Dragon Ball Legacy: Buenos Aires Hosts Massive Genki Dama Tribute For Akira Toriyama With 30,000 Fans

On Sunday, thousands gathered at Buenos Aires' Obelisk to pay tribute to Akira Toriyama, the creator of Dragon Ball, who died at 68 due to a sudden illness.

The event drew about 30,000 fans of the iconic anime, which had recently returned with new episodes and films after several decades.

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Notably, attendees performed a "Genki Dama," also known as the Spirit Bomb, a powerful energy attack in the Dragon Ball universe.

Fans symbolically sent their "ki" or energy to Toriyama, reminiscent of iconic moments from the series where characters would gather energy to unleash this technique against formidable foes.

The homage at the Obelisk, a national historic monument and icon of Buenos Aires, featured fans dressed in costumes and served as a display of affection and gratitude for the legacy left by Toriyama through Dragon Ball, a series that has left an indelible mark on global pop culture.

Toriyama, a renowned Japanese mangaka, was born on April 5, 1955, in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture. His death on March 1 was announced by Bird Studio, the company he worked for, through a social media statement, citing acute subdural hematoma as the cause.

"Obelisco":

Porque se juntaron 30 mil fanáticos de Dragon Ball en el Obelisco para hacer una "Genki Dama Másiva" en homenaje a Akira Toriyama.pic.twitter.com/Laa4uMOafG

— Tendencias en Argentina (@porqueTTarg) March 10, 2024

The news of Toriyama's passing was only revealed on Friday, following a Japanese tradition of not confirming the deaths of illustrious figures until some time has passed.

Interestingly, just a few months ago, the historic monument in Buenos Aires was the venue for another display of affection from fervent Argentine fans: in November 2023, over 1000 cosplayers dressed as Spider-Man set the Guinness World Record for the largest gathering of people dressed as the Marvel superhero at a public event.

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Image credits: Enjoy The Life on Shutterstock.