This is a little out of nowhere but I felt the need to post about it.
Yesterday, the creator of Dragon Ball, Akira Toriyama, passed away. He was only 68 years old, and it's just kind of a shock. I can't claim to be a diehard Dragon Ball fan who grew up with all of it. In reality I never saw or cared for it until about a year and a half ago, when some friends took me to see Super Hero in theaters because they were into it and thought it'd be funny to bring me along who knew nothing about it (I'd only recently learned that there were actual objects in the show called Dragon Balls, which I couldn't believe because I'd never once seen a clip from the show that featured them), and I agreed. I had a good time even though I was confused as hell through the whole thing. Then later that night we watched the Super Broly movie which I also agreed to for some reason. Then I felt motivated to start watching Z, and flash forward to now I'm about halfway through the Tournament of Power. I didn't anticipate how much I would come to appreciate this show in a short time, but if it can do this for me, I can only imagine the impact it has had on the millions of people who have grown up along with it.
Akira Toriyama was able to create something really special. It isn't just the impact it's had on individuals, it's the impact on pop culture, anime, and television itself. So I felt compelled to post something here. I don't have much else to say, and I'm not really sure what I'm even trying to say.
Except this: Thank you, Toriyama. You will be missed.