Dragon Ball Daima Premiere Improvements

By August Tales

No bullet has grazed the shiny aura of Dragon Ball Daima. The latest anime in the franchise sidesteps the pitfalls that trapped Dragon Ball Super at launch. Dragon Ball’s new installment pays homage to the late Akira Toriyama’s original series and celebrates its pages etched into Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump magazine. Shueisha and Toei Animation, not sitting on their laurels, have invested a great deal of care in this new venture.

Introducing Dragon Ball Daima

Dragon Ball Daima is a refreshing narrative comprising characters and themes Toriyama originally conjured. Stepping into the timeline, it places itself after the Majin Buu arc and before Dragon Ball Z’s conclusion. Within this space, the new series deftly avoids Super’s missteps, opting to ease fans into the saga. Episode one sends a nostalgic wave throughout the Dragon Ball universe.

Dragon Ball Super’s Misfire

Dragon Ball Super’s maiden episode, however, did not receive rave reviews. Fans spotted rushed animation production and a sketchy Goku. On top of that, the first installments adapted materials from Battle of Gods and Resurrection F, such films already familiar to fans. The subsequent comparisons were inevitable, and alas, disparaging.

Super made essentially no effort to modify or expand on content borrowed from the films. The TV episodes began to reveal fresh experiences once they strayed beyond the movie-based material. Nonetheless, fans were lukewarm towards the early episodes. The reasons were plain: poor production quality painting Super in a dubious light and a glaring lack of excitement.

The Promise of Dragon Ball Daima

In stark contrast, Dragon Ball Daima avoids the aforementioned issues. A healthier production schedule ensured that episodes were ready well ahead of broadcast. The premier episode was a visual feast, boasting extended runtime and impressive character designs, mirroring Toriyama’s later Dragon Ball aesthetics. It also capitalized on nostalgia. The episode took fans on a journey back to the Dragon Ball Z events, setting the stage for a new narrative.

Looking Ahead: Dragon Ball Daima

Glimpses of familiar faces and references to prior arcs aren’t solely for nostalgia’s sake in Dragon Ball Daima though. These are instead cleverly used as a gateway to introduce new characters, explore the Demon Realm further and kick-start an exhilarating new chapter of the anime.

Despite an encouraging start, the real test will be fans’ reaction to unfolding episodes. Dragon Ball Daima certainly has teased the promise of intense battles featuring Goku and Vegeta. However, the twist in the tale is the transformation of these characters into children.

The focus on a younger Goku heading into the Demon Realm will be a make-or-break scenario. However, it’s a reality that has to be faced. As the novelty wears off and the anime settles into an episodic rhythm, only time will tell if fans will stick around. Currently, Dragon Ball Daima seems to be off to a far better start than Dragon Ball Super’s unruly inauguration.