Akira Toriyama was suffering from brain tumor confirms Dragon Ball creator’s assistant

An old assistant for Akira Toriyama revealed in a Japanese newspaper that the Dragon Ball creator was suffering from a brain tumor before his death.

Akira Toriyama, one of the most influential manga authors ever, died on March 1 at the age of 68 from an acute subdural hematoma.

Toriyama was known for his work on Dragon Ball and Dr. Slump, which influenced the art form for generations. In the wake of his death, many current manga artists came forward to say just how much Goko and his adventures inspired their work.

One of Toriyama’s contemporaries, Takashi Matsuyama who worked as an assistant under the Dragon Ball author for years, has revealed that he had been dealing with a brain tumor before his death.

Akira Toriyama suffered from a brain tumor

Matsuyama came forward about his mentor’s medical issue in the Japanese newspaper, Chunichi Shimbun.

“At that time, Toriyama told him that he would be undergoing surgery for a brain tumor in the new year,” the newspaper shared. “He was nonchalant about it, but Matsuyama recalls him struggling with quitting smoking,” the newspaper said via translation.

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Matsuyama and Toriyama were also close friends as well as coworkers as he was also a witness at the Dragon Ball creator’s wedding.

While not his official cause of death, the brain tumor speaks to the author’s health status.

In the wake of Toriyama’s passing, fans of his work have also come forward to pay tribute to the author. Thousands have gathered to pay homage to the creator in Argentina and other Latin American countries, who have a particular affinity for the Dragon Ball series.