The brand-new entry to the most iconic anime worldwide, Dragon Ball Daima, is currently airing during the 40th anniversary of the franchise. Fortunately, despite the similarities with Dragon Ball GT scaring some fans at first who feared it would lack originality, Daima has proved it refines the elements that make both the original series and GT great, becoming a celebration of the franchise, but especially, a love letter to Toriyama’s legacy through an endearing tribute.
Dragon Ball Daima recaptured what the franchise lacked after the first part of GT, bringing back the sense of adventure of Goku exploring a different world that later takes the sidelines to give protagonism to more high-paced action and battles. This way, Toei Animation Studio set up to produce an anime that will embed nostalgia in fans, while also rejoicing in its influence on GT and expressing gratitude to the master Akira Toriyama in his final project with a touching homage in the opening and ending sequences of Dragon Ball Daima.
Dragon Ball Daima’s Opening and Ending Pay Homage to Its Creator With An Emotional Goodbye
Akira Toriyama’s Spirit Is Still Alive as Part of Dragon Ball’s World
The opening and ending sequences of Dragon Ball Daima pay homage to the series author, as this project was Akira Toriyama's last contribution to the franchise before passing away earlier this year. In Daima’s opening, Jaka Jaan, there’s a tribute that is only appreciated in the original language, where the lyrics of the song highlight the words Tori, Yama, and Akira (Yume wa TORI dori naYAMAnai AKIRAmenai), a clever yet subtle tribute to the master creator.
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Dragon Ball Daima's Demon Realm Isn't Just Great, It Confirms What Makes Akira Toriyama A Once-In-A-Lifetime Master
Dragon Ball Daima is set to take place in the Demon Realm, a previously unexplored world that could've only been created by the great Akira Toriyama.
Also, in the last sequence of Daima’s ending, Goku sees numerous feathers that combine to form the figure of a bird. This figure represents the author due to wordplay on his surname, Toriyama, since tori means "bird" in Japanese, and it’s the same name he picked when he founded his own production company, Bird Studio. Additionally, the manga artist created a fictional character that was a blue bird to represent himself in his earlier work, Dr. Slump.
Furthermore, this sequence is reminiscent of the Dragon Ball Z ending We Were Angels, where Gohan sees a feather, and later Goku is shown with wings waving goodbye as he is in the afterlife. In Daima’s ending, Goku is also waving goodbye to the bird, which can be interpreted as the franchise's farewell to Akira Toriyama. Just like in the series, where death wasn’t the last goodbye, the author is still alive in Dragon Ball’s universe.
Dragon Ball Daima Embrace GT’s Influence in its Ending Sequence
Daima’s Ending Visuals Reminds of Dragon Ball GT Closing Sequence
In addition to Toriyama’s homage, Toei Animation's production team included several cuts in Dragon Ball Daima’s ending that are very similar to the first ending of Dragon Ball GT. Although the visuals aren’t exactly the same, both endings share the same feeling of exploration of a new land, showing Goku and his companions in their spaceship, sleeping, watching over the edge of a cliff, and flying. Also, there’s a cut of Goku taking a bath in the river, similar to a visual in GT’s opening.
Moreover, one sequence of Daima’s opening could be inspired by GT’s second ending, Don’t You See, where all the cast of the series appear walking one behind the other. Another callback is the final words of Daima's ending song, “Hitori Janai,” which is translated as “you are not alone,” but is also the title of the first ending theme of GT.
It is often debated among fans if Dragon Ball GT belongs to the canon of the series since it was created by Toei Animation, but Daima is inspired by GT , proved by its similar introduction and storyline, and the studio pinpoints these shared elements and their love for their original project with these similar visuals. Nevertheless, it is thanks to this passion put forth by the production team that Dragon Ball Daima has been well received by fans and is living up so far to the legacy of the franchise and its author, Akira Toriyama.
Dragon Ball DAIMA is the fifth overall series in the action-adventure anime franchise. It features most of the classic cast members as de-aged versions of themselves, including Goku, Vegeta, and Bulma. The series was announced at NYCC 2023, with creator Akira Toriyama returning to handle DAIMA's run.
Seasons 1
Writers Akira Toriyama
English (US) ·