I didn't read Dragon Ball until much later in life, though I did grow up with DBZ in the background.

My first memory was catching the one of the Cell Saga episodes as a kid, when Cell sucked the life out of random citizens in a city---

But I didn't appreciate DB until I was much older--after I had read and watched Bleach, Naruto, and One Piece.

Then I actually watched the OG Dragon Ball anime, and read the DB manga. Loved almost every page of it.

I'm not a DB superfan--there are plenty others more deserving of that title--but I have nothing but gratitude for what Toriyama achieved---how he inspired my favorite mangaka, Oda-sensei.

Today, I've been bouncing back and forth between three different moods.

Shock--- It's hard to believe that someone as legendary as Toriyama-sensei is gone. I felt the same way when Miura-sensei died, and when Monty Oum passed away.

Gratitude-- He left his mark, and his legacy will surpass him tenfold.

Sadness-- I'll be honest. I've cried a few times today, reading other people's tributes to the man. It hurts knowing he's gone. Like a piece of the world has disappeared.

Thank you, Toriyama--for being the fucking legend you were.