Akira Toriyama’s final work, Dragon Ball Daima, reached its conclusion around the same time as his first death anniversary in February this year. The legendary mangaka worked on the story and character design before supervising the anime’s production, and it’s expected that the show would be well-received by fans. Even though several decades have passed since the franchise’s debut, Dragon Ball has a special place in fans’ hearts. In Fall 2024, nostalgia met modern animation as audiences followed Goku and his friends on a brand-new journey. The story takes place six months after the Buu Saga, when Earth narrowly survived its greatest threat after the defeat of Majin Buu. Unfortunately, Gomah, the new king of the Demon Realm, after Dabura’s death, witnesses their powers from afar and determines they would be a threat to him.
Fearing the heroes’ overwhelming power, Gomah travels to Earth, uses the Dragon Balls to revert them into children, and kidnaps Dende. Determined to set things right, Goku and the others venture into the Demon Realm, where countless dangers await. The series gave new life to Super Saiyan 3 and also reintroduced Super Saiyan 4 by turning it into an official form with Toriyama’s version. The hype around the series was greater than ever when it was airing, but a former editor, Kazuhiko Torishima, has claimed “Dragon Ball Daima was a trash anime” that made one huge creative error, in comments that have stunned fans.
Kazuhiko Torishima Sparks Controversy By Calling Dragon Ball Daima “Trash”
Despite the series’ popularity, it received considerable criticism, including the surprise vitriol of Torishima, who called the anime “trash.” In a recent interview with Yubo and Mashirito’s KosoKoso Broadcasting Station, which was shared on YouTube, the editor expressed disappointment about not having a series dedicated entirely to Vegeta.
Since the original video is in Japanese without subtitles, @sandman_AP on X, a famous account known for translating One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda’s interviews, shared an English version of the controversial quote from the two-hour-long video, “It would be better to produce a Vegeta story than Dragon Ball Super. Dragon Ball Daima was a trash anime.”
Torishima didn’t mince his words at all, despite Always being Toriyama’s final work, but, it’s worth noting that this isn’t the first time the editor has made headlines due to similarly barbed remarks. He often criticizes other series apart from Dragon Ballincluding One Piece, Attack on Titan, and even Demon Slayer. With the ending of Dragon Ball DaimaToriyama’s final project, the future of the franchise looks bleak. Daima was supposed to be a short 20-episode series, but the post-credit scene hints at another adventure, leaving several questions unanswered.
Not only that, but it’s been over seven years since Dragon Ball Super stopped airing, leaving a major chunk of the story hanging in the air. Following Toriyama’s death, the manga went into indefinite hiatus, only to return with just one chapter in February 2024. The artist, Toyotaru, took over the helm after a year-long hiatus and is now responsible for both the story and the illustration, but it’s currently unknown when the manga will resume serialization.
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