Toonami shared a touching tribute to honor the legacy of Dragon Ball Z creator Akira Toriyama over the weekend, with a special message before its anime marathon.
Toonami aired eight episodes of Dragon Ball Z Kai on March 16 to celebrate the life and work of Toriyama following his tragic death. The intro to the late-night programming block featured Toonami hosts TOM and SARA exchanging a few words about the legendary creator and his impact on the manga and anime industry.
Check out TOM and SARA's tribute to Akira Toriyama during tonight's #Toonami intro! pic.twitter.com/L3LC7yHg2k
— Swimpedia (@swimpedia) March 17, 2024
"Man, losing one of the greatest manga creators of all time really sucks," TOM says in the clip, with SARA then adding: "But Akira Toriyama's monumental influence on the medium will live on forever."
"Back in '98, Dragon Ball Z put Toonami on the map," TOM continues during his moment of reflection, as SARA chimes in: "And the Dragon Ball franchise has been our rock ever since."
"So tonight, with heavy hearts, we're paying tribute to Toriyama-san," TOM concludes, leaving SARA to share the marathon details as the screen displays a tribute card for Toriyama.
Dragon Ball Z Kai premiered in 2009 and is a recut version of the anime series Dragon Ball Z released to commemorate the anime's 20th anniversary. Alongside recutting the original series, Dragon Ball Z Kai also served as a remaster that improved the visuals and animation and included re-recorded dialogue.
Toriyama died earlier this month at the age of 68 due to an acute subdural hematoma. While Dragon Ball Z was not Toriyama's first project, it is arguably one of his most beloved creations, as Dragon Ball Z (and by extension, the greater Dragon Ball franchise) played an influential role in the anime and gaming industries.
Adele Ankers-Range is a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. You can follow her on X/Twitter @AdeleAnkers.
