Dragon Ball Daima is Everything I Wanted

When the first teaser for ‘Dragon Ball Daima‘ came out, I wasn’t sure what to make of it. Maybe it just caught me at the wrong time, or maybe it was because seeing Goku shrink back into a child gave me some unfortunate ‘Dragon Ball GT‘ flashbacks. Once I got over the initial confusion – and after writing a now very poorly aged article – I became more curious than concerned. If nothing else, I hoped it would be a fun, if inconsequential, spin-off series.

Then Akira Toriyama passed away.

This was another bitter reminder of the terrible working conditions plaguing the Japanese creative industry. The man was sixty-eight and he was still brimming with passion and excitement for his work. So much so that he contributed significantly to this new anime via narrative planning and character designs. Now this silly little spin-off became the final piece of art he’d left behind. Pressure enough to crush it into dust or make of it a diamond.

With that in mind, I determined to discard my previous concerns and biases and give the show a fair chance. I sat down with my younger brother, also a huge Dragon Ball fan, and we binged the series in three viewings. Just for a few days, we got to be kids watching brand-new episodes of one of our favorite shows.

And I, for one, enjoyed every second of it.

Daima is a wonderful blend of everything I love about Dragon Ball. A perfect blend of the gag comedy seen in the original series with the world-shattering battles of Z and Super. This show put a big goofy smile on my face from the first scene of episode one and kept it there all the way to the post-credits scene of the grand finale.

Our story begins a few months after the Buu saga ends. With Dabura dead, his younger brother Gomah ascends to the throne of Demon King. Having seen the awesome might of Goku and the others, the new ruler of the Demon Realm already fears for his position on the throne. In order to prevent our heroes from ever opposing him, he travels to Earth and wishes on the Dragon Balls to shrink Earth’s mightiest champions into helpless children. Then, to keep them from reversing his work, Gomah kidnaps the now infant Dende and returns to the Demon Realm.

Not the best evil plan if you stop to think about it. Then again, Gomah isn’t exactly the best Demon King. Which is part of what makes him such a fun and refreshing antagonist. He’s a gag villain through and through, and his antics got more than a few chuckles out of me. When he finally does become a genuine threat, he gives us a fight for the ages, showing off a unique and varied move set that will fit perfectly into the series’ next video game. It certainly helps that his voice actor, Shōwtaro Morikubo, is giving an A+ performance.

Once our heroes figure out what happened, their goal becomes clear: Goku and the gang must travel to the Demon Realm, rescue Dende, and use the Dragon Balls their to undo Gomah’s wish. Along the way they’ll make new friends, battle mighty foes, and traverse new lands full of strange perils. It’s comedy-adventure at its finest!

The pacing is easily one of Daima’s greatest strengths. It doesn’t rush straight into the action or speed the audience along from one rollercoaster ride to the next. The show takes its time, letting you take in this new world and get to know these new characters. At no point is it either too fast or too slow.

Of course, an adventure is only as good as the friends you share it with. Luckily, the characters in Daima are all top-notch. The returning characters are in peak form; Goku acts like the kindly goofball we all know and love rather than the fight-drunk sociopath found in Super. Vegeta and Bulma share in plenty of married antics, culminating in one of the funniest gags in series history. To my surprise, the Supreme Kai gets a ton of character development as he takes center stage with Goku. The new additions to the cast are all great too, from the stoic Glorio, the gear-headed Panzy, to the silly Majin brothers Kuu and Duu.

Unfortunately, Daima continues the Dragon Ball trend of focusing too heavily on Goku and Vegeta. After the first episode, every other member of the cast disappears entirely. No Gohan, no Krillin, no Yamcha, no Tenshinhan, no Androids. Piccolo gets to tag along, but he’s relegated to standing around looking cool while we get new Namekian lore. I know I sound like a broken record, but I will never stop wanting to see more from the less powerful members of the cast.

While I do have my problems with the character selection, I have no such issues with the setting. The Demon Realm is a strange and beautiful world with laughs and thrills around every corner. Thanks to Daima’s slower pacing, we get to spend a lot of time taking in the scenery, getting to know the locals, and learning about the culture and history. Even now that the show is over, I feel like we’ve barely scratched the surface of what this place has to offer.

It certainly helps that the music is incredible. Composer Kosuke Yamashita went above and beyond for this show’s score. Each track strikes a perfect balance between whimsy and excitement. I wasn’t a huge fan of ‘Jaka Jaan‘ at first, but the OP really grew on me; by the end of the show, my brother and I were humming the tune to ourselves for hours. It’s really catchy.

But that’s enough about worlds and characters and music! This is Dragon Ball! It’s time to ask the real question: how are the fight scenes?

If I had to choose a single word: fantastic. Each one is a beautiful display of awe-inspiring choreography and jaw-dropping animation. Seeing tiny Goku swinging the Nyoibo again ignited every single neuron in my brain! For the more Z-inclined viewers, have no fear; there’s plenty of high-speed flurries, beam struggles, and transformations that’ll dump fuel into the hype train. Including a surprise but welcome return of the franchise’s SSJ black sheep.

That does bring into question where Daima fits into the series timeline. There’s a lot here that contradicts Super or even the end of Z. Well, the answer to that is simple: don’t worry about it. Toriyama didn’t care about canon and neither should you. Which is honestly very refreshing. The man woke up one day and said, “Screw it, let’s just give the people what they want.” And I appreciate that.

‘Dragon Ball Daima‘ is a wonderful addition to the franchise. Everything I love about this series has been packed into one incredible twenty-episode package. Beautifully animated, thrilling, and hilarious, it’s a joy to watch from beginning to end!

Toriyama was apparently very excited about this project before his passing, and you can feel that in every episode. The legend managed to sneak in one last homerun to complete his legacy. Of course, huge props also go to all the talented artists, animators, and voice actors who brought the series to life. Everyone who contributed did a phenomenal job to bring us some of the best Dragon Ball content ever produced. And I for one am I eager to see what they create next.

Thank you all very much for reading. I know I’m super late to the party on this one – as usual – but I had a lot of fun writing this one. If you’ve made it to the end, I hope you had just as much fun reading.

To wrap this up, I’ll leave you all with the wise words of our favorite old pervert. Stay safe, y’all.