The newest installment in the Dragon Ball franchise is finally here, with the release of Dragon Ball Daima by Toei Animation, which was released on October 11th, 2024. After a long six-year break following the conclusion of Dragon Ball Super in 2018, the series is finally here. Although the popular franchise’s drought has finally ended, the series has already created mixed reactions, after the release of only six episodes. Many fans seem to be split over its similarities to the infamous “failure” that was Dragon Ball GT. 

Since the release of the original series, Dragon Ball, in 1986, the franchise has become one of the most influential pieces of media in history. Although great successes of the franchise such as Dragon Ball Z have established the influence of the series, other series like Dragon Ball GT have been notorious for poorly continuing the story. Considering GT was the first series without direct involvement from Akira Toriyama, the creator of Dragon Ball, it may have been set up for failure before it even first aired in 1996. 

In both Daima and GT, Goku is turned back into a child, and due to such similarities between the two series, fans are worried about how it will be executed, especially following the tragic death of Toriyama in March. In an interview before Daima released, Toriyama supplied us with some of his thoughts. He went on to state that “There’s incredible pressure, but at the same time, there’s a sense of accomplishment – that it’s worth doing.” Following these influential words, he even went further, explaining that “[Daima] will be a masterpiece, not simply because I’m working hard on it, but because the staff is expecting nothing less.”

For these reasons, initial fan reactions to Daima have been divided. Some fans think that it is a fun revival of the series, while others criticize it for being unoriginal and trying to appeal to the masses. An enthusiast of Dragon Ball, William Robertson, shared his thoughts after watching the first three episodes for himself. Robertson explained that, “Dragon Ball always tests the limits and goes beyond them with exciting battles and deep characters, and I trust they’ll do the same with Daima.” Robertson’s words help make evident one of the initial reactions by fans, and how the series has a lot of potential to be one of the greatest released to date.

In addition, Shelby Meyers, who has never seen any Dragon Ball media herself, also shared her thoughts on the new release of Daima in October. She stated that “I’ve heard a lot about Dragon Ball from friends, and it seems really good.” Due to the new, fresh animation, not only fans are interested in the series, but also those who have entirely not seen it. Meyers continued, revealing that “I’ve never watched it personally, but the animation style is great and it definitely seems like it would be worth a watch!” A lot of the initial reactions to the series have been very positive, no matter how much the viewer has seen previously, as conveyed through Robertson and Meyers’ words.

Nevertheless, debates around Daima help make it evident that the franchise will spark conversation, no matter what happens. Especially with Daima, the series is either loved or disregarded, with little to no middle ground opinions. As new episodes continue to release every Friday, only time will be able to tell how fans side with Daima as a whole. There is no telling if the series will be regarded as one of the greatest, or fade into darkness like GT has. 

In the meantime, Dragon Ball fans continue to remain divided, as they have to wait each week to see new parts of the story as it progresses. Whether or not Daima will live up to the high expectations is impossible to tell, and as time goes on, fans will continue to have changing opinions. Regardless of all this, one thing is clear: Dragon Ball is officially back in business, and is once again sparking great conversations.