7 mangaka influenced by Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama

Akira Toriyama's influence on the animanga industry has reached far and wide, as he impacted the lives of millions of people around the world, including his fans, celebrities, and even his fellow mangaka.

Over the years, there have been several mangaka who have openly expressed their gratitude to the creator of the legendary Dragon Ball series for influencing their own works.

From the creator of One Piece, Eiichiro Oda, to the creator of Naruto, Masashi Kishimoto, there have been numerous mangaka who mourned the unfortunate death of Akira Toriyama on March 1 and thanked him for his guidance. With that said, let us look at some of the most popular mangaka influenced by him.

Disclaimer: This article reflects the writer's opinions and is ranked in no particular order. Reader's discretion is advised.

Tite Kubo and 6 other popular mangaka who were influenced by Akira Toriyama

1) Eiichiro Oda (One Piece)

Eiichiro Oda was incredibly close to Akira Toriyama (image via Eiichiro Oda/ Toei)

The creator of the legendary One Piece series, Eiichiro Oda is one of the many prominent mangaka who spoke openly about Akira Toriyama's influence on his work. He was extremely close to the Dragon Ball creator, and never missed an opportunity to express his love for Toriyama's work.

After receiving the news of the death of his inspiration, Oda was heartbroken and shared a message on social media, where he reminisced about their time together and recalled the last conversation he had with him. He talked about how he and Kishimoto were both huge admirers of Toriyama ever since they were kids, and how the latter's work had inspired them to become manga artists as well.

2) Masashi Kishimoto (Naruto)

Masashi Kishimoto is one of the most successful mangaka influenced by Akira Toriyama (image via Sportskeeda)

The creator of the renowned Naruto series, Masashi Kishimoto, was one of the few people who successfully managed to follow in Toriyama's footsteps to become one of the most influential and recognized mangaka of all time.

As such, Kishimoto, who was a major admirer of Toriyama's legacy, was deeply saddened by the latter's sudden death. Kishimoto also shared a heartfelt message on social media, where he reflected on the impact that Toriyama and the Dragon Ball series had on his life.

3) Tite Kubo (Bleach)

Tite Kubo was also heavily influenced by Toriyama (image via Sportskeeda)

Tite Kubo, the creator of the Bleach series, had also named Akira Toriyama as a major inspiration for his magnum opus. He was one of the many mangaka who shared a heartfelt eulogy that immortalized Toriyama's legacy.

According to Kubo, a creator does not die as long as their work exists. As such, Toriyama, whose work was a massive part of everyone's childhood, will continue to live on through his legacy.

4) Hiro Mashima (Fairy Tail)

Hiro Mashima is one of the most popular mangaka influenced by Toriyama (image via Sportskeeda)

The mangaka of the popular Fairy Tail series, Hiro Mashima, has gone on record several times to name Akira Toriyama as the inspiration behind his work. He has also stated that he probably wouldn't have aimed to become a manga artist at all, had it not been for Toriyama and his influential Dragon Ball series.

As such, he was incredibly sad upon hearing about his death and paid his respects to his sensei in a heartfelt message on social media.

5) Yusuke Nomura (Blue Lock)

Blue Lock mangaka Yusuke Nomura was one of the many mangaka influenced by Toriyama (Image via Maneyuki Kaneshiro/Yusuke Nomura, Kodansha, Blue Lock)

After learning about Akira Toriyama's demise, Blue Lock creator Yusuke Nomura shared a touching message on social media, where he highlighted the impact that the former had on his life when he was a kid.

Nomura reflected on his elementary school days, where his friends would praise him for copying Dragon Ball after reading Shonen Jump. Additionally, he claimed that Toriyama's influence led him to become a manga artist.

6) Tatsuya Endo (Spy X Family)

Tatsuya Endo has openly stated Akira Toriyama as a major influence on his work (image via Shueisha)

The creator of the massively popular Spy X Family series, Tatsuya Endo, was also one of the many mangaka who was inspired by Akira Toriyama to become a manga artist.

He paid his respects to Toriyama via a message on social media, where he recalled being a kid and looking forward to Dragon Ball every week. He went on to praise Toriyama's legacy and thanked him for his contributions to the animanga industry.

7) Atsushi Suzumi (Venus Versus Virus)

Atsushi Suzumi was inspired by Toriyama to become a manga artist one day (image via Hibari)

Atsushi Suzumi, the creator of the popular Venus Versus Virus series, has been drawing manga since her childhood days after being influenced by Akira Toriyama and Dragon Ball. Despite her initial struggles in the manga industry, she eventually managed to become a successful mangaka following the debut of her Venus Versus Virus manga.

Final thoughts

As evident from the above mentioned manga artists, Toriyama has been a major influence on the animanga industry. Despite his untimely death, his legacy continues to live on in the form of his work, along with all the people he has inspired.