Renowned Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama passes away at the age of 68.

Akira Toriyama, the esteemed Japanese manga comic creator celebrated for his iconic Dragon Ball series, which inspired beloved films, video games, and TV shows, passed away on March 1 due to a blood clot in his brain, as announced by his production studio on Friday. He was 68.

Dragon Ball, a captivating martial arts fantasy saga tracing the adventures of Son Goku in his quest for the mystical dragon balls, draws inspiration from a 16th-century Chinese novel and boasts a vast following.

Initially serialized in the Weekly Shonen Jump comic magazine in 1984, Dragon Ball swiftly evolved into movies, video games, and television series distributed across over 80 countries.

The news of Toriyama’s passing quickly became a top trending topic on the social media platform Weibo, garnering 450 million views.

Toriyama was also recognized for his contributions as a character and monster designer for the immensely popular role-playing game series Dragon Quest.

Numerous fans, as well as Japan’s top government spokesperson, Yoshimasa Hayashi, honored Toriyama and acknowledged the profound global impact of his creations.

Hayashi emphasized to reporters on Friday that Toriyama played an “exceptionally significant role in showcasing Japan’s soft power.”

“We will never forget Akira Toriyama for the gift he left on this earth. I can’t imagine a world without Dragon Ball,” a fan wrote in section below the post.

“Mr. Toriyama’s work has led to the widespread recognition of Japan’s content around the world,” he added.