Cartoon Network Pays Tribute to Dragon Ball Creator Akira Toriyama

Cartoon Network and Adult Swim pay homage to Dragon Ball's Akira Toriyama following his tragic passing.

By Evan Valentine

The world is in mourning following the tragic news that Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama passed at the age of 68. Toriyama's works helped to introduce countless viewers to the world of anime, as the story of Goku and the Z-Fighters resonated with countless fans. With Dragon Ball Z helping to build the Cartoon Network programming block, Toonami, and continuing to be a part of Adult Swim, the cable channel has paid a touching tribute to Akira Toriyama and the shonen franchise as a whole.

In 1998, Cartoon Network first began airing reruns of Dragon Ball Z's English Dub. The anime became such a success for the network, that the channel worked with Funimation to resume production on the series and dub the installments of the series that had never made the leap from Japan to North America. Since helping to build Toonami, the Dragon Ball franchise brought both its first anime series and its sequel, Dragon Ball Super, to Cartoon Network and continues to air reruns to this day. With Dragon Ball Daima set to air later this year, the idea that it will eventually arrive on Toonami isn't entirely out of the question.

Cartoon Network And Adult Swim Honor Toriyama

While Adult Swim shared images from Toriyama's work, Cartoon Network specifically shared a message to honor the Dragon Ball creator, "Rest in peace to the manga legend Akira Toriyama. The artistry and monumental impact of Dragon Ball will live on in the hearts of fans and creators for generations to come."

Dragon Ball hasn't been the only anime to help build Toonami, as Naruto was also a major element in assisting Cartoon Network's foray into the world of anime. In a recent tribute, Naruto creator Masashi Kishimoto also honored Akira Toriyama in a touching statement.

"I honestly don't know what to write about this sudden event. But for now, I would like to share my thoughts and feelings that I had hoped for one day Mr. Toriyama would ask me about it. I grew up with his manga, Dr. Slump in the lower grades of elementary school and Dragon Ball in the upper grades, and it was natural for me to have his manga as a part of my life. Even when I was having a bad day, the weekly Dragon Ball made me forget about it. As a country boy with nothing, that was a relief to me. I really enjoyed Dragon Ball too much! I was a college student. Suddenly, Dragon Ball, which had been a part of my life for so many years, came to an end. I felt a tremendous sense of loss and didn't know what to look forward to."

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