Kishimoto and Eiichiro Oda's grief moves Dragon Ball fans

Today (08), one of the legends who marked generations of fans worldwide, Akira Toriyama ( Dragon Ball, Dr. Slump ), passed away. With this feeling of farewell, some famous mangakas known to fans, Masashi Kishimoto and Eiichiro Oda, paid their respects to Toriyama through social media.

Announcement

Eiichiro Oda (One Piece)

"It's too soon. The void is too deep. The thought of never seeing you again fills me with sadness. I've admired you so much since I was a child, and I even remember the day you called me by my name for the first time. I also miss the day I had so much fun with Mr. Kishimoto on the way home, from the day he used the word 'friend' to refer to us. I also remember our last conversation. He's one of the people who took the baton from the time when reading manga would make you stupid, and created an era where adults and children read and enjoy manga. He showed us the dream that manga can do things like this and that we can go out into the world.".
He gave it to me. It was like watching a hero walk forward. The emotion and enthusiasm surrounding the serialization of Dragon Ball are probably rooted in the childhood not only of manga artists, but also of creators active in all sectors. That existence is a great tree. For manga artists of my generation who were on the same stage, the closer I got to Toriyama's works, the more I realized they had a greater presence. Almost frightening. But I am very happy to see the peaceful man again. Because we love Toriyama-sensei on a blood level. I would like to express my respect and gratitude to the richly creative world that Toriyama-sensei left behind and pray for his repose from the bottom of my heart. I hope heaven is a pleasant world just as you imagined it.”.

Masashi Kishimoto (Naruto)

Announcement

"Honestly, I don't know what to write or how to write about something so sudden. However, for now, I want to express my thoughts and feelings to Toriyama-sensei. I grew up reading Dr. Slump in my early school years and Dragon Ball in my later years, and it was natural for me to have your manga by my side as part of my daily life. Even though I faced difficult times, Dragon Ball always made me forget about them. It was a relief for me, a boy from the countryside who had nothing. Because Dragon Ball was so much fun! When I was in university, suddenly, Dragon Ball, which had been a part of my life for so many years, came to an end. I felt an incredible sense of loss and didn't know what to expect.".

Kishimoto reinforced this to Akira Toriyama, saying: "But at the same time, it was also an opportunity to truly understand the greatness of the sensei who created Dragon Ball. I wanted to create works like my sensei's! As I followed in my sensei's footsteps and aspired to become a manga artist, that feeling of loss began to fade."

Because creating manga was fun. I managed to find a new kind of enjoyment by following my teacher. My teacher was always my guide, he was my inspiration. I apologize for the inconvenience, but I would like to express my gratitude to the teacher. To me, he was a savior and the god of manga. When we first met, I was so nervous that I couldn't say a word. However, after meeting him several times at the Tezuka Prize selection committee, we were able to talk.
As Dragon Ball readers, Mr. Oda and I became children again, and when we excitedly talked about how fun Dragon Ball was, as if we were competing with each other, the sensei seemed to smile shyly. I just received the news of my teacher's death. I feel an even greater sense of loss than when Dragon Ball ended… I still don't know how to deal with this hole in my heart. Now I can't even read the Dragon Ball manga. I don't know if I can write this text correctly to convey my feelings to my teacher. Everyone around the world was still eager to see his work. If there was a single Dragon Ball wish to come true… I'm sorry, maybe this is a selfish wish, but I'm sad, sensei. Thank you, Akira Toriyama-sensei, for all your enjoyable work over the past 45 years. And thank you so much for everything. And to the other family members who are still deeply saddened. Please take care of yourselves. I pray that Mr. Akira Toriyama rests in peace.”

Check out what the fans are saying:

Kishimoto and Oda talking about Akira really got to me…
Akira was his greatest inspiration
Will Kishimoto pay homage to Naruto?
Dragon Ball is one of the oldest anime series still among the most popular. Many manga artists must cite Akira Toriyama as an inspiration
Kishimoto and his beautiful words
Wow, those accounts of Kishimoto and Oda's experiences with Akira as his disciples really resonated, what a shame, and Toyotaro too, who inherited the mantle in Dragon Ball

Life and works of Akira Toriyama:

Akira began his creative journey in 1978 with the captivating story Wonder Island , which came to life in the pages of Weekly Shonen Jump. He then delighted readers with other notable manga, such as Highlight Island and Tomato Girl Detective .

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.

His name shone even brighter with the iconic Dragon Ball series. Recognized as one of the cornerstones 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, the success of Dragon Ball spawned an anime series, feature films, video games, and a myriad of merchandise.

With his simple drawing style and exceptional design skill, Toriyama also left his mark on the world of video games, creating characters for the renowned Dragon Quest series, as well as serving as a character designer on famous games such as Chrono Trigger for the Super Nintendo and the acclaimed Tobal No. 1 for the PlayStation. Even after all these years, he continues to surprise his fans with occasional new manga stories.

Source: X (Official Twitter)