Dragon Ball Daimahas come to an end, and with it, the series has sealed its relationship toGTforever. Ironically, despite their outward similarities, the two series have been received in almost completely opposite ways.
DaimaandGThave a lot in common on the surface. Both series feature Goku getting turned into a kid again, going on a long-term quest to gather a new set of Dragon Balls, and with its ending, even Super Saiyan 4. Even before the series came out,fans were making comparisons toGT,and many feared it would be a repeat ofGT’s failures and mistakes. Most were pleasantly surprised whenDaimaactually began airing, and turned out to actually be pretty good. The comparisons toGTnever fully went away, however, and they’ve come back in full force now that the series has ended.
Dragon Ball GT Was a Messy Story with a Good Ending
GT Often Fumbled When Attempting to Execute its Story, but Ended on a High Note
Dragon Ball GTwas created to pick up afterDragon Ball Zended, and is set afterZ’s final episode. Its premise, which turns Goku into a child again and puts a curse on the Earth that will destroy it in one year’s time, was a bit strained already, and many fans greatly disliked the idea of returning Goku to being a child. It never obtained the popularity ofZ, doing at its best about as well asZdid at its worst. The series went through four distinct storylines in a mere 64 episodes, making it generally better paced thanZwas, but that’s about all most fans were willing to say positively about it.
BecauseGTwas created by Toei Animation without Akira Toriyama’s involvement, it was always controversial among fans. Many felt it was non-canonical immediately, and as the series went on, that sentiment only grew. However, there wasa bit of a shift onceGTactually ended; its final episodes featured Shenron leaving Earth and taking the Dragon Balls, and Goku, along with him, due to their overuse and misuse. The finale itself was, likeZ’s, set in the future, this time 100 years later, and featured Goku and Vegeta’s descendants battling it out in the World Martial Arts Tournament.
This ending was actually quite well-received, and for some time, it was treated as the proper ending of the franchise, even by fans who otherwise didn’t likeGT. Of course,GTwould eventually be supplanted byDragon Ball Super, which is far more popular thanGTever was, leavingGTin a nebulous space of canonicity.
Dragon Ball Daima Was a Fantastic Adventure with a Problematic Ending
Daima’s Ending Caused Continuity Issues and Was Less Than Satisfying
Dragon Ball Daima, however, was welcomed by most fans, and unlikeGT, Toriyama was highly involved in its creation, so there was no arguing it “didn’t count” this time.Daimabegan with an epic adventure,exploring the worlds of the Demon Realmand learning about this little-known corner of theDragon Balluniverse. It helped to better establish the character of Supreme Kai, and introduced all manner of new lore about everything from the multiverse’s creation to Majin Buu. Many fans highly enjoyed it week to week, but things changed as it moved towards its finale.
Daima’s final episodes were controversial, at best; some loved them for reintroducing Super Saiyan 4, while others loathed Gomah as a villain, since he and Goku had no personal conflict that could add depth to their fight. It was quite clear, though, that the intended idea ofDaimawas to provide fanservice, giving the viewers things that they had wanted to see for quite a long time, even if it didn’t really make sense. The series made no attempt at explaining the discrepancies it introduced, either; elements like Supreme Kai’s fusion with Kibito, orwhy Goku didn’t use Super Saiyan 4 against Beerus, irritated fans.
So, whileGTwas considered a bad series overall, with a pretty decent ending,Daimahas become its exact opposite: a good watch all the way up to the end, where it all falls apart. Fans have been left sore over these continuity issues, and that’s likely to remain the case for quite some time. Hopefully, something will come along that redeemsDaima’s ending–a second season, perhaps, or a tie-in toSuper’s manga–but until that happens, it’s in an awkward position. Despite all its similarities toGT,Dragon Ball Daima’s execution wound up the exact opposite.
