[Global Times Special Correspondent Dong Ming Zhuang Yu] The news of the death of the famous Japanese cartoonist Akira Toriyama triggered condolences around the world. Not only the ACG (animation and game industry) and the film industry, but also politicians and celebrities from many countries expressed regret for his unexpected death. , and countless comic fans, movie fans and game fans use their own ways to remember Akira Toriyama and recall the happiness he brought to their childhood. As the master creator of Japanese comics, Akira Toriyama's pen gave birth to "Arale", "Dragon Ball" and "Dragon Quest". His influence has long transcended national borders, and his departure also means that Japanese comics have turned over a new chapter. era.
"Cunning, cute, poisonous, and humble"
"Nihon Keizai Shimbun" said on the 9th that Akira Toriyama's masterpiece is "Dragon Ball", which is widely popular for its exquisitely designed characters and gripping real fighting scenes. And became synonymous with Japanese "shounen comics". Akira Toriyama is not only talented in comic creation, but also in the character design of the game "Dragon Quest". Akira Toriyama continues to influence many current Japanese manga artists, including One Piece author Eiichiro Oda. Katsura Masakazu, a contemporary cartoonist of Akira Toriyama, recalled: "He was an interesting person. Cunning, cute, sharp-tongued, humble... Before I had surgery last year, we exchanged emails."
Written by Akira Toriyama The classic comic book "Dragon Ball". Source: Japanese media
"Mainichi Shimbun" said on the 9th that Akira Toriyama spread Japanese comic culture to all over the world. Although he rarely appeared in public during his lifetime, his simple and unpretentious personality made him deeply loved by his fellow comics. All the staff of the editorial department of Shueisha's Jump magazine, which is responsible for serializing Akira Toriyama's works, issued a joint tribute: "I would like to use this article to praise the great achievements of Akira Toriyama, express my gratitude to the teacher, and pray for the teacher."
"Sankei" News" commented on the 9th that Akira Toriyama is an epoch-making Japanese cartoonist. The reason why Japanese comics are sweeping the world today is that Akira Toriyama's "Dragon Ball" has played a huge role. Many people feel surprised when they first come across Toriyama Akira's works as children, and they become important treasures that affect their lives.
"Hot-Blooded Fighting Comics"
Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mao Ning said at a regular press conference on the 8th that China expresses deep condolences for the death of Mr. Toriyama Akira and expresses sincere condolences to his family. Mr. Toriyama is a famous cartoonist. , his works are also very popular in China. "I noticed that many Chinese netizens also expressed condolences for his death. We expect and believe that more knowledgeable people in Japan will actively participate in Sino-Japanese cultural exchanges and the mutual benefit between the two countries." friendly cause".
Chinese filmmakers such as Jackie Chan, Stephen Chow, Kwok Fan, Wen Muye and Yi Xiaoxing have used comics and photos to commemorate the comic master who influenced them. Jackie Chan posted an early photo of himself and Akira Toriyama: "Mr. Akira Toriyama, thank you for creating so many classic works. They will always be with the world. May they go well." Stephen Chow also expressed his condolences to Akira Toriyama on social platforms. The accompanying picture is a poster drawn by Akira Toriyama when the movie "Journey to the West: Conquer the Demons" was released in Japan.
French President Macron, a veteran comics enthusiast, also posted on social media the Dragon Ball comics that Akira Toriyama gave him when he visited Japan in 2021. At French Ligue 1 matches, fan associations often display huge "Dragon Ball" graphics to cheer for the team. In Mexico, there are open-air theaters at city halls to watch the "Dragon Ball" movie, and gangs even call a truce in memory of Akira Toriyama. It can be seen that Akira Toriyama's influence has long transcended national boundaries and has become a messenger of cultural exchange and dissemination. This is because of Akira Toriyama's own international vision and pattern.
Akira Toriyama, who debuted in 1978, drew "Arale" in 1980, and began serializing "Dragon Ball" in 1984, is very fond of Chinese culture and kung fu. He has personally traveled to various parts of China to collect styles, and was inspired by "Journey to the West" and "Drunken Master" Inspired by "Drunken Master", even the names, moves and props of Sun Wukong and Jackie Chan were directly used in the comics. The appearance of grandfather Sun Wuhan and the villain Tao Baibai also paid tribute to "Drunken Master". It's no wonder that Akira Toriyama is similar in age. Jackie Chan cherishes each other.
Japan's "Sports News" website stated on the 9th that Akira Toriyama is an "inventor" who has left a mark in the history of Japanese comics. In fighting comics in the 1980s, many characters either fought with bare hands or used weapons or magic. However, Toriyama Akira invented the "turtle style Qigong" that can emit energy from his hands. In addition, Toriyama also introduced "combat power detection glasses" in the comics to visualize the enemy's combat value, making it easier for readers to understand the differences in the combat power of different comic characters. This technique of expression had a significant impact on subsequent fighting comics.
The influence of Akira Toriyama's works in the field of pop culture has spread all over the world. The global sales record of "Dragon Ball" exceeding 250 million copies is only matched by "One Piece". His groundbreaking "Hot-Blooded Fighting Comic" has already become a textbook for many painters to study and study. . In particular, Toriyama's original visual storyboarding technique has not only attracted many students in Japan, but also influenced a new generation of American and European comics authors. He can be called another world-class comics master after Osamu Tezuka.
There are still traces of "black workshops" in the entire industry
Although the comic "Dragon Ball" has been serialized long ago, it is still being animated and put on the big screen. It has been made into a movie by Hollywood, and other creators are also producing "Dragon Ball Super" and so on. The long-term commercial layout of sequels, theatrical versions and various games can be called the epitome of the Japanese animation industry. According to statistics, as of 2023, the total sales of "Dragon Ball"-related merchandise has reached 144.5 billion yen (approximately 7 billion yuan).
"Hollywood Reporter" made an in-depth analysis of the history and development of Japanese comic communication: "This once subcultural type has now become a global entertainment product driven by streaming media. From 2009 to 2019, The total market value of the Japanese animation industry has doubled to US$22.1 billion."
However, as the generation of manga creators such as Akira Toriyama, Masakazu Katsura, Masami Kurumada, and Tsukasa Hojo gradually reduce their output or even stop writing, the new generation of authors are affected by Due to the influence of Internet communication, Japanese comics have also undergone significant changes in recent years. If you want to ask who's masterpiece or IP can rival Toriyama's "Dragon Ball" and continue to promote Japanese comics to the world, except for well-known IPs such as "Naruto" and "One Piece", perhaps most people will only think of refreshing during the epidemic. "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba," the box office record.
As a rare "hot-blooded growth comic" nowadays, "Demon Slayer" has a large number of fans around the world with its well-made special effects and vivid and full characters. However, judging from the overall proportion, simple and crude themes such as "Rebirth in Another World" and "Light Novel Manga Adaptation" have become the mainstream of the market. This has also caused the narrative ability of many Japanese comic authors to decline significantly compared to their predecessors such as Akira Toriyama. Of course, this is also related to the problems existing in the Japanese comic industry itself. For example, the production scale is relatively small, many studios have violated labor regulations and other scandals, coupled with the bottleneck period in terms of subject matter, resulting in the "difficulty" of producing contemporary Japanese comic masterpieces. With the increasing number of new creators, this problem may be solved in the future.
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