• Akira Toriyama says he is putting more effort than usual in a brand new story from the DragonBall universe.
• Called DragonBall DAIMA, the upcoming anime will see the Z Warriors turned into children by an evil force.
• The anime is launching in Spring next year and will most likely be available on Crunchyroll.

Another Kid Goku series? Gee, thanks Toei. The animation studio has revealed at the New York Comic Con that a brand new show based on the iconic and widely popular DragonBall universe and IP will be launching in the Fall of 2024, so Spring for us here in South Africa.

It’s called DragonBall DAIMA, which loosely translates to “great evil” and is possibly a reference to either King Piccolo or Majin Buu – both use the name “Ma” in the Japanese dub. According to creator Akira Toriyama, who has lent his powers to the new show, DAIMA will be a “grand adventure” set in a mysterious new world.

It will be launching six years after the conclusion of DragonBall Super, which for what seemed like a moment managed to capture the magic of the series with Goku and pals fighting the seemingly unbeatable Jiren in a memorable tournament arch.

The plot revolves around the famous Z cast being turned into children by “a conspiracy” and trying to return to normal. Toriyama says that Goku is once again using his Power Pole to beat up villains since he is a kid and needs the extra reach.

“I came up with the story and setting, as well as a lot of the designs,” says the legendary mangaka, “I’m actually putting a lot more into this than usual!”

“Hope you will enjoy these different-from-usual battles that are cute and powerful!” he adds.

The trailer tells us that indeed, every major character has been turned into children by some clandestine figure, who has been watching the Z Warriors and their trials and tribulations for some time. We get to see Kid Goku and Kid Vegeta together for the first time ever.

Also for the first time in the wider universe is the child version of Android 18, Yamcha, Hercule and even the Ox King, among others.

We also get to see some images of the new world that Toriyama describes, lovingly brought to life through the latest 3D technology in anime, akin to what we see in the fantastic DragonBall Super: Broly film and what can be found in popular new series like Chainsaw Man.

Toei has been using this animation technique in the latest episodes of One Piece, which have been absolutely visually insane to put it lightly. We’re excited to see what they can come up with in the new series.

Here’s hoping something new and interesting happens in DragonBall DAIMI and it’s not the same stories retold for the millionth time. The series is launching next year, and like Super before it, we imagine it will be available to South African fans via Crunchyroll.

[Image – Toei Animation]