Toei Animation’s NYCC Daima announcement was met with a lukewarm response from many Dragon Ball fans bewildered by the series’ unusual premise, which revolves around the Z fighters and their companions being turned into children. On Nov. 16, an alleged list of Daima staff members dropped on X (formerly Twitter), revealing a potential screenwriter, series director and character designer. Upon Toei’s recent confirmation of the same staff members, Dragon Ball fans breathed a collective sigh of relief, noting that many of these creators were involved with the production of Dragon Quest: The Adventure of Dai. However, a new video from DBHype has ignited hopes that Daima will follow in the footsteps of the original Dragon Ball anime and manga.

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In later installments like Z and Super, Dragon Ball shifted away from standard martial arts techniques in favor of more fantastical fighting styles. According to DBHype, “Daima will showcase more hand-to-hand combat as well as weapon-based battles, instead of becoming a key-centric show.” This direction makes sense, as the character’s diminished stature has likely impacted their power levels to some degree. In October, Akira Toriyama put out a statement explaining his role in the creation of Daima, as well as what fans could expect from the show’s fight scenes: “Since Goku has to make up for his petite size, he uses his Nyoibo (power pole) to fight, something not seen in a long time.” Toriyama himself is creating Daima‘s story and designing its characters.

Daima’s return to the franchise’s roots has renewed fan’s hopes that the series will live up to the legacy of its predecessors. At the time of writing, the top-rated comment on DBHype’s video says, “At first, I absolutely hated the idea of them going back to kids (I still dislike it), but the idea of going back to traditional martial arts and the adventures like OG Dragon Ball has me very excited.” This opinion is echoed by many other viewers who are looking forward to a series that “leans into its OG roots.” However, a few users also voiced reservations at the fact that the Dragon Ball Super anime remains unfinished, and that Toei has not clarified when the series is due to return.

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While the complete staff and cast list has not yet been revealed, Toei has confirmed that Yoshitaka Yashima (Dragon Ball Super) and Aya Komaki (One Piece) will both serve as series directors for Daima. Yuuko Kakihara (Urusei Yatsura 2022) is credited as scriptwriter. Katsuyoshi Nakatsuru (Dragon Ball Z) designs the characters alongside Toriyama. Masako Nozawa, who has provided the voice for Goku since the original 1986 Dragon Ball anime, is reprising the iconic role.

The Dragon Ball anime collection is available on Hulu and Crunchyroll. Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball Super manga is available in English from VIZ Media.

Source: YouTube