It must have taken Toei Animation a Super-Saiyan level of patience to announce that “Dragon Ball” is finally returning to TV soon.
Yes, you heard that right. It’s time to practice your Kamehameha now because the studio confirmed that the production for a new “Dragon Ball” TV series has officially begun!
Written and illustrated by Akira Toriyama, “Dragon Ball” is one of the most successful Japanese manga and anime series of all time. The series, which was initially inspired by Chinese novel “Journey to the West”, follows the adventures of Goku who trains in martial arts and explores the world in search of the 7 orbs known as the Dragon Balls. The orbs would summon a wish-granting dragon when gathered.
The manga was originally serialised in Weekly Shōnen Jump from 1984 to 1995, with over 156 million copies sold in Japan. It is the 2nd best-selling manga series in history as all 42 volumes were sold more than 230 million copies worldwide. Multiple manga artists such as Eiichiro Oda (“One Piece”) and Masashi Kishimoto (“Naruto”) cited the manga as a source of inspiration for their work. The anime, particularly “Dragon Ball Z”, was arguably one of the most influential series as it boosted the popularity of Japanese animation in Western culture.
The new series is titled “Dragon Ball Super” and it will be the 1st TV series to debut in 18 years since the premiere of “Dragon Ball GT” in 1997. Set to debut in Japan this July, the story will take place after the events of “Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection ‘F’,” where Goku battles against Majin Buu to “maintain Earth’s fragile peace”.
No further information about the series was revealed, but Fuji Television will produce it while Toriyama will oversee. We will update you as soon as more details are made available.
What do you think of the new “Dragon Ball” anime? Are you excited to watch it? Share your thoughts in the comments box below.
(Source: EW / Featured image: Meristation)
