the incredibly divisive Dragon Ball GT, Daima borrowed elements from each of the franchise's anime series that came before it to offer an all-new vision packed to the brim with adventure and action. In exploring the previously unseen Demon Realm, the anime built upon the Majin Buu Saga's half-baked ideas, adding to the already expansive lore of the Dragon Ball universe.

As the dust has settled on Dragon Ball Daima's finale, arguments among the fan base concerning what is or isn't canon have taken focus away from more critical discussions, like whether or not the series was able to live up to expectations. Sadly, the legendary Akira Toriyama ed away months before his newest vision for the series began airing, and viewers by the thousands turned their attention to Daima in order to experience his final contributions to his iconic franchise.

Expectations Were Sky-High for Dragon Ball Daima

Unfortunate Circumstances Drew All Eyes on Dragon Ball's Latest Anime

The ing of Akira Toriyama in March 2024 came as a shock to the worldwide anime and manga community. Both fans of the artist's work and others who might not have loved Dragon Ball showed their respect and iration for Toriyama's talent and the influence he had on media across different art forms. The tragic news spread and all eyes fell on Dragon Ball Daima, the artist's final work on the beloved franchise, ballooning expectations for the anime series.

Living up to the expectation of embodying the very essence of a franchise that spans over four decades of incredible success is a Herculean task, and Dragon Ball Daima had the odds stacked against it. Originally planned to be a short web anime released in celebration of the series' 40-year anniversary, the nature of Daima changed during its early stages when Toriyama became increasingly involved. The final product began airing in October 2024, and despite sky-high expectations, was largely successful in portraying Dragon Ball's best qualities.

Daima Contained a Blend of Dragon Ball's Best Qualities

Daima Mixes Action and Adventure in a Near-Perfect Blend

There was no better, and also more difficult, way for Dragon Ball Daima to live up to expectations than to create a blend of the franchise's defining qualities. However, the anime was largely successful in finding the sweet spot between action and adventure, a spot that 1996's Dragon Ball GT arguably failed to locate. The early stages of Daima featured the trio of Goku, Glorio, and Shin traveling through the awe-inspiring Demon Realm, which included characters and technology only Toriyama could have been responsible for.

The later stages of the anime delivered on its high-energy action sequences with visuals that rivaled any of Dragon Ball's best-looking moments. From bar fights to intimate, hand-to-hand combat, to large-scale battles, Daima mixed excellent art and animation with the flashy choreography Toriyama was known for in his original manga. However, this blend of action and adventure wasn't perfect, and the series did struggle somewhat to keep its balance in its middle stages.

Daima Stumbled, But Never Fell Flat

The Anime's Middle Portion Could Have Spent More Productively

Dragon Ball Daima was progressing smoothly, transitioning from its early adventure-focused episodes into intense action when the series stumbled over itself. The main cast was initially split into two separate groups, one led by Goku and the other led by Vegeta. When both teams merged, the series' action ramped up and Vegeta's Super Saiyan 3 form was introduced to overwhelmingly positive reception. From that point, however, rather than keep its momentum going over the remaining nine episodes, Daima returned to slow-paced adventure.

Episodes #13 to #15 were a bit of a slog, featuring antics on other worlds and plane troubles, similar to the slower sections that nearly sank Dragon Ball GT. However, the downtime did not last long, and the eventual arrival at the First Demon World immediately restored the show's intensity. The final battle with Gomah offered all the flash, style, and fan service fans could ever dream of, and even included the controversial but exciting return of Super Saiyan 4.

Dragon Ball Daima Was A Fitting Goodbye to Akira Toriyama

Dragon Ball Daima's Finale Came Suddenly, but Was Fitting

The series' finale arrived somewhat suddenly, an issue that could have been avoided had Daima been more productive in its middle stages. Nevertheless, the anime's final climactic showdown featured Super Saiyan 4 action and one of the greatest Kamehamehas ever fired in Dragon Ball. Though Goku's new but familiar form proved far more powerful than the evil ruler of the Demon Realm, he was not able to land the final, decisive blow, eventually giving way to the rise of an unexpected hero.

Just as Gomah regenerated from Goku's iconic ki blast, the fan-favorite Majin Kuu whacked him on the back of the head with Arinsu's book of spells, dislodging the Evil Third Eye and stripping away the king's power. The final episode's light-hearted and humorous tone took a large portion of the fan base by surprise, but there couldn't have been a more fitting send-off for the series' creator than ending on one final gag. Akira Toriyama's gag manga roots were evident throughout the series, and moments like Vegeta's bath-time revelation made for some of the funniest in franchise history.

Dragon Ball Daima had quite a task ahead of it in attempting to meet the expectations of its ever-growing fan base. Though with a near-perfect blend of action, adventure, and incredibly high-quality visuals, it would be unfair to label Goku's latest anime adventure as anything other than a success. The future of the franchise remains unclear, though there is reason for optimism as fans await news about what might come next. Series' producer Akio Iyoku hinted at a major announcement to come some time in 2025, and said he expects Dragon Ball to continue for another few decades at least.