Akira Toriyama, a renowned Japanese manga artist best known for creating the Dragon Ball manga series, passed away on March 1, 2024, at the age of 68.

According to an official statement on March 8 made by Bird Studio, the manga and design production studio owned by Akira Toriyama, he passed away due to acute subdural hematoma. Toriyama was in the middle of many works and has been in the manga industry for 45 years.

In the official statement, Bird Studio expressed thanks to Toriyama's fans all around the world and hopes that his unique world of creation continues to be loved by everyone for a long time to come.

"His funeral service was held with his family and very few relatives. Following his wishes for tranquillity, we respectfully inform you that we would not accept flowers, condolences gifts, visiting, offerings, and others. Also, we ask you to refrain from conducting interviews with his family," adds the statement.

Toriyama's most prominent work includes the Dragon Ball manga series, which was originally serialised in Weekly Shonen Jump from 1984 to 1995. The anime adaptation of Dragon Ball, and later the continuation of the original series, Dragon Ball Z, is one of the most popular works of fiction in modern media and is considered the most popular anime of all time. Toriyama was also involved in character designs for several video games such as Dragon Quest and Chrono Trigger.

Akira Toriyama's distinctive art style, creative storytelling, and the enduring appeal of his characters have contributed significantly to the global popularity of manga and anime. Dragon Ball, in particular, remains a cultural phenomenon with a massive fan base around the world.