Dragon Ball Daima, t he newest installment of Dragon Ball, is officially scheduled to premiere in Japan this October, with a Western release most likely taking place on the same day. This highly anticipated series features kid-sized versions of fan-favorite characters like Goku, Vegeta, and Bulma, and includes significant contributions from the late Akira Toriyama, the original creator of Dragon Ball.
Dragon Ball Daimawas first announced at last year’s New York Comic-Con with a three-minute trailer, which showcased a surprisingly lighthearted tone for the typically battle-packed anime. According to a statement made by Toriyama on the official Dragon Ball website, the new series will follow Goku and friends to a new world after they find themselves shrunk to miniature sizes by a mysterious conspiracy. During this “grand adventure,” fans can expect to meet several new characters, including Glorio, the Masked Majin, and Prince Gomah, the series’ villain. Toriyama also added that, because of his unexpectedly diminutive stature, Goku must use his Nyoibo (Power Pole) during combat – a skill that Dragon Ball fans have not seen on the show for a long time.
Fans will be especially excited to know that the premiere episode of Dragon Ball Daimais occupying a 40-minute time slot on Japanese television, instead of the show’s typical 30-minute slot. This suggests that the opening chapter of the new series will run a full 10 minutes longer than usual. Dragon Ball Daima will also commemorate the 40th anniversary of the beloved Dragon Ball franchise – a fitting accolade for Toriyama’s final project.
The Legacy of the Late, Great Akira Toriyama
Since its manga debut in the 1980s, Dragon Ball has remained a deeply beloved franchise. As the original creator and illustrator, Akira Toriyama was heavily involved in Dragon Ball‘s initial adaptation into an animated series, and continued to develop characters, settings, and storylines for the series until his death last March. Toriyama had originally planned to step away from Dragon Ball during the creation of Dragon Ball Daima, but said in a final interview that he became involved in the project after offering advice. He ended up developing much of Dragon Ball Daima‘s story, character design, and other mechanics.
In December 2023, the Tokyo Anime Award Festival named Toriyama as the recipient of its Lifetime Achievement Award. In the weeks and months following Toriyama’s passing, numerous tributes from other manga artists, authors, and illustrators have been dedicated to him, and it’s likely that fans will commemorate Dragon Ball Daima as yet another tribute to Toriyama’s extraordinary work.