So when Dragon Ball first hit the scene back in the ’80s, it was just this fun little martial arts adventure starring a spiky-haired kid who had a tail, flew around on a cloud, and the most ridiculous appetite imaginable. Goku was roaming the planet Earth, looking for these magical balls, having goofy fights, and making his enemies into his friends with nothing more than his big-hearted punches and smile. It was hilarious, a little weird, and honestly kind of perfect.
Now, fast forward a few decades, and Goku is no longer just the planet’s strongest man. Nope. He’s out there punching gods, jumping across universes, and literally fighting to keep existence from being erased. Can you even believe it? Dragon Ball Super didn’t just raise the stakes; it sent the entire franchise into space. And the best part? Even Akira Toriyama, the mastermind behind it, didn’t anticipate it.
Akira Toriyama’s ‘wait, what?’ moment
Alright, let’s be real. Back in the day, the most exotic place we visited was Kami’s Lookout, or maybe Planet Namek if you want to count space travel with a strong Namekian flavor. But Dragon Ball Super? It was like, “Nope, let’s go big.”.
You’ve got Beerus, an actual God of Destruction, waking from a nap to annihilate planets over pudding. Whis, his angel buddy, casually warping across galaxies like it’s Uber Eats delivery time. And then the Tournament of Power, a battle royale with fighters from multiple universes where the losers’ worlds get erased.
This is not about launching the story into space. It’s about giving Dragon Ball the keys to the whole multiverse. So what did the guy who created Goku say about all this crazy cosmic stuff? Back in August of 2015, when Dragon Ball Super was launching, Toriyama wrote a short note to the fans in V-Jump. And let’s be honest, it was completely vintage Toriyama style:
You know, it suddenly occurs to me that somewhere along the line the Dragon Ball anime has become quite a big deal. Since I’m the guy who drew the thing, it’s a bit weird for me to say this, but when I first started out I never dreamed that the setting would move out into space (laughs). Don’t worry though, it’s still going to be the same sort of easy-to-understand content as always. Please be sure to watch Dragon Ball Super on TV!
Translation? Even Toriyama’s like, “Wait a second, how did Goku end up punching gods in space?” And honestly, we feel the same way.
Space? Sure, but still totally Dragon Ball
So, here is the magic that makes Dragon Ball Super so great: it still completely feels like Dragon Ball. For real, the characters are more powerful than ever. And yeah, those explosions are considerably flashier. And, sure, the multiverse is at risk like every other Tuesday. But the core vibe? Still totally the same.
Goku is still Goku, sorta goofy, ridiculously lovable, and completely obsessed with finding bigger guys to fight. Vegeta still has that cranky attitude, but secretly loves his family. Piccolo is still the coolest babysitter in the world. And everyone is still talking smack mid-fight like they’re auditioning for an action movie and a comedy at the same time.
No matter how far into space we go, we always manage to circle back to training, tournaments, dinner at home, and the sheer adrenaline rush of landing a solid punch. It’s kind of amazing when you think about it. A silly martial arts comedy became this crazy world-hopping epic with a background so extensive that it would fill up encyclopedias (or at least some pretty lengthy YouTube videos).
And the icing on the cake? It never gets too serious. For every world-ending threat, there’s a gag about Vegeta wearing a pink shirt or Goku forgetting his own address.
Dragon Ball Super, in some way or another, is able to raise stakes to godly levels but completely maintains its goofy sense of humor. And through it all, Toriyama’s still there, cheering us on, laughing at the chaos, and probably wondering how on Earth, or in space, his creation turned into this galactic phenomenon.
Dragon Ball Super is currently available to watch on Crunchyroll.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
