For 40 years, Dragon Ball has subverted anime expectations – so it makes perfect sense for Dragon Ball: Daima to continue the trend

EntertainmentTVAnime ShowsDragon Ball: DaimaFor 40 years, Dragon Ball has subverted anime expectations – so it makes perfect sense for Dragon Ball: Daima to continue the trendWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. EntertainmentTVAnime ShowsDragon Ball: DaimaFor 40 years, Dragon Ball has subverted anime expectations – so it makes perfect sense for Dragon Ball: Daima to continue the trendWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works. (Image credit: Toei Animation) If you ask someone to describe the narrative centerpiece of the Dragon Ball franchise, they’d likely answer that it’s about “dudes fighting other dudes.” This is not entirely wrong! The most famous installment in the series on an international scale is Dragon Ball Z and most of its plots follow the escalating scale of, well, dudes fighting other dudes. But martial arts/laser beam battles are far from the only genre that Dragon Ball has excelled at. In fact, Dragon Ball has been successful at nimbly leaping from genre to genre since the very beginning. The first part, simply called Dragon Ball, is perhaps the best example of this. When we first meet Goku, a rowdy orphan who is around two-feet-tall and has yet to learn what either cars or girls are, the series plays a lot of things for comedy. Goku’s naivete blends into the general outlandishness of the world and what it becomes isn’t only an adventure tale, but a joke-filled romp. It’s important to remember that prior to Dragon Ball, the late manga author Akira Toriyama had created Dr. Slump, a comedy series about a little robot girl and the gaggle of weirdos that inhabited her world. Toriyama would prove himself to be the master of cartoon combat, but before that, he delighted in puns and gags. And this proclivity for humor doesn’t just end as soon as Goku hit Saiyan puberty. Comedy remains a lifeblood for the Dragon Ball franchise throughout, whether it’s the wonderful filler episode of Z where Goku tries to get his driver’s license or the Dragon Ball Super episode where earth’s warriors take on an intergalactic team in a baseball game. The latter series, Super, is a wonderful example of the fact that Dragon Ball, no matter how serious its world-changing battles became, could never leave comedy behind. Though Toriyama was less creatively involved with the Super manga, the foundation he’d built wouldn’t be abandoned. Far and wide (Image credit: Toei Animation) Dragon Ball also relished in broad science fiction and fantasy. In the first chapter of the series, Goku also gets treated to an array of wild technology (like the Dragon Radar and some of Bulma’s Capsule Corps machines) and ends up getting into a fight with a Pteranodon. Magic, futuristic gadgets and ancient reptile species all cohabitate the world of Dragon Ball with surprising fluidity. Eventually, Goku and the rest of his pals go from just saving earth to exploring different planets and galaxies. The fate of his backyard evolves into fights for the fate of his universe and the vibe can make the show feel like a bit of a space opera as Goku cruises among the stars. Forward looking (Image credit: BIRD STUDIO/SHUEISHA, TOEI ANIMATION) All of this amounts to a series that can feel like both an adventure in the most classic sense and a manga and anime that never treats genre trappings like a barrier. Rather, just as Goku gets stronger, his inclusion of various realms of storytelling just gets more expansive. And with the recentDragon Ball: Daima, a new anime that’s already begun to collect genres like dark fantasy just as quickly as it collects the seven Dragon Balls, it doesn’t seem likely to stop. Dragon Ball has never just been one thing. Instead, for nearly forty years, it’s tried almost everything. Sign up for the Total Film Newsletter Bringing all the latest movie news, features, and reviews to your inbox Dragon Ball: Daima is airing now, and to find out where to watch it, check out ourDragon Ball: Daima release schedule. We’ve also got all your needs covered with our guide on how to watchDragon Ball in order. 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tension"2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package"3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure"4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years"5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths"1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show"2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action"4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien"5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite"1Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right 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REVIEWSTV REVIEWS 1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension” 1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension” 1 Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension” 2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package” 2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package” 2 Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package” 3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure” 3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure” 3 Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure” 4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years” 4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years” 4 Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years” 5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own 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bloodthirsty action” 3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 3 Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 4 The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 5 Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 1Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now” 1Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now” 1 Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now” 2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 2 Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 3 Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 4 Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 5 Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”