Summary
The following contains spoilers for Dragon Ball Daima episode 1, “Conspiracy” available to stream onCrunchyrolland Netflix
Out of all the fall anime to launch this year, few have been as highly anticipated asDragon Ball DAIMA. Shrouded mostly in mystery, the story has been mostly kept under wraps with the only thing audiences knowing for sure is that it would involve the characters being de-aged back to children. That created more questions than answers though. Is the series a reboot? A spin-off? Is it canon? Is it a follow-up to themuch-divisiveDragon Ball GT?
Which English voice actors would be voicing the younger versions of everyone’s favorite characters? Alright, that last one we will still need to wait on (the series premiere is only offering the subtitled version to start with), but we now have our first episode, and many of these questions can now safely be answered (as well as setting up new ones).
Happy 40th Anniversary Dragon Ball
One thing that should be mentioned is that the series has been timed to release for the 40th anniversary of theDragon Ballfranchise. While every anniversary is a big deal, this one, in particular, is special because it’s one of the rare anime that has not only been remembered through generations of families but is still having new content produced. Many viewers watching this new show will likely have kids of their own now, and they will be passing on the franchise to a new generation.
Akira Toriyama’s Swan Song
This series is also notable because this is the final Dragon Ball franchise that will have his personal touch. Toriyama conceived the story, helped write it out with the producers at Toei, and designed new characters for the season. Despite his tragic passing earlier this year, it has been confirmed that he was heavily involved and that all of his major writing work was completed. While there still might be amanga manuscript or twofloating around out there, for all intents and purposes, this is the last major Dragon Ball project that will have the creator’s touch, making it an especially bittersweet occasion.
The Majin’s Are Back
The first shot ofDragon Ball DAIMAis not of our heroes (or even a new theme song), but in another universe where Majin’s are watching the final battle between the Z Fighters andMaijin Buu. Here, we discover that Babidi went rogue and took control of Dabura, all for the purpose of regaining control of Buu to control the world. They are viewing this through old animation from the original Dragon Ball Z anime (restored so crispy that the animation looks new) and see how things went wrong. While the end result is shocking, it does present some new advantages for them.
Let’s Go Make a Wish
With Dabura out of the picture, Majin Gomah is the new King of the Demon Realm. The problem (as he sees it) is that there are some very powerful figures in the universe, and if they ever came after him, he wouldn’t stand a chance. One thing he did notice in the battle videos is thatEarth has Dragon Balls. For the record, his planet has Dragon Balls as well, but they are protected by giant robots to prevent others from making a wish. Since the Earth Dragon Balls grant three wishes though, that should be enough to disarm your enemies and gain some extra power. Gomah (along with a couple of others) decides it’s time to go to Earth.
A New Adventure Begins
For the most part, the premier episode ofDragon Ball DAIMAis a glorified recap/setup episode. Our heroes don’t even appear until midway through the episode, in which they are spending their timecelebrating Trunk’s birthday. There is a chance that some fans may feel cheated that there isn’t much action yet (thoughDragon Ball Superhas been doing a balancing act for several years now, so maybe it won’t be that big of a deal for most). The setup for the series is a strong one though and now we know where the series stands.
This is not a reboot or spin-off, but rather a direct sequel to theMajin Buu Saga. The timeline takes place after Buu’s defeat but before the events of Super. That likely won’t matter much to anyone but the diehardDragon Ballfans, but there’s the timeline clarification for you. It should also be stated that while our main heroes don’t do anything of consequence, there is at least the promise that characters from the entire arc will play a role in this series, so that should make fans excited. While details on how this will all play out are still murky at this point,Dragon Ball DAIMAis quintessentialDragon Balland is promising to be an excellent final chapter from one of the industry’s greatest storytellers.
Dragon Ball DAIMA
Dragon Ball Daima is the latest anime in Akira Toriyama’s legendary franchise. After being transformed into a child, Goku must travel to a new world to try and turn things around.
