The entirely new anime series Dragon Ball DAIMA is set to premiere on October 11, 2024. Along with this announcement, the second main visual and an official trailer have been released. Notable voice actors such as Yumiko Kobayashi, Koki Uchiyama, and Fairouz Ai have been confirmed, along with details about the opening theme song.
Dragon Ball, a manga that epitomizes Japanese culture, was serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump from 1984 for over a decade, created by Akira Toriyama. The comics have achieved a staggering circulation exceeding 260 million copies worldwide. Even after the serialization ended, its popularity soared through various media such as TV anime, movies, and games. The momentum continued unabated; in 2013, the film series was revived after 17 years, followed by the launch of Dragon Ball Super in 2015, based on a draft by the original creator. In 2022, the movie Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero was released, topping the box office in both Japan and the US in its opening weekend. Dragon Ball DAIMA marks a new chapter in its history, on the eve of its 40th anniversary, with Toriyama returning to provide the story and character designs.
The newly revealed second main visual features the unmasked face of the new character, Panji, previously hidden behind a mask and cloak. Behind Panji, other new mysterious characters and mini versions of Goku and the Supreme Kai are glimpsed peeking out. The tagline has evolved from "Welcome to the Adventure!" in the first visual to "Welcome to the Demon Realm!" in the second, setting the stage for adventures in the enigmatic "Demon Realm."
The newly released trailer showcases an adventure in the Demon Realm, with Goku (Mini) and the Supreme Kai (Mini), who have been mysteriously shrunken, alongside new characters Glorio and Panji. The trailer is set to the dynamic beats of the opening theme, hinting at a backdrop of a mysterious world and an unfolding conspiracy.
Additionally, it was revealed that Yumiko Kobayashi voices the mini Supreme Kai, while Koki Uchiyama takes on the role of Glorio, and Fairouz Ai voices the unmasked Panzy. Kobayashi, Uchiyama, and Fairouz are also scheduled to appear at the Dragon Ball DAIMA Festival on October 6 at Tokyo Big Sight.
As for the theme song, Grammy Award-winning artist Zedd, featuring C&K, brought together the opening theme titled "Jaka Jaan". This collaboration was brought to life as Zedd, a long-time fan of Dragon Ball, was approached to create a song for Dragon Ball DAIMA. This marks his first foray into performing an anime theme song. The lyrics were written by Yukinojo Mori, who has previously written iconic Dragon Ball songs like "CHA-LA HEAD-CHA-LA" and "Ultimate Battle." The renowned singer-songwriter duo C&K, known for their powerful vocals and genre-less appeal, also contributed to the composition and vocals, bringing Zedd's vision to life.
