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Warning: Contains spoilers for Dragon Ball Daima.As much as Akira Toriyama is famous forDragon Ball, he’s also famous as one of the co-creators of theDragon Questgames, at least in Japan. The series, unfortunately, has little to no presence in America, and it was to the point thatDragon Quest: The Adventure of Daiwas largely ignored by audiences, despite its strong writing and boasting some of the best animation of any recent anime.
In all its forms,Dragon Questis criminally underrated in America, and that’s whyDragon Ball Daimahas been so fun. It’s one thing forDaimato incorporate so many fantasy elements into its plot and setting, but between how the story is structured and even the people behind the production,Dragon Ball Daimais undeniably a perfect fusion ofDragon BallandDragon Quest’s aesthetics. As a fan ofDragon Quest, seeing it shine so much inDaimahas only made both franchises feel bigger, and overall, it makes it an even better tribute to Akira Toriyama’s legacy.
Dragon Ball Daima’s Team Perfectly Fits The Typical Dragon Quest Party
Dragon Ball Daima’s Take On The Dragon Quest Formula
The archetypicalDragon Questparty consists of a fighter, a healer, a mage, and, of course, the hero, and with Glorio’s aggressive nature, Shin’s healing abilities, Panzy’s bizarre gadgets and fledgling magic, and Goku being the protagonist,Dragon Ball Daima’s main team can be seen asDragon Ball’s take on the type of party that has definedDragon Questand other JRPGs for decades. Goku has even been given a few moments of being a hero, most notably in episode #4, and it’s added a whole new level of fun toDragon Ball’s world.
Dragon Ball Daimaepisode #5 also revealed that Panzy fits another popularDragon Questtrope besides the mage. InDragon Queststories,a princess typically plays a major role in the story, even if she’s not one of the main characters, and sure enough,Dragon Ball Daimaonce again takes afterDragon Questand other JRPGs by revealing Panzy to be a princess in episode #5. It’s another fun element ofDragon Ball Daima’s story, and even if it doesn’t play a big part in everything, it’s still great to see as aDragon Questfan.
Dragon Ball Daima’s Story Is A Classic Dragon Quest Plot
How Dragon Ball Daima Revitalizes Dragon Quest’s Story
In addition toDragon Ball Daima’s cast overlapping with a typicalDragon Questparty, the story, itself, also has plenty of overlap with that aesthetic, as well. Not only isDragon Ball Daima’s Demon Realmdepicted as the exact sort of fantasy world aDragon Queststory would take place in with its bizarre creatures and architecture, butDragon Ball Daimapitting Goku and his friends against Gomah, the king of the Demon Realm, is the typical JRPG plot of heroes battling a demon king thatDragon Questmade famous.
The basic plot is one thing, butDragon Ball Daimaalso does a great job of capturing the little things that make aDragon Questgame. The first five episodes have had Goku and his friends doing things like stocking up on items, getting help from a kindly king and eccentric citizens, and getting into fights with monsters and minions of the main villain, the latter of which was to protect innocent people.Every episode ofDragon Ball Daimaplays into iconicDragon Questtropes, no matter how small, and it makesDragon Quest’s influence impossible to deny.
A big part of why I considerDragon Quest: The Adventure of Daito beone of the bestShōnen Jumpanimeis that it was so sincere with its clichés that its writing felt fresh, and similarly,Dragon Ball Daimataking so much fromDragon Questis working specifically because of how much it’s playing into what works instead of trying to break the mold. The strongest point of Akira Toriyama’s writing has always been his flawless execution of the fundamentals, and seeing that again is a big part of whyDaimais a perfect tribute to his legacy.
Dragon Ball Daima’s Dragon Quest Influence Even Goes Into Its Production
Dragon Ball Daima Wouldn’t Exist Without The Adventure Of Dai
It’s impossible to denyDragon Quest’s influence onDragon Ball Daima, and that’s especially true when looking at the staff involved. Akira Toriyama’s heavy involvement is one thing, butmany of the animators behindDragon Quest: The Adventure of Daiare involved inDragon Ball Daima’s production, including Sanda, a prominent French animator responsible for some of its most gorgeous episodes. Because of that,Daimacan be seen as a successor toThe Adventure of Daion both a technical level and regarding its story, and with how great the latter was, that’s nothing but great to see.
While it was largely ignored during its two-year run,The Adventure of Daiwas always a visual masterpiece with some of the best animation of any anime in the 2020s that perfectly complemented a standout story, so while it might be happening indirectly,Dragon Ball Daimahaving the team behindDragon Quest: The Adventure of Daiis the closest the series will ever get to having mainstream recognition. A lot of that can already be seen in the gorgeous fight choreography of the past few episodes, and as a major fan of the series, that couldn’t be more exciting.
Dragon Ball Daima’s Dragon Quest Influence Makes It An Even Better Tribute To Toriyama’s Legacy
Dragon Ball Daima Is The Perfect Tribute To Akira Toriyama
Dragon Ball Daimawas always going to be a great tribute to Akira Toriyama, and theDragon Questinfluence makes that even better. It would have been easy forDaimato just keep playing into the typicalDragon Balltropes, but usingDragon Questas a framework for its story allows it to better reflect on the entirety of Toriyama’s career, not just what he’s best known for.Dragon Ball Daimahighlights the strengths of bothDragon BallandDragon Quest,making it a perfect encapsulation of Akira Toriyama’s career, something that’s greatly appreciated in the wake of Toriyama’s passing.
It’s one thing forDaimato giveDragon Questsome well-deserved recognition in a roundabout way, but more importantly,Akira Toriyama incorporatingDragon QuestintoDragon Ball Daima’s story highlights how he always prioritized doing what he thought was best for his story as opposed to whatever would make it popular, and that’s especially admirable with the knowledge ofDaimabeing his final work. As a fan ofDragon BallandDragon Quest,Dragon Ball Daimais a dream come true, and I’m looking forward to seeing just how far it will go with its basic idea.
Dragon Ball DAIMA
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Dragon Ball Daima sees Goku and his allies inexplicably shrunk into miniature forms, prompting a journey to the Demon Realm. This animated adventure, part of the Dragon Ball franchise, explores their mission to solve the mystery and restore their original statures. Released in October 2024.
