Should women be pushed aside in the name of Dragon Ball? Or can some form of conciliation avert a showdown?
That’s the drama brewing within the manga world in the wake of Akira Toriyama’s sudden death on March 1, which was publicly announced on March 8.
Toriyama’s death at the age of 68, which came as many of the millions of Dragon Ball fans did not even know he was ill, prompted many calls for mourning the creator of the popular manga series.
A petition on change.org to declare March 8 International Dragon Ball Day has more than 270,000 signatures as of Sunday morning.
A translated version of petition organizer Daniel Martinez’s call for the day to be named as Dragon Ball Day notes that the concept “affects millions of fans of the series around the world, as well as the creative and cultural community.”
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The post adds: “Dragon Ball has been an integral part of the childhood and life of many, inspiring values of friendship, courage and self-improvement. This initiative would honor not only Akira Toriyama’s legacy, but also the deep emotional connection that fans have with the series.”
“What is at stake is the opportunity to formally recognize Dragon Ball’s cultural impact and lasting influence on society,” Martinez wrote. “Establishing March 8 as Dragon Ball Day would send a clear message about the importance of creativity, entertainment, and pop culture in people’s lives.”
“Additionally, this measure would help keep Akira Toriyama’s memory and his contribution to the world of entertainment alive,” he noted.
Yo guys there is a petition to make march 8th international dragon ball day which is the day all us fans of dragon ball heard the news of toriyamas passing! lets make it a day to celebrate for the future cause of toriyama! Sign the Petition! https://t.co/zHfVu6L0KN via @Change
— 🦖Dandylion☘️ (@ThatDorkAndy) March 17, 2024
Were you ever a fan of Dragon Ball?
But there is a problem, according to Daniel Kurland over at CBR who wrote that “a miscalculation has turned the would-be celebratory gesture into what many perceive as a tone-deaf endeavor.”
March 8 is International Women’s Day, and Kurland noted there is a hubbub over trying to give Dragon Ball pride of place over women’s rights.
Noting that Toriyama’s passing was March 1, Kurland suggested perhaps a different date might be more significant and appropriate.
He suggested March 18, which is “officially recognized as Saiyan Day” due to the numerals in the date, be used to honor Drgaon Ball, which included the Saiyans as a warrior race.
Kurland suggested “a safer approach might have been to codify this unofficial holiday into a proper International Dragon Ball Day.”
“As fans around the globe already celebrate Dragon Ball on this day, some have said that it seems counter-productive to have two Dragon Ball holidays in the same month,” he wrote.
Because dates are often knee-deep in holidays, there might be room for different people to celebrate different things.
According to the website Nationaltoday.com, March 8 is also celebrated as National Proofreading Day, Be Nasty Day, Maha Shivaratri, a Hindu holiday; National August Day in honor of people named for the month; National Middle Name Pride Day, National Oregon Day, National Peanut Cluster Day, National Preschoolers Day, and National Retro Video Gay Day.
To that list, the website holidays and observances.com added Girls Write Now Day, while also noting that 25 weekly holidays include March 8 this year.
