A major disappointment for many fans of Dragon Ball Daima was the lack of Gohan’s involvement. The anime’s producer recently revealed that Gohan almost made an appearance at least once. Dragon Ball Daima is set right after the Majin Buu saga, and follows Goku on a new journey through the Demon Realm alongside the Supreme Kai. The story begins with a wish that transforms everyone into smaller, “Mini” versions of themselves, giving classic characters fun, childlike designs. However, not all characters received this treatment.
It was strange that Gohan didn’t appear at all in Dragon Ball Daima (along with his mother, Videl), especially since the series was also marking the 40th anniversary of Akira Toriyama’s manga first appearing in Shueisha’s Weekly Shonen Jump. However, as Dragon Ball Daima producer Akio Iyoku shared (noted by @Venixys on X), a design for a Mini Gohan was actually created for the anime, but ultimately wasn’t included in the final show.
Gohan Almost Appeared in Dragon Ball Daima
According to Iyoku, they had the character designer create a version of young Gohan “just in case” he needed to appear. While this design wasn’t ultimately used in the show, Iyoku and the team later realized it would have been beneficial to at least feature him in one of the brief eye-catch segments. However, as the anime aired, Gohan was completely missing, and this ultimately proved to be one of the series’ biggest shortcomings. It was a missed opportunity.
Honestly, while I was really enjoying the new characters they introduced in the Demon Realm, and seeing the Supreme Kai play such a big part with Goku was a cool change, I can’t help but feel a little disappointed about missing out on a potential adventure focused on Gohan. It feels like a bit of a letdown for the Dragon Ball franchise as a whole. I mean, even though Akira Toriyama himself might have crafted the story, it kind of forgets how important young Gohan was – he was at the heart of about 75% of Dragon Ball Z! It wasn’t *just* Goku we all loved watching in action, you know?
Gohan Is a Key Part of Dragon Ball’s Success
Although Gohan wasn’t introduced to the Dragon Ball series until quite late in the manga, he’s central to many of the most iconic moments in Dragon Ball Z. As a child, Gohan effectively took on the role of the main character, and Goku himself recognized that Gohan possessed the potential to one day be Earth’s savior. When he ultimately did save the planet, it ushered in a fresh new chapter for the entire franchise.
When Goku became central to the story again during the Majin Buu arc, Gohan took a less prominent role. Because of this, it’s understandable why he wasn’t strongly considered for a part in Dragon Ball Daima. Even though he had recently regained his full strength, we later saw him return to a more laid-back lifestyle in Dragon Ball Super. It’s unfortunate that Gohan was sidelined, but it makes logical sense considering the larger story. Furthermore, having two characters similar to young Goku in this new anime might have been seen as impractical, and that’s likely the main reason for his exclusion.
What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
HT – @Venixys
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2025-09-29 19:11