With the airing of episode 3 of Dragon Ball DAIMA on October 5th, we are now well underway into Akira Toriyama’s final project.

After the announcement of his tragic passing in March of this year, the Dragon Ball Super manga went on hiatus shortly after. As the Dragon Ball Super anime itself had finished broadcasting in 2018, with no movies announced for the future, DAIMA will functionally serve as a halting of the current Dragon Ball story. 

Dragon Ball DAIMA‘s conclusion will be the last of Toriyama’s input on the series, and it leaves lingering questions about the future of the Dragon Ball franchise.

What should be done with Dragon Ball in a post-Toriyama world?

It is something of a heated question, and one that evokes strong feelings from fans. It is akin to asking how somebody feels about Star Wars without George Lucas. There are many fans who would love to see Dragon Ball Super continue under the direction of Toyotarou, the manga’s illustrator, who had been working with Toriyama on the final arcs of Super. They believe Toyotarou to be a competent steward who cares about the series, and who’s firsthand experience with Toriyama will be invaluable in continuing the series.

There are many others who believe the franchise should be brought to a close. There is a gradient of extremity to this belief. Some think Toyotarou should be allowed to wrap up the current arc, and end the show afterward. Others believe it would be disrespectful to Toriyama to continue at all, and Super should be left unfinished. There is a camp of fans who don’t love the direction Super has taken, be it Toyotarou’s art style or the often jovial nature of the show, and believe it would simply get worse without Toriyama.

Realistically, Dragon Ball is simply too big to end. Even if Toyotarou didn’t want to continue the franchise post-Toriyama, I have little doubt the spinning wheels of capitalism would ensure the continuation of Dragon Ball. It simply makes too much money to stop. Even in the wake of Toriyama’s death, the mobile games continue to be updated with events, and new games continue to be released. Dragon Ball will continue on with or without Toriyama.

By my estimations, I think the franchise continuing under Toyotarou is the best course of action. I don’t unanimously love every decision the guy makes, but I don’t love every decision Toriyama made across the franchise either. Dragon Ball will continue no matter what, and I think it is better for it to do so under the supervision of somebody like Toyotarou who genuinely cares about the franchise, even if he comes with his own eccentricities and flaws. I would rather it proceed under a watchful eye, than fall to corporate control. 

What about you, how do you feel the future of the Dragon Ball franchise should be handled? Should it simply come to an end, or should it continue without its beloved original author? Let us know what you think in the comments down below.  

Featured Image: Toei Animation, IMDB

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