Change is often tough to embrace, especially when it clashes with feelings you’ve held onto for a long time. Trust me, I was just as skeptical as many others when, in October 2023, news broke about the upcoming release of “Dragon Ball Daima.” After a wait of five and a half years since the thrilling conclusion of “Dragon Ball Super’s” Tournament of Power arc, the idea of returning to weekly episodes featuring Goku and the gang as kids was hard to digest. However, once I reluctantly sat down to watch the first few episodes, it hit me—and perhaps it should hit you too—that my skepticism was off the mark.
In the gaming landscape of 2025, it’s trendy to criticize the Dragon Ball series, and not without reason. The fight scenes don’t quite match the intricate choreography seen in “Attack on Titan” or “Jujutsu Kaisen.” Animators often mask this shortfall with action sequences that appear too fast to follow. “Dragon Ball Super” tended to focus too much on ever-evolving power dynamics, often introducing seemingly random transformations, like Super Saiyan Blue Evolved, which diluted the suspense. Then there’s Goku, often pegged as a fool, Gohan’s underwhelming performance, and Vegeta’s seemingly endless streak of losses. But all of this background noise is being drowned out by Daima.
In a mere 15 beautifully crafted episodes, this new series has breathed fresh life into the Dragon Ball universe, anchoring it back to its origins. Goku’s Super Saiyan transformation, once a spine-tingling rarity, is now used sparingly. It’s not until episode five that he taps into this golden power against King Kadan’s soldiers and then only sporadically in the following episodes. This series prioritizes hand-to-hand combat with a sprinkle of Power Pole action, injecting a bit of realism into the fantastical. A mind-blowing moment comes in episode 12 when Vegeta showcases his Super Saiyan 3 transformation to claim the Dragon Ball from Tamagami Number Two. This twist not only fixes a glaring inconsistency in Dragon Ball history (remember, Vegeta missed out on going SSJ3 while Goku and Gotenks did!) but also signals Daima’s willingness to update the canon.
Moreover, the fight choreography is a standout, rivaling some of the franchise’s best moments, such as the intense battle between Broly, Goku, and Vegeta in the 2018 “Dragon Ball Super: Broly” movie. One of the most memorable sequences is Goku deftly dodging ki blasts from Tamagami Number Three, then launching counterattacks with precision. The scene where Goku flips mid-air to evade a hammer swing before shattering it with his Power Pole was, quite literally, breathtaking. Fights in Daima aren’t just filler; they carry weight and are integral to the tension of the narrative, rather than being mere visual spectacles.
Story-wise, Daima masterfully expands on arcs from “Dragon Ball Z” that fans cherish while sidestepping the divisive tales of “Dragon Ball Super.” Let’s be clear, Dragon Ball Super has faced harsh criticism, yet it possesses underappreciated gems. The Tournament of Power is arguably one of Dragon Ball’s epic highlights. However, Super sometimes ventured too far into the realm of gods pulling the strings. For example, the intense battle between Fused Zamasu and Vegito Blue felt undermined when Zeno, the omni-god, simply erased the villain. By starting just after the beloved Buu saga, Daima manages to build on past events without discounting them.
And yes, Goku remains that lovable goofball, not quite as serious as his famous showdowns with Cell or Frieza. Many episodes lean more towards exploration than combat, but thanks to intriguing new characters like Glorio, Dr. Arinsu, and Panzy, these adventures in the newly revealed Demon Worlds don’t feel like a drag. Instead, they offer delightful dives into a reimagined Dragon Ball history. With Daima’s season finale looming only a month away, I strongly urge everyone—fans and critics alike—to give this series a fair shot. Reflect on what you see, and you’ll likely find, as I did, that Daima is the breath of fresh air the Dragon Ball franchise both needed and deserved.
