Tributes are continuing to arrive for Akira Toriyama, the late mangaka who created Dragon Ball. My Hero Academia has provided the latest, with a delightful nod in Vol 40 of the manga.
My Hero Academia, like many other franchises, owes a large debt to Toriyama’s work. Not only did Goku and the Z Fighters have a big impact on shonen anime, but Dragon Ball Z’s popularity also paved the way for so many others to enjoy similar success.
Many of thebest animetoday are capitalizing on our enduring love for the collected works of Dragon Ball. As such, they’ve been making reference to Toriyama’s death, and the recently published My Hero Academia Volume 40 contains another heartwarming nod.
Kohei Horikoshi references Frieza & Goku’s staredown in MHA Vol. 40 as a homage to Akira Toriyama!pic.twitter.com/rl34Nwl844
In the book, Prime All for One and All Might are squaring off in a stare down, with the words, “The End of an Era”, added. This is a direct reference to a similar image created by Toriyama, featuring Goku and Frieza.
Honestly, it’s the perfect way to celebrate Toriyama’s work. His work is famously jovial, and Kōhei Horikoshi honors that with something that’s designed to put a smile on our face and remember the joy Toriayama inspired.
So of course, I welled up looking at it, and I imagine you probably did too. Such is the presence Toriyama has in our lives. Check out our guides onhow to watch Dragon BallandDragon Ball Zfor where you can go back to the classic shows.
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Anthony McGlynn is a Senior Anime Writer on Dexerto’s UK team. An expert on animes like Demon Slayer, Solo Leveling and My Hero Academia, he also has over 10 years experience covering games and pop culture for outlets such as Variety, IGN, Den of Geek, PCGamesN, PCGamer, The Digital Fix, and many more. You can contact him at: anthony.mcglynn@dexerto.com
