‘Dragon Ball Diama’ is a unique addition to a storied anime franchise
By Michael Bolcato
It seems like 2024 is the year for Dragon Ball despite the passing of its creator, Akira Toriyama, back in March. From the video game “Dragon Ball: Sparking! Zero” breaking records, to the character Goku being a balloon in this year’s Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, to mentions of “Dragon Ball Super” coming back in the future, Dragon Ball fans have a lot to be excited about. One of the biggest drops for Dragon Ball this year has been “Dragon Ball Daima.”
“Dragon Ball Daima” is the latest television series installment in the franchise. “Dragon Ball Daima” is also the last Dragon Ball-related media that the creator worked on before his passing.
As a huge fan of Dragon Ball myself, I own shirts and figures of its characters in my collection. My favorite installment of the franchise has to be “Dragon Ball Z,” a classic that is one of my favorite animes in general. Needless to say, I was so excited for “Dragon Ball Daima”’s release.
The animation quality is very clean and pristine. The team at Toei Animation really outdid themselves on this one. This is probably the cleanest that Dragon Ball ever looked. The animators really took their time to ensure the show looked its best.
The theme song musician Zedd performed is very catchy and heartwarming. I got the sense of adventure throughout the new show that was commonly seen in the original show “Dragon Ball.” I’m sure the original theme song of “Dragon Ball” influenced the new one. While it might not be my favorite of the franchise, it is definitely a unique one.
The first episode, “Conspiracy,” starts with the characters Gomah and Degesu watching through the events of the Majin Buu Saga of “Dragon Ball Z.” Viewing events like Dabura’s and Buu’s deaths, we understand that the two are proud of and excited about what’s on screen. This is short-lived, however, as Dr. Arinsu shows up, telling them what could happen to the Demon Realm and their well-being if the Z Fighters invade the Demon Realm.
This causes Gomah and Degus to go to Earth to use Dragon Balls to stop the Z Fighters from interfering with their plans. They get the Dragon Balls from Dende and Mr. Popo to release Shernon. Gomah and Degusu asked Shrenon to turn everyone who defeated Buu and their friends into kids. This immediately reminded me of the first episode of “Dragon Ball GT,” when Emperor Pilaf wished Goku to be a kid. Nice little homage right there. Shrenon granted their wish and the episode ends with everyone becoming children.
This was a great introduction to this series, but I felt like the first half was a bit too long, especially since it was mainly a recap of the Buu Saga. As a huge Dragon Ball fan, it was like watching a YouTube video of someone reacting to the Buu Saga for the first time.
The second episode, “Glorio,” feels more like a story than the first. Everyone is freaking out about their new looks and size – I believe that if the Japanese toy manufacturer Bandai ever makes merchandise of Dragon Ball characters as children, they would make bank. Fans of Dragon Ball would be all over them if they made such a product. When Goku and friends go to The Lookout to see what happened, Mr. Popo informs them that Gomah had taken Dende with them. Bulma then fixes their ship while Goku trains and gets the Power Pole from Korin.
Later that night, we are introduced to a new character, Glorio, who is from the Demon Realm. He asks Goku to go with him to defeat King Gomah. The episode ends with the two heading to the Demon Realm once Goku agrees. This was a great episode that added more plot to the series.
The latest episode, “Daima,” continues where the last episode left off, and, unfortunately, it was the least interesting of the three. The trio makes a stop to a planet called Batapi, and they stay there for the night. There is a bit more development with the story, but that’s pretty much it.
Overall, “Dragon Ball Daima” is probably my least favorite installment in the franchise, but it’s definitely a unique one for sure. As the series goes on, I hope to enjoy it much more. My fellow Dragon Ball and anime fans should definitely give it a watch.
Michael Bolcato is a sophomore communications major