Dragon Ball Superentered an ongoing hiatus in March 2024, following the passing of series creator, Akira Toriyama. In the months since the tragic news spread, fans have expressed their gratitude for the manga master’s work,while wondering what the future ofDragon Ballwould have in storewithout its original author at the helm. The ongoing anime,Dragon Ball Daima, has been a nostalgic return to the franchise’s roots, filling in a previously unexplored gap in the series' timeline.
The events of the wildly popularDragon Ball Supermanga, however,are still on hold, leaving developments with theever mysterious Black Friezato fans' imaginations.Super’s TV anime finished airing all the way back in 2018, and despite the commercial success of the films which followed, no known continuation is in production,
The future ofDragon Ballis uncertain at best, and the true reason why has little to do with popularity or a lack of direction. According toa report from theWeekly Toyo Keizaimagazine, the franchise has been stuck in anongoing and heated battle over its rights, which began in 2023. Though meetings were taking place to establish who exactly would be overseeing theDragon BallIP going forward, Akira Toriyama’s sudden passing has made the situation extremely difficult.
Shueisha and Capsule Corporation Tokyo Are Battling Over Dragon Ball’s Rights
Two Seperate Entities Are In a Dispute Over Ownership of Dragon Ball
Dragon Ballis in a sticky situation in terms of who exactly is the owner of its rights. Shueisha and Bird Studio, Toriyama’s own company, ownedDragon Balltogether, yet a dispute in 2023 caused friction between the two entities. Akio Iyoku, a previous editor for the magazine which publishesDragon Ball Super,V-Jump, became the head of the Dragon Ball Room at Shueisha in 2016. Becoming a spokesperson for Toriyama at the time, the two grew close,and the franchise’s creator trusted Iyoku to oversee the franchise.
However, Shueisha removed him from his position in 2022, angering both Iyoku and Toriyama, and prompting the former to start his own company, called Capsule Corporation Tokyo. Akira Toriyama, owningDragon Ballin tandem with Shueisha,wanted Iyoku to handle the IP at his new independent company. Naturally, Shueisha was not thrilled with the idea, being owners of the franchise themselves, and a war over the series' rights officially began.
Dragon Ball Daima is the Best Tribute To Akira Toriyama’s Legacy Fans Could Ask For, & the New Episode Proves it
Daima is gathering all the iconic elements from Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball Franchise, and it’s making the series a love letter to the late mangaka.
The dispute caused confusion about who exactly should be approached regarding matters related toDragon Ball, and though meetings were held to sort out disagreements,Akira Toriyama sadly passed away before any solutions could be found. According to the report, the future remains unclear in regard to the dispute, though meetings have resumed and are ongoing. As of now, it seems the ultimate decision on how the franchise moves forward lies with Toriyama’s family.
The Future of Dragon Ball Remains Uncertain, But Things Are Looking Up
Dragon Ball Super’s Manga Is Set to Return, Though Not Entirely
Despite the ongoing feud between the two parties, the reveal thatDragon Ball Super’s mangawill be returning with a special one-shotis a good sign for things to come. Shueisha alone holds the rights toDragon Ball’s manga, so while it remains unclear whether an agreement has been put into place regarding who exactly owns what aspect of the franchise, it seems both parties are willing to move forward while still hashing out the details.The one-shot will focus on Goten and Trunks, and take place aroundDragon Ball Super: Super Heroin the series' timeline.
It may not be the full resume of the manga’s serialization that some fans expected, or the continuation of the long finishedDragon Ball Superanime, but an entry into the franchise during such uncertain times speaks to how both parties feel about continuing the series.Fans will have to hold on a little longer before Black Frieza is reintroducedto the story, but the one-shot could be the start of more activity to come.
Dragon Ball Super, along with the entire franchise, has been in a state of limbo since Akira Toriyama’s passing, and there remains very little to hint towards where the disputing parties are in their disagreement. Nevertheless, the announcement of a new manga entry, as well as the ongoingDragon Ball Daimaanime, should be able to hold over any uneasy fans.The future ofDragon Ballis still unclear, though there are some glimmers of hope that it may one day be bright.
Dragon Ball Super
Cast
Dragon Ball Super is an anime series set after Majin Buu’s defeat. It follows Son Goku, now a radish farmer, as peace prevails until Beerus, the God of Destruction, appears. Seeking to challenge a legendary warrior, the series revisits events from two Dragon Ball Z films before exploring alternate universes.
