74.html|work=[[IGN]]|access-date=March 26, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150616092517/http://www.ign.com/top/game-creators/74.html |archive-date=June 16, 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref>

The September 23, 1988, festival film ''Kosuke & Rikimaru: The Dragon of Konpei Island'' marked the first time Toriyama made substantial contributions to an animation. He came up with the original story idea, co-wrote the screenplay with its director [[Toyoo Ashida]], and designed the characters.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.jcstaff.co.jp/sakuhin/nenpyo/1988/04_kosukesama/kosukesama.htm|title=小助さま 力丸さま コンペイ島の竜|work=[[J.C.Staff]]|language=Japanese|access-date=July 15, 2022|archive-date=April 2, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230402122926/http://www.jcstaff.co.jp/sakuhin/nenpyo/1988/04_kosukesama/kosukesama.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> It was screened at the Jump Anime Carnival, which was held to commemorate the 20th anniversary of ''Weekly Shōnen Jump''.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Taniguchi|first=Riuichi|url=https://jp.ign.com/manga/73874/feature/|title=漫画・アニメ・ゲームすべてに新たな扉を開いた鳥山明、その大きすぎる功績を振り返る|work=[[IGN Japan]]|language=Japanese|date=2024-03-11|access-date=March 16, 2024}}</ref>

=== Short stories and other projects (1996–2011) ===
A third anime adaptation based on ''Dragon Ball'', entitled ''[[Dragon Ball GT]]'', began airing in 1996, though this was not based on Toriyama's manga directly. He was involved in some overarching elements, including the name of the series and designs for the main cast.<ref name="GTDragonBox">{{cite book |title=Dragon Ball GT Dragon Box: Dragon Book |publisher=[[Pony Canyon]]|year=2005|page=1|language=ja}}</ref> Toriyama continued drawing manga in this period, predominantly one-shots and short (100–200-page) pieces, including ''[[Cowa!]]'' (1997–1998), ''[[Kajika]]'' (1998), and ''[[Sand Land]]'' (2000). On December 6, 2002, Toriyama made his only promotional appearance in the United States at the launch of ''Weekly Shōnen Jump''{{'}}s North American counterpart, ''[[Shonen Jump (magazine)|Shonen Jump]]'', in New York City.<ref>{{cite web |title=Akira Toriyama To Appear at Shonen Jump Launch Party |url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2002-12-02/akira-toriyama-to-appear-at-shonen-jump-launch-party |publisher=[[Anime News Network]] |date=December 2, 2002 |access-date=March 24, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130510150117/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2002-12-02/akira-toriyama-to-appear-at-shonen-jump-launch-party |archive-date=May 10, 2013 |url-status=live  }}</ref> Toriyama's ''Dragon Ball'' and ''Sand Land'' were published in the magazine in the first issue, which also included an in-depth interview with him.<ref>{{cite web |title=Shonen Jump No. 1 Contents |url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2002-10-03/shonen-jump-no.1-contents |publisher=[[Anime News Network]] |date=October 3, 2002 |access-date=March 24, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130510232756/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2002-10-03/shonen-jump-no.1-contents |archive-date=May 10, 2013 |url-status=live  }}</ref> Toriyama also wrote a short [[self-parody]] of ''Dragon Ball'' entitled ''[[Neko Majin]]'', in the form of eight one-shots released sporadically from 1999 to 2005. The eight chapters were collected into a single volume and published in April 2005.<ref>{{cite web|script-title=ja:ネコマジン|url=http://books.shueisha.co.jp/CGI/search/syousai_put.cgi?isbn_cd=4-08-873825-X|publisher=[[Shueisha]]|language=ja|access-date=March 21, 2014|archive-date=November 4, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151104160750/http://books.shueisha.co.jp/CGI/search/syousai_put.cgi?isbn_cd=4-08-873825-X}}</ref>

On March 27, 2005, CQ Motors began selling an [[electric car]] designed by Toriyama.<ref name="car">{{cite web |title=Akira Toriyama Car |url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2005-01-31/akira-toriyama-car |publisher=[[Anime News Network]] |date=January 31, 2005 |access-date=November 17, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130925090345/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2005-01-31/akira-toriyama-car |archive-date=September 25, 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref> The one-person QVOLT is part of the company's [[Choro-Q]] series of small electric cars, with only 9 being produced. It cost 1,990,000 yen (about $19,000 US), has a top speed of {{convert|30|km/h|mph|abbr=on}} and was available in five colors.<ref name="car"/> Toriyama stated that the car took over a year to design, "but due to my genius mini-model construction skills, I finally arrived at the end of what was a very emotional journey."<ref name="car"/>

He worked on a 2006 one-shot called ''[[Cross Epoch (manga)|Cross Epoch]]'', in cooperation with ''[[One Piece]]'' creator [[Eiichiro Oda]]. The story is a short [[Intercompany crossover|crossover]] that presents characters from both ''Dragon Ball'' and ''One Piece''. Toriyama was the character designer and artist for the 2006 [[Mistwalker]] [[Xbox 360]] exclusive RPG ''[[Blue Dragon (video game)|Blue Dragon]]'', working with [[Hironobu Sakaguchi]] and [[Nobuo Uematsu]], both of whom he had previously worked with on ''Chrono Trigger''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Toriyama to work on Xbox 360 game |url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2005-05-17/toriyama-to-work-on-xbox-360-game |publisher=[[Anime News Network]] |date=May 17, 2005 |access-date=November 17, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131110052542/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2005-05-17/toriyama-to-work-on-xbox-360-game |archive-date=November 10, 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref> At the time, Toriyama felt the 2007 [[Blue Dragon (TV series)|''Blue Dragon'' anime]] might potentially be his final work in animation.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://kotaku.com/gaming/blue-dragon/blue-dragon-toriyamas-final-anime-247955.php|title=Blue Dragon, Toriyama's Final Anime?|author=Brian Ashcraft|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713170411/http://kotaku.com/gaming/blue-dragon/blue-dragon-toriyamas-final-anime-247955.php |archive-date=July 13, 2011|website=Kotaku|date=March 27, 2007}}</ref>

In 2008, he collaborated with [[Masakazu Katsura]], his good friend and creator of ''[[I"s]]'' and ''[[Zetman]]'', for the ''[[Jump Square|Jump SQ]]'' one-shot ''[[Sachie-chan Good!!]]''.<ref>{{cite web |title=DB's Toriyama, I's Katsura to Team Up on 1-Shot Manga |url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2008-02-05/dbs-toriyama-is-katsura-to-team-up-on-1-shot-manga |publisher=[[Anime News Network]] |date=February 5, 2008 |access-date=November 17, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121110125352/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2008-02-05/dbs-toriyama-is-katsura-to-team-up-on-1-shot-manga |archive-date=November 10, 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Bokurano's Kitoh to Draw One-Shot Manga in Jump Square |url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2008-03-03/bokurano-kitoh-to-draw-one-shot-manga-in-jump-square |publisher=[[Anime News Network]] |date=March 3, 2008 |access-date=November 17, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121110125020/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2008-03-03/bokurano-kitoh-to-draw-one-shot-manga-in-jump-square |archive-date=November 10, 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref> It was later published in North America in the free SJ Alpha Yearbook 2013, which was mailed out to annual subscribers of the digital manga magazine ''[[Shonen Jump Alpha]]'' in December 2012. The two worked together again in 2009, for the three-chapter one-shot ''[[Jiya (manga)|Jiya]]'' in ''[[Weekly Young Jump]]''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Dragon Ball's Toriyama, DNA²'s Katsura to Launch Jiya Manga |url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2009-12-01/db-toriyama-dna-2-katsura-to-launch-jiya-series |publisher=[[Anime News Network]] |date=December 1, 2009 |access-date=February 4, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121110125536/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2009-12-01/db-toriyama-dna-2-katsura-to-launch-jiya-series |archive-date=November 10, 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Toriyama was engaged by [[20th Century Fox]] as a creative consultant on ''[[Dragonball Evolution]]'', an American [[Live action|live-action]] film adaptation of ''Dragon Ball''.<ref>{{cite web |last=Schilling |first=Mark |author-link=Mark Schilling |title=20th Century Fox to roll with $100m Dragonball |url=https://www.screendaily.com/20th-century-fox-to-roll-with-100m-dragonball/408612.article |work=[[Screen Daily]] |date=March 12, 2002 |access-date=July 9, 2022 |archive-date=January 28, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230128143348/https://www.screendaily.com/20th-century-fox-to-roll-with-100m-dragonball/408612.article |url-status=live }}</ref> The film was released in 2009 and failed both critically and financially. Toriyama later stated in 2013 that he had felt the script did not "capture the world or the characteristics" of his series and was "bland" and not interesting, so he cautioned them and gave suggestions for changes. But the Hollywood producers did not heed his advice, "And just as I thought, the result was a movie I cannot call ''Dragon Ball''."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.asahi.com/culture/update/0329/TKY201303290330.html |script-title=ja:新作映画「原作者の意地」 鳥山明さん独占インタビュ |work=[[Asahi Shimbun]] | language=ja |date=March 30, 2013 | access-date=July 9, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130501075658/http://www.asahi.com/culture/update/0329/TKY201303290330.html | archive-date=May 1, 2013 | url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Ashcraft |first=Brian |url=http://kotaku.com/didnt-like-hollywoods-dragon-ball-movie-well-neithe-465066558|title=Didn't Like Hollywood's Dragon Ball Movie? Well, Neither Did Dragon Ball's Creator|work=[[Kotaku]]|date=April 2, 2013|access-date=July 9, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200903173357/https://kotaku.com/didnt-like-hollywoods-dragon-ball-movie-well-neithe-465066558|archive-date=September 3, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Avex Trax]] commissioned Toriyama to draw a portrait of pop singer [[Ayumi Hamasaki]], and it was printed on the CD of her 2009 single "[[Rule/Sparkle|Rule]]", which was used as the theme song to the film.<ref>{{cite web |title=Dragonball's Toriyama Sketches Ayumi Hamasaki as Goku |url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2009-02-03/dragonball-toriyama-sketches-ayumi-hamasaki-as-goku |publisher=[[Anime News Network]] |date=February 3, 2009 |access-date=November 17, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121020001407/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2009-02-03/dragonball-toriyama-sketches-ayumi-hamasaki-as-goku |archive-date=October 20, 2012 |url-status=live  }}</ref>

Toriyama drew a 2009 manga titled ''Delicious Island's Mr. U'' for [[Anjō, Aichi|Anjō]]'s Rural Society Project, a nonprofit [[environmental organization]] that teaches the importance of agriculture and nature to young children.<ref name="Delicious">{{cite news|url=http://ajw.asahi.com/article/cool_japan/culture/AJ201304130035|title='Dragon Ball' creator creates manga to raise environmental awareness|newspaper=[[Asahi Shimbun]]|date=April 13, 2013|access-date=June 28, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130524104742/http://ajw.asahi.com/article/cool_japan/culture/AJ201304130035|archive-date=May 24, 2013}}</ref> They originally asked him to do the illustrations for a pamphlet, but Toriyama liked the project and decided to expand it into a story. It is included in a booklet about [[environmental awareness]] that is distributed by the Anjō city government.<ref name="Delicious"/> As part of ''Weekly Shōnen Jump''{{'}}s "Top of the Super Legend" project, a series of six one-shots by famed ''Jump'' artists, Toriyama created ''Kintoki'' for its November 15, 2010, issue.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://natalie.mu/comic/news/40552 |script-title=ja:お待ちかね！鳥山明の新作「KINTOKI」がジャンプに掲載 |language=ja |publisher=[[Natalie (website)|Natalie]] |date=November 15, 2010 |access-date=January 8, 2020 |archive-date=August 29, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210829043800/https://natalie.mu/comic/news/40552 |url-status=live }}</ref> He collaborated with ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'' to create a video to raise awareness and support for those affected by the [[2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami]] on March 11, 2011.<ref>{{cite web |last=Warren |first=Emily |url=http://asiapacificarts.usc.edu/article@apa?manga_and_anime_industries_react_to_earthquake_crisis_16521.aspx |title=Manga and Anime industries react to earthquake crisis |publisher=Asia Pacific Arts |date=March 16, 2011 |access-date=March 28, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131103112550/http://asiapacificarts.usc.edu/article@apa?manga_and_anime_industries_react_to_earthquake_crisis_16521.aspx |archive-date=November 3, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

=== Return to ''Dragon Ball'' (2012–2024) ===
In 2012, ''[[Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods]]'' was announced to be in development, with Toriyama involved in its creation. The film marked the series' first theatrical film in 17 years, and the first time Toriyama had been involved in one as early as the screenwriting stages.<ref>{{cite web |title=2013 Dragon Ball Z Film's Full Teaser & English Site Posted |url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2012-08-07/2013-dragon-ball-z-film-full-teaser-and-english-site-posted |publisher=[[Anime News Network]] |date=August 7, 2012 |access-date=November 17, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121118153826/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2012-08-07/2013-dragon-ball-z-film-full-teaser-and-english-site-posted |archive-date=November 18, 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref> The film opened on March 30, 2013. A special "[[double feature|dual ticket]]" that could be used to see both ''Battle of Gods'' and ''[[One Piece Film: Z]]'' was created with new art by both Toriyama and Eiichiro Oda.<ref>{{cite web |title=One Piece/Dragon Ball Z Ticket Set Illustrated by Creators |url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2012-11-14/one-piece/dragon-ball-z-ticket-set-illustrated-by-creators |publisher=[[Anime News Network]] |date=November 14, 2012 |access-date=November 17, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121119040131/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2012-11-14/one-piece/dragon-ball-z-ticket-set-illustrated-by-creators |archive-date=November 19, 2012 |url-status=live  }}</ref>

On March 27, 2013, the "Akira Toriyama: The World of ''Dragon Ball''" exhibit opened at the [[Takashimaya]] department store in [[Nihonbashi]], garnering 72,000 visitors in its first nineteen days. The exhibit was separated into seven areas. The first provided a look at the series' history, the second showed the 400-plus characters from the series, the third displayed Toriyama's manga [[manuscript]]s from memorable scenes, the fourth showed special color illustrations, the fifth displayed rare ''Dragon Ball''-related materials, the sixth included design sketches and animation [[cel]]s from the anime, and the seventh screened ''Dragon Ball''-related videos.<ref name="exhibit"/> It was there until April 15, when it moved to Osaka from April 17 to 23, and ended in Toriyama's native Nagoya from July 27 to September 1.<ref name="exhibit">{{cite news|url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2013-03-02/world-of-dragon-ball-exhibit-to-open-in-japan-in-march|title='World of Dragon Ball' Exhibit to Open in Japan in March |publisher=[[Anime News Network]] |date=January 21, 2013|access-date=March 2, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924161615/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2013-03-02/world-of-dragon-ball-exhibit-to-open-in-japan-in-march|archive-date=September 24, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://ajw.asahi.com/article/cool_japan/anime_news/AJ201304270032 |title=ANIME NEWS: Latest 'Dragon Ball Z' film nabs 2 million viewers in 23 days |newspaper=[[Asahi Shimbun]] |date=April 27, 2013 |access-date=October 12, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303223549/http://ajw.asahi.com/article/cool_japan/anime_news/AJ201304270032 |archive-date=March 3, 2016 }}</ref>

To celebrate the 45th anniversary of ''Weekly Shōnen Jump'', Toriyama launched a new manga series in its July 13, 2013, issue titled ''[[Jaco the Galactic Patrolman]]''.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2013-06-26/dragon-ball-toriyama-to-launch-ginga-patrol-jako-manga|title=Dragon Ball's Toriyama to Launch Ginga Patrol Jako Manga |publisher=[[Anime News Network]] |date=June 26, 2013|access-date=June 26, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130629005153/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2013-06-26/dragon-ball-toriyama-to-launch-ginga-patrol-jako-manga|archive-date=June 29, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Viz Media]] began serializing it in English in their digital ''Weekly Shonen Jump'' magazine, beginning just two days later.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2013-07-01/viz-weekly-shonen-jump-adds-new-akira-toriyama-series|title=Viz's Weekly Shonen Jump Adds New Akira Toriyama Series |publisher=[[Anime News Network]] |date=July 1, 2013|access-date=July 1, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130704062231/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2013-07-01/viz-weekly-shonen-jump-adds-new-akira-toriyama-series|archive-date=July 4, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> The final chapter reveals that the story is set before the events of ''Dragon Ball'' and features some of its characters. It would become the final manga that Toriyama wrote and illustrated himself.

The follow-up film to ''Battle of Gods'', ''[[Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection 'F'|Resurrection 'F']]'', released on April 18, 2015, features even more contributions from Toriyama, who personally wrote its original script.<ref>{{cite news|last=Nelkin|first=Sarah|title=1st Key Visual For 2015 Dragon Ball Z Film Reveals Frieza|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2014-11-17/1st-key-visual-for-2015-dragon-ball-z-film-reveals-frieza/.81112 |publisher=[[Anime News Network]] |date=November 17, 2014|access-date=December 2, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141118002540/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2014-11-17/1st-key-visual-for-2015-dragon-ball-z-film-reveals-frieza/.81112|archive-date=November 18, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> Toriyama provided the basic story outline and some character designs for ''[[Dragon Ball Super]]'', which began serialization in ''[[V Jump]]'' in June 2015 with an anime counterpart following in July. Although the anime ended in 2018, he continued to provide story ideas for the manga while [[Toyotarou]] illustrated it.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://dragonball.news/news/k191127000.html|title=『ドラゴンボール超』11巻発売記念！とよたろう先生直撃インタビュー&仕事場を大公開‼|language=ja|date=December 3, 2019|work=Dragon Ball Official Site|access-date=January 10, 2020|archive-date=December 8, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191208003500/https://dragonball.news/news/k191127000.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> ''[[Dragon Ball Super: Broly]]'', released in theaters on December 14, 2018, and ''[[Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero]]'', released on June 11, 2022, continued Toriyama's deep involvement with the films, the latter being his final complete work on the Dragon Ball franchise.<ref>{{cite news|last=Ressler|first=Karen|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2018-11-07/dragon-ball-super-broly-film-final-trailer-streamed/.139202|title=Dragon Ball Super: Broly Film's Final Trailer Streamed|date=November 7, 2018 |publisher=[[Anime News Network]] |access-date=May 2, 2019|archive-date=January 20, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190120110203/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2018-11-07/dragon-ball-super-broly-film-final-trailer-streamed/.139202|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Harrison|first=Will|url=https://www.polygon.com/22590739/dragon-ball-super-super-hero-character-art-sdcc-2021-panel-recap|title=Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero character concepts revealed at SDCC 2021|date=July 23, 2021|work=[[Polygon (website)|Polygon]]|access-date=May 8, 2022|archive-date=November 2, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211102140911/https://www.polygon.com/22590739/dragon-ball-super-super-hero-character-art-sdcc-2021-panel-recap|url-status=live}}</ref>

In January 2024, a logo Toriyama designed to celebrate the 20th anniversary of his hometown of [[Kiyosu]] was unveiled.<ref>{{cite web|title=清須市制２０周年ロゴ 漫画家の鳥山明さん考案 代表作はドラゴンボール|url=https://www.yomiuri.co.jp/local/aichi/news/20240127-OYTNT50299/|website=[[Yomiuri Shimbun]]|language=Japanese|date=January 28, 2024|access-date=March 9, 2024|archive-date=March 8, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240308110523/https://www.yomiuri.co.jp/local/aichi/news/20240127-OYTNT50299/|url-status=live}}</ref> Toriyama created a new story arc for the 2024 [[original net animation]] adaptation of his manga ''[[Sand Land]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Sand Land: The Series Anime Reveals March 20 Premiere, Cast for New Arc|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2024-03-04/sand-land-the-series-anime-reveals-march-20-premiere-cast-for-new-arc/.208285 |publisher=[[Anime News Network]] |date=March 4, 2024|access-date=March 9, 2024|archive-date=March 8, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240308002759/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2024-03-04/sand-land-the-series-anime-reveals-march-20-premiere-cast-for-new-arc/.208285|url-status=live}}</ref> He also created the story and character designs for the upcoming ''[[Dragon Ball Daima]]'' anime series.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Dragon Ball Daima Anime Series Reveals Staff|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2023-11-20/dragon-ball-daima-anime-series-reveals-staff/.204667 |publisher=[[Anime News Network]] |date=November 20, 2023|access-date=March 9, 2024|archive-date=February 8, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240208115139/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2023-11-20/dragon-ball-daima-anime-series-reveals-staff/.204667|url-status=live}}</ref> Toriyama's final contribution to ''Dragon Ball'' was directing Toyotarou to redraw the end of chapter 103 of ''Dragon Ball Super'', so that a departing [[Piccolo (Dragon Ball)|Piccolo]] appears to wave back at the reader. A short tribute was included at the bottom of the page when it was published on March 28, 2024.<ref>{{cite web |author1=Will Salmon |title=Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama's last contribution to the manga was a drawing of Piccolo waving goodbye, and fans couldn't have asked for a better send-off |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/dragon-ball-creator-akira-toriyamas-last-contribution-to-the-manga-was-a-drawing-of-piccolo-waving-goodbye-and-fans-couldnt-have-asked-for-a-better-send-off/ |website=gamesradar |language=en |date=28 March 2024}}</ref>

On October 11, 2024, the [[Harvey Awards]] announced<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.firstcomicsnews.com/the-harvey-awards-hall-of-fame-announces-inductees-for-2024/|title=The Harvey Awards Hall of Fame Announces Inductees for 2024 |publisher=First Comics News|language=en-US|url-status=live|date=October 11, 2024|access-date=October 12, 2024|archive-date=October 12, 2024|archive-url=https://archive.today/20241012135449/https://www.firstcomicsnews.com/the-harvey-awards-hall-of-fame-announces-inductees-for-2024/}}</ref> that Toriyama was one of five comics creators to be inducted into the Harvey Awards Hall of Fame at the 36th annual Harvey Awards ceremony on October 18 at the [[New York Comic Con]].<ref name=NYTimes10.11.24/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://comicbookclublive.com/2024/10/12/harvey-awards-hall-of-fame-2024-inductees/|author=Zalben, Alex|title=Harvey Awards Announce Hall Of Fame Inductees: Larry Hama, John Buscema, More|publisher=Comic Book Club|language=en-US|url-status=live|date=October 12, 2024|access-date=October 12, 2024|archive-date=October 12, 2024|archive-url=https://archive.today/20241012135136/https://comicbookclublive.com/2024/10/12/harvey-awards-hall-of-fame-2024-inductees/}}</ref> Acknowledging the accolade for Toriyama, Bird Studio Co., Ltd. and Capsule Corporation Tokyo issued a statement saying, "We are very honored to receive the news that Akira Toriyama has been selected for the prestigious Harvey Award Hall of Fame. As a creator, he had always said that his work says it all. We are especially grateful to the American fans for their long-standing enthusiasm and dedicated support. We hope you will continue to support his work for many years to come as we continue to develop and expand upon his masterpieces."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.comicsbeat.com/nycc-2024-harvey-award-hall-of-fame/|author=[[MacDonald, Heidi]]|title=NYCC '24: Five inducted into the 2024 Harvey Award Hall of Fame|publisher=[[Comics Beat]]|language=en-US|url-status=live|date=October 11, 2024|access-date=October 12, 2024|archive-date=October 12, 2024|archive-url=https://archive.today/20241012134508/https://www.comicsbeat.com/nycc-2024-harvey-award-hall-of-fame/}}</ref>

== Personal life and death ==
Toriyama married Yoshimi Katō on May 2, 1982.<ref>{{cite magazine |script-title=ja:「5億円」プラス「お嫁さん」—「アラレちゃん」鳥山明の結婚式 |magazine=FOCUS |issue=19 |language=ja |publisher=[[Shinchosha]] |page=18 |date=May 14, 1982}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Toriyama |first=Akira |title=Dr. Slump, Volume 18 |year=2009 |publisher=[[Viz Media]] |page=178 |isbn=978-1-4215-2000-1}}</ref> She is a former manga artist from Nagoya under the pen name Nachi Mikami,<ref name="Special">{{cite magazine |title=ドラゴンボール 冒険SPECIAL |magazine=[[Weekly Shōnen Jump]] |language=ja |publisher=[[Shueisha]] |date=December 1, 1987}}</ref> and occasionally helped Toriyama and his assistant on ''Dr. Slump'' when they were short on time.<ref>{{cite book |last=Toriyama |first=Akira |title=Dr. Slump, Volume 13 |year=2007 |publisher=[[Viz Media]] |page=5 |isbn=978-1-4215-1057-6}}</ref> They had two children: a son named Sasuke (born 1987)<ref>{{cite magazine |magazine=[[Weekly Shōnen Jump]] |issue=20 |title=Akira Toriyama |language=ja |publisher=[[Shueisha]] |date=April 27, 1987 }}</ref> and a daughter named Kikka (born 1990).<ref>{{cite book |last=Toriyama|first=Akira|title=Dragon Ball Z, Volume 8 |year=2003 |publisher=[[Viz Media]]|page=1|isbn=978-1-56931-937-6}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Nightingale |first=Ed |date=March 8, 2024 |title=Tributes shared as Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama passes away |url=https://www.eurogamer.net/tributes-shared-as-dragon-ball-creator-akira-toriyama-passes-away |access-date=March 9, 2024 |work=Eurogamer.net |language=en |archive-date=March 8, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240308195649/https://www.eurogamer.net/tributes-shared-as-dragon-ball-creator-akira-toriyama-passes-away |url-status=live }}</ref> Toriyama lived in his home studio in [[Kiyosu]].<ref name="studio"/><ref>{{cite web|last=Kawase|first=Shinichiro|title=鳥山明さん死去 「愛知の星です」バード・スタジオ前に訪れたファン|url=https://mainichi.jp/articles/20240308/k00/00m/040/104000c|website=[[Mainichi Shimbun]]|language=Japanese|date=March 8, 2024|access-date=March 9, 2024|archive-date=March 8, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240308050945/https://mainichi.jp/articles/20240308/k00/00m/040/104000c|url-status=live}}</ref> He was a well-known [[recluse]], who avoided appearing in public or media.<ref name="recluse">{{cite web|last=Loveridge|first=Lynzee|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2019-05-31/dragonball-creator-akira-toriyama-knighted-by-france/.147351|title=Dragonball Creator Akira Toriyama Knighted by France|date=May 31, 2019 |publisher=[[Anime News Network]] |access-date=May 31, 2019|archive-date=September 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200903173513/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2019-05-31/dragonball-creator-akira-toriyama-knighted-by-france/.147351|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="DQdesigns">{{cite web|last=Chapman|first=Paul|url=https://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2016/12/30-1/akira-toriyama-dishes-on-designing-characters-for-dragon-quest|title=Akira Toriyama Dishes on Designing Characters for "Dragon Quest"|date=December 30, 2016|work=[[Crunchyroll]]|access-date=May 31, 2019|archive-date=May 31, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190531232300/https://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2016/12/30-1/akira-toriyama-dishes-on-designing-characters-for-dragon-quest|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www2.mdr.de/leipzig-liest/kinder-und-jugend/1199467-hintergrund-1295078.html|title=Manga wieder ganz groß auf der Buchmesse|work=[[Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk]]|language=de|date=March 28, 2004|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040701235139/http://www2.mdr.de/leipzig-liest/kinder-und-jugend/1199467-hintergrund-1295078.html|archive-date=July 1, 2004|url-status=dead|access-date=May 31, 2019 }}</ref> In an extension to his shyness, Toriyama had used an avatar called "Tori-Bot" since 1980 to represent himself in manga and interviews.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Padula |first1=Derek |title=Tori-bot's Real Name Discovered |url=https://thedaoofdragonball.com/blog/history/tori-bot-real-name-discovered/ |website=The Dao of Dragon Ball |date=January 22, 2016 |access-date=January 12, 2024 |archive-date=January 12, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240112072635/https://thedaoofdragonball.com/blog/history/tori-bot-real-name-discovered/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Toriyama had a love of cars and motorcycles, something he inherited from his father who used to race motorbikes and operated an auto repair business for a brief time, although he did not understand the mechanics himself.<ref name="Slump14">{{cite book |last=Toriyama|first=Akira|title=Dr. Slump, Volume 14 |year=2008 |publisher=[[Viz Media]]|pages=18, 62, 145|isbn=978-1-4215-1058-3}}</ref> He was an animal lover, and had kept birds, dogs, cats, fish, lizards, and bugs as pets since childhood.<ref name="Slump14"/> Some were used as models for characters he created such as [[Karin (Dragon Ball)|Karin]] and [[Beerus]]. Toriyama had a lifelong passion for [[plastic model]]s,<ref name="Slump14"/> and designed several for the Fine Molds brand. He also collected autographs of famous manga artists, having over 30 including [[Yudetamago]] and [[Hisashi Eguchi]], a hobby he gave to the character [[Peasuke Soramame]].<ref name="Slump11"/><ref>{{cite book |last=Toriyama|first=Akira|title=Dr. Slump, Volume 2 |year=2005 |publisher=[[Viz Media]]|page=133|isbn=978-1-59116-951-2}}</ref>

=== Death ===
On March 1, 2024, Toriyama died of an acute [[subdural hematoma]], at the age of 68. A funeral was held privately with only his family in attendance.<ref>{{cite web |last=Fan |first=Wang |date=March 8, 2024 |title=Dragon Ball: Japan manga creator Akira Toriyama dies |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-68444060 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240308041934/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-68444060 |archive-date=March 8, 2024 |access-date=March 8, 2024 |website=[[BBC News]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Speed |first1=Jessica |date=March 8, 2024 |title=Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama dies at 68 |url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2024/03/08/japan/dragon-ball-akira-toriyama-dies/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240308053328/https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2024/03/08/japan/dragon-ball-akira-toriyama-dies/ |archive-date=March 8, 2024 |access-date=March 8, 2024 |website=[[The Japan Times]] |language=en}}</ref> His death was announced by his production company Bird Studio one week later on March 8.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Sun |first=Michael |date=March 8, 2024 |title=Akira Toriyama, creator of Dragon Ball manga series, dies aged 68 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2024/mar/08/akira-toriyama-dragon-ball-creator-manga-series-dies-aged-68 |access-date=March 8, 2024 |work=[[The Guardian]] |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077 |archive-date=March 8, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240308054714/https://www.theguardian.com/books/2024/mar/08/akira-toriyama-dragon-ball-creator-manga-series-dies-aged-68 |url-status=live }}</ref> According to sources close to Toriyama, he had planned to undergo surgery for a [[brain tumor]] in February 2024.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.sponichi.co.jp/entertainment/news/2024/03/08/kiji/20240308s00041000269000c.html |title=鳥山明さん 命を奪った急性硬膜下血腫とは ほとんどが頭部外傷によるもので死亡率は60％ |website=[[Sports Nippon]] |date=March 8, 2024 |access-date=March 8, 2024 |language=Japanese |archive-date=March 8, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240308045109/https://www.sponichi.co.jp/entertainment/news/2024/03/08/kiji/20240308s00041000269000c.html |url-status=live}}</ref> The news of his death caused an outpouring of grief among admirers of his works, who took to social media to express their condolences and celebrate his legacy.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Akira Toriyama dies: Dragon Ball fans grieve loss of the anime, manga creator |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/anime/akira-toriyama-dies-dragon-ball-fans-grieve-loss-of-anime-manga-creator-you-made-my-childhood-101709876032571.html |date=March 8, 2024 |access-date=March 8, 2024 |work=[[Hindustan Times]] |archive-date=March 8, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240308062236/https://www.hindustantimes.com/entertainment/anime/akira-toriyama-dies-dragon-ball-fans-grieve-loss-of-anime-manga-creator-you-made-my-childhood-101709876032571.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Walrath-Holdridge |first1=Mary |title=Fans, social media pay tribute to 'Dragon Ball' creator Akira Toriyama following death |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/2024/03/08/akira-toriyama-death-dragon-ball-fans-social-media/72895353007/ |website=[[USA Today]] |access-date=March 9, 2024 |archive-date=March 9, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240309173117/https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/2024/03/08/akira-toriyama-death-dragon-ball-fans-social-media/72895353007/ |url-status=live }}</ref> On [[Twitter]], the [[Twitter trends|trending topics]] of Akira Toriyama and ''Dragon Ball'' surpassed United States President [[Joe Biden]]'s [[2024 State of the Union Address|State of the Union address]], which was held at the same time the news of Toriyama's death was announced.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://newsdig.tbs.co.jp/articles/-/1044062?display=1 |title=全米SNS上でも鳥山明さん訃報にコメント相次ぐ 一時、Xトレンドランキングで鳥山明さんと「ドラゴンボール」が1位と4位に |language=Japanese |publisher=[[TBS News]] |date=March 8, 2024 |access-date=March 11, 2024 |archive-date=March 10, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240310012759/https://newsdig.tbs.co.jp/articles/-/1044062?display=1 |url-status=live }}</ref> Tributes to the artist were given by ''[[One Piece]]'' creator [[Eiichiro Oda]], ''[[Naruto]]'' creator [[Masashi Kishimoto]], ''[[Bleach (manga)|Bleach]]'' creator [[Tite Kubo]], ''[[My Hero Academia]]'' creator [[Kōhei Horikoshi]], ''[[Yu Yu Hakusho]] ''and ''[[Hunter × Hunter]]'' creator [[Yoshihiro Togashi]], ''[[Video Girl Ai]]'' creator [[Masakazu Katsura]], and video game designer [[Yuji Horii]], who worked with Toriyama on ''[[Dragon Quest]]'' and ''[[Chrono Trigger]]''.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Harding |first1=Daryl |title=Dragon Ball Creator Akira Toriyama Passes Away at Age 68 |url=https://www.crunchyroll.com/news/latest/2024/3/8/dragon-ball-creator-akira-toriyama-passes-away-age-68 |website=Crunchyroll |access-date=March 9, 2024 |archive-date=March 8, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240308130909/https://www.crunchyroll.com/news/latest/2024/3/8/dragon-ball-creator-akira-toriyama-passes-away-age-68 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Egan |first1=Toussaint |title=Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama dies at 68 |url=https://www.polygon.com/24094335/dragon-ball-creator-akira-toriyama-obtiturary |website=Polygon |access-date=13 March 2024 |date=8 March 2024 |archive-date=March 9, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240309215823/https://www.polygon.com/24094335/dragon-ball-creator-akira-toriyama-obtiturary |url-status=live }}</ref> In Tokyo, fans publicly mourned while visiting a life-sized statue of ''Dragon Ball'' protagonist [[Goku]] located outside the headquarters of toy manufacturer [[Bandai]].<ref>{{cite web|title=孫悟空の像と悲しみの記念撮影 外国人観光客も鳥山明さんしのぶ|url=https://mainichi.jp/articles/20240309/k00/00m/040/030000c|website=[[Mainichi Shimbun]]|language=Japanese|date=March 9, 2024|access-date=March 9, 2024|archive-date=March 9, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240309020802/https://mainichi.jp/articles/20240309/k00/00m/040/030000c|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=【追悼の声】漫画家 鳥山明さん死去 68歳 「DRAGON BALL」など|url=https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20240308/k10014383361000.html|website=[[NHK]]|language=Japanese|date=March 9, 2024|access-date=March 9, 2024|archive-date=March 8, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240308155621/https://www3.nhk.or.jp/news/html/20240308/k10014383361000.html|url-status=live}}</ref> Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary [[Yoshimasa Hayashi]] credited Toriyama and his work with playing an "extremely important role in demonstrating Japan's [[soft power]]" around the world.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Takenaka |first1=Kiyoshi |date=March 8, 2024 |title='Dragon Ball' creator Akira Toriyama dies at 68 |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/dragon-ball-creator-akira-toriyama-dies-68-2024-03-08/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240310104708/https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/dragon-ball-creator-akira-toriyama-dies-68-2024-03-08/ |archive-date=March 10, 2024 |access-date=March 9, 2024 |website=[[Reuters]]}}</ref>

French President [[Emmanuel Macron]] shared a photo of an autographed illustration Toriyama gave him as a gift and paid tribute to him and his fans on social media.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Romney |first1=Stephen |title=Entertainment, world leaders mourn Akira Toriyama |url=https://www.fox13now.com/entertainment/entertainment-world-leaders-mourn-akira-toriyama |website=FOX 13 News Utah (KSTU) |access-date=March 9, 2024 |language=en |date=March 9, 2024 |archive-date=March 10, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240310104606/https://www.fox13now.com/entertainment/entertainment-world-leaders-mourn-akira-toriyama |url-status=live }}</ref> French Prime Minister [[Gabriel Attal]] also paid tribute and lamented that not even "the [Dragon Balls] and [[Shenron]]" could revive him.<ref>{{cite web |title=French leaders pay tribute to 'Dragon Ball' artist on social media |url=https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20240309_07/ |website=NHK WORLD |language=en |access-date=March 9, 2024 |archive-date=March 10, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240310104624/https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20240309_07/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The foreign ministries of China and El Salvador issued statements of condolences over Toriyama's death.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Valentine|first1=Evan|title=Dragon Ball: China Mourns Akira Toriyama in Official Government Statement |url=https://comicbook.com/anime/news/dragon-ball-china-official-statement-akira-toriyama-statement/ |access-date=March 9, 2024 |work=Comicbook.com |date=March 8, 2024 |language=en |archive-date=March 9, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240309000340/https://comicbook.com/anime/news/dragon-ball-china-official-statement-akira-toriyama-statement/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=El Salvador Lamenta Muerte De Creador De "Dragon Ball", Cómic Favorito De Bukele |url=https://www.barrons.com/articles/el-salvador-lamenta-muerte-de-creador-de-dragon-ball-comic-favorito-de-bukele-73aa568b |access-date=March 9, 2024 |work=Barrons |date=March 8, 2024 |language=es |archive-date=March 9, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240309173032/https://www.barrons.com/articles/el-salvador-lamenta-muerte-de-creador-de-dragon-ball-comic-favorito-de-bukele-73aa568b |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Justin Chatwin]], who portrayed Goku in the live-action film ''[[Dragonball Evolution]]'', paid respects to Toriyama and apologized for the quality of the film by posting on his [[Instagram]] story, "sorry we messed up that adaptation so badly".<ref>{{Cite news |title=IGN: Live-Action Goku Actor Pays Tribute to Akira Toriyama by Apologizing for Dragonball: Evolution |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/live-action-goku-actor-dragon-ball-evolution-akira-toriyama |last=Bailey |first=Kat |date=March 12, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240312212012/https://www.ign.com/articles/live-action-goku-actor-dragon-ball-evolution-akira-toriyama |archive-date=March 12, 2024 |access-date=March 23, 2024 |url-status=live |website=[[IGN]]}}</ref> Several Mexican voice actors who dubbed ''Dragon Ball'' characters in Spanish for Latin America also lamented Toriyama's death via social media.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Muerte de Akira Toriyama: Mario Castañeda y otros actores de doblaje lamentan deceso del mangaka, creador de Dragon Ball |url=https://www.infobae.com/mexico/2024/03/08/muerte-de-akira-toriyama-mario-castaneda-y-otros-actores-de-doblaje-lamentan-deceso-del-mangaka-creador-de-dragon-ball/ |last=Tapia Sandoval |first=Anayeli |date=March 8, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240315131702/https://www.infobae.com/mexico/2024/03/08/muerte-de-akira-toriyama-mario-castaneda-y-otros-actores-de-doblaje-lamentan-deceso-del-mangaka-creador-de-dragon-ball/ |archive-date=March 15, 2024 |access-date=March 15, 2024 |url-status=live |website=[[Infobae]] |language=es}}</ref> A large gathering was held at the [[Zócalo|Plaza de la Constitución]] in Mexico City, where hundreds of fans did the Genki-dama hand motion (arms up, palm facing the zenith, pooling energy together) to honor the artist.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-03-10 |title=Akira Toriyama given final goodbye with massive genkidama at Zócalo in Mexico City |url=https://www.sandiegored.com/en/news/254855/Akira-Toriyama-given-final-goodbye-with-massive-genkidama-at-Zocalo-in-Mexico-City |access-date=2024-03-12 |website=SanDiegoRed |language=en |archive-date=March 11, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240311033704/https://www.sandiegored.com/en/news/254855/Akira-Toriyama-given-final-goodbye-with-massive-genkidama-at-Zocalo-in-Mexico-City |url-status=live }}</ref> During the 18th [[Seiyu Awards]] on March 9, a [[moment of silence]] was held for Toriyama and voice actress [[Tarako]], who died on March 4, in recognition of their contributions to the anime industry.<ref>{{cite web|title=『声優アワード』異例の黙とうで開幕 鳥山明さん・TARAKOさんの訃報受け15秒間|url=https://www.oricon.co.jp/news/2317792/full/|website=[[Oricon]]|language=Japanese|date=March 9, 2024|access-date=March 9, 2024|archive-date=March 9, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240309094136/https://www.oricon.co.jp/news/2317792/full/|url-status=live}}</ref> On March 10, in Argentina, thousands of fans gathered at the [[Obelisco de Buenos Aires|Obelisco]] monument to remember Toriyama.<ref>{{Citation |title=Dragon Ball fans in Buenos Aires gather to mourn creator Akira Toriyama |url=https://apnews.com/video/animation-and-comics-television-movies-pedro-ferrer-74153e19333648df8cbec369b97425a6 |access-date=2024-03-11 |language=en |archive-date=March 11, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240311210849/https://apnews.com/video/animation-and-comics-television-movies-pedro-ferrer-74153e19333648df8cbec369b97425a6 |url-status=live }}</ref> In [[Lima]], Peru, over 40 artists led by "Peko" painted a mural tribute to Toriyama, which showcases characters from ''Dragon Ball'' as well as Toriyama himself, spanning six meters high and over 110 meters long.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://es.finance.yahoo.com/noticias/dragon-ball-40-artistas-peruanos-232700700.html |title=Dragon Ball: más de 40 artistas peruanos hacen un gran mural en honor a Akira Toriyama |date=March 25, 2024 |access-date=March 26, 2024 |website=[[Yahoo! Finance]] |last=Contreras |first=Ulises |language=es}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.cbr.com/dragon-ball-mural-akira-toriyama-tribute/ |title=Massive Dragon Ball Mural Reveals Over 70 Franchise Characters in Akira Toriyama Tribute |date=March 25, 2024 |access-date=March 26, 2024 |website=[[Comic Book Resources]] |last=Senzatimore |first=Renee}}</ref>

== Style ==
Toriyama admired [[Osamu Tezuka]]'s ''[[Astro Boy]]'' and was impressed by [[Walt Disney]]'s ''[[One Hundred and One Dalmatians]]'', which he remembered for its high-quality animation.<ref name="SJ interview"/><ref name="Animation1">{{cite book |title=DRAGON BALL 大全集 3: TV ANIMATION PART 1 |language=ja |year=1995 |publisher=[[Shueisha]] |pages=202–207 |isbn=4-08-782753-4}}</ref> He was a fan of [[Hong Kong martial arts films]], especially [[Bruce Lee]] films such as ''[[Enter the Dragon]]'' (1973) and [[Jackie Chan]] films such as ''[[Drunken Master]]'' (1978), which went on to have a large influence on his later work.<ref>{{cite book |title=TV Anime Guide: Dragon Ball Z Son Goku Densetsu |date=2003 |publisher=[[Shueisha]] |isbn=4088735463 |chapter=Akira Toriyama × Katsuyoshi Nakatsuru |language=ja}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=The Dragon Ball Z Legend: The Quest Continues |date=2004 |publisher=DH Publishing Inc |isbn=9780972312493 |page=7 |url=https://archive.org/details/dragonballzlegen00iked/page/n8 |url-access=registration}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |title=Interview — Dragon Power / Ask Akira Toriyama! |journal=[[Shonen Jump (magazine)|Shonen Jump]] |date=January 2003 |issue=1 |language=ja}}</ref> He also cited the [[science fiction]] films ''[[Alien (film)|Alien]]'' (1979) and ''[[Galaxy Quest]]'' (1999) as influences.<ref name="MangaMind">{{cite book |chapter=Akira Toriyama Q&A |title=Training the Manga Mind |date=March 19, 2010 |publisher=[[Shueisha]] |pages=37–42 |language=ja}}</ref> Toriyama stated he was influenced by animator [[Toyoo Ashida]] and the anime television series adaptation of his own ''Dragon Ball'', from which he learned that separating colors instead of blending them makes the art cleaner and coloring illustrations easier.<ref name="Animation1"/>

It was Toriyama's sound effects in ''Mysterious Rain Jack'' that caught the eye of [[Kazuhiko Torishima]], who explained that usually they are written in ''[[katakana]]'', but Toriyama used the [[Roman alphabet]], which he found refreshing.<ref name="Shenlong1">{{cite magazine |title=Shenlong Times 1 |magazine=Dragon Ball 大全集 1: Complete Illustrations |publisher=[[Shueisha]] |year=1995| language=ja}}</ref> Torishima has stated that Toriyama aimed to be a gag manga artist because the competitions that he submitted to early on required entries in the gag category to only be 15 pages long, compared to story manga entries which had to be 31.<ref name="ITpart2"/> In his opinion, Toriyama excelled in black and white, utilizing black areas as a result of not having had the money to buy [[screentone]] when he started drawing manga.<ref name="Shenlong1"/> He also described Toriyama as a master of convenience and "sloppy, but in a good way." For instance, in ''Dragon Ball'', destroying scenery in the environment and giving Super Saiyans blond hair were done in order to have less work in drawing and inking. Torishima claimed that Toriyama drew what he found interesting and was not mindful of what his readers thought,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpFsv-lS7ps|title=Interview de l'éditeur de Dragon Ball - L'influence de Dragon Ball - Partie 6|date=January 17, 2015 |via=www.youtube.com|access-date=October 27, 2017|archive-date=September 28, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190928171653/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpFsv-lS7ps&gl=US&hl=en|url-status=live|language=fr}}</ref> nor did he get much inspiration from other comics, as he chose not to re-read previous works or read manga made by other artists, a practice that Torishima supported.<ref>{{cite book|chapter=Interview: Torishima Kazuhiko<!--the volume uses Japanese order-->|editor1=Nicole Coolidge Rousmaniere|editor2=Matsuba<!--Last name is Matsuba--> Ryoko|title=The Citi Exhibition: Manga|publisher=[[Thames & Hudson]]|others=[[The British Museum]]|isbn=978-0-500-48049-6|year=2019|page=99}}</ref> Furthermore, the book ''A History of Modern Manga'' (2023) describes Toriyama as "a perfectionist at heart" who "didn't hesitate to redraw entire panels under the worried eye of his editor at ''Jump''".<ref name="Modern Manga">{{Cite book |title=A History of Modern Manga |last1=Pinon |first1=Matthieu |publisher=Simon and Schuster |year=2023 |isbn=9781647229146 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4XSyEAAAQBAJ&pg=PA83 |last2=Lefebvre |first2=Laurent |page=83}}</ref>

''Dr. Slump'' is mainly a comedy series, filled with [[pun]]s, [[Off-color humor|toilet humor]], and sexual innuendos. But it also contained many science fiction elements: aliens, [[Anthropomorphism|anthropomorphic]] characters, [[time travel]], and parodies of works such as [[Godzilla]], ''[[Star Wars]],'' and ''[[Star Trek]]''.<ref name="ANNJT"/> Toriyama also included many real-life people in the series, such as his assistants, wife, and colleagues (such as [[Masakazu Katsura]]), but most notably his editor Kazuhiko Torishima as the series' main antagonist, [[Dr. Mashirito]].<ref name="ANNJT"/><ref>{{cite web|last1=Kido |first1=Misaki |last2=Bae |first2=John |url=http://shonenjump.viz.com/node/178 |title=EXCLUSIVE: Masakazu Katsura Spotlight |publisher=[[Viz Media]] |year=2012 |access-date=February 4, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140712150818/http://shonenjump.viz.com/node/178 |archive-date=July 12, 2014 }}</ref> A running gag in ''Dr. Slump'' that utilizes feces has been reported as an inspiration for the [[Pile of Poo emoji]].<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.fastcompany.com/3037803/the-oral-history-of-the-poop-emoji-or-how-google-brought-poop-to-america|title=The Oral History Of The Poop Emoji (Or, How Google Brought Poop To America)|magazine=[[Fast Company (magazine)|Fast Company]]|last=Schwartzberg|first=Lauren|date=November 18, 2014|access-date=March 9, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180403070613/https://www.fastcompany.com/3037803/the-oral-history-of-the-poop-emoji-or-how-google-brought-poop-to-america|archive-date=April 3, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=http://www.dazeddigital.com/artsandculture/article/24687/1/what-does-the-stinky-poop-emoji-really-mean|title=What does the stinky poop emoji really mean?|magazine=[[Dazed]]|last=Healy|first=Claire|date=May 12, 2015|access-date=March 9, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180412162757/http://www.dazeddigital.com/artsandculture/article/24687/1/what-does-the-stinky-poop-emoji-really-mean|archive-date=April 12, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

When ''Dragon Ball'' began, it was loosely based on the classic Chinese novel ''[[Journey to the West]]'',<ref name="AnimeEncyc"/><ref name="Manga Design">{{cite book |title=Manga Design |chapter=Akira Toriyama |first=Julius |last=Wiedemann |editor=Amano Masanao |publisher=[[Taschen]] |date=September 25, 2004 |page=372 |isbn=3-8228-2591-3}}</ref> with [[Goku]] being [[Sun Wukong]] and [[Bulma]] as [[Tang Sanzang]]. It was also inspired by Hong Kong martial arts films,<ref>{{cite book |title=The Dragon Ball Z Legend: The Quest Continues |date=2004 |publisher=DH Publishing Inc |isbn=9780972312493 |page=[https://archive.org/details/dragonballzlegen00iked/page/n6 7] |url=https://archive.org/details/dragonballzlegen00iked|url-access=registration }}</ref> particularly those of Jackie Chan,<ref name="Illustrations">{{Cite book |title=Dragon Ball 大全集 1: Complete Illustrations |publisher=[[Shueisha]] |year=1995 |isbn=4-08-782754-2 |pages=206–207 |language=ja |trans-title=Dragon Ball Complete Works 1: Complete Illustrations}}</ref> and was set in a fictional world based on Asia, taking inspiration from several [[Culture of Asia|Asian cultures]] including [[Culture of Japan|Japanese]], [[Chinese culture|Chinese]], [[Culture of India|Indian]], [[Central Asia]]n, [[Arabic culture|Arabic]], and [[Indonesian culture]]s.<ref name="ANNJT"/><ref name="World">{{Cite book |title=Dragon Ball 大全集 4: World Guide |publisher=[[Shueisha]] |year=1995 |isbn=4-08-782754-2 |pages=164–169 |language=ja |trans-title=Dragon Ball Complete Works 4: World Guide}}</ref> Toriyama continued to use his characteristic comedic style in the beginning, but over the course of serialization this slowly changed, with him turning the series into a "nearly-pure fighting manga" later on.<ref name="ANNJT"/> He did not plan out in advance what would happen in the series, instead choosing to draw as he went. This, coupled with him simply forgetting things he had already drawn, caused him to find himself in situations that he had to write himself out of.<ref name="ANNJT"/>

Toriyama was commissioned to illustrate the characters and monsters for the first ''[[Dragon Quest (video game)|Dragon Quest]]'' video game (1986) in order to separate it from other role-playing games of the time.<ref name="npinterview">{{cite magazine|title=Akira Toriyama|magazine=Nintendo Power|volume=221 |date=November 2007 |publisher=[[Future US]]|pages=78–80}}</ref> He worked on every installment in [[Dragon Quest|the series]] until he died. For each game [[Yuji Horii]] first sends rough sketches of the characters with their background information to Toriyama, who then re-draws them. Lastly, Horii approves the finished work.<ref>{{cite magazine | title=Yuji Horii interview | url=http://www.playmagazine.com/index.php?fuseaction=SiteMain.showGamePage&Game_ID=169 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060325111040/http://www.playmagazine.com/index.php?fuseaction=SiteMain.showGamePage&Game_ID=169 | archive-date=March 25, 2006 |magazine=[[Play (US magazine)|Play]] | access-date=March 26, 2013}}</ref><ref name="1up">{{cite web | first=Nich|last=Maragos | date=May 19, 2005|title=Previews: Dragon Quest VIII |url=http://www.1up.com/previews/dragon-quest-viii_7 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120717044707/http://www.1up.com/previews/dragon-quest-viii_7 |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 17, 2012 | website=[[1UP.com]] |access-date=April 21, 2007}}</ref> Toriyama explained in 1995 that for video games, because the [[Sprite (computer graphics)|sprites]] are so small, as long as they have a distinguishing feature so people can tell which character it is, he can make complex designs without concern of having to reproduce it like he usually would in manga.<ref name="Animation2">{{cite book |title=DRAGON BALL 大全集 5: TV ANIMATION PART 2 |language=ja |year=1995 |publisher=[[Shueisha]] |pages=206–210 |isbn=4-08-782755-0}}</ref> Besides the character and monster designs, Toriyama also does the games' packaging art and, for ''[[Dragon Quest VIII]]'', the boats and ships.<ref name="1up"/> In 2016, Toriyama revealed that because of the series' established time period and setting, his artistic options are limited, which makes every iteration harder to design for than the last.<ref name="DQdesigns"/> The series' [[Slime (Dragon Quest)|Slime]] character, which has become a mascot for the franchise, is considered to be one of the most recognizable figures in gaming.<ref name=yh>{{cite web | title=Interview with Yuji Horii | url=http://www.ign.com/articles/2007/05/25/dragon-quest-interview | website=[[IGN]] | date=March 26, 2007 | access-date=March 26, 2013 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121106124253/http://www.ign.com/articles/2007/05/25/dragon-quest-interview | archive-date=November 6, 2012 | url-status=live | df=mdy-all }}</ref>

Manga critic [[Jason Thompson (writer)|Jason Thompson]] declared Toriyama's art influential, saying that his "extremely personal and recognizable style" was a reason for ''Dragon Ball'''s popularity.<ref name="ANNJT"/> He points out that the popular ''shōnen'' manga of the late 1980s and early 1990s had "[[Masculinity|manly]]" heroes, such as ''[[City Hunter]]'' and ''[[Fist of the North Star]]'', whereas ''Dragon Ball'' starred the cartoonish and small Goku, thus starting a trend that Thompson says continues to this day.<ref name="ANNJT"/> Toriyama himself said he went against the normal convention that the strongest characters should be the largest in terms of physical size, designing many of the series' most powerful characters with small statures.<ref name="SJ interview 2">{{cite magazine |title=Interview with the Majin! Revisited |magazine=[[Shonen Jump (magazine)|Shonen Jump]] |volume=5 |issue=11 |page=388 |publisher=[[Viz Media]] |date=November 2007 |issn=1545-7818}}</ref> Thompson concluded his analysis by saying that only Akira Toriyama drew like this at the time and that ''Dragon Ball'' is "an action manga drawn by a gag manga artist."<ref name="ANNJT"/> James S. Yadao, author of ''The Rough Guide to Manga'', points out that an art shift does occur in the series, as the characters gradually "lose the rounded, innocent look that [Toriyama] established in ''Dr. Slump'' and gain sharper angles that leap off the page with their energy and intensity."<ref>Yadao, James S. ''The Rough Guide to Manga''. [[Penguin Books]], October 1, 2009. [https://books.google.com/books?id=WcYex0sGmQ0C&dq=%22Son+Goku%22+Dragonball&pg=PA116 p. 116] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140712174948/http://books.google.com/books?id=WcYex0sGmQ0C&pg=PA116&lpg=PA116&dq=%22Son+Goku%22+Dragonball&source=bl&ots=uSTEogMKka&sig=0zZQjDBgjmTZmZ6n-IiwVPbExzs&hl=en&sa=X&ei=WiJhUJPrDI6G9QTinYGgDg&ved=0CE0Q6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=%22Son%20Goku%22%20Dragonball&f=false |date=July 12, 2014 }}-117. {{ISBN|1-4053-8423-9}}, 9781405384230. Available on [[Google Books]].</ref>

== Legacy and accolades ==
{{Quote box
| quote  = The role of my manga is to be a work of entertainment through and through. I dare say I don't care even if [my works] have left nothing behind, as long as they have entertained their readers.
| source = &nbsp;—Akira Toriyama, 2013<ref name="AsahiInterview"/>
| width  = 25%
| align  = right
| style  = padding:10px;
}}

Patrick St. Michel of ''[[The Japan Times]]'' compared Toriyama to animator [[Walt Disney]] and [[Marvel Comics]] creator [[Stan Lee]]: "All three of these individuals, Toriyama included, had a personal artistic style that has become the shorthand for their respective media."<ref name="MichelJapTimes">{{cite news|last=St. Michel |first=Patrick |url=https://www.japantimes.co.jp/culture/2024/03/15/tv-streaming/akira-toriyama-dragon-ball-legacy-anime-japan/ |title=Akira Toriyama's gift to the world|newspaper=[[The Japan Times]] |date=March 15, 2024 |access-date=March 16, 2024}}</ref> Speaking of ''Dragon Ball'', David Brothers of [[ComicsAlliance]] wrote that: "Like Osamu Tezuka and [[Jack Kirby]] before him, Toriyama created a story with his own two hands that seeped deep into the hearts of his readers, creating a love for both the cast and the medium at the same time."<ref>{{cite web |last=Brothers |first=David |url=http://comicsalliance.com/akira-toriyamas-dragon-ball-is-full-of-laughs-and-action-that/ |title=Akira Toriyama's 'Dragon Ball' Has Flawless Action That Puts Super-Hero Books to Shame |work=[[ComicsAlliance]] |date=September 7, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161010101706/http://comicsalliance.com/akira-toriyamas-dragon-ball-is-full-of-laughs-and-action-that/ |archive-date=October 10, 2016 }}</ref> Thompson stated in 2011 that "''Dragon Ball'' is by far the most influential shonen manga of the last 30 years, and today, almost every ''Shōnen Jump'' artist lists it as one of their favorites and lifts from it in various ways."<ref name="ANNJT"/> Patrick W. Galbraith, an associate professor at the School of International Communication at [[Senshu University]], similarly said, "One can sense the DNA of Toriyama's work in all subsequent shōnen releases."<ref name="MichelJapTimes"/>

In a rare 2013 interview, commenting on ''Dragon Ball''{{'}}s global success, Toriyama admitted, "Frankly, I don't quite understand why it happened. While the manga was being serialized, the only thing I wanted as I kept drawing was to make Japanese boys happy."<ref name="AsahiInterview">{{cite news|last=Iwamoto |first=Tetsuo |url=http://ajw.asahi.com/article/cool_japan/culture/AJ201303270032 |title=Dragon Ball artist: 'I just wanted to make boys happy' |newspaper=[[Asahi Shimbun]] |date=March 27, 2013 |access-date=April 16, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130401232100/http://ajw.asahi.com/article/cool_japan/culture/AJ201303270032 |archive-date=April 1, 2013 }}</ref> He had previously stated in 2010, "The truth is, I didn't like being a manga artist very much. It wasn't until relatively recently that I realized it's a wonderful job."<ref name="MangaMind"/> Many artists have named Toriyama and ''Dragon Ball'' as influences, including ''[[One Piece]]'' author [[Eiichiro Oda]],<ref>{{cite book |title=One Piece Color Walk 1 |year=2001|publisher=[[Shueisha]]|isbn=4-08-859217-4}}</ref> ''[[Naruto]]'' creator [[Masashi Kishimoto]],<ref>{{cite book |title=Uzumaki: the Art of Naruto|year=2007 |publisher=[[Viz Media]] |pages=138–139 |isbn=978-1-4215-1407-9}}</ref> ''[[Fairy Tail]]'' and ''[[Rave Master|Rave]]'' author [[Hiro Mashima]],<ref>{{cite news|last=Hodgkins|first=Crystalyn|title=Interview: Hiro Mashima|url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interview/2011-11-08/interview-hiro-mashima |publisher=[[Anime News Network]] |date=November 8, 2011|access-date=March 24, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130209233334/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interview/2011-11-08/interview-hiro-mashima|archive-date=February 9, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[Boruto: Naruto Next Generations]]'' illustrator [[Mikio Ikemoto]],<ref>{{cite news|last=Morrissy|first=Kim|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/boruto-naruto-next-generations-gn-1/.114238|title=Interview: Boruto Manga Artist Mikio Ikemoto |publisher=[[Anime News Network]] |date=February 25, 2019|access-date=February 25, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171203015314/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/review/boruto-naruto-next-generations-gn-1/.114238|archive-date=December 3, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[Venus Versus Virus]]'' author [[Atsushi Suzumi]],<ref>{{cite news|last=Manry|first=Gia|url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2011-03-11/seattle-sakura-con-hosts-manga-creator-atsushi-suzumi|title=Seattle's Sakura-Con Hosts Manga Creator Atsushi Suzumi |publisher=[[Anime News Network]] |date=March 11, 2011|access-date=April 16, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130602002530/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2011-03-11/seattle-sakura-con-hosts-manga-creator-atsushi-suzumi|archive-date=June 2, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[Bleach (manga)|Bleach]]'' creator [[Tite Kubo]], ''[[Black Cat (manga)|Black Cat]]'' author [[Kentaro Yabuki]], and ''[[Mr. Fullswing]]'' author Shinya Suzuki.<ref name="Kubo, Yabuki, Suzuki">{{cite book |title=Dragon Ball Landmark |date=December 19, 2003 |publisher=[[Shueisha]] |language=ja |isbn=4-08-873478-5 |editor-last=Suzuki |editor-first=Haruhiko |pages=161–182 |chapter=Dragon Ball Children}}</ref> German comic book artist [[Hans Steinbach]] was strongly influenced by Toriyama,<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.tokyopop.com/product/1557/AMidnightOpera/1 |title=Manga+Comics: A Midnight Opera |publisher=[[Tokyopop]] |access-date=May 29, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100111161632/http://www.tokyopop.com/product/1557/AMidnightOpera/1 |archive-date=January 11, 2010 |url-status=dead |quote=Hans' art sensibilities have been strongly influenced by Japanese artists, especially Go Nagai (Devilman) and Akira Toriyama (Dragon Ball).}}</ref> and Thai cartoonist [[Wisut Ponnimit]] cited Toriyama as one of his favorite cartoonists.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://bk.asia-city.com/events/article/first-person-wisut-tum-ponnimit|title=Interview with Wisut Ponnimit for BK|last=Srisirirungsimakul|first=Nuttaporn|date=February 13, 2009|work=Asia City|access-date=May 29, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160423081734/http://bk.asia-city.com/events/article/first-person-wisut-tum-ponnimit|archive-date=April 23, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref> St. Michel wrote that the impact Toriyama and ''Dragon Ball'' had extends beyond inspiring newer artists, "he influenced the style of anime as a whole and revealed new economic potential, as the comic series mutated into an anime, video games and infinite merchandise."<ref name="MichelJapTimes"/> [[Ian Jones-Quartey]], a producer of the American animated series ''[[Steven Universe]]'', is a fan of both ''Dragon Ball'' and ''Dr. Slump'', and uses Toriyama's vehicle designs as reference for his own. He also stated that "We're all big Toriyama fans on [''Steven Universe''], which kind of shows a bit."<ref>{{cite news |author=Ohanesian, Liz |url=http://www.laweekly.com/arts/manga-series-dragon-ball-celebrates-30th-anniversary-5216554 |title=Manga Series Dragon Ball Celebrates 30th Anniversary |newspaper=[[LA Weekly]] |date=November 17, 2014 |access-date=July 16, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170802142103/http://www.laweekly.com/arts/manga-series-dragon-ball-celebrates-30th-anniversary-5216554 |archive-date=August 2, 2017 |url-status=live  }}</ref> French director [[Pierre Perifel]] cited Toriyama and ''Dragon Ball'' as influences on his [[DreamWorks Animation]] film ''[[The Bad Guys (film)|The Bad Guys]]''.<ref>{{cite news |author=Itier, Emmanuel |url=https://www.allocine.fr/article/fichearticle_gen_carticle=18705174.html |title=Bande-annonce Les Bad Guys : "Du Tarantino pour les enfants !" selon le réalisateur |newspaper=[[AlloCiné]] |language=French |date=December 14, 2021 |access-date=May 8, 2022 |archive-date=May 8, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220508211618/https://www.allocine.fr/article/fichearticle_gen_carticle=18705174.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2008, [[Oricon]] conducted a poll of people's favorite manga artists, with Toriyama coming in second, behind only ''[[Nana (manga)|Nana]]'' author [[Ai Yazawa]]. He was number one among male respondents and among those over 30 years of age.<ref>{{cite news|last=Loo|first=Egan|title=Oricon: Nana's Yazawa, DB's Toriyama are Most Popular|url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2008-03-04/oricon-nana-yazawa-db-toriyama-are-most-popular |publisher=[[Anime News Network]] |date=March 4, 2008|access-date=June 20, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130719001248/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2008-03-04/oricon-nana-yazawa-db-toriyama-are-most-popular|archive-date=July 19, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> They held a poll on the Mangaka that Changed the History of Manga in 2010, ''mangaka'' being the Japanese word for a manga artist. Toriyama came in second, after only Osamu Tezuka, due to his works being highly influential and popular worldwide.<ref>{{cite web |script-title=ja:『日本の漫画史を変えた作家』、"漫画の神様"手塚治虫が貫禄の1位|url=http://www.oricon.co.jp/news/ranking/78202/full |language=ja |date=July 16, 2010 |work=[[Oricon]] |access-date=January 3, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140911092238/http://www.oricon.co.jp/news/78202/full/ |archive-date=September 11, 2014}}</ref> Toriyama won the Special 40th Anniversary Festival Award at the 2013 [[Angoulême International Comics Festival]], honoring his years in cartooning.<ref>{{cite news|last=Loo|first=Egan|title=Akira Toriyama Wins Anniversary Award at France's Angoulême|url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2013-02-04/akira-toriyama-wins-anniversary-award-at-france-angouleme |publisher=[[Anime News Network]] |date=February 4, 2013|access-date=February 4, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130206101026/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2013-02-04/akira-toriyama-wins-anniversary-award-at-france-angouleme|archive-date=February 6, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Melrose|first=Kevin|title=Robot 6 Willem and Akira Toriyama win top Angoulême honors|url=http://robot6.comicbookresources.com/2013/02/willem-and-akira-toriyama-win-top-angouleme-honors/|work=[[Comic Book Resources]]|date=February 4, 2013|access-date=February 4, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130206182752/http://robot6.comicbookresources.com/2013/02/willem-and-akira-toriyama-win-top-angouleme-honors/|archive-date=February 6, 2013|url-status=live}}</ref> He actually received the most votes for the festival's [[Grand Prix de la ville d'Angoulême]] award that year, though the selection committee chose [[Bernard Willem Holtrop|Willem]] as the recipient.<ref>{{cite news|title=ANIME NEWS: 'Dragon Ball' creator Akira Toriyama honored at Angoulême comic festival|url=http://ajw.asahi.com/article/cool_japan/anime_news/AJ201302130044|work=[[Asahi Shimbun]]|date=February 13, 2013|access-date=April 18, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130213235507/https://ajw.asahi.com/article/cool_japan/anime_news/AJ201302130044|archive-date=February 13, 2013}}</ref> In a 2014 [[NTT Docomo]] poll for the manga artist that best represents Japan, Toriyama came in third place.<ref>{{cite news|title=POLL: Top Mangaka Who Best Represent Japan|url=https://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2014/02/07/poll-top-mangaka-who-best-represent-japan|work=[[Crunchyroll]]|date=February 7, 2014|access-date=May 11, 2021|archive-date=May 11, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210511224623/https://www.crunchyroll.com/anime-news/2014/02/07/poll-top-mangaka-who-best-represent-japan|url-status=live}}</ref> That same year, entomologist Enio B. Cano named a new species of [[beetle]], ''Ogyges toriyamai'', after Toriyama, and another, ''Ogyges mutenroshii'', after the ''Dragon Ball'' character [[Muten Roshi]].<ref name="Ogyges2014">{{cite journal|last=Cano|first=E. B.|year=2014|title=''Ogyges'' Kaup, a flightless genus of Passalidae (Coleoptera) from Mesoamerica: nine new species, a key to identify species, and a novel character to support its monophyly|journal=[[Zootaxa]]|volume=3889|issue=4|pages=471, 480|doi=10.11646/zootaxa.3889.4.1|pmid=25544280|doi-access=free|url=https://www.biotaxa.org/Zootaxa/article/download/zootaxa.3889.4.1/53024|access-date=May 8, 2022|archive-date=April 23, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210423122937/https://www.biotaxa.org/Zootaxa/article/download/zootaxa.3889.4.1/53024|url-status=live|url-access=subscription}}</ref> Toriyama was decorated a ''Chevalier'' or "Knight" of the [[Ordre des Arts et des Lettres]] by the French government on May 30, 2019, for his contributions to the arts.<ref name="recluse"/><ref>{{cite web|last=Pinto|first=Ophelia|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.fr/entry/akira-toriyama-nomme-chevalier-de-lordre-des-arts-et-des-lettres_fr_5cf137fee4b0a1997b693323?ncid=fcbklnkfrhpmg00000001|title=Akira Toriyama nommé Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres|date=May 31, 2019|work=[[HuffPost]]|language=fr|access-date=May 31, 2019|archive-date=September 3, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200903173522/https://www.huffingtonpost.fr/entry/akira-toriyama-nomme-chevalier-de-lordre-des-arts-et-des-lettres_fr_5cf137fee4b0a1997b693323?ncid=fcbklnkfrhpmg00000001|url-status=live}}</ref> He was also a 2019 nominee for entry into the [[Will Eisner Hall of Fame]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Hall of Fame 2019 Nominees|url=https://www.comic-con.org/awards/hall-of-fame-2019-nominees|work=[[San Diego Comic-Con]]|access-date=January 18, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190118215005/https://www.comic-con.org/awards/hall-of-fame-2019-nominees |archive-date=January 18, 2019 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Toriyama was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2024 [[Tokyo Anime Awards Festival]].<ref>{{cite news|last=Pineda|first=Rafael Antonio|title=Akira Toriyama, Ryousuke Takahashi, Toshio Furukawa, Yuji Ohno, More Win TAAF's Lifetime Achievement Awards|url=https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2023-12-14/akira-toriyama-ryousuke-takahashi-toshio-furukawa-yuji-ohno-more-win-taaf-lifetime-achievement-/.205475 |publisher=[[Anime News Network]] |date=December 14, 2023|access-date=December 14, 2023|archive-date=December 14, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231214080013/https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2023-12-14/akira-toriyama-ryousuke-takahashi-toshio-furukawa-yuji-ohno-more-win-taaf-lifetime-achievement-/.205475|url-status=live}}</ref> Due to his video game design work, ''[[IGN]]'' named Toriyama number 74 on their list of the Top 100 Game Creators of All Time.<ref name="IGN"/>

== Works ==
{{Main|List of works by Akira Toriyama}}

Besides ''[[Dr. Slump]]'' (1980–1984) and ''[[Dragon Ball (manga)|Dragon Ball]]'' (1984–1995), Toriyama predominantly drew one-shot manga and short (100–200-page) pieces, including ''[[Pink (1982 manga)|Pink]]'' (1982), ''[[Go! Go! Ackman]]'' (1993–1994), ''[[Cowa!]]'' (1997–1998), ''[[Kajika]]'' (1998), ''[[Sand Land]]'' (2000) and ''[[Jaco the Galactic Patrolman]]'' (2013). Many of his one-shots were collected in his three-volume anthology series, ''[[Akira Toriyama's Manga Theater]]'' (1983–1997). He also collaborated with other manga artists, such as Katsura and Oda,<ref>{{cite web |date=February 5, 2008 |title=DB's Toriyama, I's Katsura to Team Up on 1-Shot Manga |url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2008-02-05/dbs-toriyama-is-katsura-to-team-up-on-1-shot-manga |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121110125352/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2008-02-05/dbs-toriyama-is-katsura-to-team-up-on-1-shot-manga |archive-date=November 10, 2012 |access-date=November 17, 2012  |publisher=[[Anime News Network]]  }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=March 3, 2008 |title=Bokurano's Kitoh to Draw One-Shot Manga in Jump Square |url=http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2008-03-03/bokurano-kitoh-to-draw-one-shot-manga-in-jump-square |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121110125020/http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2008-03-03/bokurano-kitoh-to-draw-one-shot-manga-in-jump-square |archive-date=November 10, 2012 |publisher=[[Anime News Network]] |access-date=November 17, 2012}}</ref> to produce one-shots and crossover shorts.

Toriyama also created many character designs for various video games such as the ''[[Dragon Quest]]'' series (1986–2023), ''[[Chrono Trigger]]'' (1995), ''[[Blue Dragon (video game)|Blue Dragon]]'' (2006), and some [[List of Dragon Ball video games|''Dragon Ball'' video games]]. He also designed several characters and mascots for various [[manga magazines]] property of [[Shueisha]], his career-long employer and Japan's largest publishing company.<ref>{{Cite web |date=May 23, 2018 |script-title=ja:[鳥山明ほぼ全仕事] 平日更新24時間限定公開！ |url=https://dragonball.news/news/20180523_wx.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180523211123/https://dragonball.news/news/20180523_wx.html |archive-date=May 23, 2018 |work=Dragon Ball Official Site |publisher=[[Shueisha]] |language=ja}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=November 12, 2018 |script-title=ja:[鳥山明ほぼ全仕事] 平日更新24時間限定公開！ 2018/11/12 |url=https://dragonball.news/news/20181112_wx.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181112005650/https://dragonball.news/news/20181112_wx.html |archive-date=November 12, 2018 |work=Dragon Ball Official Site |publisher=[[Shueisha]] |language=ja}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=January 9, 2015 |script-title=ja:広島県にジャンプショップ誕生--鳥山明作"ジャンタ"は広島名物のアレに乗る |url=http://www.excite.co.jp/News/column_g/20150129/Cobs_120937.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304113218/http://www.excite.co.jp/News/column_g/20150129/Cobs_120937.html |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |access-date=June 24, 2015 |work=Excite.co.jp |language=ja }}</ref>

Besides manga-related works, Toriyama also created various illustrations, album and book covers, model kits, mascots and logos.<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 12, 2019 |script-title=ja:[鳥山明ほぼ全仕事] 平日更新24時間限定公開！ 2019/03/12 |url=https://dragonball.news/news/20190312_wx.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190312022340/https://dragonball.news/news/20190312_wx.html |archive-date=March 12, 2019 |access-date=March 12, 2019 |work=Dragon Ball Official Site |publisher=[[Shueisha]] |language=ja }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=April 19, 2018 |script-title=ja:[鳥山明ほぼ全仕事] 平日更新24時間限定公開！ |url=https://dragonball.news/news/20180419_wx.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180419093016/https://dragonball.news/news/20180419_wx.html |archive-date=April 19, 2018 |work=Dragon Ball Official Site |publisher=[[Shueisha]] |language=ja}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |script-title=ja:てんしのトッチオ |url=http://books.shueisha.co.jp/CGI/search/syousai_put.cgi?isbn_cd=4-08-780347-3&mode=1 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120524224219/http://books.shueisha.co.jp/CGI/search/syousai_put.cgi?isbn_cd=4-08-780347-3&mode=1 |archive-date=May 24, 2012 |access-date=June 24, 2015 |publisher=[[Shueisha]] |language=ja}}</ref> For example, he sketched several versions of the ''[[Dragon Ball Z]]'' logo, which [[Toei Animation]] then refined into a definitive design.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://comicbook.com/anime/news/dragon-ball-z-original-logo-anime-akira-toriyama/ |title='Dragon Ball Z' Reveals Original Logos By Akira Toriyama |date=May 3, 2018 |access-date=March 8, 2024 |website=[[ComicBook.com]] |last=Peters |first=Megan |archive-date=March 8, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240308171723/https://comicbook.com/anime/news/dragon-ball-z-original-logo-anime-akira-toriyama/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

== Explanatory notes ==
{{Notelist}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

== Further reading ==
* {{Cite book |last=Richard |first=Olivier |year=2011 |title=Akira Toriyama: le maître du manga |language=fr |location=Paris |publisher=12bis |isbn=978-2-35648-332-4 |oclc=1020953674}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category}}
{{Wikiquote}}
* {{Anime News Network|people|12}}

{{Akira Toriyama}}
{{Dr. Slump}}
{{Dragon Ball}}
{{Dragon Quest series}}
{{Shogakukan Manga Award - Shōnen}}
{{Portal bar|Anime and manga|Biography|Japan}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Toriyama, Akira}}
[[Category:Akira Toriyama| ]]
[[Category:1955 births]]
[[Category:2024 deaths]]
[[Category:20th-century Japanese artists]]
[[Category:20th-century Japanese male artists]]
[[Category:21st-century Japanese artists]]
[[Category:21st-century Japanese male artists]]
[[Category:Anime character designers]]
[[Category:Artists from Nagoya]]
[[Category:Chevaliers of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres]]
[[Category:Deaths from subdural hematoma]]
[[Category:Grand Prix de la ville d'Angoulême winners]]
[[Category:Japanese cartoonists]]
[[Category:Japanese television show creators]]
[[Category:Japanese video game artists]]
[[Category:Manga artists from Aichi Prefecture]]
[[Category:Mechanical designers (mecha)]]
[[Category:Mythopoeic writers]]
[[Category:People from Aichi Prefecture]]