Japanese creator behind wildly popular Dragon Ball series has died aged 68

[sakabatou]

From CNN:

Akira Toriyama, the Japanese manga artist who created the enormously popular and influential Dragon Ball series, died of a brain condition last week at the age of 68, his production studio said Friday.

Toriyama was the mind behind the fantasy martial arts franchise featuring Son Goku, a boy from outer space with superhuman strength and a monkey tail who embarks on a quest for the seven dragon balls.

The Dragon Ball universe remains one of Japan’s most successful global hits, captivating the hearts of many manga-loving teens and adults from around the world since its debut in the 1980s.

Toriyama’s death was announced on Friday by Dragon Ball’s official website in a shared statement from Bird Studio and Capsule Corporation Tokyo.

As a fan of the series (Dragon Ball Z, Super), having watched it on TV on Cartoon Network/Toonami, this hits hard.

[ColinC]

1. Fuck.

This really really hurts.