Dragon Ball DAIMA, the latest addition to the late Akira Toriyama’sDragon Ballfranchise, has concluded with 20 episodes, following the Z Warriors as they journey through the Demon Realm. The series takes place immediately after the original manga’s conclusion, at the end of the Majin Buu Saga. By transforming Goku and the other Z Warriors into children, this latest adventure follows their quest to the Demon Realm in hopes of regaining their original bodies. WhileDAIMA’s premise appears straightforward, the events within the series raise many questions.
As an installment,Dragon BallDAIMAadds depth to the franchise by retconning key aspects of its lore, making them far more intriguing. While itsrevisions to Majin Buu’s originsand the Glind race’s history have been beneficial, elements such as Vegeta’s Super Saiyan 3 transformation and Goku’s Super Saiyan 4 transformation have sparked debate overDAIMA’s canonical placement. However, the evidence surfaced during the series’ premiere clarifies its exact place within the timeline and addresses concerns about its canonicity.
Dragon Ball DAIMA Is a Continuation of Akira Toriyama’s Original Work
Akira Toriyama’s Involvement and DAIMA Taking Place After the Original Manga Confirm Its Canon Status
During the premiere ofDragon Ball DAIMA’s final few episodes,Mantan-web interviewedexecutive producer, Iyoku Akio. In the discussion, the series' production was addressed, and Iyoku provided insights suggesting thatDAIMAis canon. He revealed that the idea for the animebegan around 2019, coinciding with the early production ofDragon Ball Super: Super Hero. However,DAIMAwas approached with a different plot thanSuper. Iyoku also mentioned that when he initially sought input from Toriyama, the creator became so enthusiastic about the project that he ended up handling most of the work himself.
[Toriyama] was directly involved in shaping the anime. It is undeniably tied to the Majin Buu arc — this is clear.
Unlike the spin-off seriesDragon Ball GT, Toriyama was deeply involved not only in designing characters but also in shaping much of the Demon Realm and the new characters introduced in the series. This suggests thatDAIMA’s narrative, which fans have praised, was conceived by the original creator himself. The fact that the newest anime installment takes place immediately after the original manga’s conclusion, combined with Toriyama’s direct involvement, strongly confirms its canonical ties. While this interview clarifiesDragon Ball DAIMA’s canon status, some ambiguity remains regarding its connection to the franchise, especially withDragon Ball Super.
Dragon Ball DAIMA’s Connection To the Franchise, Explained
It All But Confirms Its Connection With Super
Mantan-web’s interview onDAIMA’s production also questioned Iyoku about the series' connection to the franchise. In response, he attempted to clarify the anime’s place within the series but never directly addressedDAIMA’s connection toDragon Ball Super. He emphasized that while it takes place immediately after the Majin Buu Saga and involved the direct participation of franchise creator Akira Toriyama—that was all. While Iyoku acknowledged the series' placement withinDragon Ball,his response carefully avoided confirming its relation toSuper, instead focusing solely on its chronological ties to the past.
Dragon Ball Confirms Daima’s Manga Connection, Teasing Its Place in Canon
Dragon Ball Daima has stirred controversy over its placement in the series' canon, but it’s already confirmed to be connected to the original manga.
Iyoku highlighted elements such as the recontextualization of the Namekians’ and Kais’ origins from the Demon Realm, symbolized by their pointed ears, as well as Majin Buu’s connection to this lore. However, he completely avoided addressing key concerns, such as Vegeta’s Super Saiyan 3 and Goku’s Super Saiyan 4 transformation. His omission suggests thatDAIMAis definitively connected toDragon BallandDragon Ball Z, but its relationship toDragon Ball Super remains ambiguous.
As a result,DAIMA’s connection toSuperis open to interpretation, leaving fans to analyze various elements and draw their own conclusions. However, several elements suggest thatDAIMAwas never intended to be canon but rather a spin-off series.
Dragon Ball DAIMA Is Considered Canon Solely Due to Its Connection to the Franchise’s Past Installments
Perhaps DAIMA Was Never Meant To Be a Canon Installment
IfDragon Ball DAIMAis canon, its placement feels unusual, as it takes place immediately after the Majin Buu Saga yet lacks a significant connection toDragon Ball Super. Given thatSuperis widely accepted as canon, largely due to its ongoing manga, which many fans consider the strongest evidence,DAIMAwould likely have established a more direct link toSuperif it had been planned as a canon installment from the start. The idea thatDAIMAwas only labeled as canon later gained traction when considering that Toriyama’s heavy involvement came after the project was presented to him rather than from his own initiative.
Furthermore, the executive producer’s statement about Toriyama’s deep involvement in the project does not necessarily confirm that every narrative decision was approved by him. Iyoku mentioned that major retcons, such as the revised history of the Kais and Namekians, were his ideas, raising the possibility that elements likeGoku’s Super Saiyan 4and Vegeta’s Super Saiyan 3 transformations were not directly influenced by Toriyama.
This suggests that the production team was heavily inspired by Toriyama’s approach to recontextualizing established lore, leading them to introduceVegeta’s Super Saiyan 3 transformation, which also debunks a long-standing theory, and to bring back Goku’s Super Saiyan 4, both of which were likely seen as exciting opportunities to reintroduce fan-favorite elements. However, these additions could have been handled more carefully, particularly Goku’s transformation, which might have been better integrated to maintain consistency withSuper.
How Dragon Ball DAIMA Could Have Solidified Its Placement as Canon, Explained
And How it Missed the Mark in Doing So While Airing
The biggest hurdle preventing fans from fully acceptingDragon BallDAIMAas canonis Goku’s Super Saiyan 4 transformation, leading to one crucial question: why didn’t Goku use Super Saiyan 4 in his fight against Beerus inDragon Ball Super? This omission directly challenges the canon status of one of the two series. However,DAIMAhad the perfect setup to handle Goku’s transformation differently, yet it missed the opportunity. The series could have explained Super Saiyan 4 as a one-time magical phenomenon, given that the transformation occurs only with Neva’s magical assistance.
Dragon Ball Daima Features a Very Different Super Saiyan 4 From GT and Here’s How
Dragon Ball Daima reintroduces Super Saiyan 4 with Goku, featuring significant changes that better portray the transformation.
Additionally,DAIMAshould have avoided explicitly naming the form, something it did until Goku abruptly referred to it as Super Saiyan 4 during his final conversation with Vegeta. If the transformation had been presented as a temporary or conditional magical event, it could have solidifiedDragon Ball DAIMA’s place within the canon while also maintaining its connection toSuper.Unless theDragon Ball Supermanga makes a significant reference toDAIMA, one of the two series will ultimately have to be considered non-canon.
