During the Tokyo Anime Award Festival 2024 , which coincidentally took place on March 8 in Ikebukuro , creator Akira Toriyama was recognized in the 'Contribution to the Animation Industry' category, leaving his last public message for fans.
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Creator Akira Toriyama's Last Message to Fans
During the event, a space was dedicated to the exhibition of Toriyama's manga and illustrations, as well as panels containing a brief biography of the mangaka , acclaimed for creating “characters endowed with a unique charm that enchants the world” and being revered as “a master who gave life to historical works”.
However, the event organizers were unaware of the author's death, which was announced on the same day the event began. As a result, Toriyama's comment about the award was eventually released.
"To be honest, I've never had a huge interest in anime, not even in the past. Even when my works have been adapted into anime, I'm embarrassed to admit that I haven't watched them much, so I ask the staff to forgive me. About ten years ago, in fact, I was asked to revise the script for a Dragon Ball anime film, and at the time, I ended up drawing the character backgrounds and doing some simple designs. It was amazing to discover that this kind of work was rewarding and fun. I realized I could trust the staff members to handle the more difficult parts (laughs)."
It's truly humbling for me to receive an award for contribution to the animation industry from the Tokyo Anime Award Festival. Thank you very much!
About the new Dragon Ball animation, Dragon Ball Daima, Toriyama left the following message:
"I designed not only the story itself, but also the worldview, character designs, and mecha. I believe it will be a content-rich production, not just intense action. I'd appreciate it if you could enjoy watching it."
Toriyama's final living comment ended in the most painful way possible with the following statement:
"Due to my lifestyle in my youth, I'm not very confident about my health, so I don't know how much more I can do. However, I will strive to create more interesting works. Please continue to support me in the future!"
About Dragon Ball creator Toriyama:
Akira Toriyama began his creative journey in 1978 with the captivating story of Wonder Island, which came to life in the pages of Weekly Shonen Jump.
However, it was with Dr. Slump, published weekly in Shonen Jump from 1980 to 1984, that he won the hearts of the public , generating 18 bound volumes and becoming the basis of the first anime inspired by a work by Toriyama.
Finally, the legend Akira Toriyama shone even brighter with the iconic Dragon Ball series. Recognized as one of the pillars of the "Golden Age of Jump," Dragon Ball became a global phenomenon, leading Toriyama to dedicate himself intensely to the series from 1984 to 1995. During those eleven years, he produced 42 volumes, totaling nearly 10,000 pages of thrilling adventures. Furthermore, Dragon Ball's success spawned an anime series, feature-length films, video games, and countless merchandise.
Source: X (Kami Sama Explorer)
