One Friday afternoon, when I was 8 years old, I headed on over to my cousin's house after school. We lived a block away from each other for 25 years, and I'd be eager to forget the stresses of class every weekend to spend some time with him. This time, however, he was distracted. I could not so much as get in a "Hey" before he'd shush me, and say he'd be free in a few minutes. There he sat, glued to the Television like he was watching a race horse he bet a fortune on. On the TV screen was something that immediately caught my eye; an animation style unlike anything I'd ever seen, and an action sequence that only took seconds to draw me in. He was watching Toonami's Dragon Ball Z, and quite frankly, I don't believe it's an exaggeration to say that from that moment on, my life would never be the same.
Akira Toriyama's contribution to the Japanese entertainment industry, western anime influence and the hearts of millions cannot be overstated. And never have I felt more saddened by a celebrity's passing. It's impossible for me to write anything that properly pays homage to him, and it's impossible to perfectly articulate just how much his influence shaped me into who I am today. I could go on and on about what he's done for history of entertainment, but I can't imagine there is a single person alive who doesn't have some inkling. And even if they have never heard his name before, they sure as Hell have heard of Dragon Ball. Even my parents, who to this day don't even fully understand what anime means, will be able to tell you what Dragon Ball is, and who Goku is. It only took one year for me to tell them that all I wanted for my Birthday that year was Dragon Ball stuff.
Dragon Ball made its mark for so many reasons. For many, it was the sheer thrills and over-the-top action sequences that made us all want to be Goku, Vegeta, Piccolo and the others, fighting for good and kicking ass in the process. Goku was the ultimate power fantasy, embodying not only strength of might but of character. There are many, myself included, who grew up leading by Son Goku's example. I would often ask myself what Goku would do when put in a morally ambiguous situation. His determination to always better himself kept me going through even the hardest times of my life.
But of course, he was responsible for so much more. It's a testament to his influence that we can cite so many different examples of his work that touched us. But for me, I don't think anything he ever achieved could outweigh his work on a certain video game. Dragon Ball followed me my whole life, and to this day, I still show up for the premieres of every new theatrical release. If you had asked me as a kid, I would not hesitate to say that no series would ever mean more to me. But it was my love for Dragon Ball that lead to something even more important. When I was 18, I began to grow immersed in video game journalism. I would frequent websites like IGN every day to learn more about the industry and to read reviews that would inspire me to make new game purchases. And I can tell you beyond any shadow of a doubt that if it weren't for Toriyama's art style, and a headline from IGN's former Mark Bozon, I never would have clicked the link to a review for a game called Chrono Trigger.
Mark's headline lauded it as one of the greatest games ever made, and while that certainly piqued my interest, it was seeing a game that looked like Dragon Ball that convinced me I simply had to try it. I was not familiar with Dragon Quest at the time, so yes, Chrono Trigger was indeed the first time I had ever seen Toriyama's iconic style used in a video game. A game that looked like my favorite TV show ever? How could I resist. Chrono Trigger is one of very few games I have ever bought on a whim. I have Toriyama to thank for introducing me to a game that has become so nestled deeply in my heart that it's become my namesake. He is a member of the iconic Dream Team, the group of development titans who helped bring the game together. Many would argue he's the face of the game; the front door if you will to which all are drawn in.
I wanted to become a writer after playing Chrono Trigger (A dream that is still my grandest today) I got into video game journalism because of Chrono Trigger. If its influence solely ended there I'd still cherish it more than any other game, but it goes even deeper than that. 8 years ago, when I decided to return to Twitch streaming, I donned a new screen name: ChronoKatie. And with that new screen name, I needed a new brand. I was no artist, so I asked one of my viewers if they would be interested in creating artwork for me in the style of Toriyama's. That artist was a boy named Raul, and next year I'm going to marry him.
And all of it leads back to Akira Toriyama. I never met the man. Hell, I never even came close, but if I may be so bold, I think it's stories like this that he'd want to see beyond his death. I have no doubt that in this moment, Toriyama would want to see us smiling, reflecting on the journey he took us on. His sense of imagination and wonder is impossible to measure. The man was unquestionably a kid at heart, but I believe his beauty went beyond even that.
With Toriyama, you always got the sense that he never took his work for granted. He never made it about him. He was hardly ever in the limelight. I have no doubt that creating the worlds of Dr. Slump, Dragon Ball, Dragon Quest, Chrono Trigger and more was never a job in his eyes. He maintained the heart of a creator until the very end. I'm sure there were times when the work stressed him out, or he felt lost in his vision, but he never let it show in the fiction itself. To my mind, the works of Dragon Ball showed that he never stopped seeing the joy and fun in being an artist.
Dragon Ball itself is a testament to that. So many will remember it for its sense of action, but to me, Dragon Ball was always about the adventure, a charm that even in its heavier Z days was never lost. Toriyama was never afraid to introduce whacky new plot elements or plot twists that were impossible to predict. I have a ton of respect for that. Even up until Dragon Ball Super, I'd still see those moments of bizarre and unique storytelling that I'd turn to my friends and go, "Oh yeah, that is so Toriyama." His art style has become so iconic that I think if you took 10 different art styles from legendary artists and asked someone to guess who drew what, every single person would immediately know the Toriyama illustration. It cannot be stressed enough just how well he achieved such a memorable and effective style while still keeping it so simple and consistent.
But I don't want the world to sleep on his storytelling skills either. Perhaps it's because of Dragon Ball Z's emphasis on action that the series is often looked down up on for its writing, but I would argue Toriyama was a masterful storyteller in a few respects. The character arc of Vegeta is a particularly strong example. In fact, thanks to that character's story and a few videos that dissect it by Toriyama super-fan TotallyNotMark, I've come to realize how the depth of Vegeta's character has helped inspire deeper writing in my own characters. I hope Toriyama would be happy to know how artists and creators he's helped shape in this day and age. He was also quick to admit that he was always writing Dragon Ball by the seat of his pants, only coming up with whatever he thought could be fun at the time. I can't stress how difficult it can be to write this way, but he pulled it off brilliantly, and I have so much respect for his transparency in this writing style, and for being so modest.
The man knew how to hype up a confrontation as well. Despite the villains being rather one-dimensional, Toriyama utilized them to their maximum potential, creating simple but incredibly effective story arcs of good vs. evil. If Dragon Ball was seen as a story for a younger audience, then I would argue this was some of the most enthralling and influential content a younger audience could possibly consume. And none of that even touches on his sense of adventure and the whimsical. While Dragon Ball was of course inspired by Journey to the West, Toriyama broke far beyond that simple comparison by crafting some of the most memorable, quotable and entertaining characters in the industry.
There is so much more I can say. About how his sense of sentimentality lead to him almost quitting drawing because he lost his original pen holder; About his heartfelt message when he had his first son, and how he saw him as an excuse to go to the toy store more often. I encourage everyone to browse the internet during this time to read his story. But I believe that by sharing the stories of how Toriyama influenced us, we illustrate how monumental his life was. And I can say without any exaggeration that Toriyama helped shape me into who I am. I am not just thankful to him for introducing me to the likes of Dragon Ball and Chrono Trigger, I'm thankful to him for reminding us that we should never lose our sense of fun and adventure when creating art. I don't think Toriyama ever took anything too seriously. You can't see what he created and think for one second that he wasn't having fun. His only verbal contribution to Chrono Trigger, in fact, is a message for his kids, rather than anything about himself. He was a pure soul.
The Japanese entertainment industry lost a Walt Disney. If the Dream Team were rockstars then the world of video games lost a member of the Beatles. Toriyama was a treasure. His presence in my life felt so strong that somewhere in my head I simply assumed he'd live on forever. Perhaps it's moments like this that remind me that even our heroes are human, but it's also moments like this that prove his presence is indeed eternal. He'll live on in the hearts of pop culture, in burgeoning artists, in lovers of manga, anime, and video games, and of course, in those who dream to create. I can't begin to articulate how much his contribution to the world has meant to me. I hope that wherever you are, Toriyama-san, you know that you brought us on a journey, one from which we never stopped smiling. Thank you.
And P.S. Say hi to King Yemma for us.
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