Finally, Someone Said the Harsh Truth About Dragon Ball Daima

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As a lifelong Dragon Ball fan, I was so hyped for Dragon Ball Daima when it was announced! But honestly, looking back, I’m starting to think it just doesn’t fit within the overall Dragon Ball story, and a really respected voice agrees with me. Kazuhiko Torishima – the former editor-in-chief of Shonen Jump and the guy who used to edit Dragon Ball itself – has been sharing his thoughts on the franchise for a while now, especially since Dragon Ball Super came out. Some fans might see his critiques as negativity, but his latest comments about Daima really hit home – it feels like he’s pointing out a tough truth about where the series is heading.

I was so fascinated to hear Torishima speak at Comicon Napoli earlier this month! He didn’t hold back at all when talking about Daima. Apparently, he’s completely baffled by how it even got the green light. Fans on X, like @/XMathemagician, were sharing translations, and he basically said Daima feels like a betrayal to Dragon Ball – he called it slow, dumb, and even said the first episode was pointless! Honestly, after thinking about it, I kind of see his point about that first episode – it really struggled to fit into the Dragon Ball universe and didn’t really grab me right away.

Dragon Ball‘s Former Editor Criticizes Dragon Ball Daima With a Harsh Truth That Actually Makes Sense

Looking back, Dragon Ball Daima doesn’t really add anything new or significant to the overall Dragon Ball story. It mostly feels like a series built around fulfilling fan expectations and seeing moments they’ve always wanted. As creator Kazuhiko Torishima explained, the basic idea behind Daima isn’t particularly strong; it’s more of a playful reason to send Goku and his friends to the Demon Realm to turn back into adults. The story tries to add complexity by focusing on Shin and introducing the idea that people with pointed ears are demons, which changes established parts of the Dragon Ball universe.

As the series goes on, it doesn’t explore interesting details and instead focuses on exciting, over-the-top moments that feel like they’re just for fans. For example, Vegeta suddenly transforms into Super Saiyan 3 without a strong reason, and while the transformation looks cool, the explanation feels lacking. Similarly, the introduction of Super Saiyan 4, a major surprise, seems designed to generate hype around transformations – a trademark of Dragon Ball – rather than add substance to the story. These transformations make it hard to consider Daima as a legitimate part of the series’s history, and it increasingly feels like the show was created for quick thrills instead of to build upon the franchise’s established story.

The story also shows Goku and Vegeta constantly doubting their strength, with challenges that should be easy for them suddenly becoming huge problems. The series also frequently damages vehicles, seemingly just to slow down the plot and allow for more exploration of the Demon Realm. These things give the impression that Daima was created more to thrill longtime fans with familiar feelings and alternate scenarios than to add something substantial to the Dragon Ball story. Ultimately, Dragon Ball Daima doesn’t quite succeed as a meaningful installment, a point that mirrors recent criticism from the series’ creator, Torishima.

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2026-05-12 16:10