「ドラゴンボール」「Dr.スランプ アラレちゃん」などで知られる漫画家の鳥山明（とりやま・あきら）さんが1日、急性硬膜下血腫のため死去した。68歳。愛知県出身。週刊少年ジャンプの公式サイト及び「ドラゴンボール」の公式サイトで8日、発表された。
www.sponichi.co.jp
Translated by ChatGPT3.5. Comedian who knew AT for 16 years says AT told him in April 2023 that he might need brain surgery, but he also said he was fine. He sent a NY greeting in 2024 and the comedian heard AT had tumour removal surgery in February 2024. AT was also hospitalised back in 2022. He had no smartphone, smoked and was unpretentious. They met at a visual kei concert in 2007-2008, so maybe AT went to see bands?:
Manga artist Akira Toriyama (とりやま・あきら), known for works such as "Dragon Ball" and "Dr. Slump Arale-chan," passed away on the 1st due to an acute subdural hematoma. He was 68 years old and originally from Aichi Prefecture. The announcement was made on the official website of Weekly Shonen Jump and the official website of "Dragon Ball" on the 8th.
Comedian duo "Chicken Nanban" member Tomohide Okawa (45), who had a personal relationship with Toriyama for over 16 years, responded to an interview with our paper on the 8th, saying, "He was gentle and unassuming," revealing details about his personality and recent circumstances, "He expressed concern about his health in an email last April."
Okawa recalled the first meeting with Toriyama, saying, "In 2007 or 2008, he came to see a live performance of the band jealkb (ジュアルケービー), led by Rombu Jun." Okawa himself participated in the band as a guitarist under the name "ediee" (エディ). They had meals together in Toriyama's hometown of Nagoya, where Toriyama showed his true nature, saying, "As a joke, he would say, 'I have more money than you,' to prevent me from paying. He was truly kind and unpretentious."
According to Okawa, Toriyama did not have a smartphone or a flip phone. "I think he didn't like complicated things and felt that it would intrude on his privacy," said Okawa. They always communicated via email on the computer. Okawa also revealed, "Last April, I received an email saying, 'I might have to have a brain surgery,' and I was really worried. But it also said, 'I'm fine,' so I couldn't have predicted this sudden turn of events."
Describing Toriyama as "an ordinary uncle" who usually wore "T-shirts, jeans, sneakers, and a small pouch," Okawa added, "He was a heavy smoker, smoking a pack a day." Although there were no reports of poor health during their interactions, Okawa recalled, "I heard that he had brain tumor surgery in February this year."
One of the reasons Toriyama avoided public appearances was that "he didn't want to be associated with a certain image." Even after the serialization of Dragon Ball ended, Toriyama remained busy with creative activities, such as creating characters for Dragon Quest.
"He was an ordinary uncle," "He didn't like talking about work," "He had a lot of plastic models at home," "He said, 'To create new characters, you have to keep forgetting,'" "He was hospitalized in 2022 during the pandemic," "The last email exchange was in April last year, but I received a New Year's greeting," Okawa reminisced about the 16 years of interaction with Toriyama, finding his sudden departure deeply nostalgic and unexpected.
