Akira Toriyama suffered from a brain tumor according to his assistant on Dragon Ball

A former assistant to Akira Toriyama has revealed in a Japanese newspaper that the Dragon Ball creator suffered from a brain tumor before his death.

Akira Toriyama, one of the most influential manga authors of all eras in the pop culture sphere, died on March 1 at the age of 68 from an acute subdural hematoma.

The mangaka was known for his work on Dragon Ball and Dr. Slump, whose influence has marked many generations of authors after him. Authors who did not fail to pay tribute to him following the announcement of his disappearance, in often poignant statements.

Among the members close to Akira Toriyama, we also include Takashi Matsuyama: the man worked for many years as an assistant on the boards of Dragon Ball, and recently made revelations about the state of health of the ‘author.

Akira Toriyama already suffered from a brain tumor

Takashi Matsuyama spoke about his mentor’s health problem in the Japanese newspaper Chunichi, which has since been translated into English.

The article from March 9, 2024 presents the relationship between the author and the assistant, who remained close after the end of the Dragon Ball manga: “At that time, Toriyama told him that he would have an operation for a tumor on his brain in the new year. He talked about it casually, but Matsuyama remembers that he had a hard time quitting.”

The brain tumor is not the official cause of death, but reflects the author’s state of health. The article concludes with the testimony of the former assistant, grateful to the creator of Dragon Ball: “My experience working with Toriyama-san was like a dream come true. I am still struck by the fact that I had the privilege of doing something so incredible. Everything I know, he taught me.”

Since the announcement of the death of Akira Toriyama on March 8, 2024, the testimonies and tributes have not stopped: from American wrestling stars who resume cult movements to the meeting of nearly 30,000 fans in Argentina, all these demonstrations are yet another proof of the impact of the mangaka’s passage.