What will happen to ‘Dragon Ball Super’ and ‘Dragon Ball Daima’ after Akira Toriyama’s death?

Today the world is a slightly darker, sadder, emptier place. The news has come out that Akira Toriyama has passed away at the age of 68, leaving behind a legion of inconsolable fans who had grown up sheltered by the adventures of his Saiyans. But besides grief, there is also confusion and fear. What will happen now with ‘Dragon Ball’ and all the projects that were in the works?

Perhaps the first thing is to review what those projects were. The most imminent one is undoubtedly ‘Sand Lad,’ a new anime based on Toriyama’s manga of the same name, which will arrive this month on Disney+. Although the author served as the writer, designer, and supervisor, everything was finished and shouldn’t be affected in any way.

What will happen to ‘Dragon Ball Daima’ after Akira Toriyama’s death?

It is possible that ‘Dragon Ball Daim’, the new anime set to debut in 2024 to coincide with the 40th anniversary of the series, may be delayed. Unlike ‘Dragon Ball GT,’ Toriyama was ‘deeply involved’ in the project. He was responsible for both writing the story and designing its characters and vehicles. Although its chibi style raised some doubts upon its presentation, the author defended the series in a letter to the fans and assured that he was putting much more effort than usual to ensure its quality.

While it’s impossible for the series to be canceled given its advanced development stage, Toriyama promised that ‘Daima’ would delve into the mysteries of the ‘Dragon Ball’ world. Therefore, the big question here, aside from the release date, is whether the script was completed or if at least the author shared those mysteries he wanted to unravel with someone. This could affect its quality or value within the saga.

When discussing the future of ‘Dragon Ball Super,’ it’s impossible not to look at ‘Berserk,’ the illustrious manga by Kentaro Miura. When its author passed away, he entrusted the continuation of the story to an intimate friend of his (also a mangaka) to whom he had revealed the ending of the story. Based on their conversations and some unpublished notes and drawings found after Miura’s death, the friend, Kouji Mori, has been demonstrating that Guts is in good hands for the past two years, although the publication schedule has been irregular and, of course, there are those who believe it’s not the same anymore.

In the case of ‘Dragon Ball Super,’ it’s assumed that the same will happen, and the chosen successor to Toriyama couldn’t be clearer. It’s Toyotaro, who has been illustrating the series since 2015 and who has expressed his thoughts on the death of his friend and mentor: ‘I drew manga because I wanted Toriyama-sensei to praise me. He meant everything to me.’

Almost a decade of working side by side with his mentor is more than enough qualification for Toyotaro to take the reins and finish ‘Dragon Ball Super,’ especially considering that the manga was nearing its definitive end according to Toriyama himself. The new arc seemed to be the last one (at least in the drafts of chapter 102), and it would be rare if it hadn’t been discussed in the studio.

Who has the final decision?

In any case, the final decision on all projects lies with Akio Iyoku, the chief editor of ‘Dragon Ball’, who just a few months ago caused a earthquake in the industry by breaking ties with the publisher Shueisha (responsible for Weekly Shonen Jump magazine). Iyoku’s new publishing company, named Capsule Corporation Tokyo, holds the rights to Goku and company apart from ‘Dragon Ball Super’, and it will be they who shape the future of the saga from now on.

New movies? An anime adapting the Moro and Granola sagas? More video games aside from the highly anticipated Dragon Ball Tenkaichi 4 (Sparking Zero)? It remains to be seen, and although the fact that Toriyama wanted nothing to do with Capsule Corporation Tokyo (disassociating himself from it) is not the best of omens, we can only hope that they live up to Toriyama’s legacy and his characters.