ALBAWABA - Amid the passing of Akira Toriyama, the creator of the iconic Dragon Ball saga and a legendary figure who was an inspiration to many people around the world, Toonami made a short tribute video in remembrance of the late mangaka and illustrator.
The tribute video in question was a 30-second 3D animation video of Toonami's TOM and Sara as they remember Akira Toriyama.
Toonami remembers Akira Toriyama in tribute!
One character is heard saying "Man, losing one of the greatest manga creators of all time really sucks", as the other answered, "Akira Toriyama's influence on the medium will live on forever",
"Back in 98, DBZ put Toonami on the map" and announced that they are paying tribute to Toriyama san by airing a plethora of episodes from Dragon Ball Z Kai from 2 to 6 AM on the program.
The first Dragon Ball episode aired in 1998 on Toonami breaking viewership records and becoming an inspiration to many children and adults across the United States. Dragon Ball didn't only reach Western audiences as it was widely popular in the Middle East and Asia and even got its own Arabic dubbed version!
Fun fact: The Arabic dubbed version aired on a TV channel under the name of Spacetoon which also aired other anime such as Hunter X Hunter, Case Closed, Dragon Quest, and many more!
(Dragon Ball, Toei Animation, Akira Toriyama)
Toriyama san passed away on March 1, 2024, at the age of 68 coming in as a surprise for many fans and colleagues alike as the news shook the anime industry and fandom. Without Dragon Ball, beloved series such as Naruto, One Piece, Bleach and many more wouldn't exist as Akira Toriyama inspired Kishimoto, Oda, and Tite.
