Kazuhiko Torishima, who originally edited Akira Toriyama’s Dr. Slump and Dragon Ball, recently shared his honest opinions at Napoli Comicon. He’s always been critical, but since Toriyama’s passing, he’s been even more open about his thoughts on Dragon Ball. In a recent YouTube livestream, Torishima bluntly described Dragon Ball DAIMA as “a terrible anime.”
It’s been nearly a year since Torishima first voiced his opinions on Dragon Ball DAIMA, and he recently reiterated his negative feelings at Napoli Comicon. While initial reports from X user @XMathemagicianX were met with some skepticism due to a lack of direct sourcing, Torishima has now confirmed the accuracy of the report on his official account, validating his criticisms of the series’ quality.
Akira Toriyama’s Original Dragon Ball Editor Can’t Believe Dragon Ball DAIMA Got Made
At Napoli Comicon, Dragon Ball creator Kazuhiko Torishima didn’t hold back when asked about the quality of the new anime, Dragon Ball DAIMA. Reports indicate he stated that DAIMA doesn’t live up to the standards of Dragon Ball, describing it as slow, nonsensical, and claiming the first episode served no purpose. He reportedly questioned how the anime was greenlit and even used stronger language, calling it “terrible,” and expressed feeling disliked by those at Toei Animation due to his honest opinions.
Kazuhiko Torishima, a key figure with the Dragon Ball franchise, has openly criticized the newer installments, particularly Toyotarou’s Dragon Ball Super manga. While previous attempts at continuing the series haven’t had lasting success, the new anime, Dragon Ball DAIMA, has been a hit with both critics and fans. It successfully combines the adventurous spirit of the original Dragon Ball with the exciting action of DBZ, and boasts the best animation and visual style seen in the series so far.
It makes sense why Torishima has opinions on Dragon Ball DAIMA when you consider his history with the franchise. He was Akira Toriyama’s editor for the Dragon Ball manga from the very beginning, all the way through the early part of the Saiyan Saga, and he also oversaw the Dragon Ball Z anime. He famously disliked how the anime portrayed the final fight between Goku and Demon King Piccolo, which led him to assemble a new animation team for the 23rd World Martial Arts Tournament and ultimately create DBZ as a true sequel series.
Why Dragon Ball DAIMA Betrays Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball
Akira Toriyama’s work on Dragon Ball is notable for its natural progression over time. The manga changed and developed with each new story arc, mirroring Goku’s own growth and maturity. Despite increasingly high stakes, the series remained accessible and fast-paced thanks to Toriyama’s clear artwork and energetic panel layouts. Interestingly, even after stepping away from the main creative role, Torishima persuaded Toriyama to make Cell the central antagonist of the Android Saga, as he wasn’t satisfied with the initial direction involving Dr. Gero and Androids 17 & 18.
The new series, Dragon Ball DAIMA, takes a step back in time, which feels unusual for the Dragon Ball story. It restarts Goku as a child and heavily focuses on giving fans exactly what they want. This is a departure from the original manga, where creator Toriyama wasn’t afraid to surprise fans – he even killed off the popular character Vegeta once! DAIMA, however, retroactively includes Super Saiyan 4 and gives Vegeta a Super Saiyan 3 transformation, even though it creates inconsistencies with Dragon Ball Super. To top it off, the villain, Gomah, isn’t very memorable compared to classic Dragon Ball antagonists like Piccolo, Vegeta, Frieza, and Cell.
Compared to Akira Toriyama’s original manga, Dragon Ball DAIMA feels a bit slow-paced – a problem Dragon Ball Z sometimes had too. The first episode mostly revisits old moments to appeal to longtime fans, which is why the creator, Torishima, has called it unnecessary. He actually stated in 2025 that Toei and Toriyama would have been better off making an anime focused on Vegeta instead of Dragon Ball DAIMA. Despite Akira Toriyama writing the series, Torishima clearly isn’t a fan of Dragon Ball DAIMA or the direction Dragon Ball has taken recently.
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2026-05-10 19:42