Dragon Ball Daima has been a breath of fresh air in a series that spans over 40 years of celebrated history. In the time since its earliest chapters, the strange, tailed boy named Goku has gone from adventures with friends and fighting in martial arts tournaments, to defeating space tyrants and gods. Scale no longer holds much meaning in the world of Dragon Ball, where any of the main cast of characters has the ability to destroy entire solar systems at will.

Dragon Ball Daima, however, has stripped the franchise to its core, revealing the adventurous spirit and sense of wonder that has hidden dormant since Goku's childhood. Its introduction of the Demon Realm has placed characters both old and new in intense and comedic situations. In one episode, Goku can partake in a bar fight reminiscent of an old Space Western, and in another, show off all his Super Saiyan theatrics in a fight with one of the wildly powerful Tamigami.

Daima, to me, has felt more like classic Dragon Ball than any other entry that followed the original series' conclusion. And a large part of that has to do with the legendary author, Akira Toriyama's involvement in the anime. His vision and understanding of his own property is felt in just about every aspect of Daima, and while the series benefits greatly from his involvement, it also raises alarms concerning the future of the franchise. Dragon Ball has struggled without its original creator before, and may be poised to struggle again without him in the future.

Dragon Ball Daima Feels Fresh Thanks to Its Creator

Akira Toriyama Is Able to Capture the Magic of Dragon Ball in Daima

A large portion of the Dragon Ball fanbase felt conflicted following the announcement of Daima. The massively popular Dragon Ball Super anime had already finished airing for over five years prior to the announcement, and many were looking forward to the continuation of the series. While the news that a sequel series would not be coming disappointed some in the Dragon Ball fandom, the prospect of an all-new adventure led by Akira Toriyama was just as exciting.

It's taken its time getting into the action, but Dragon Ball Daima has been consistently impressive in its visuals, story, and setting. The Demon Realm oozes with Toriyama's distinct world-building style, featuring mysterious characters that fit classic archetypes, as well as strange yet stylish technology reminiscent of the capsule corp inventions of early Dragon Ball. There is a distinct sense of wonder and awe at Toriyama's creations that the series has sorely missed in newer entries.

There's no doubt that Dragon Ball has survived all this time because of its iconic battles and action. Not only are many of its heroes household names, but its villains have become just as recognizable for the evil roles they've played. But Dragon Ball doesn't only find its magic in the extravagant fights littered throughout its long history, but also in the smaller wondrous details of its world. Unfortunately, Akira Toriyama, the man responsible for the magic, ed away before the airing of Dragon Ball Daima.

His work on the series has spoken for itself, expertly capturing the heart of Dragon Ball while exploring new ideas and scenarios. Going forward, however, the series' future is largely unclear without its original creator at the helm.

Dragon Ball Has a Spotty History Without Toriyama

GT and Super Lacked the Magic That Made Dragon Ball Special

Dragon Ball, under the supervision of Akira Toriyama, finished with the original manga's final chapter, and remained inactive until its revival in the early 2010s. During the nearly two decades between, the franchise introduced its most divisive entry to date, Dragon Ball GT. As a child in the early to mid 2000s, coming across Dragon Ball GT felt like finding hidden treasure every time I stayed up late, secretly flipping through the channels of the television.

Through more mature eyes, the series is still entertaining, yet lacks a lot of what made Dragon Ball so special. Its early sections are an absolute slog, trying and failing to emulate the sense of adventure that defined Toriyama's work, before falling back on the successful formula of adding transformations and upping the action. To GT's credit, the transformation the series introduced was the beloved Super Saiyan 4, which fans are still begging to see return. In its entirety, however, the anime is extremely hit or miss.

Dragon Ball Super, though featuring collaborative efforts from Akira Toriyama and Toyotarou, suffers from the same lack of consistency, and largely fails to capture that sense of wonder the original series had in bunches. Though the series really picks up with the clever and energetic Goku Black Arc, it trips over its own feet fairly often in the sections leading up to the false Goku's arrival. Without Toriyama giving a fully fleshed out vision of the world of Dragon Ball, its entries struggle to capture the series' true essence.

What Could Be Next For Dragon Ball?

The Dragon Ball Super Manga Has Yet to Return

Before Daima, the Dragon Ball Super manga was going strong, finishing up its own adaptation of the Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero film. Gohan received his new Beast form, and was training with Broly on Beerus' planet. Having introduced the mysterious Black Frieza nearly two years ago, fans assumed the series was gearing up to feature the two characters in a battle with the powered-up space tyrant.

Unfortunately, before any fighting could begin, however, the ing of Akira Toriyama placed the series on an indefinite hiatus. While Dragon Ball Super is slated to appear at Jump Festa in December, there is still no word on whether the series will return in any capacity without its legendary creator.

Dragon Ball Daima has been fantastic thus far, showcasing Toriyama's greatest strengths while introducing new and fresh concepts to the franchise. However, the quality is indicative of just how great an author the series' creator was, and raises questions regarding Dragon Ball's future without him. Each version of Dragon Ball without Toriyama is lacking the series' distinct magic, and until a series shows what it can do with someone else at the helm, fans will have to sit back and enjoy the legendary author's final vision for his series.