Akira Toriyama, the creator of the best-selling "Dragon Ball" and other popular anime who influenced Japanese comics, has died, his studio said Friday. He was 68.
Toriyama's "Dragon Ball" manga series, which started in 1984, has sold millions of copies globally and was adapted into hugely popular animated TV shows, video games and films.
Toriyama died March 1 of a blood clot in his brain, Bird Studio said in a statement.
"He was working enthusiastically on many projects, and there was still much he was looking forward to accomplishing," the studio wrote.
A new TV adaptation of Toriyama's "Sand Land," a desert adventure story released in 2000 and later adapted into a 2023 anime movie, is due to be released on Disney+ in the spring.
Messages of condolences and grief from fellow creators and fans filled social media.
Eiichiro Oda, creator of the blockbuster manga "One Piece," said Toriyama's presence was like a " More