“This really, really hit me” - IShowSpeed pays tribute to Dragon Ball creator Akira Toriyama

YouTube streamer Darren "IShowSpeed" is deeply passionate about anime and has previously expressed his love for One Piece. Consequently, upon learning about the tragic passing of Akira Toriyama, he was understandably upset. For those unfamiliar, Akira was the esteemed creator of Dragon Ball Z, one of the best-selling Japanese comics of all time.

IShowSpeed delivered a brief tribute to Akira, expressing that he holds Dragon Ball Z dear to his heart as it was a cherished part of his childhood anime experience. He said:

"Imma be honest bro. It hit me it didn't really, really hit (initially) me because you know I watch One Piece a lot. I'm a huge huge One Piece fan, but this really, really hit me (now)."

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"Everybody in the stream grew up watching Dragon Ball Z" - IShowSpeed shares brief speech following Akira Toriyama's passing

IShowSpeed shared a heartfelt tribute to the legendary manga creator Akira Toriyama, who tragically suffered from an acute subdural hematoma, a form of bleeding near the brain. As a mark of respect, Darren said:

"This is sad. I want everybody in the chat right now. Yesterday I saw this post but guys, Goku died man. I grew up bro and I'm sure everybody in the stream grew up watching Dragon Ball Z. I'm pretty sure, 90% of the people in this chat have seen at least one Dragon Ball Z episode. At least one. I don't care how old you are, I want everybody to say, bro, RIP to Akira Toriyama."

IShowSpeed added:

"The creator of Dragon Ball, the creator of Goku, the creator of Trunks, Goten, Monkeys bro, like, he made all of that. I want everybody in the chat to say RIP."

Following the tragic passing of anime creator Akira, UK-based YouTuber and Boxer JJ "KSI" also shared a poignant message in a tribute:

"This man has changed my life, more than he’ll ever know."

JJ shares poignant message following Akira Toriyama's death (Image via X)

Another content creator, Tectone, shared a similar post in which he stated that Akira's works shaped him as a person:

"Dragon ball Z shaped who I was as a person since I was a kid."

OTK's Tectone shares a message following the tragic news (Image via X)

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The news of Akira Toriyama's passing has reverberated across the internet, reaching diverse corners of the online world. Even renowned Italian football club AC Milan paid tribute by posting a picture of two players celebrating with Dragon Ball Z's iconic fusion dance in the wake of the tragic news.