France’s President has often worn his love of Dragon Ball on his sleeve with Emmanuel Macron paying tribute to Goku and the Z-Fighters in the past. Following the tragic passing of series creator Akira Toriyama, Macron took time to highlight the works of the legendary mangaka while at the same time sharing his love of the shonen. Specifically, Macron shared original artwork he had from the Majin Buu Saga and thus put his anime money where his mouth is. At this year’s Japan Expo taking place in France, not only did Macron make an appearance, but he also let off an energy blast of his own.
During the Japan Expo, Dragon Ball Super artist Toyotaro made an appearance to talk about his work with the series and how he plans to move forward following Toriyama’s passing. While Macron didn’t make an appearance at this panel, the French President did hit the convention floor to take pictures with attendees. While visiting the con, Emmanuel met Akira Toriyama’s editor, Kazuhiko Torishima, and had the opportunity to check out original artwork from the shonen franchise. Finally, and perhaps the biggest moment from the visit, the President of France performed a Kamehameha all his own with the attendees. Luckily, the convention withstood the energy attack from all parties.
French President Emmanuel Macron with Kazuhiko Torishima (Akira Toriyama’s editor) at Japan Expo on July 3, 2025. They strike a Kamehameha pose as well.
He’s a long-time Dragon Ball fan
pic.twitter.com/20o2t6HSux
— SUPER クロニクルス (@SupaChronicles) July 4, 2025
Akira Toriyama’s Passing United The World
When Akira Toriyama passed last year, not only did French President Macron share his condolences, but the world mourned as well. Japan, the birthplace of Toriyama, had its fair share of tributes, while China also made sure to recognize the accomplishments of the prolific manga artist. Thanks to North America’s love of the series, plenty of Western anime fans also recalled how the series affected them and how much they will miss Toriyama.
What’s Next For Dragon Ball?
Unfortunately, despite world leaders’ enthusiasm for the anime, the future of Dragon Ball is anyone’s guess at this point. On the anime front, viewers recently had the chance to see the titanic series known as Dragon Ball Daima, a show that took place following the death of Kid Buu but before Whis and Beerus popped up in Dragon Ball Super. During this spin-off, shonen fans had the chance to see the arrival of Super Saiyan 3 Vegeta and Super Saiyan 4 Goku, scratching off some major items from the bucket list.
On the manga side of the equation, Dragon Ball Super has yet to confirm when, or if, it will be returning to the pages of Weekly Shonen Jump. Toyotaro worked closely with Akira Toriyama for years to create arcs such as the Moro Arc and the Granolah The Survivor Arc, giving the Z-Fighters new challenges and ridiculously powerful transformations. Whenever the shonen series does return, it’s sure to be a major event within the anime world.
Want to see what other world leaders are secretly fans of the Dragon Ball series? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for the latest updates on the Z-Fighters and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.
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