Dragon Ball Daima release window, first trailer, & everything else you should know

Akira Toriyama’s swansong in the franchise that made his name will arrive in 2024, and we have all the details you need to know on Dragon Ball Daima.

Finally, Goku and the Z Fighters are coming back for another anime show. After fighting gods, Broly, and the pesky Red Ribbon army again, the crew are tackling some strange magic in Dragon Ball Daima.

Our beloved heroes are turned into children for the Shonen anime, forcing them to handle the mysterious evil in their adorable, child-like forms. It’s all very cute already, extremely in line with Akira’s blend of comedy and action.

Since this will be Akira’s last work within the Dragon Ball universe, since he died in March 2024, anticipating is huge for the upcoming anime. So, when can you sit down to watch it?

Dragon Ball Daima release window

Dragon Ball Daima will release sometime in October 2024. However, we don’t have a release date yet.

Toei

This came with the show’s announcement back in October 2023, at New York Comic Con. No updates have been forthcoming since then, although part of that might be tied to Akira’s death.

There was no mention of Daima at Anime Expo 2024, so we’ll probably hear more at San Diego Comic Con 2024. Watch this space.

Dragon Ball Daima trailer

The latest Dragon Ball Daima trailer arrived in January 2024, and it features Kid Goku fighting a bunch of enemies. There’s no dialogue, just animation and music, as we see some monsters, and Goku flipping around, ready to take on any opponent.

Previous trailers have given us more context for the overall situation. The big bad is teased – some form of sorcerer – and we can see other heroes, such as Piccolo and Vegeta, in kid form as well.

A new trailer dropped in July 2024, finally giving a proper release window for the highly anticipated upcoming anime. It has no dialogues, only snippets of action with a rousing music in the background.

So far, the production looks smooth and boldly colored, up to the standard for Dragon Ball Super and the resent movies. Toei Animation is handling everything as per usual, and so far, it looks like another strong entry in the franchise.

What will Dragon Ball Daima be about?

Dragon Ball Daima follows Goku and the other heroes tackling a new villain on another planet after they’re turned into child-like versions of themselves. This involves the usual amount of martial arts and space hijinks you’d expect from Dragon Ball.

We don’t know how deep the cast is yet, but Vegeta, Piccolo, Bulma, Yamcha, Chi-Chi, Oolong, Trunks, Goten, Gohan, Android 18 and Krillin are all confirmed to be involved. All of them are cursed too, creating the potential for all sorts of subplots.

Akira Toriyama was involved in the design and conception of Dragon Ball Daima, carrying on from his return to full on TV production in Dragon Ball Super. He took a smaller role in the property after Dragon Ball Z, only contributing some character work for GT.

As such, this should be as over-the-top and epic as his storytelling tends to get. After all, now it’s his send off.

Is Dragon Ball Daima canon?

Yes, Dragon Ball Daima is considered canon, since Akira Toriyama created the story. But exactly where in the timeline it takes place hasn’t been revealed. The most likely answer is between Dragon Ball Z and Dragon Ball Super, according to a number of hints like Goku and Vegeta’s costumes not being the same as their suits in Super yet.

Toei

That’d mean Daima essentially replaces GT in the running order, something many fans won’t be displeased about. GT’s the black sheep of the franchise, maligned for abandoning a lot of what we enjoyed about Z in favor of a madcap space comedy featuring Kid Goku and Pan, his granddaughter, that just didn’t come together.

Akira didn’t steer GT as much, and it shows, and Daima seems like an attempt to remedy that for himself and the fanbase. A second shot at a similar concept – what if the heroes became children? – but with more creative control and actual fighting.

One drawback here is that if Daima is overwriting GT, that means the story is bound by what’s happened in Super. So don’t expect any radical deaths or new forms. But getting away from those wouldn’t hurt Dragon Ball either, since the scales of power and such have been wacky for years now.

Where can you watch Dragon Ball Daima?

Dragon Ball Daima will be on Fuji TV in Japan. The overseas platform hasn’t been confirmed, but we’d say Crunchyroll is the most likely, since the service recently managed to acquire all the other Dragon Ball shows.

So, while we wait to hear more, you can stream Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z over there in anticipation for Akira’s last chapter with Goku. Just remember to buy some tissues before we get these new episodes.

Have a look at our guides to Solo Leveling Season 2, Jujutsu Kaisen Season 3, and Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle for more on the biggest anime franchises.