While fans around the world are in mourning following the announcement of the death of the famous Akira Toriyama, known among other things for the equally famous Dragon Ball saga, we were recently able to discover this posthumous message left by the renowned mangaka.
It was therefore on March 1, 2024 that the legendary Akira Toriyama breathed his last, then aged 68. Sad news which shook fans all over the world following its announcement last week, thus testifying to the influence that the mangaka had thanks to his works, considered true classics of the genre.
We owe him several now cult mangas, such as Dr. Slump, but also and above all Dragon Ball, which is undoubtedly one of the most popular shonens among fans. A saga which gave birth to one of the most popular franchises still today, so much so that after 40 years, the universe imagined by Toriyama continues to endure, since a new anime, entitled Dragon Ball DAIMA, will coming out in just a few months.
This is why the disappearance of the mangaka has sparked strong reactions around the world, giving rise to a multitude of tributes of all kinds. Whether it is from other authors, for example with these declarations from Masashi Kishimoto (Naruto) and Eiichiro Oda (One Piece), but also from the public, like these tens of thousands of Argentine fans who were reunited a few days ago.
And while some are still struggling to dry their tears after the death of the man who rocked an entire generation, we recently learned that Toriyama was preparing to give a speech, recently shared on the networks.
Toriyama’s premonitory message
Akira Toriyama was initially scheduled to receive the “Lifetime Achievement Award” at the Tokyo Anime Award Festival 2024 which was held earlier this month. An event during which the father of Dragon Ball was going to give a speech, shared on the networks.
“To be honest, I never had much interest in anime. Even when my works were adapted into anime format, I ended up being ashamed to admit that I didn’t watch them much, so I apologize to the teams. […] In fact, it is quite embarrassing for me to receive this award for all of my accomplishments during my career. Thank you so much. […]” .
After thanking fans for their support over the decades, Toriyama already seemed to have some concerns about his health.
“Finally, I would like to thank everyone who has helped and supported me all this time. I’m not sure I can do much more, because I’m not very confident about my health, probably because of my lifestyle when I was younger. But I will try my best to create new interesting works, so please continue to support me!”
A message which therefore appears to be prophetic, since the mangaka passed away just a week before being able to share his speech with the rest of the world.
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