Danica Davidson
March 15, 2024 
The unexpected death of Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama shook the anime and manga world and beyond. Now Toonami has declared it will honor Toriyama with a marathon of Dragon Ball Z Kai episodes this weekend.
Toonami said on Facebook:
As a tribute to anime legend Akira Toriyama (1955-2024) we’re celebrating his legacy Saturday night with a DBZ Kai marathon from 2a to 6a. May he rest in Super Saiyan power.
While it says Saturday, it’s technically early Sunday morning.
Toriyama passed away at the very beginning of March, though this wasn’t made public until a little later. His cause of death is listed as subdural hematoma. The Cleveland Clinic explains:
A subdural hematoma is a type of bleeding inside your head. It happens when blood collects under the dura mater, one of the layers of tissue that protect your brain. It most often happens from a head injury and can be fatal.
Tributes have been pouring out for Toriyama, including from the creators of Naruto and One Piece.
Dragon Ball Z Kai is an edited version of Dragon Ball Z, which shortens and cuts some of the anime series, making it closer to Toriyama’s original manga. VIZ Media publishes the original Dragon Ball Z manga, and gave this description for the first volume:
Son Goku is the greatest hero on Earth. Five years after defeating the demon king Piccolo, he’s grown up and had a family–he’s married, and he has a child, Son Gohan. But what is the real reason for Goku’s incredible strength? A visitor from outer space arrives bearing terrible news–Goku is an alien, and the visitor, Raditz, is Goku’s brother! When Raditz turns out to be a ruthless killer, Goku must fight his incredibly strong brother to save his family and the entire human race. A surprising alliance may be Earth’s last hope: Goku will team up with his old enemy Piccolo…archenemies united to save the world!
Source: ANN
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Danica Davidson is the author of the bestselling Manga Art for Beginners with artist Melanie Westin, plus its sequel, Manga Art for Everyone, and the first-of-its-kind manga chalk book Chalk Art Manga, both illustrated by professional Japanese mangaka Rena Saiya. Check out her other comics and books at www.danicadavidson.com.
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