All the screenshots in this post were taken directly from the series by the.
I'm amazed at how Dragon Ball Z has managed to stay relevant within popular culture, especially since at the time I first discovered it and became a fan of it (in the early 2000s) while it was "popular", its level of fame was closer to that of a niche series, considering that Japanese animation had not yet penetrated so deeply into Western culture.
Source
The release of Battle of Gods, Resurrection of F, Super, and even the infamous American live action "Evolution" brought it closer and closer to the peak of popularity, and the noise caused by games like Sparking Zero or Daima (the sequel of which I will tell you about today) demonstrate this perfectly.
Very little was known about Daima, and ironically I feel that it played in its favor, presenting itself as a strange sequel to the original anime and manga that had a radically different animation style, to the point where many of us considered its place within the canon questionable at best.
As time went on, some things became clearer and other new doubts arose, however, one of the most interesting premises that could have been mentioned in this regard was “Daima would be a new version of GT, with the creative direction of Akira Toriyama”, thus correcting what for many was one of its greatest sins.
And, after having about 6 episodes released (which by the way can be seen on the HBO Max platform, both in English and Japanese, something that I think is brilliant) I think that this new project has more potential than expected.
Although Daima unfortunately no longer has the creative involvement of Toriyama (who sadly passed away in March of this year), it is undeniable that it is one of the most interesting sequels in the entire franchise, but it is also evident that it moves away from the aggressive spirit that characterized Z, in exchange for a much lighter and more humorous work, and much firmer in terms of narrative.
Obviously it's too early to pass judgment, and I admit that in many ways I still think Dragon Ball GT is a much more appealing sequel to Z, however, regarding how Daima serves as a love letter to the entire franchise, reconnecting with the more adventurous aspects of Dragon Ball without leaving behind the flashy combats we saw in the more mature stages of Goku's story.
The simplistic approach to character animation in terms of design ends up making the same resources focus on the quality of their movements and expressions, as well as the use of incredible lighting systems that make us feel excited about visiting so many new places.
In terms of story, on the other hand, there's not much to say, it's simple and effective.
Twitter/Instagram/Letterbox: Alxxssss
