During the Tokyo Anime Award Festival 2024 , which coincidentally took place on March 8th in Ikebukuro , creator Akira Toriyama was recognized in the 'Contribution to the Animation Industry' category, leaving his final public message for fans.
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Last Message from Creator Akira Toriyama to Fans
During the event, a space was dedicated to exhibiting manga and illustrations by Toriyama, 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 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, a comment by Toriyama about the award ended up being leaked.
“To be honest, I never had a great interest in anime, not even in the past. Even when my works were adapted into anime, I end up being ashamed to admit that I didn't watch them much, so I ask the teams to forgive me. About ten years ago, actually, I was invited to revise the script for a Dragon Ball anime film and, on that occasion, I ended up drawing the character backgrounds and doing some simple designs. It was amazing to discover that this type of work was rewarding and fun. I realized I could trust the team members to take care of the more difficult parts (laughs).”.
It's truly embarrassing for me to receive an award for contribution to the animation industry from the Tokyo Anime Award Festival. Thank you very much!
Regarding the new Dragon Ball animation, Dragon Ball Daima, Toriyama left the following message:
“I designed not only the story itself, but also the worldview, the character designs, and the mechas. I believe it will be a production rich in content, not just intense action. I would be grateful if you could enjoy watching it.”.
Toriyama's last comment before his death 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 almost 10,000 pages of exciting adventures. Furthermore, the success of Dragon Ball gave rise to an anime series, feature films, video games, and a myriad of merchandise.
Source: X (Kami Sama Explorer)
