The Z Fighters are returning! Dragon Ball Daima has been announced, a fully-fledged new chapter in the story of Gok and Vegeta, carrying the franchise ever forward, and creator Akira Toriyama has commented on what we can expect.
We’ve been waiting for a Dragon Ball update for quite some time now. There’s only so many times you can watch Dragon Ball in order, and although we’ve had some of the best anime movies from the franchise, the desire for the Dragon Ball Super season 2 release date has only grown with time.
Lo, at New York Comic Con 2023, a sequel to Super was revealed, and Akira, who created the property, which is one of the best anime series, was on hand to comment on what’s coming. “Due to a conspiracy, Goku and his friends are turned small,” he said in a letter to fans. “In order to fix things, they’ll head off to a new world! It’s a grand adventure with intense action,.”
A teaser was released, giving us a brief glimpse at what’s coming. We get a timeline of the story so far, before heading into Daima, where all the best Dragon Ball Z characters are indeed shrunk down into childlike forms.
An ominous antagonist overlooks everything, and we can already tell this’ll be another contender for the best anime villains. The whole thing gives off a Muppet Babies, Tiny Toons, or A Pup Named Scooby-Doo vibe, and we’re not complaining because that’s adorable. Akira himself considers this all distinctly cutesy.
“Since Goku has to make up for his petite size, he uses his Power Pole to fight, something not seen in a long time,” he says. “Things will unfold that close in on the mysteries of the Dragon Ball World. Hope you all enjoy these different-from-usual battles that are cute and powerful.”
The animation uses the CG-inflected style of Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, something that may prove contentious but I’m into. The team behind Dragon Ball at Toei use these techniques very well, not drifting too far from the hand-drawn approach of the original shows. The color and movement are immaculate, and I’m excited to see how these fights play out.
Dragon Ball Daima is due to arrive sometime in 2024, the 40th anniversary of the overall franchise. I can’t think of a better way to celebrate than returning to weekly adventures featuring the best anime characters around. We’ll keep you informed on when specifically you can watch Daima, have a look at our guides to the One-Punch Man season 3 release date and Demon Slayer season 4 for more on those.