The wait was unbearable for all Dragon Ball fans who have been impatient for months at the simple idea of discovering Goku’s new adventures. The first episode of the animated series Dragon Ball Daima is finally here, and it’s a real success. After 35 years of an endless quest for power, I personally found the original Dragon Ball in 2024!
Everything you need to know about Dragon Ball Daima
The most popular saga in contemporary culture is celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2024. Over four decades, the universe initiated in the mid-80s by the late Akira Toriyama sensei was enriched via several anime, manga, video games, etc. This month of October, however, remains special with the simultaneous release of Dragon Ball: Sparking! ZERO and Dragon Ball Daima. The objective for the rights holders is simple: to ensure the franchise has an even brighter future than it already has.
Dragon Ball Daima is a Japanese animated series produced by Toei with a somewhat special aura because it is the very last to have been written by the Japanese author. The story of this sixth anime takes place after the events of the Buu arc of Dragon Ball Z and makes the link with Dragon Ball Super. Additionally, Daima is part of the official Dragon Ball timeline, with Akira Toriyama himself having worked on the project. The initial premise recalls that of the (too) maligned Dragon Ball GT, but also the first hours of the original animated series where adventure was at the heart of the narrative.
The synopsis of Dragon Ball Daima: Victims of a mysterious conspiracy, Son Goku and his friends unfortunately become children again. In order to discover the instigator of this plot and regain their adult size, they embark on a perilous adventure through the Kingdom of Demons, where formidable adversaries await them… Fortunately, they will meet two new allies, Glorio and Panzy, to take part in their journey. – (ADN)
The broadcast of Dragon Ball Daima begins in France on October 11, 2024 on Crunchyroll and ADN, then on October 18, 2024 on Netflix.
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The return of the “real” Dragon Ball
To say that I have been a fan of Dragon Ball since my earliest childhood is obvious as I was “babysitted” by Club Dorothée and therefore Dragon Ball. I discovered the saga with Dragon Ball Z which I followed religiously every Wednesday morning before being totally seduced by the Dragon Ball anime. I enjoyed all the films and all the OAVs, then I slowly detached myself from this universe with the release of the first episodes of Dragon Ball GT. Even DB Super, which I cowardly abandoned during the broadcast, never fully convinced me, and the reason is ultimately quite logical for the child of the 80s that I am.
For me, Dragon Ball rhymes with “adventure”. Unfortunately, this essential element of the franchise in my eyes was replaced by an endless quest for power and clashes against ever more powerful enemies. I am not shying away from my pleasure, far from it, in front of the martial and pyrotechnic prowess of the Z warriors, but I ended up getting tired of this succession of fights, as crazy as they are, and of transformations which once had a sense. The first Super Saiyan against Frieza remains one of the most significant events in pop culture, but the same cannot be said of Super Saiyan Blue and Rosé who leave me completely unmoved.
This episode is not without its faults, but I clearly did not shy away from my pleasure during the 32 minutes (end credits included) that this first glimpse of Dragon Ball Daima lasts. It is very unfortunate that more than half of it is used to (too) succinctly summarize the Boo arc and provide exposition in order to introduce the antagonists as well as the issues of this new anime. The approach is understandable and logical, but frustrating. Toei is seeking to attract a new generation of viewers who haven’t necessarily done their homework before embarking on Daima, but this prevents the animated series from truly taking off.
This narrative observation aside, “Conplot” is a little delight intended for early fans, a warm and comforting animated Proust madeleine which draws on the best that Dragon Ball has done, but not only, to warm hearts. The decision to rejuvenate Goku and the Z Warriors may seem easy at first, but they found a story justification that I personally like. Then the idea of exploring the Demon Kingdom particularly enchants me because Dragon Ball, before being a fight, is an adventure.
Episode 01 still rewards us with a high-level confrontation between Goku and Vegeta just coming from the table. And it was epic as hell, but also way too short. I look forward to discovering the future feats of arms of our heroes against enemies who have perfectly executed their Machiavellian plan. What struck me from the first minutes was the visual quality of Dragon Ball Daima which takes care of its entrance. This new anime is a little gem of production which manages to modernize the line and the staging of the saga while retaining this patina specific to the Dragon Ball animes and the late Akira Toriyama.
This first episode of Dragon Ball Daima is a treat intended for fans and the curious to see and rewatch while waiting for the release of the second on October 18.
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