Dragon Ball Z booth is seen during New York Comic Con at the Jacob K Javits Convention Center on Oct 12, 2023, in New York. (PHOTO / AP)

Manga artist Akira Toriyama, known for works such as Dragon Ball and Dr. Slump, was confirmed to have passed away due to acute subdural hematoma. 

The announcement was made by the publishing firm Shueisha on Friday. He died on March 1 at the age of 68. A funeral service was held with his family and close relatives. 

Akira Toriyama is pictured in 1982. Toriyama, the creator of one of Japan's best-selling “Dragon Ball” and other popular anime who influenced Japanese comics, has died, his studio said on March 8, 2024. (PHOTO / KYODO NEWS VIA AP)

“It’s our deep regret that he still had several works in the middle of creation with great enthusiasm … We hope that Akira Toriyama’s unique world of creation continues to be loved by everyone for a long time to come,” said an announcement posted on the Dragon Ball official site. 

READ MORE: Creator of Space Battleship Yamato Matsumoto dies at 85

Born in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture in 1955, Toriyama made his debut with Wonder Island, which was serialized in Shueisha’s popular Japanese magazine Weekly Shonen Jump in 1978. His series Dr. Slump, which began in 1980, became a major hit. He won the Shogakukan Manga Award, one of Japan’s major manga awards, for Dr. Slump in 1982. 

READ MORE: HK comics artist wins global manga award

His iconic series Dragon Ball, which debuted in 1984 in Weekly Shonen Jump, achieved global recognition through translations and publications. The franchise expanded its reach into anime, spanning feature films and TV series, alongside ventures into video games and merchandise featuring its beloved characters. 

He had worldwide fans and won a special award at the Angouleme International Comics Festival in France in 2013. 

READ MORE: 'Kung Fu Panda' is back with help from 'The Six Million Dollar Man'

After learning about his death, a Chinese reader said on WeChat: “I sit beneath the sun-drenched window, reminiscing about those youthful days. Toriyama rides a divine dragon and departs. In Dragon Ball, there are too many regrets, just like the youth of oneself.”

Contact the writer at jiangxueqing@chinadaily.com.cn