Shueisha's 'Dragon Ball' Room, New Department Focused on Dragon Ball

[Gyt Kaliba]

I looked around in every section I thought it could possibly be in so far and didn't see it, so I guess nobody else has posted about this yet.

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/20 ... ll/.107591

Japanese publisher Shueisha announced during a "new publications project presentation" in Tokyo on Wednesday that it had created a new department called the "Dragon Ball Room" in June that focuses specifically on Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball property. Akio Iyoku, the editor-in-chief of Shueisha's V Jump magazine (where Toriyama and Toyotarō's Dragon Ball Super manga is currently serialized), is heading the new department.

The department is working to provide new ideas for content for Dragon Ball, and to optimize and expand the brand. Iyoku commented that the department is "only thinking about Dragon Ball."

Dragon Ball creator Toriyama commented on the new department, saying that the team was one he could put his trust in. He joked, "It's really great that I don't have to do anything now."

I'm hoping the site here can get their hands on the original version and do their own translation soon (as ANN has been known to be hit or miss in the recent past). Admittedly, Toriyama's words are a little worrying depending on how serious he is while joking - if all the stuff about him being 'disappointed' with how Toei was doing Super and how they had to provide him with the base ideas of the current arc are true, then is he actually stepping away from the story again and instead letting this committee come up with stuff? Or do you think this committee is more so in charge of just directing the brand as far as new spin-off material (potential movies, games, toys, etc.) is concerned?

[dbgtFO]

Well given that some ideas for this arc was suggested to him, it did make me think that perhaps this would be his final Super Arc.
Interesting to see where this goes!

[Saikyo no Senshi]

A committee whose sole purpose is to come up with new ideas for new DB content that's promising. Toriyama's ideas for the series nowadays have been hit and miss. IMO DB needs fresh blood.

So, really if this is true I'm excited for the future of DB. Unlike the majority of the fandom I don't believe Toriyama is the be-all and end-all, if they can provide us with good content I don't care if Toriyama is in-charge or not. I'm all for it.

- Travis

[THEGOKU]

I'm honestly shocked it took so long for this to actually even happen but they did pick a great time if any to do this. I have faith in them and I have faith nothing like that movie that shall not be named will come out from this and that only success will come. As long as Toriyama still gives his input I don't see why this would fail.

[Chuquita]

The first thing I thought of was "a way to manage the glut of Dragon Ball manga in Saikyo Jump?" but I could see it applying to Super too.

I'm tentatively good with fresh blood. I was disappointed in how nowhere the Champa arc went with all its loose ends, but I'm enjoying the Gokû Black arc that has additional input. As long as they can avoid the traps GT fell into (poor execution of interesting ideas, imo) I think they'll be ok.

[namekiansaiyan]

This must be good for the series [Super].

[TheDevilsCorpse]

If it weren't for the fact that Dragon Ball content is likely a big (maybe not biggest, though) driving force behind selling magazines like V-Jump and Saikyo Jump that they wouldn't want to lose, I'd still be pushing for them to just get it over with and make a full switch to a "Dragon Jump".

[Deathbringer]

This sounds a lot like the huge creative team that Disney had created for just Star Wars products, the only thing I'm concerned about is the lack of transparency that's likely to come about, how much work is Toriyama doing for this franchise, more specifically how much of the storyline will be handled by Toriyama from this point on? Even shueisha themselves are huge believers of the "it's not Dragon Ball if it's not Toriyama" mantle.

[namekiansaiyan]

This sounds a lot like the huge creative team that Disney had created for just Star Wars products, the only thing I'm concerned about is the lack of transparency that's likely to come about, how much work is Toriyama doing for this franchise, more specifically how much of the storyline will be handled by Toriyama from this point on? Even shueisha themselves are huge believers of the "it's not Dragon Ball if it's not Toriyama" mantle.

If Toriyama actually appoints certain people to continue the franchise then that should be ok with most people. Toyotaro is obviously one of them. This should mean that they should be able to create better stories and characters for the franchise in the future.

[VegettoEX]

If it weren't for the fact that Dragon Ball content is likely a big (maybe not biggest, though) driving force behind selling magazines like V-Jump and Saikyo Jump that they wouldn't want to lose, I'd still be pushing for them to just get it over with and make a full switch to a "Dragon Jump".

It's not always the biggest driving force. Recent issues of V-Jump have been known to sell out at the online and even street level due to specific Yu-Gi-Oh card inclusions. An issue back in 2014 actually had to get a reprint because of it.

Anyway, we're aware of the news, and it's being worked on. Hopefully.

[Cipher]

I had a weird negative visceral reaction to this. Like Dragon Ball's taken the next step into full-on zombie franchise mode. It was only a matter of time until that happened, ever since it proved itself so renewable, but

... eugh. I don't like it.

[JulieYBM]

This was bound to happen, so I'm not surprised. Hopefully some talented folks are listened to, at least.

[Deathbringer]

This sounds a lot like the huge creative team that Disney had created for just Star Wars products, the only thing I'm concerned about is the lack of transparency that's likely to come about, how much work is Toriyama doing for this franchise, more specifically how much of the storyline will be handled by Toriyama from this point on? Even shueisha themselves are huge believers of the "it's not Dragon Ball if it's not Toriyama" mantle.

If Toriyama actually appoints certain people to continue the franchise then that should be ok with most people. Toyotaro is obviously one of them. This should mean that they should be able to create better stories and characters for the franchise in the future.

But muh cannons
.
.
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Not really but I am concerned about what counts as canon from now on but also of course this means shueisha wants to keep the franchise going for as long as possible until it dies a painful death which is what I really don't like about this whole thing

[Neo-Makaiōshin]

So long as we get quality product it should be fine.

I had a weird negative visceral reaction to this. Like Dragon Ball's taken the next step into full-on zombie franchise mode. It was only a matter of time until that happened, ever since it proved itself so renewable, but

... eugh. I don't like it.

A franchise is meant to be milked.

[TheDevilsCorpse]

It's not always the biggest driving force. Recent issues of V-Jump have been known to sell out at the online and even street level due to specific Yu-Gi-Oh card inclusions. An issue back in 2014 actually had to get a reprint because of it.

Yeah, I know Yu-Gi-Oh! has a pretty big influence on sales of V-Jump, hence the parenthesis bit, and is usually always the first content to appear during leaks. However I don't purchase the magazine often enough to know whether or not the Yu-Gi-Oh! franchise content is enough to push it above DB each month.

I had a weird negative visceral reaction to this. Like Dragon Ball's taken the next step into full-on zombie franchise mode. It was only a matter of time until that happened, ever since it proved itself so renewable, but

... eugh. I don't like it.

Agreed. I'm not super fond of this news (for now, let's see the result), but it's not surprising. The franchise has been on this track for a while. Now that we're at the station, I might as well embrace it since I can't do anything about it.

[Ajay]

Not really sure how to feel about this, but I think I only feel that way because it's so vague.

I'm one of those people that doesn't actually think uninhibited Toriyama content for Dragon Ball is usually any good -- at least not the recent offerings. He's someone who works so much better when people are focusing his thoughts or he's transforming others' work into his own.

If this has anything to do with the future of Super, then I hope it means there's a good board of people who can pitch interesting ideas to Toriyama and he can weigh in on them. That'd be great -- wonderful, even. Heck, maybe they'll actually be able to be a bit more consistent with one another.

What I hope this isn't is the beginning of trying to entwine the various sub-brands of Dragon Ball. I'd hate for the franchise to become this amalgamous blob of content. I love that Dragon Ball can be so many different things, but I think it's important to separate those identities.

[Cipher]

So long as we get quality product it should be fine.

A franchise is meant to be milked.

That's fine(-ish). It's more that I'm acknowledging there's a point at which I'll jump off, and I do find it minorly distasteful that this weird little comic seems to be on track to become part of an even more shameless franchise than it already was. Granted, I more than tolerate GT, but that's largely as a one-off and as a product of its time. It seemed like the end rather than part of a constant stream of marketing-first fiction.

Anyway, I don't want to clutter up the thread with negativity, and the news so far is pretty vague, so that's the last I'll say on it.

[THEGOKU]

Not really sure how to feel about this, but I think I only feel that way because it's so vague.

I'm one of those people that doesn't actually think uninhibited Toriyama content for Dragon Ball is usually any good -- at least not the recent offerings. He's someone who works so much better when people are focusing his thoughts or he's transforming others' work into his own.

If this has anything to do with the future of Super, then I hope it means there's a good board of people who can pitch interesting ideas to Toriyama and he can weigh in on them. That'd be great -- wonderful, even. Heck, maybe they'll actually be able to be a bit more consistent with one another.

What I hope this isn't is the beginning of trying to entwine the various sub-brands of Dragon Ball. I'd hate for the franchise to become this amalgamous blob of content. I love that Dragon Ball can be so many different things, but I think it's important separate those identities.

You hit the main issue that this could become an expanded universe that can cause so many problems. One thing they could do is make a separate series revolving around trunks or other good ideas which is the purpose and hopefully it causes everything else to have better quality and sincere effort put into it. If we get an expanded universe though too many hands touching it can cause a big problem. It's like food on a plate sometimes too much is not always good.

[Gyt Kaliba]

I admit, I'm a little worried as to where this could go too. Best case scenario, and this really is like a way for Toriyama to bounce ideas off of others first to better hone his own ideas, or maybe people bounce ideas off of him and see what sticks and what he does with it. Honestly, that latter option could be really good actually - that's essentially how we got Battle of Gods, which people seem to fairly unanimously agree is the best story we've gotten out of the new material. If someone else can come up with a fairly fun idea and Toriyama transforms it in the way that only he can, I'd be fine with that really.

Bringing up Star Wars actually intrigues me a bit. If this could lead to us getting an 'extended' base of stories for the franchise, I'd definitely be down with that. And I don't mean more stuff like Heoes or even Xenoverse, but stuff like giving us short little tales showing us character back-stories and the like. I'd love that.

[Chuquita]

That's something I worry about too. I follow the five writers on Super and can tell the differences and quirks each has in contrast to the other. I wouldn't want, say, double that amount going at it.

I don't really care about the video game universes, it's really only Super I care/worry about.