Summary
While many out there will bemoan that their favorite show was “canceled too soon,” when it comes to theDragon Ballfranchise, there seems to never be enough of it. Despite the original series clocking in at over 500 episodes and a dozen movies (when you combineDragon Ball,Dragon Ball Z, and the infamousDragon Ball GT), there was still a hunger for more adventures of Goku and his friends from the fans.
The only problem was…well, the only new adventure they got was in the critically pannedDragonball: Evolution(which wasn’t anyone’s idea of fun). The results of this DID inspire Akira Toriyama to get re-involved in the franchise though, and another run of TV episodes and movies under the titleDragon Ball Superwere put into production. Now, fans are waiting for the return ofDragon Ball Super. However, a newDragon Ballanime may have been pre-maturely leaked…and it is NOT moreDragon Ball Super! In fact, it’s not what fans were expecting at all.
What is Dragon Ball Magic?
Although details are not confirmed, there have been numerous leaks that newDragon Ballcontent will be coming in the form of a new internet series calledDragon Ball Magic. Details of the story, characters, and what the overall themes are going to be. From what has reportedly been leaking, the series will revolve around a young Goku and Kaioshin and is very muchinspired byDragon Ball GT. Those are the basic things we seem to know so far, but what does this mean for fans of the franchise?
Why is it Significant?
One of the most significant things that stands out about this production is the fact that it is being produced for the Internet and NOT for TV! This is uncharted territory for the franchise. All theDragon Ballproperties have been produced byToei Animationas of this writing, with the originalDragon Ballkicking off everything with its unique blend of humor, martial arts action, and great characters. Following its success, the narrative transitioned intoDragon Ball Zin 1989 is arguably the most popular iteration globally.
It spotlighted more epic battles than the previous series, introduced the concept of Super Saiyans, and saw Goku grow into adulthood and raise a family of his own. When it concluded it was followed up withDragon Ball GT, aired in 1996. This series (which was NOT directly based on Toriyama’s manga) follows Goku, who is turned back into a child due to a wish made on the Black Star Dragon Balls. Despite introducing new transformations and characters, GT received mixed reviews from fans for de-aging Goku and focusing more on humor (initially at first) than action sequences. The franchise took a hiatus after this for many years but made a strong return withDragon Ball Superin 2015.
With more direct involvement from Akira Toriyama this time around,Dragon Ball Supercontinued the story after the events ofDragon Ball Z(while completely ignoring the events inDragon Ball GT), it introduced new powerful characters, universes, and the concept of divine ki. This series, however, has been on a hiatus, withDragon Ball Super: Super Movie(which is canon) being the most recent project from the series. Needless to say, the rumors ofDragon Ball Magichave confused fans eagerly awaiting the return of Dragon Ball Super, with many wondering who’s making it and why when there is already an anime whose return is already eagerly awaited.
Who Will be Making it?
According toGeekdom101, the series will be calledDragon Ball Magic, because it will revolve around Goku and Kaiōshin being turned into kids by a demon who casts a magic spell on them. The series will then be built on the idea that the two will need to work together to become adults once again. He also shared images of two new characters (a girl and a boy both armed with a sword and a gun). One of (but not the) most notable people who will be involved is Katsuyoshi Nakatsuru, who worked on Dragon Ball GT and even designed Goku in Super Saiyan 4.
From everything that has been gathered, while the series is not going to be an outright reboot ofDragon Ball GT, they are going to take some of the general ideas and package them in this show. Why would they do this? Most likely because Japan is a nation of honor, and when you do poor work it reflects poorly on you as a person. Hideko Anno famously remade the final two episodes ofNeon Genesis Evangelioninto the feature filmEnd of Evangelion, which was supposed to provide the closer fans of the show feltthey didn’t get.
Years after growing more as a filmmaker, Anno would essentially remake the entire franchise in hisEvangelion Rebirthseries (whose last film was finallyreleased earlier this year). WhileDragon Ball GTmay be non-cannon, it ultimately still exists. This might be bothering the most important person who is involved in this new web series: Akira Toriyama himself. Though he approved ofDragon Ball GT(and even provided some character designs himself), he ultimately had no involvement in that series, and the end results were generally poor as a result.
It is not an inconceivable notion that this show’s existence bothers him (he did, after all, return to the franchise afterhe was displeased withDragonball: Evolution). While this may be mere speculation, there’s a very real chance thatDragon Ball Magicis being developed for two key reasons. The first is to bring theDragon Ballfranchise to the internet and see how the results pan out. If successful, there is a chanceDragon Ball Supermight return on a streaming platform as opposed to TV. The second reason may be more personal: this may be Toriyama’s way of atoning for howDragon Ball GTturned out.
By taking the basic story beats fromDragon Ball GTand remaking them in the form ofDragon Ball Magic, it’s a chance for Toriyama to take the concept Toei Animation created years ago and make something good with it. Will it be canon? Will there be a lot of episodes? Will there be an English dub (there’s a pretty good chance the answer to that one is ‘yes’)? Chances are we’ll find out soon enough; the rumor also suggests more details will be revealed at New York Comic Con sometime after the convention begins on October 12th.
