Toei Reveals a New Dragon Ball Anime Celebrating for 40th Birthday
In 1984, a mangaka named Akira Toriyama, fresh off the success of his hit, Dr. Slump, debuted his new manga, Dragon Ball, in Shonen Jump Weekly. Not only would it become his magnum opus, but it would change the world of entertainment forever. Fast forward almost four decades later, and Dragon Ball is one of the most influential works of fiction in modern history. It’s got multiple anime series, twenty-one films and counting, dozens of video games, a global fanbase, and inspiring two generations of mangakas. There’s not a single person in the world who hasn’t seen the inspiration of Goku and the Dragon Ball cast; they’re that famous. Thus, with the franchise celebrating its 40th birthday next year, it should return with a new anime. At New York Comic Con 2023, Toei Animation revealed the next chapter in the Dragon Ball franchise, Dragon Ball Daima.
Which may or may not be rehashing the story of Dragon Ball GT.
Dragon Ball Daima, Coming in 2024
The plot behind Dragon Ball Daima is currently unknown, but the NYCC 2023 trailer did reveal a few key things. Following a recap of the various Dragon Ball anime released over the decades, the trailer starts to drop clips of Daima. That’s when fans were caught off-guard by the reveal that something has turned protagonist’s Goku and Vegeta into children. The shock only grows when it’s subsequently revealed that most, if not all, of the series cast has been de-aged down to kid form. While it’s not revealed why this has happened, it’s likely the work of the Dragon Balls. Thus, the series will likely revolve around everyone’s attempts to restore themselves to their proper age.
Thus far, fan reaction to the premise behind Dragon Ball Daima remains mixed. On the one hand, some fans can’t help but gush over how adorable the cast is in chibi form. On the other hand, the sight of Goku becoming a kid again seems like a repeat of the black sheep of the franchise, Dragon Ball GT.
Remember GT?
Debuting in 1996 on Fuji TV in Japan, Dragon Ball GT saw Goku wished back into a kid by one of his enemies, and he would subsequently remain that way for the rest of the series. While the series did introduce the concept of Super Saiyan 4, fan reception wasn’t as high compared to its predecessors. Not helping things is that GT wasn’t based on the manga, but was an anime-exclusive, original story. Fans aren’t even sure if its canon or not, and Super hasn’t helped to clear up the matter.
Toriyama’s Got This
While it may seem like a bold decision to follow in the footsteps of Dragon Ball GT, Daima does have a few advantages over it. Firstly, it seems that Toriyama will be heavily involved in the show’s production. GT only had him design a few of the characters. Secondly, Daima seems more like an attempt to bring the franchise back to its roots. Before the reveal that Goku was an alien drew comparisons to Superman, Dragon Ball was heavily inspired by Journey to the West. Goku’s own is actually the Japanese version of Sun Wukong, AKA the Monkey King from Journey to the West.
While fan reception thus far remains mixed, they can at least rest easy knowing that Toriyama will be doing a lot of work on Dragon Ball Daima. In addition, returning Dragon Ball to its more comedic routes feels like a fitting way to celebrate the franchise hitting the forty-year milestone. The best case scenario will see another chapter added to the storied history of Goku and his many friends. The worst case scenario? At least fans will have something to poke fun at in videos and fanart.
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Thanks for reading: ‘Dragon Ball Daima’ Revealed a NYCC 2023, Sorry, my English is bad:)