Akira Toriyama
New details revealed about Toriyama’s health problems: “I need a cigarette”
One of Toriyama’s closest assistants talks about the problems the mangaka was already carrying around with him, as well as what it was like to work with him.
Until now, little was known about the cause of Akira Toriyama’s death: an acute subdural hematoma, which is an accumulation of blood between the surface of the brain and the dura mater covering it. However, a report in the Chunichi Shimbun by Atsushi Okamura has revealed more details about what may have caused the hematoma. In a conversation with Takashi Matsuyama, one of his closest assistants in the Dragon Ball series, it was revealed that Toriyama had a brain tumor that he hoped to have operated on this year.
According to the article, Matsuyama-san got married again last fall and asked Toriyama to be his best man, which he happily accepted. At that time, his former boss told him that he would be undergoing surgery for a brain tumor in the new year, saying, “It’s on the outside, so it’s no big deal. He didn’t think anything of it, but Matsuyama remembers struggling to quit smoking: “I need a cigarette,” he had complained.
Matsuyama recounts what it was like to work with Sensei on the Dragon Ball series, a time he holds close to his heart. The two met through a common hobby, model kits. Because of the designer’s talent in this world, Toriyama didn’t hesitate to ask him to join his team: “I want you to help me with the series.” The next day, Matsuyama quit his job at a design agency and moved near Toriyama-san’s house, where he worked.
Matsuyama has nothing but good things to say about the creator of Dr. Slump and Dragon Ball, noting that his “competitive spirit was really out of this world. Their daily routine was to go to the studio in the evening and leave the next day. The two would listen to programs they had recorded from the radio and laugh as they worked. In their free time, they played video games to relax. A free and informal atmosphere, as he defines it. He also emphasizes the admirable attitude of his boss, who inspired him: “Toriyama-san never acted arrogant, but he wouldn’t give an inch. He would stand up to his tough editors with his whole being when it came to his creations. He would sit in front of his desk with pride at the forefront of his mind.”
Matsuyama concludes, “The experience of working with Toriyama-san was like a dream come true,” and states, “I am impressed by the fact that I had the privilege of doing something incredible. Everything I know I learned from him.”