On March 8, while scrolling through TikTok, I happened to come across the news of Akira Toriyama's passing.
At first, I could hardly believe it.
I read it several times before finally accepting that it was true.
On March 1, Akira Toriyama had passed away from an illness, leaving this world forever.
Akira Toriyama was no longer with us.
Dragon Ball Super was still unfinished, and Dragon Ball Daima became his final work.
A powerful ki had vanished.
I felt regret, and heartache too.
But soon, I found some peace.
A human life has an end, but the spirit of Dragon Ball does not.
Though Akira Toriyama was no longer in this world, Dragon Ball would endure.
In another form, Akira Toriyama would live forever in the hearts of every Dragon Ball fan.
He had merely traveled to another world to join Goku, embark on his own adventure, and collect the Dragon Balls.
Childhood, youth, passion, adventure, friendship, battles...
I still remembered when the Super Saiyan first appeared, making the entire anime world pale in comparison.
Forever remembering Dragon Ball, and the eternal Akira Toriyama.
You were so tired. Shenron took you away to rest.
May you rest in peace.
Now, I'd like to share the story of how I discovered Dragon Ball and came to love it.
My first encounter with Dragon Ball was in my first year of middle school.
I had gone to a friend's house to hang out.
My friend was a manga fan and had collected quite a few manga books.
The ones that stood out in my memory were The King of Fighters, Naruto, Dragon Ball, and One Piece.
I was bored, so I pulled out a random volume and flipped through it.
It was Dragon Ball.
I still remembered that it covered