'Dragon Ball' author Akira Toriyama dies at 68

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The death of Akira Toriyama, creator of the popular manga and anime franchise "Dragon Ball," was announced on Friday (March 8).

The X account for "Dragon Ball" said that Toriyama passed away on March 1 due to an “acute subdural hematoma" (blood clot on the brain), at age 68. Toriyama's funeral will be a private event for family members only, reported TVBS.

The family expressed its wish not to receive any condolence letters, funeral offerings, or flower arrangements. The statement also requested the media respect the family’s privacy,

The account said he had been “passionately working on many projects" and added that “there was so much more that he wanted to accomplish," reported the Japan Times.

Toriyama made his debut in 1978 with "Wonder Island" in the manga weekly magazine "Weekly Shonen Jump." Later, his serialized work "Dr. Slump" was adapted into an anime in 1981.

In 1984, Toriyama began the serialization of "Dragon Ball," which later became an anime and catapulted him to fame. Its animated sequel "Dragon Ball Z" has drawn generations of audiences.

Many manga artists expressed their condolences. They included Japanese animation studio Toei Animation, responsible for adapting Toriyama's works into anime, as well as Eiichiro Oda, the author of "One Piece," Masashi Kishimoto, the author of "Naruto," and Yasuhisa Hara, the author of "Kingdom.”