Akira Toriyama, who was one of Japan’s leading authors of comics and most famous for the highly successful manga and anime franchise “Dragon Ball,” died on March 1. He was 68.
His death was confirmed on Friday by his manga and design production studio, Bird Studio, and Capsule Corporation Tokyo, which said in a statement that the cause was acute subdural hematoma, when blood collects between the skull and brain.
Mr. Toriyama’s body of work, which also includes “Dr. Slump,” and “Sand Land,” is recognizable far beyond Japan’s borders, influencing generations of manga artists and cartoonists. He had several projects in the works at the time of his death, the studio said.
His best-known work, “Dragon Ball,” follows a young boy named Son Goku embarking on a journey to collect the seven wish-granting Dragon Balls. Since its creation in the 1980s, it has spanned 42 volumes, sold millions of copies worldwide and become one of the most famous manga, inspiring television, film and video game adaptations.
A full obituary will appear soon.