“My Whole Childhood”: ‘Heartbroken’ Sha’Carri Richardson Mourns Passing of Dragon Ball Z Creator Akira Toriyama

On March 1, every 90s kid felt the pain when Akira Toriyama, who created arguably the world’s most renowned anime comic, Dragon Ball Z, took his last breath. The world is mourning the loss of the legendary manga artist who created some iconic characters like Goku of Dragon Ball Z. And who can forget Dr. Slump, who also garnered a huge fan following back in the day.

Fans from around the world are paying homage to the Japanese artist. Joining the list of these ‘fans’ is American track and field sensation Sha’Carri Richardson. Richardson is also one of the avid fans of Dragon Ball Z, and the reigning 100-meter world champion took to social media to express her profound admiration for the creator of her beloved childhood series.

Sha’Carri Richardson joins many devastated fans

Richardson shared Complex’s post on her Instagram story that mentions the passing away of the 68-year-old artist. She penned down a heartfelt note that read, “Legend literally my whole childhood was made watching Dragon Ball Z.” Every anime and comics fan could relate to Sha’Carri Richardson, as he was the one who made many people’s childhoods awesome. But as they say, legends never die, and he has left a tremendous legacy in the form of legendary characters who are going to live forever.

Toriyama was suffering from an acute subdural hematoma, a condition in which there was bleeding happening near his brain. On Friday, his team at Bird Studio released a statement in which they stated that they were deeply saddened to learn of the passing of the artist, and they also added that he was working on several projects that were going to go live in the near future. He created several manga comics in the mid-80s and early 90s that left an indelible mark on the world.

Some of the most iconic masterpieces of Akira Toriyama

The Dragon Ball, considered one of the best-selling manga and anime series of all time, was created by him in 1984. This series gave birth to several video games, series, and films. Characters like Son Goku and several others continue to capture the hearts of fans to date. In 1983, Toriyama put his love for kung fu films into a manga called “Dragon Boy,” which later transformed into Dragon Ball the following year.

Dr. Slump was one of his first and most recognized manga works that made headlines in 1980, and from there on, there was no looking back for him. He just kept going with his projects like Dragon Ball GT, Cowa, Kajika, Sand Land, and the list goes on. He might have left the world, but he has left plenty of memories to cherish and has made some legendary fans like Sha’Carri Richardson.

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