Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for “Dragon Ball DAIMA”. Read at your own risk!
On October 11, 2024, fans of the “Dragon Ball” franchise were treated with the first episode of “Dragon Ball DAIMA”. This was the first weekly series we had received since the ending of “Dragon Ball Super” almost seven years ago, and for 20 episodes we followed the adventures of Goku and company through the Demon Realm as they fight to save Dende and defeat the Demon King Gomah who had turned them into kids using Earth’s Dragon Balls. Now that the anime is over, however, I can finally give some general thoughts as well as some of my own on the newest installment of the “Dragon Ball” franchise.
For starters, before the show even came out, many including myself felt a bit weird about the direction that the show was taking, especially considering the content that we had received before in the form of “Dragon Ball Super” and the two movies that followed in Broly and Super Hero. Fans fully expected to be getting an adaptation of the manga, but instead we got a return to a more grounded story that felt very much like the first “Dragon Ball” series mixed with GT, which was accentuated by the fact that everybody was turned into kids.
Regardless of initial doubts, however, this show defied all expectations. While in the beginning, the show focused on telling a more grounded, adventure-based story, it was still an incredibly enjoyable experience for both new and old fans of the series, as we got to enjoy classic characters like Goku and Supreme Kai, while also getting to know and love new inclusions like the mysterious Glorio and the bubbly Panzy. However, we quickly began receiving a bunch of unexpected lore and surprises. In terms of lore, this show revealed many things about the “Dragon Ball” universe that weren’t previously known, from the way that Supreme Kais are born, the plight of the Namekians in the Demon Realm, and the introduction of Majin Rymus. This show’s main talking point, however, is absolutely the curveballs that were thrown in that fans had been clamoring for decades, such as Vegeta going Super Saiyan 3 and the canonization of Super Saiyan 4, arguably the most beloved form in the franchise.
In terms of criticisms, the main one is how the events of this show tie into “Dragon Ball Super”, as this show is set between the end of “Dragon Ball Z” and the beginning of Super. This show retcons many aspects of Super, such as Goku’s statement at the beginning of Super that Super Saiyan 3 was his final form at the time, so fans wonder how this and many other things will be explained away. Another criticism that I and many other fans share is the teasing of fusions just to never be used. Fusion is a beloved part of the franchise, and this show introduced Fusion Bugs, a new form of fusion never before seen. These were introduced in episode four, so fans were speculating for months on the possibilities of a new fusion being introduced, but that never came to pass.Regardless of the criticisms, however, “Dragon Ball DAIMA” was definitely an enjoyable experience, and a great final gift from the late Akira Toriyama.
Image courtesy of Zet92 on DeviantArt
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