The recently completed Dragon Ball Daima doesn't care to keep its influences a secret. In turning its cast of characters back into children and sending Goku on a journey to mysterious far-off lands, the similarities between the franchise's newest anime adventure and 1996's divisive Dragon Ball GT are abundantly clear. Aside from theatrical films, GT was the first entry into the series without Akira Toriyama at the helm, and has become notorious for having some great ideas but poor execution.

Dragon Ball's legendary animators made that a point in a recent interview.

Dragon Ball Daima Benefited From the Creator's Touch

Akira Toriyama Left His Mark on Dragon Ball Daima

Katsuyoshi Nakatsuru, a longtime animator of Dragon Ball and the creator of the original Super Saiyan 4 design, recently sat down for an interview with X SofianLeGEEK, which was translated by another , Venixys. When asked about Daima and its updated Super Saiyan 4 design, he revealed, "For Dragon Ball GT, Toriyama-sensei only provided a few guidelines for the character's creation, whereas for the Daima version, he was much more involved."

He then added, "We really wanted to create a character that fully represented Mr. Toriyama's vision." Dragon Ball has a rocky history without Toriyama in the picture, and Dragon Ball GT was the first project to stumble without his guidance. But Nakatsuru, who last worked on a Dragon Ball series during the production of GT, made it clear that Daima benefited from the creator's presence, and was able to capture the spirit of the series with his guidance beyond just the return of Super Saiyan 4.

Dragon Ball Is Once Again Facing a Future Without Its Creator

The Series Will Have to Navigate Without Toriyama Once More

Dragon Ball Daima, which premiered only months after the tragic ing of Akira Toriyama, was a fitting send-off to the creator, blending the series' trademark action with the comedy that always lay close to its heart. Now, the franchise once again faces a future in which Toriyama will no longer be able to steer it away from any missteps. However, fans should feel optimistic about Dragon Ball going forward. Current producer Akio Iyoku was a trusted business partner to Toriyama, and worked alongside him to bring the series to screens.

Iyoku expressed the difficulty that comes with Toriyama's absence, but revealed that he and the rest of the team now leading the franchise are carefully planning Dragon Ball's next moves. Though the future of the franchise is unknown, it's fair to believe it's been left in good hands, and will be able to avoid many of the issues a show like Dragon Ball GT faced in the past, even if Toriyama is no longer around to make the key difference.

Sources: Interview by SofianLeGEEK on X (translated by Venixys on X)