In the wake of the heartbreaking demise of Akira Toriyama, details about the health challenges faced by the late creator of Dragon Ball have surfaced, shared by close friends and colleagues shedding light on his struggles.
Comedian Tomohide Ohkawa, who enjoyed a 16-year friendship with Toriyama, divulged some insights in an interview with Sponichi Annex.
Ohkawa revealed that Toriyama didn’t grapple with any severe health issues until 2022. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Toriyama was hospitalized, and in April 2023, he reached out to Ohkawa via email discussing the potential hospitalization for a brain tumor.
Subsequently, in February 2024, Toriyama underwent brain surgery to remove the tumor. Ohkawa, however, remains uncertain about the connection between this event and Toriyama’s untimely death on March 1.
Another perspective on Toriyama’s health came from Takao Koyama, an anime screenwriter who contributed to various Dragon Ball anime TV series.
On the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Koyama shared a statement indicating Toriyama’s poor health dating back to the previous year, possibly linked to the brain tumor.
He mentioned a “subdural hematoma” and expressed empathy, hinting at a possible head injury. Koyama, who had his own health struggles with gangrene in 2023, sympathized with Toriyama’s ordeal and thanked him for playing a pivotal role in launching his writing career.
Koyama acknowledged Toriyama’s significant impact on his life as a screenwriter, attributing the success of his career to the inclusion of his work in Dr. Slump Arale-chan and the subsequent formation of the organization ‘Brother Noppo,’ all of which Toriyama greatly influenced.
Following the official announcement of Toriyama’s passing on March 7, 2024, tributes from fans and industry veterans poured in.
Eiichiro Oda of One Piece and Tite Kubo of Bleach, alongside numerous others in the anime and manga community, released heartfelt statements praising Toriyama’s influential body of work and expressing deep sorrow over his demise.
The impact of Toriyama’s legacy resonates not only in his creations but also in the lives of those he inspired and collaborated with throughout his illustrious career.