Summary
- The announcement of a teaser trailer at New York Comic Con has sparked speculation about a potential new Dragon Ball series.
- Fans have expressed hope for a televised continuation of Dragon Ball Super or a remake of the original Dragon Ball anime.
- While some fans are excited about a modern version of Dragon Ball, others believe the original anime still holds up and shouldn’t be dismissed.
The announcement of a teaser trailer debuting at Dragon Ball‘s New York Comic Con panel on the 12th of October ignited a new wave of speculation regarding its potential contents. Given that several of Dragon Ball‘s official licensees have been hyping up the event, many fans have been hopeful that the teaser in question will finally bring an end to Dragon Ball‘s half-decade hiatus in the anime realm by announcing a new series. While many remain hopeful that the event will reveal a televised continuation of Dragon Ball Super, others have posited alternative possibilities—with one gaining traction being a remake of the original Dragon Ball anime. Given that the manga will be celebrating its fortieth anniversary in 2024, could now be the perfect time for Toei Animation to revisit the source material?
Dragon Ball Z Kai Skipped the Manga’s First Six Arcs
A hypothetical modern version of Dragon Ball has been the subject of fan discussion for years, but the 2009 debut of Dragon Ball Z Kai is when that discussion reached a fever pitch. A recut of the original Dragon Ball Z boasting a new remaster, soundtrack, and with filler removed, Kai was Toei’s attempt to modernize Z for new audiences. While the decision to reuse Z footage rather than new animation was a controversial one, Kai was a moderate success and was one of the first steps in Dragon Ball‘s 21st-century revival. Kai‘s other major controversial decision was its choice to skip straight to Z‘s ”Saiyan” arc. While Dragon Ball Z was the more popular series internationally, the six arcs comprising the original Dragon Ball were still an essential part of Goku’s story, and the ”Z” delineation was an invention of the anime—Akira Toriyama’s manga was simply Dragon Ball from beginning to end. Kai could have been an opportunity to mend the rift between Z and its predecessor, but instead doubled down on the division, to many fans’ chagrin. After Kai‘s debut, some still held out hope that the series would eventually go back and cover the story’s first six arcs. As Kai continued, however, movies like Battle of Gods and Resurrection ‘F’ made it clear that a new era of Dragon Ball was on the horizon, culminating in the debut of Dragon Ball Super. The fervor surrounding Super, with its new stories and cast of characters, swiftly replaced any desire for old material to be reexplored, and the subject of a Kai version of the first six arcs faded into obscurity.
Super Hero Reignited Fan Desire for a Remake
Thanks to Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero, however, discussions surrounding a potential remake have been reignited, courtesy of its opening two-minute prologue. Animated by Super Hero‘s character designer Chikashi Kubota, the prologue recaps the events of the ”Red Ribbon Army” and ”Cell” arcs in a 2D style, contrasting the rest of the film’s 3DCG look. The prologue was praised as one of the film’s highlights thanks to its fluid and dynamic animation. As a result, many fans expressed a desire to see an entire Dragon Ball series in Kubota’s style—including Kubota himself. At the most recent ”Japan Expo” convention, Kubota noted his interest in working on a remake of the original series, stating that he went so far as to speak to Super Hero producer Norihiro Hayashida about the matter. What’s more, the 2D-animated prologue was one of Kubota’s prerequisites for working on Super Hero. While part of this came from his professed preference for 2D over 3D animation, it’s not hard to see the prologue as a trial run for a potential modern Dragon Ball adaptation. If the prologue was meant to gauge interest in a hypothetical remake, then the acclaim it was met with means it was successful—so where does Toei Animation go from here?
Does Dragon Ball Need A Modern Remake?
While the prospect of a modern version of Dragon Ball is enough to make some fans salivate, for many others the idea is tantamount to heresy. The original anime adaptation of Dragon Ball still holds up, both as a culturally significant part of anime history and as an entertaining show in its own right. Its age does not serve as a barrier to entry, and the idea that it inherently needs to be brought up to modern standards could be seen as dismissive of the work of the original production team. While there are dozens of valid reservations to be had about a potential remake, it’s important to note that the anime is not the source material—the manga is. A new adaptation of said material does not invalidate the previous adaptation any more than the original anime invalidates the manga. If Dragon Ball is to stand the test of time, then it’s only natural that the original material will be readapted and reinterpreted in a similar vein to other titans of genre fiction, from literary figures like Sherlock Holmes to comic book heroes like Superman. Dragon Ball would be far from the only classic to receive a modern remake, joining the ranks of Space Battleship Yamato, Urusei Yatsura, and Devilman. Toei Animation have already displayed a willingness to revisit old titles such as Digimon Adventure, Sailor Moon, and Gegege no Kitaro—with none of these remakes invalidating or erasing the original work.
A Dragon Ball Could Finally Bring the Manga’s Breezy Pace to Television
Given how influential Dragon Ball is, there is a legion of fans of the series now working in the industry like Kubota who could bring a fresh new perspective to a modern adaptation. What’s more, the production conditions of the original Dragon Ball anime were less than ideal, with the staff forced to pad out the material in order to not catch up to the then-contemporary manga. While manga author Akira Toriyama was adept at depicting quick, impactful action early in the manga, the anime could be sluggish in comparison. As such, a new version of Dragon Ball could at last faithfully adapt the manga’s sense of pace to the small screen. As Super Hero‘s prologue shows, it’s more than possible for the earlier material to serve as the basis for high-octane, gorgeously animated action set-pieces. What’s more, if a new adaptation could go past the ”23rd World Martial Arts Tournament” arc, the entire manga’s story could finally be covered as part of one complete, cohesive series. While the Z portion of the story already received a cut-down, modernized version in the form of Kai, even that was still restricted by the original Z‘s footage and the need to adhere to the old timing and continuity of the existing scenes. While it took 444 episodes across Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z to adapt the manga’s 597 chapters, a series unbound by the pressure to not catch up with the manga could cover the material in much less time. For comparison, David Production’s JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure covers its source material’s first 597 chapters in just 153 episodes. Assuming a new Dragon Ball adaptation followed a similar pace, it could adapt the material in just one-third of the number of episodes it took the original and Z.
Dragon Ball Being Remade Wouldn’t Be a Bad Thing—So Long as the Original Isn’t Erased
While the first Dragon Ball anime was made under less-than-ideal working conditions, that doesn’t take away from the immense artistry of the original production team, and their legacies loom large. For many, Shunsuke Kikuchi’s incidental score stands as the definitive sound of Dragon Ball, and Masako Nozawa, Hiromi Tsuru, and the rest of the voice cast remain the definitive voices for Goku, Bulma, and company. As such, the idea of a new anime without the involvement of the old guard is upsetting to many fans, and with Toei Animation’s mixed track record in preserving the original Dragon Ball, concerns that a new version would bury the old are understandable. While it’s inevitable that one day Dragon Ball will see another adaptation, said adaptation needn’t invalidate the work of the one that came before it. Goku and friends’ legacy will likely continue for decades to come, but hopefully, each version of their story that gets told and retold will be preserved in the best possible format for future generations to experience.