The latest installment in the Dragon Ball franchise, Dragon Ball DAIMA, is set to conclude with its final episode airing on February 28, transitioning into March 1—coinciding with the first anniversary of creator Akira Toriyama’s passing. The episode will begin airing in Japan on Fuji TV at 11:40 PM JST and conclude just after midnight, making it a final tribute as the story ends at the start of Toriyama’s anniversary.
Internationally, Crunchyroll will release the episode on February 28 at 8:45 AM PT / 11:45 AM ET, meaning that for many global viewers, the episode will already be available on March 1, aligning with the anniversary of Toriyama’s passing.
The finale of Dragon Ball DAIMA is titled “Zenkai,” which translates to “Full Power” or “Maximum” in English.
What is Dragon Ball DAIMA?
Announced in October 2023, Dragon Ball DAIMA is a brand-new anime that features an original storyline written by Akira Toriyama himself. DAIMA has Goku and his friends shrunk due to the villain Gomah’s plot. They then embark on an adventure in the Demon Realm and work to restore their original forms. Toriyama was deeply involved in this project, contributing to the story, character designs and more, making it one of the last projects he personally worked on.
This series also aired in a late-night time slot, which was the first in the franchise’s history, and it introduced a new voice cast for the 12 main characters besides Goku for their mini (younger) versions.
Super Saiyan 4 and the Impact of Episodes 18 and 19
As the series reached its climax, Episodes 18 and 19 introduced some major developments: the return of Super Saiyan 4, now officially canon. Originally a form from Dragon Ball GT, this transformation reappeared when Goku achieved it in Episode 18 during his fight against Gomah. The episode, titled “Awakening,” showed Goku transforming with the help from Neva, the guardian of the Demon Realm Dragon Balls. However, at that point, Goku was still in his shrunken form.
Episode 19, titled “Betrayal,” then featured Goku turning into Super Saiyan 4 again, this time in his adult form. Unlike transformations in Dragon Ball Super like Super Saiyan God and Ultra Instinct, Super Saiyan 4’s return raised questions about its place in later sagas. Since DAIMA is set in Age 775, one year after Kid Buu’s defeat and three years before Dragon Ball Super, its absence in later events suggests it may be tied to the Demon Realm and not a permanent power-up.
Prior to those, Vegeta also unlocked Super Saiyan 3 for the first time in Episode 12 titled “True Strength.”
The Legacy of Dragon Ball
The Dragon Ball franchise began in 1984 when Akira Toriyama launched the manga series in Weekly Shonen Jump. Running from 1984 to 1989, the story followed young Goku’s journey as he trained in martial arts and sought the legendary Dragon Balls. This was followed by Dragon Ball Z, which ran from 1989 to 1995 and introduced some of the most iconic battles and characters in anime history.
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After a long break, the franchise returned with Dragon Ball Super in 2015, continuing Goku’s adventures after Dragon Ball Z. The anime aired from 2015 to 2018, totaling 131 episodes, while the manga was ongoing at the time of Toriyama’s passing. It introduced new characters like Beerus, the God of Destruction, and expanded the Dragon Ball universe with even more battles and new transformations.
Toyotaro and the Future of Dragon Ball
Manga artist Toyotaro took over the Dragon Ball Super manga under Toriyama’s supervision. After Toriyama’s passing in March 2024, the Dragon Ball Super manga went on an indefinite hiatus. Toyotaro, however, remains dedicated to continuing the story and honoring Toriyama’s legacy.
In a heartfelt message following Toriyama’s passing, Toyotaro shared his experience working with the legendary creator for nine years, expressing how much it meant to him. He revealed that the final correction Toriyama made to Dragon Ball Super was in Chapter 103, where he suggested a change to a panel featuring Piccolo saying goodbye to Pan’s teacher.
Although Toyotaro has not confirmed when the Dragon Ball Super manga will return to regular serialization, a special one-shot was recently released titled Dragon Ball Super Chapter 104: The Birth of Saiyaman X. The chapter focuses on Trunks, exploring his motivation for becoming Saiyaman X-1. It also features appearances from Goten, Vegeta, Bulma, Bulla, and Mai, ending with a “To be continued” message. While this does not confirm the return of the main series, it suggests that new Dragon Ball content is still in development.
Toyotaro has also continued to pay tribute to Toriyama through his Toyotaro Tried to Draw series, where he draws characters from the Dragon Ball universe. The Toriyama Archives series also continues to honor Toriyama’s contributions on the official Dragon Ball website.
Expanding the Dragon Ball Universe
Coinciding with the release of Dragon Ball DAIMA on October 11, 2024, DRAGON BALL: Sparking! ZERO game also launched, bringing more excitement to fans of the franchise. The highly anticipated fighting game is a modern successor to the Budokai Tenkaichi series, and it exceeded 3 million sales within the first 24 hours after launch.
As Dragon Ball DAIMA concludes, we are again reminded of Akira Toriyama’s lasting impact on anime and manga. His work has influenced and will continue to influence generations of fans and countless artists. While DAIMA marks the end of a major project, the Dragon Ball franchise will continue to be relevant, with the potential for new adaptations and stories in the future.
With Toyotaro continuing his work on Dragon Ball Super, and the release of Chapter 104 showing a glimpse into potential future developments, the series looks to be at a new turning point. One thing’s for sure: whether through manga, anime, or other media, Toriyama’s influence will continue to shape the world of Dragon Ball for years to come.
Source: Dragon Ball DAIMA Official Website
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