Il Messaggiere - Japan's manga powerhouse 'Dragon Ball' turns 40

The original "Dragon Ball" manga was first serialised on November 20, 1984, featuring a boy named Son Goku who collects magical balls containing dragons to help protect the Earth.

The comic books have since sold more than 260 million copies in Japan and worldwide, according to publisher Shueisha.

Toriyama died aged 68 in March because of a blood clot on his brain, sparking an outpouring of grief from fans, including tributes from world leaders.

The first part of the manga series was turned into an anime for TV also called "Dragon Ball" from 1986. Dubbed in different languages, the show captured children's hearts with its madcap battles.

"Dragon Ball Z", an adaptation of the later part of the manga, took the series' popularity to even greater heights.

Films, video games and other spin-offs followed as the franchise grew into a global phenomenon.

"Happy birthday to Goku and all his friends. And eternal farewell to Akira Toriyama," anime fan account Catsuka said on its X page, which boasts more than 230,000 followers.

The franchise is particularly popular in Latin America, and several tributes appeared in Spanish on Instagram, including from a Mexican newspaper.

"It's a seminal work that celebrates victory gained through friendship and hard work. I think the simplicity of the story has been an important factor in the series' success," 19-year-old student Tsutomu Tanaka told AFP in Tokyo.

The latest anime series in the franchise, "Dragon Ball Daima", began airing last month, and Saudi Arabia has announced it will build the world's first "Dragon Ball" theme park.

"The commercial machine is already there" for "Dragon Ball", said journalist and anime expert Tadashi Sudo.

But while the popularity of the franchise is secure in the short-term, "the challenge remains whether it can maintain its creativity without Toriyama".

V.Agnellini--IM