It’s a surprise project announced a year ago that hit our screens this Saturday, October 11. While the Dragon Ball Super sequel has been waiting for more than five years, another series has finally seen the light of day.
This new production titled Dragon Ball DAIMA presents itself as a return to the sources of the first volumes of the iconic manga.
The release of the series took on special significance last March with the announcement of Akira Toriyama’s death. Dragon Ball DAIMA is actually the last project that the legendary mangaka worked on, and therefore, this anime opens a whole page of Japanese popular culture.
No one expected much from this new series
Is it because of the dedication to the saga that has been popular for forty years? Honoring Master Toriyama? Or just out of curiosity? There are many reasons to watch this new series, but they don’t seem to be related to the series itself.
But against all odds, magic happened and this unwanted anime ended up being a great surprise.
Dragon Ball DAIMA Picks up shortly after the end of the Dragon Ball Z series, Goma, the new king of the Demon Realm, observes the battles led by Goku and Earth’s heroes against their successive enemies: Frieza, Cell, Majin Buu. With the help of Degetsu (Kayo Shin’s brother), the latter gathers the Dragon Balls to bring his enemies back to their childhood to weaken them.
The first episode, simulcast on Crunchyroll and ADN, allowed us to introduce this all-new villain, but also to revisit key DBZ plot points. Thus, this review made it possible to honor the iconic license and bring some key moments to life through convincing animation.
A series that visually contrasts with recent Dragon Ball productions
The visual aspect of DAIMA is definitely the main success of this new anime. Dragon Ball Super did suffer a lot of criticism for its sloppy graphics, which forced the production to rectify the situation during production. The end of the series was still pretty compelling, especially during the Tournament of Power.
The latest film in the Dragon Ball Super Saga: Super Hero (one of the most underappreciated by fans…) tried to inject some freshness into the license through frankly unsuccessful 3D animation. So Dragon Ball DAIMA’s return to more classic animation is great news.
In thirty minutes, this new anime managed to ignite the flames of unconditional fans of the saga. We now have to see how the program develops after this very effective introduction. But one thing’s for sure: From now on, it’s not without interest in the series that Dragon Ball fans meet every week.
Dragon Ball Daima is simulcast every week on ADN and Crunchyroll and D+7 on Netflix. The series is also offered every Tuesday at 22:50 in VOSTFR on the manga channel!
Source: Allocine
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
