Dragon Ball Daima episode 1 was a premiere that many fans longed for. Whether it was the re-animated scenes from the Buu Saga or seeing everyone together again for the first time in years, it was special in its own right. There’s no doubt some emotion was felt knowing we were all watching the beginning of Akira Toriyama’s last work to the fans. Criticism for this premiere is nothing more than hot air to me. The simple fact of the matter is the Dragon Ball Daima had me smiling from cheek to cheek for the entire 30 minutes.
Timeline Set Up
One thing that can confuse many fans heading into Dragon Ball Daima is wondering where it takes place. Luckily, the series premiere did a wonderful job of establishing this. Now we know for a fact that Dragon Ball Daima takes place right after the Buu Saga following Goku spirit-bombing Kid Buu into oblivion. So no, new fans don’t have to necessarily watch any other part of the Dragon Ball series to enjoy Daima but the excitement may not be on the level of those already established in the fanbase
It was also an interesting take on the timeline introduction. I loved that Supreme Kai’s relatives are involved as well as another powerful Namekian in Neva that can find all the dragon balls within seconds but can’t find a bar of soap. It’s that mix of seriousness and humor that Dragon Ball does so well meshing together.
Dragon Ball Daima Characters – New and Old
Gomah being the main villain of Dragon Ball Daima while simultaneously not being taken seriously by anyone other than (somewhat) Degesu was hilarious to me in the best ways possible. He went from cliche bad-guy monologues to actually accomplishing what he intended to do all in just one episode. Then what happened?
He summons Shenron and doesn’t even know the details of his wishes. Almost as if I just watched the Plankton moment from SpongeBob where he didn’t know what to do after stealing the formula because he didn’t expect to get that far so quickly. Gomah not knowing his own potential to be a destructive villain mirrored how I felt watching him as well.
There’s still more to be explored with Degesu, his sister Dr. Arinsu, and Glorio that keeps it interesting. Degesu seems to have a deep disdain for his brother in Supreme Kai Shin while Dr. Arinsu and Glorio have different motives. So setting up different dynamics within the antagonist circle during the Dragon Ball Daima premiere was something I enjoyed. Now as for the characters we’re all familiar with…
Goku taking shots at Vegeta’s height for no reason had me bust out laughing and even more so when he was sitting there with a full stomach turning to his Saiyan rival and asking if he was ready to fight. Because nothing is more Goku and Vegeta than ready to spar at the drop of Senzu Bean. Was it fan service? Absolutely. But sometimes fan service is a good thing—this is one of those times. The episode needed a “we’re back, ladies and gentlemen” moment and this was it, flashy animation and all.
The other character designs may be off-putting to some but I think they were all fine and just how Toriyama intended. Bulma being a little shorter than usual was kind of odd, though, since she’s usually up to Goku’s neck, but other than that everyone looked great. Having them around together for Trunk’s birthday was a perfect setting for it to boot.
Dragon Ball Daima Episode 1 Production
Aya Komaki directed episode 1 of Dragon Ball Daima while Yoshitaka Yashima handled the storyboard and script. Chief Animation Director Chikashi Kubota and Takeo Ide as both worked as animation directors for the episode as well. I must say, they did a fantastic job of helping deliver the premiere.
I don’t know a single Dragon Ball fan that watched this premiere thinking anything else other than “amazing”, “epic”, or “Incredible” watching those re-animated scenes from the Buu Saga or Goku and Vegeta’s sparring match. It was a wonderfully animated and directed episode with solid boards that I thoroughly enjoyed from start to finish. Even more so, Art Director Maya Kasai, along with Art Designer Takashi Kurahashi and artist Bun Sun Lee, gave us some breathtaking landscapes.
Some may find the long recap at the beginning of the episode tedious to get through, but I think it was the right choice. It expanded on the lore a bit, especially within the Demon Realm, and it was a solid exposition for the series’ antagonists. It’s been a very long time since the Buu Saga aired and, as a personal favorite of mine, I wanted to give the entire staff a round of applause for their work. In short, I didn’t find anything wrong with the production, even CG Shenron looked great.
Even if fans find criticism of the episode online, I’d guarantee it’d be rare to find it in the animation production. While Director Komaki has extensive work as a director for the One Piece anime series, she also doesn’t have widespread directing work in terms of series quantity. So being the head of Toriyama’s last work is one that comes with an unreal level of expectations from fans across the world. That being said, Director Komaki deserves all the praise. She did a sensation job with Dragon Ball Daima‘s premiere.
Dragon Ball Daima Episode 1 Wrap-Up
This isn’t the continuation of Super that so many Dragon Ball fans were waiting for. But Daima presents a new, original story that has the potential to greatly expand on the franchise’s lore in many intriguing ways. While contradictions may come with lore expansion, we need to trust the staff, and more so Toriyama himself, that this is going to be a series everyone can enjoy.
Episode 1 rating: 9.5/10
If you enjoyed Dragon Ball Daima episode 1 then be sure to vote for it in our weekly poll! Episode 2 will be released on Crunchyroll on Friday, October 18, the same day that Dragon Ball Daima will also be coming to Netflix.
Source: Official Website, Official X
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