Dragon Ball Daima Is Completing the Vision Dragon Ball GT Failed to See Through

The similarities between Dragon Ball Daima and Dragon Ball GT have been apparent since the initial reveal of Goku's latest adventure. The divisive 1996 anime series was Dragon Ball's first attempt at a story without the legendary Akira Toriyama at the helm, and the results were a product that contributed a few lasting additions to the franchise, but ultimately left its fanbase split. Now, nearly two decades after GT's premiere, Daima seems set on finishing what the original grand tour started.

Though the two series tell largely different stories, their foundations are more or less the same. Goku is turned back into a child, and must set off on an adventure to far away worlds in order to reverse the damage. This time around, the threat of Shadow Dragons and the pursuit of more powerful Dragon Balls have been left behind, and the newest series instead dives head first into a Demon Realm that was introduced all the way back in the Buu Saga, but never explored.

Even so, Daima's latest episode is a direct call back to one of GT's earliest adventures, signaling that despite their differences, Dragon Ball's latest anime intends to finish what its earlier iteration started. Given Daima's early success, compared to the decades of arguments surrounding GT and its relevance, it seems the series is off to a fine start, though it has its work cut out for it if it intends to fix old mistakes.

Daima's Latest Episode Is a Direct Call Back to GT

Goku's Latest Encounter With Giants Isn't His First

If fans experienced déjà vu while watching the latest episode of Dragon Ball Daima, there is good reason for it. Episode #13, titled "Surprise", sees the main cast crash-land on an unknown planet, before discovering their surroundings to be enormously tall. Neva explains that they've reached Planet Mega, the second most dangerous in the Second Demon World, and the home to a species of giants. While a fun concept, it isn't entirely new to the franchise, as Dragon Ball GT did it first.

GT's sixth episode, titled "Like Pulling Teeth", follows Goku, Trunks, and Pan to Planet Monmassu in search of the Black Four-Star Dragon Ball. There they come across a giant who has the ball stuck in its teeth, and Goku eventually dislodges it with a powerful Kamehameha. The two episodes are strikingly similar, and that likely has to do with the fact Akira Toriyama designed Monmassu and its giant in one of his few contributions to the series.

Unlike GT's version of events, however, Daima keeps its detour to Planet Mega consistently exciting, pinning its main fighters against the giant and his oversized dog. Despite the outlandishness of the confrontation, the stakes are high, and victory is won with some last-minute Super Saiyan heroics from Goku. It is precisely that excitement that sets Dragon Ball Daima apart, and has thus far worked to improve on GT's shortcomings.

Daima Is Correcting GT's Biggest Mistakes

Uneven Pacing and Lack of Action Caused GT to Stumble Out the Gate

Dragon Ball Daima has succeeded in returning the franchise to its adventurous roots, turning its focus to the exploration of the Demon Realm while weaving in a few flashy fights when it can. Dragon Ball GT, at its start, had a similar goal, yet failed to realize its vision before relying once more on over-the-top action and extravagant transformations. By providing those large-scale battles, even though they aren't the focus of the series, Daima is avoiding one of GT's biggest mistakes.

The most common criticism of GT's earliest sections is that the show is simply boring. Though that is a largely subjective claim, there is reasoning behind it. GT, in returning its focus toward adventure and exploration, abandoned most of the action that defined Dragon Ball in its most popular arcs. The massive tonal shift from the combat-heavy Majin Buu Saga to the slow-going Black Star Dragon Ball Saga is palpable, and a large portion of the fanbase could never get on board with it.

Dragon Ball Daima has identified that issue, and features some of the series' most visually impressive action sequences ever between its slower sections. The anime has quite a bit of distance left to cover before it reaches its finale, though its efforts to correct GT's mistakes have been effective thus far. Team Goku and Team Arinsu are currently on a crash course in each other's direction, and fans won't want to miss the action still to come.