Japan’s renowned Toei Animation is set to release Dragon Ball Daima, a brand-new series based on an original story by the late creator Akira Toriyama. The series will debut on the anime streaming platform Crunchyroll starting October 11, 2024, coinciding with the 40th anniversary of the original Dragon Ball manga. Fans across the United States, Canada, Latin America (including Brazil), Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, India, and Southeast Asia will be able to stream the series, with new subtitled episodes released weekly alongside the Japanese TV broadcast.
Dragon Ball Daima was first revealed during the Dragon Ball Special Panel at New York Comic Con in October 2023. The anime arrives following the passing of Akira Toriyama, who died on March 1, 2024. Toriyama’s Dragon Ball manga, which originally ran from 1984 to 1995 in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump, spanned over 519 chapters and became a cultural phenomenon. In addition to his work on Dragon Ball, Toriyama also contributed character designs for the Dragon Quest video game series, which was heavily inspired by the Dragon Ball universe.
The official synopsis for Dragon Ball Daima teases an adventure where Goku and his friends are mysteriously turned into smaller versions of themselves due to a conspiracy. Together with new characters Glorio and Panzy, Goku and Supreme Kai must navigate the unknown world of the “Demon Realm.”
The series is directed by Yoshitaka Yashima (known for his work on Dragon Ball Z: Cooler’s Revenge) and Aya Komaki (series director for One Piece), with series composition by Yuko Kakihara and character designs by Katsuyoshi Nakatsuru. The opening theme song, Jaka Jaan, is composed by Grammy Award-winning EDM artist Zedd, with vocals provided by singer-songwriters C&K (Clievy and Keen). Zedd also produced the ending song Nakama, and the lyrics for the theme songs are penned by Yukinojo Mori, famous for iconic Dragon Ball tracks such as Cha-La Head-Cha-La and Limit Break x Survivor.
With the addition of Dragon Ball Daima, the Dragon Ball franchise now includes six episodic series, 21 feature films, mobile and video games, a trading card game, and a vast range of licensed merchandise and location-based entertainment. Toei Animation, which also oversees consumer product licensing for its iconic franchises like Dragon Ball, Sailor Moon, One Piece, Digimon, and Saint Seiya, continues to expand its global presence, with its Los Angeles office managing operations across North America, Latin America, South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand.
Dragon Ball Daima will be available for streaming on Crunchyroll starting October 11, 2024.
