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Akira Toriyama

Writing

Born April 5, 1955 · Aichi, Japan

Died March 1, 2024

Also known as 鳥山 明 · آکیرا توریاما

Biography

Akira Toriyama (Japanese: 鳥山 明, Hepburn: Toriyama Akira, April 5, 1955 – March 1, 2024) was a Japanese manga artist and character designer. He first achieved mainstream recognition for creating his highly successful manga series Dr. Slump, before going on to create Dragon Ball (his most famous work) and acting as a character designer for several popular video games such as the Dragon Quest series, Chrono Trigger, and Blue Dragon. Toriyama is regarded as one of the authors who changed the history of manga, as his works are highly influential and popular, particularly Dragon Ball, which many manga artists cite as a source of inspiration. He earned the 1981 Shogakukan Manga Award for best shōnen manga with Dr. Slump, and it went on to sell over 35 million copies in Japan. It was adapted into a successful anime series, with a second anime created in 1997, 13 years after the manga ended. His next series, Dragon Ball, would become one of the most popular and successful manga in the world. Having sold 260 million copies worldwide, it is one of the best-selling manga series of all time and is considered to be one of the main reasons for the period when manga circulation was at its highest in the mid-1980s and mid-1990s. Overseas, Dragon Ball's anime adaptations have been more successful than the manga and are credited with boosting anime's popularity in the Western world. In 2019, Toriyama was decorated a Chevalier of the French Ordre des Arts et des Lettres for his contributions to the arts.

Awards & recognition

  • Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres · 2019
  • Shogakukan Manga Award · 1981
  • Will Eisner Hall of Fame · 2019 · nominated

Filmography35 titles

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime

2018Thanks

Dragon Ball Z

1989Comic Book, Writer

Dragon Ball

1986Comic Book, Writer

Dragon Ball DAIMA

2024Character Designer, Original Concept, Story

Dragon Ball Super

2015Story

SAND LAND: THE SERIES

Character Designer, Original Story

Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero

2022Character Designer, Screenplay, Story

Dragon Ball Super: Broly

2018Character Designer, Screenplay, Story

The World of Dragon Ball Z

2000Creator

Dragon Ball GT

1996Original Story

Dragon Ball Z: The History of Trunks

1993Characters

Dragon Ball Z Kai

2009Original Story

Dragon Ball Z: Fusion Reborn

1995Original Series Creator

Dragon Ball: The Path to Power

1996Comic Book

Dragon Ball Z: Wrath of the Dragon

1995Characters

Dragon Ball Z: Broly - The Legendary Super Saiyan

1993Characters

Dragon Ball Z: Bojack Unbound

1993Characters, Original Series Creator

The Return of Godzilla

1984as Man fleeing from Godzilla (uncredited)

Dragon Ball Z: Cooler's Revenge

1991Novel

Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection 'F'

2015Character Designer, Screenplay

Dragon Ball Z: Super Android 13!

1992Characters

Dragon Ball Z: Dead Zone

1989Novel

Dragon Ball: Curse of the Blood Rubies

1986Comic Book

Dragon Quest: Your Story

2019Character Designer

Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods

2013Characters

Dragon Ball Z: Broly - Second Coming

1994Characters

Dragon Ball: Mystical Adventure

1988Comic Book

Dragon Ball Z: The World's Strongest

1990Novel

Dragon Ball: Sleeping Princess in Devil's Castle

1987Comic Book

Dragon Ball Z: The Return of Cooler

1992Novel

Dragon Ball Z: Lord Slug

1991Characters

Dragon Ball Z: The Tree of Might

1990Characters

Dragon Ball Z: Bio-Broly

1994Characters

Dragon Ball: The Magic Begins

1991Characters

Dragonball: Evolution

2009Comic Book