Akira Toriyama and Dragon Ball Z: An indelible mark

Remembering the memories created because of Dragon Ball Z

Hi,

I came across the news this morning about Akira Toriyama passing away, it came as a shock.

I felt saddened by this news and I was surprised at my own reaction. I normally don't have such feelings for a public figure passing away, but I guess this time the connection was a little too deep to even ignore. I was forced to acknowledge just how much this meant.

To say that DBZ was a critical part of my childhood is an understatement. So much of how I think about life, can be traced to different memories I've created because of the Dragon Ball series or because of where it led me.

I owe a humongous debt of gratitude to Akira Toriyama.

I know I'd be less of a person I'm today if not for Dragon Ball opening so many doors for me, to different worlds.

This is a post trying to share some of the memories that started flowing.

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“Akira Toriyama, the influential Japanese manga artist who created the Dragon Ball series, has died at the age of 68.”

Ever since I came across this piece of news, I’ve been drowning in a tsunami of memories. 

I remember looking forward to rushing back from school  as a young child (6 or 7 years old) to watch Dragon Ball Z on Cartoon Network. I remember sitting in the school van playing DBZ with our hands. It was an upgraded version of rock, paper, scissors. This became our go to game during breaks in the classroom. In hindsight, a mechanism to bond with some of my now close friends. 

After watching Goku beat Vegeta in the clash between Kamehameha and Gallick Gun, 

I remember trying so hard to do the Kamehameha. I remember being scolded by my family because I kept shouting ‘Kaaa Meee Haaa Mee Haaaa’. 

Even now, as a 25 year old, I still sometimes do the Kamehameha movement. 

I remember going on the internet around 8/9 years old so that I could find the Dragon Balls in real life. At the time, I still had the tiniest hope that this rich and imaginative world actually existed and I just needed to find the Dragon Balls and wish for my entry into the realm of the Z warriors. 

The only time I’ve wanted to dye my hair is after I saw Goku become Super Saiyan for the first time against Freeza. I also remember thinking that the way to power up in life is to shout loudly. 

I think about how many times I’ve tried to go Super Saiyan since then. Even as an adult, there have been times where I felt I needed to go ‘Super Saiyan’ to be able to get things done. It became code for going to the “next level”. 

When I started playing games on my computer, I downloaded the Visual Boy Advance, an emulator for GBA games. Apart from Pokémon, the first set of games I played were the Dragon Ball games. I remember the absolute blast I had playing this. 

The only gaming console I’ve ever owned is the PlayStation 2. I think I got it for my 11th birthday. I attached it to a really small and old CRT TV in my room. The 2nd game I purchased was Dragon Ball Z: Budokai Tenkaichi 3. 

Every summer vacation, becoming the best at this game became the objective for me and many of my neighborhood friends. Every day, we would spend hours playing this game and trying to compete against each other. I remember the absolute delight it was to play this game and share this experience with my friends. I got closer to them because of this game. 

I remember playing with soft toys & action figures. I remember imagining intricate storylines leading up to battles between these toys. It was just me, and my imagination running wild and I had so much fun. 

I remember how much I hated Vegeta in the beginning. As I grew older, I remember thinking about the hard work that Vegeta put in. I saw his struggles. I saw his pain. I saw how he got through all of that. I remember how much Goku trusted him. I remember thinking about how much I wanted to be like Goku as a teenager. 

I remember wanting to be a good person. I wanted to be strong, and I wanted to have the kind of adventures Goku had. I wanted to be there for my friends and family like Goku was. I wanted the confidence that Goku had. 

I remember how Dragon Ball opened up an entire new world to me. I remember how it was easy for me to watch Naruto and One Piece when they aired on TV, because it felt familiar. 

I remember reading about how Eiichiro Oda and Masashi Kishimoto were inspired by Dragon Ball and Akira Toriyama. I remember that being the moment when I absolutely became enthralled with the universe of manga and anime. 

A few years back, my friends gifted me this incredible manga-style portrait of me - ‘Manga Nirmal’ is what I’ve come to refer to it as. Manga Nirmal is a reminder of the simple joy that comes with being imaginative with my life. It shows me that life can be rich and delightful. 

There is no Manga Nirmal without Dragon Ball Z.

These different worlds I’ve visited over the past 15 years have shaped so much of how I think of my life and the world around me. These worlds wouldn’t exist without Akira Toriyama. 

In my 20s, I’ve been able to remain imaginative as a person, still retain some childlike wonder, build bonds with people and continue to hope for more adventures. 

All of this can be traced to Akira Toriyama. I’m eternally grateful for this gift I received early on in my life. 

It is hard to admit. The truth is I am saddened by the loss of someone who I didn’t really know, but whose work has left an indelible mark on the trajectory of my life. To quote Oda Sensei: 

May heaven be the joyous world he envisioned.

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Have you watched or read any of Akira Toriyama’s work? What kind of memories do they evoke in you?

Take care,

Nirmal Bhansali