First Impressions: Dragon Ball DAIMA

Dragon Ball DAIMA is available to stream on Crunchyroll and Netflix

It's been five years since the Dragon Ball Super anime series ended and while fans haven't been completely starved of new Dragon Ball content since then, the times have certainly changed. The passing of creator Akira Toriyama earlier this year shocked the world, and although its a far sadder place without him we were fortunate enough to see him revisit the story onscreen one last time with Dragon Ball DAIMA. The sixth entry in the Dragon Ball franchise had Toriyama involved with the story "deeply beyond his usual capacity", in which Goku, Vegeta and the rest of Earth's fighters are transformed back into children by a brand new evil.

Shortly after the defeat of Majin Buu, new King of the Demon Realm Gomah watches back the events alongside Degesu - younger brother of Supreme Kai Shin. After the pair discuss Earth's strongest warriors with Degesu's sister Dr. Arinsu, she gives Gomah the idea to use the power of the Dragon Ball's to make them younger - and thus not a threat to the Demon Realm.

Gomah and Degesu travel to Earth together with Neva, an old Namekian responsible for the creation of the Demon Realm's own set of Dragon Balls. There Neva makes quick work of summoning the supposedly-inert Dragon Balls to Kami's Lookout, where Gomah quickly summons Shenron and makes his wish...

Anticipation for Dragon Ball DAIMA has been building for some time, and now that it's here fans will still have to wait a little while longer as it's premiere episode proves to be more of a history lesson than anything else. The first 20 minutes of this 30-minute episode are predominately spent recapping the events of the Buu Saga, not just for the benefit of the franchise's newest villains but perhaps also the audience itself. We might have had quite a bit of new Dragon Ball content in the last decade, but Z itself was still nearly 30 years ago (and Kai nearly ten). So a quick refresher doesn't go unappreciated, especially since it also firmly places DAIMA as happening between Z and Super. Already this takes any transformation post Super Saiyan 3 out of the picture, which should be interesting when it comes to the action sequences. It's also nice to see those key moments from the Buu Saga redrawn in DAIMA's art style, which gives off a really strong first impression here. The character design is sharp, the colours vibrant and overall the presentation gives off those modern Toriyama vibes particularly present in Broly and Super Hero.

Based on all the promotional material it appears DAIMA will also be aiming for a slightly different tone to its predecessor - returning the more fantastical adventure elements of the original series. This is definitely clear from the opening's focus on the Demon Realm, which looks as though it will probably be the main setting for the story going forwards. Dabura was definitely one aspect of the Buu Saga in dire need of expansion, and getting it all these years later is still better late than never. In returning Goku to a child naturally it also feels DAIMA is Toriyama having his own go at what Dragon Ball GT tried back in 1996. The idea might not have every fan especially enthusiastic, but a return to the franchise's roots definitely isn't bad thing. Super repeatedly showed that Dragon Ball hadn't lost its comedic edge, and a step away from the multiverse shenanigans and godlike transformations feels like a breath of fresh air. 

DAIMA's new villain troupe are already proving to be a lot of fun, particularly since it's very clear from the get-go that these are bad guys that are going to be able to fight their way out of a situation. Gomah feels like a villain straight out of the original Dragon Ball, which will only be more fun as we properly return to the adventures of Kid Goku. He's a little goofball with big ideas, and that's exactly the kind of villain the franchise has needed again for sometime. But even beyond first impressions when it comes to personality, there's a lot to gauge about their dynamics here too. Gomah feels like someone easily swayed, not just by Degesu but even moreso by Dr. Arinsu. The presence of two of Shin's siblings should be good for a little more depth into the Kai/Core People, but who might be far more interesting here is Neva. A Namekian in the Demon Realm doesn't just spell good things for fleshing their backstory out even more (harking back to "Demon King Piccolo" once again), but also a whole new set of Dragon Balls to play around with. DAIMA's premiere wastes absolutely no time dropping hints about those, particularly noting their trio of protectors - the Tamagami. Gomah and Degesu might not be giving them the fight Goku and Vegeta constantly crave, but it feels almost a certainty they will at some point.

When we do finally catch up with Goku and company, the visit is very brief but definitely business as usual. Bulma is throwing a lavish birthday party for Trunks (and hooray for the Earth being back too), and as soon as they are done eating Goku and Vegeta are back to sparring. It's more of an opportunity to check in on everyone before Gomah's wish takes effect than anything particularly story-driven, but that doesn't make seeing the old gang back in action again any less exciting. And on top of the usual banter Toriyama even makes to find one last opportunity to throw a spanner in the works, revealing that Shin and Kibito have been able to undo their fusion thanks to the help of Majin Buu. Given that the pair were still fused at the beginning of Dragon Ball Super, already fans are debating whether this means something will happen in the series to make them fuse again, the events of Super are being rewritten or if Toriyama just plain forgot again. While the correct answer for now is simply "it doesn't matter", DAIMA already causing debates like this one episode in feels somewhat bittersweet.

Admittedly there really isn't a whole lot to go off on right now, but Dragon Ball DAIMA seems off to a pretty fun start. There's a healthy dose of nostalgia, fun new characters, interesting little lore drops and even an apparent (albeit minor) retcon Dragon Ball fans will no doubt spend the coming weeks arguing about. Best of all that it that same sense of fantasy and whimsy as the original Dragon Ball, which despite never being lost has been long overdue taking centre stage once again. But no matter what happens, as Akira Toriyama's swan song Dragon Ball DAIMA is going to be something to cherish.