It’s been almost five years since a new Dragon Ball anime TV show was released. Fans have been eagerly awaiting any news of Dragon Ball Super Season 2. According to an interview with Akiyo Iyoku, a new Dragon Ball project is already in the works!
Iyoku is the editor-in-chief of V-Jump and Saikyo Jump and has worked on Dragon Ball Super: Broly movie, Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods movie, and the Dragon Ball: Episode of Bardock special.
He was specifically asked what are his plans now that DBS: Super Hero was released in Japan. His response confirmed that a sequel of some kind is already in production.
“DBS Super Hero is a movie that was made not only for the Japanese audience but with the whole world in mind. DB is a series that Japan is very proud of, so we felt a sense of responsibility while working on the movie. We’d indeed releasing it in America this summer as well!! What? ‘What comes next?’ Well, if you’re asking… a new entry on the series is… already in the making! Super Hero took us 5 years to make, so it’s only natural we’re already working on what comes next! (Laughs). Toriyama-sensei himself is always working on new DB concepts and ideas, after all. We’re all thinking about what we want to show the world next.”
To put that quote in context, anime productions can last many years due to the pre-production phase. That’s where the producer puts a project on the schedule and then schedules out the studio, staff, and cast. Then the main production involving the animation and dubbing can still take years.
What do we know about the new Dragon Ball anime?
According to @DBSChronicles and @DbsHype, two reliable Dragon Ball information leakers on Twitter, the new Dragon Ball anime will arrive in 2023. According to @DBSChronicles, the setting is after the Universe Survival Arc in the Dragon Ball timeline, which could mean the new project is Dragon Ball Super Season 2.
@DBSChronicles also says that a new Dragon Ball movie is in the works, and Toei Animation is hoping to have the film ready in 2 to 3 years. This means that the movie had already entered the pre-production stage!
What will the new DB TV series have?
Considering both recent and regular trends in Dragon Ball, we can guess what to expect.
Let’s start with some numbers. First, the average Dragon Ball series has over 150 episodes. GT has the lowest at 64, and Z has 291.
Since we don’t know when in 2023 the anime will air yet, let’s go with a Summer 2022 or Fall 2022 premiere. Now for the most crucial part, what will the new series cover?
Considering Dragonball Super adapted Battle of Gods and Resurrection “F” at the start of its series, there’s a good chance we’ll see references to the Broly and Super Hero movies adapted similarly by the new DBS TV show. Especially given how Super Hero ends, this will help provide the manga time to grow before the anime overruns it.
Another possible starting point is the Moro Arc and the Granolah, The Survivor Arc. The Moro or Galatic Patrol Prisoner Arc has 25 chapters, while the Granolah The Survivor Arc has 16.
If we compare Granolah’s Arc with the Universe Survival Arc it only has 16 chapters. But keep in mind that section of the manga was created after the anime so those chapters were almost a condensed version of the TV show.
I hope they adapt the Super movies because Broly’s movie had 70 minutes cut before the final release. The average anime episode is around 24 minutes, which means we could already have four episodes worth of content!
How do you feel about the Dragon Ball content? Comment below and share what you want to see happen!