What do you want the next DragonBall series to be like?

[SSJGAffleck]

I wish they would do a time skip and pick up after the end of Z. I don't need an anime adaption of the Moro arc. It's fantastic but I just want to move forward. Let Goten, Trunks, and Marron grow up!

[anubisj]

I don´t want the franchise to end, but I do want them to treat it carefully and with respect. Like, I did not like Super as much as most people, but I don´t mind as much because for me, the canon is the "classical" dragon ball age, and Super definitely comes from another timeline, the manga timeline, so it´s not like it is "replacing" the classical timeline.

In any case, if they do make a new series, the main thing I would like, is that they make it for "adults", as in, saiyan saga audience "adults" (or young adults or whatever). What I mean by this, less thinking about how the kids will like this new stuff, and more thinking about dramatic impact, bloody conflicts, more seriousness overall. And, for the love of Kami, no more touching on old stuff, create new things! Leave future trunks alone, leave Roshi alone, leave frieza alone...They can appear as cameos, sporadically, if it means that much to Toei, but DB desperately needs a new take on things (I do like stuff like Ultra Instinct, though).

Oh, and less Heroes stuff! Don´t get me wrong, it´s cool and it introduced us to amazing new concepts (people that want to kill zeno, cumber and his corrupting ki, and also from games like android 21 and sealas, among others), but...it takes away the magic.

Do you guys remember the time when we were all thinking "how would adult Gotenks be?" "How could a ssj4 vegito be?" etc.

Things were left to the imagination. Not everything was shown. Now, we have basically everything of everything, and nothing is truly left for us to imagine (less and less). This also makes it harder on the anime makers. How can they provide for a unique dragon ball, if almost all what ifs are already tackled?

So yeah, they need to "refresh it", another Super won´t do imo. A new, revitalizing series is possible for Dragon Ball, but we need new, good people that could produce quality anime. Akira Toriyama will always be there supervising, until he dies probably, but he doesn´t need to create everything, some of his super ideas were...not so super, imo, so please, new people on the project, people that understand what DB needs!

[MasenkoHA]

I wish they would do a time skip and pick up after the end of Z. I don't need an anime adaption of the Moro arc. It's fantastic but I just want to move forward. Let Goten, Trunks, and Marron grow up!

Marron is such an inconsequential character. She exist to get across that 18 and Kuririn are happily married.

[Grimlock]

Whatever Marron is, that shouldn't prevent her from obeying some laws. Like aging like every normal human being.

[Dbzfan94]

I wish they would do a time skip and pick up after the end of Z. I don't need an anime adaption of the Moro arc. It's fantastic but I just want to move forward. Let Goten, Trunks, and Marron grow up!

Marron is such an inconsequential character. She exist to get across that 18 and Kuririn are happily married.

That doesn't mean she shouldn't look her proper age and grow into her own.

[goku the krump dancer]

Ending something on a high note and not letting it get too stale is the highest form of respect honestly..

There’s nothing more rewarding or satisfiying than a conclusive ending to a cool story even if it’s a bit ambiguous and not just a “Happily Ever After”.

The ending of Z and GT suit that quite well.

YuYu Hakusho’s ending fits that bill as well and that’s also part of what makes the original Halloween (1978) so good. They “defeated” the boogie man/The Shape yet at the end he was still very much alive and hearing his breathing as the camera panned across the town of Haddonfield shows that he could be anywhere and could potentially always strike again.

[Yuli Ban]

It should have:
-Great humour and adventures like Dragon Ball
-Awesome fights like Dragon Ball Z
-Artistic style and cool designs like Dragon Ball GT
-Be nothing like Dragon Ball Super

I'm cool with your opinion & all. But regarding GT's artistic style and cool designs

Cough...cough...ParaPara Bros, Lood, MutchiMotchi, Doltacki, Rildo, Myuu, Duck, Pig & Toad Shenronscough...cough

Seconded. All I can remember from GT was that everyone was hit with "Neanderthal Head" syndrome with huge sloping brows and massive chins. Those goddamn Chads.

Anyway, my hope for a new series is for them to pull an FMA: Brotherhood and redo Dragon Ball Super to make it follow the manga (even though there are many things I don't like about how the manga played out).

People talk about "exploring the universes", but the problem is: didn't we already see the strongest fighters in each universe in the ToP? At least among the top tier? The only 2 universes I can see dedicated arcs really exploring are 6 (entirely for Planet Sadala because they completely wrecked their potential for an Evil Earthling arc) and 11 (for the Pride Troopers and their adventurers). Everyone else has pretty much been cast as being too weak to pose any serious challenge, barring some really creative storytelling & worldbuilding that I simply don't think we're going to get out of Dragon Ball going forward (mainly because we never really got it before). There's also the universes who didn't compete in the ToP and a potential revival of the 6 destroyed universes, so there's potential there I guess.



Actually, going back to the aforementioned Evil Earthling arc, I think I'd be more excited for that than any Sadala arc because I'm genuinely interested in seeing how Son Goku & the U7 Earthlings would react to seeing a more Saiyanesque version of the same people they identify with (less so now for Ol' Kakarot), as if the Red Ribbon Army actually managed to take over, militarize the world, exploited ki control, and adopted cosmic conquering tactics. Not that a Sadala arc couldn't be done well either. I don't expect them to do it well (though I do expect YouTubers and comments to keep fawning over it as if it's being well written as it's airing), but there is a decent way to really hammer home a Sadala storyline: Vegeta goes to Sadala and sees firsthand what the Saiyans could have become but also sees they have Earthling-esque sentimentality that he still struggles with; some dirty bastard attacks and the Saiyans have trouble with him because they keep showing mercy, and Vegeta gets disappointed by this; the U6 Saiyans and Vegeta face off because they bring up the fact that Vegeta's pride is rooted in a version of the Saiyans that peaked with comparatively puny power levels and essentially indirectly destroyed itself through its own lust for battle; some bullshit occurs and Vegeta grows as a Saiyan when he realizes the U6 Dao is a better one but still one he may never truly understand; that bastard is defeated.
If you want to get really avant-garde and/or something and help, like, Toriyama really give Dostoevsky a run for his goddamn rubles, make the dirty bastards the Evil Earthlings. Like, the U6 Saiyans get attacked by the evil Prince of All Earthlings and some of his powerful soldiers (make one of them a furry like old times just to hammer it home), and he announces that the Earthling Shogunate is composed of the mightiest warriors in the universe, and he is basically a human Freeza wannabe. So now Vegeta gets to see both what Saiyans could have been if they were better and what Earthlings could've been if they succumbed to their darker impulses (like, there may be a Bulma typed character married to the Prince of All Earthlings who decided to do Evil Science For Evil Purposes and such lemony villainy) as well as hear a Saiyan perspective of why they don't want to be like the Earthlings despite their love for fighting. And then we can get more character development for Vegeta as we see him realize that Earth has changed him for the better and he must fight to defend its peoples as well as keep it from falling down the same dark path that did the U7 Saiyans in while maybe fostering a more U6 Saiyan-esque mentality (that would also help set up the events of Dragon Ball Online, in fact). And as a bonus, we also get confirmation that Earthlings can keep up with and potentially overtake Saiyans with the right training and mindset, setting the stage for the U7 Earthling warriors to start seriously training to reach the realm of the Gods (or perhaps consider the Dark Side if they're sufficiently tempted). And I know Son Goku would love this because it would effectively raise the number of sparring partners who actually matter from one (plus the gods) to however many of his friends and family decide to train.

I mean, you know, we're never going to get that. Ever. That's just too complex for modern Dragon Ball to do because, you know, things have to play out in the most obvious possible way because that's kind of like how Toriyama worked, I guess, even though that's pretty much how things might've been done during the manga's original run. And also, U6 Earth was restored a hundred episodes ago and we were blankly told by Vados that they now have a culture more similar to that of U7 Earth, because they lacked the budget at the time to show U6 Earth or something. So instead, if we get a continuation and there is a Sadala arc, just expect it to play out in the most obvious possible way. Whatever's the least exciting way for the story to play out, expect that to be what they go with.


You know, I...
If I'm really this peeved at the quality of storytelling in goddamn Dragon Ball of all series, why don't I just make my own and stop complaining?

[Grimlock]

And then we can get more character development for Vegeta as we see him realize that Earth has changed him for the better and he must fight to defend its peoples as well as keep it from falling down the same dark path that did the U7 Saiyans in while maybe fostering a more U6 Saiyan-esque mentality (that would also help set up the events of Dragon Ball Online, in fact).

In order for Vegeta to leave Earth at the end he'd have to have the certainty that his kids will finish what he started here. During the things you said, Vegeta would put Trunks and Bra on the path as active defenders, or at least teach them not to slack off the trainings so that they can't become weaker. The ultimate character development for Vegeta if you ask me, and the best end his character deserves (then again, Dragon Ball Online brought the best ending for everyone).

If I'm really this peeved at the quality of storytelling in goddamn Dragon Ball of all series, why don't I just make my own and stop complaining?

No, don't think that way. Wanting something a little more elaborated is fine and it is what should be happening already. We're talking about a franchise over 30 years that got a new series recently. Things have to change, to evolve... Not necessarily ignoring some elements but it must adapt. It can't be stuck or doing the same things over and over. This is what we should be fighting against, not accepting it. The "if you don't like it, do it yourself" excuse in this case is not really something you should be looking at. The storytelling isn't great indeed, unfortunately.

[Yuli Ban]

If I'm really this peeved at the quality of storytelling in goddamn Dragon Ball of all series, why don't I just make my own and stop complaining?

No, don't think that way. Wanting something a little more elaborated is fine and it is what should be happening already. We're talking about a franchise over 30 years that got a new series recently. Things have to change, to evolve... Not necessarily ignoring some elements but it must adapt. It can't be stuck or doing the same things over and over. This is what we should be fighting against, not accepting it. The "if you don't like it, do it yourself" excuse in this case is not really something you should be looking at. The storytelling isn't great indeed, unfortunately.

Actually, the joke was that I'm already doing that, per my signature.

[Jord]

Oh, and less Heroes stuff! Don´t get me wrong, it´s cool and it introduced us to amazing new concepts (people that want to kill zeno, cumber and his corrupting ki, and also from games like android 21 and sealas, among others), but...it takes away the magic.

Do you guys remember the time when we were all thinking "how would adult Gotenks be?" "How could a ssj4 vegito be?" etc.

Things were left to the imagination. Not everything was shown. Now, we have basically everything of everything, and nothing is truly left for us to imagine (less and less). This also makes it harder on the anime makers. How can they provide for a unique dragon ball, if almost all what ifs are already tackled?

I kinda disagree there. I love that we finally have official designs for adult Gotenks and co. Ever since they teased it in GT I was wondering how he will look like and I quite like his design. I can imagine how this ruins it for people like you but I'm glad we got all the crazy stuff in Heroes where basically anything goes. If they contain this to Heroes, you can just ignore it and enjoy the 'regular' series.

[MyVisionity]

If not non-existent, then...

Dragon Ball Beasts

Goku and Vegeta must transform into their Oozaru forms all over again because a species of giant beasts from another realm threatens the universe. Instead of the usual battles now they are all giant-sized battles. We could see Piccolo utilize his giant form again to fight. The Earthlings could also fight, with assistance from Bulma, inside of giant robots. This way you could bring in more of the kaijuu/tokusatsu elements. Maybe have the Saiya characters all train to fully master their ape forms, maybe something similar to the Cell arc where they have to become as comfortable as possible as apes. Meaning, there would be a semi-transformed Oozaru form where they are still human-sized but as apes. Not so much like GT where they look human with some ape characteristics but more like they are apes but human sized like in the original Planet of the Apes films. Maybe Gohan could have some trouble with his scholarly work while living as an ape. Bulma and Chichi would complain, etc. etc.

Dragon Ball Dreams

One night Goku has a strange dream in which someone in trouble needs his help and that he must travel to the Dream Realm to save them. The next morning Goku tells Vegeta about his dream, and they learn from the Gods about the existence of the Dream Realm where they set out to save it. However, in order to get to the Dream Realm they have to be asleep. And so it's really only their minds that cross over. In the dream world things that were previously impossible become possible, and so the old limits and barriers don't exist. This way the Earthlings could have a deeper involvement in the action. The team would have to learn all about "Dream Ki" and train with various Dream Masters in order to fight and survive etc. etc.

Also if they do another DB series maybe bring back Lunch already. It would also be cool to see two of my favorite characters, Shapener and Eraza make their returns. Maybe have them be neighbors to Gohan and Videl or something.

and most of it is earned from Frieza~Boo Arc or GT for some

Yes with Freeza, but how do you figure it was earned with Buu and Cell and GT of all things? I finid that argument misguided. DB didn't earn its place in pop culture in only the last three arcs of its run.

I agree that without the rest of Z and maybe GT, Dragon Ball may not have had the same levels of popularity that it attained worldwide. Despite the drop in quality, those portions of the series introduced a lot of elements that fans grabbed onto and fixated on for years and years. All of the various transformations and power-ups, as well as the characters and mythology that expanded, etc. Aside from that, it also added to the length itself of the series. And things that go on for a really long time get talked about longer and also leave a greater impression in peoples' minds because of just how much of it there is.

I also really like Supernatural. It was at one time my favorite show, but given how long in the tooth its gotten, it does taint my enjoyment. I wish they had kept to Kripke's original five year arc.

I'm not even averse to shows that go on for a very long time, but it doesn't work as well for serialized shows which by their nature are about change.

A lot of what makes any TV show or film work is lightning in a bottle and even if the actors and the writer(s) stay, that magic will not sustain forever.

I myself like to see TV shows go on for as long as they possibly can. Especially those in the network television format such as on the WB/CW. As bad as I thought it had gotten, I still enjoyed Smallville and was disappointed when it ended after ten seasons. And of course Buffy and Angel could have gone on much longer. Part of me even liked hearing about Supernatural continuing for as long as it has (until next year), even though I stopped enjoying it and couldn't bear to watch. It's that longevity factor that impresses me. Yeah, the magic might fade away, but the legacy still remains afterwards.

[ABED]

It was never the mythology that attracted viewers. And Super Saiyan existed in the Freeza arc. About the only thing I might be willing to give you is Vegeta's arc, but DB in no way became a worldwide phenomenon because of what happened in the last two arcs. DB was already a huge success in the states before then.

And things that go on for a really long time get talked about longer and also leave a greater impression in peoples' minds because of just how much of it there is.

That's not true. Many of the most talked about movies ever have only a handful of entries and in many only one. It's quality, not quantity that leaves the greater impression.

[MasenkoHA]

, I still enjoyed Smallville and was disappointed when it ended after ten seasons.

Smallville was a prime example of a show lasting long past its expiration date. The whole premise was “Superman on the cusp of adulthood” it got really ridiculous when all the other super heroes that were supposedly inspired by Superman exist long before Superman and the show was bound and chained to its “no Superman until the end of the series” rule. Made all the worse by how fucking awful the series finale was where it completely fucked up Lex’s character arc by giving him amnesia and forgetting who Clark was thus utterly rendering his journey from Clark Kent’s best friend to Superman’s worst enemy pointless and wiping their ass with the whole concept.

And of course Buffy and Angel could have gone on much longer.

They really couldn’t. Season 7 of Buffy was the weakest the show has ever been since season 1. It wisely ended when it started to show signs of rot instead continuing to drag on as a decaying corpse I love s5 of Angel and I’m glad it
ended on a high note rather than trying to keep going especially as it was killing off main characters left and right.

Part of me even liked hearing about Supernatural continuing for as long as it has (until next year), even though I stopped enjoying it and couldn't bear to watch. It's that longevity factor that impresses me. Yeah, the magic might fade away, but the legacy still remains afterwards.

Plenty of shows with long lasting impact and a legacy don’t need 35 seasons.

[ABED]

Some shows can have bounce back years even deep into there run, but yes, shows shouldn't go past a handful of years. Though, 14 years old, Clark started the series as a high school freshman, is hardly the cusp of adulthood. There was a lot of mileage to get out of the premise. Season 5 was one of its best, but I think it should've done 6, do the flash-forward and then call it a day.

I like season 7 of Buffy quite a bit, but the show was about growing up, and by that season 7, she had grown into a responsible adult. It ended when it needed to. If you want to see more of the story, there's always the comics.

Back around to DB, it's the story about Goku - a character never settling and constantly striving to surpass his limitations and become the strongest. Given he's finally found the actual strongest in the multiverse, that either leaves the writer with Goku besting him or not. Defeating Freeza, the strongest villain up to that point and one with a connection to his heritage would've been a fitting ending, as was flying off with the feeling that there were more hills to climb even if the audience doesn't get to see it. It has gone past several natural endpoints. What is there left to say with the series?

While DB doesn't face this problem in quite the same way, cast members leaving shows can be a drag on shows.

[MasenkoHA]

Some shows can have bounce back years even deep into there run, but yes, shows shouldn't go past a handful of years. Though, 14 years old, Clark started the series as a high school freshman, is hardly the cusp of adulthood. There was a lot of mileage to get out of the premise. Season 5 was one of its best, but I think it should've done 6, do the flash-forward and then call it a day.

Season 5 would have been the best season to end as it could have been a transitional period in Clark’s life. Though it could have last till s6 or 7 without stretching itself too thin. Although I wasn’t a huge fan of the Clexana love triangle in s6 and certain developments in s7 like Supergirl showing up before Clark is Superman or Lois getting her foot in the door at the Daily Planet because the far-too-young-to-be-editor-of-a-reputable-newspaper wanted to sleep with her.

But when the show became “Superman but not Superman” it was a sign it should have ended.

I like season 7 of Buffy quite a bit, but the show was about growing up, and by that season 7, she had grown into a responsible adult. It ended when it needed to. If you want to see more of the story, there's always the comics.

Back around to DB, it's the story about Goku - a character never settling and constantly striving to surpass his limitations and become the strongest. Given he's finally found the actual strongest in the multiverse, that either leaves the writer with Goku besting him or not. Defeating Freeza, the strongest villain up to that point and one with a connection to his heritage would've been a fitting ending, .

If it weren’t for the narration about the world being at peace for a short time and the ominous “however..” DBZ episode 107 really could work as a series finale

[MyVisionity]

While DB doesn't face this problem in quite the same way, cast members leaving shows can be a drag on shows.

I agree, but it can also be an opportunity for the show, to bring in fresh faces/characters and change things up a bit. Maybe take the story into a completely unexpected direction. It's exciting for the audience. Even more interesting sometimes is when it's the main character that leaves the show. It's like "now what?", and that's always fun. Not that it would happen with DB of course.

[ABED]

While DB doesn't face this problem in quite the same way, cast members leaving shows can be a drag on shows.

I agree, but it can also be an opportunity for the show, to bring in fresh faces/characters and change things up a bit. Maybe take the story into a completely unexpected direction. It's exciting for the audience. Even more interesting sometimes is when it's the main character that leaves the show. It's like "now what?", and that's always fun. Not that it would happen with DB of course.

Main characters leaving the show is never for the better. There are great opportunities for stories when there's cast turnover and even plenty of worthwhile stories, but it's almost never as good. As you can tell by my name, I'm a huge fan of Community and while I like the final 1.5 seasons without Donald Glover, the show lost half of its main characters and wasn't nearly as strong as the first three seasons. Abed learning lessons about moving on when his bestfriend left is a great story, but overall the show was nowhere near its peak. Same with The Office. I love the final season storyline between Jim/Pam, but the show was past its peak. Losing the main character didn't help X-Files, That 70s Show, One Tree Hill, or the US version of The Office. Grey's Anatomy is boring now that most of the interesting characters have left. Losing Goku as the main character would be a huge mistake especially since it doesn't need to happen.

[SuperSaiyanPan]

I really want to see Bra and Pan become Super Saiyans, as well as Marron finally getting some action. This would be set around or a little after their GT ages.

[Yuli Ban]

I'm reminded of how Hergé, the creator of Tintin, deliberately ended that series of comics just because he didn't want to eventually grow sick and tired of working on it; Bryan Lee O'Malley, the creator of Scott Pilgrim, followed this same philosophy.
Hergé told his wife, "And right now, my work makes me sick. Tintin is no longer me. And I must make a terrible effort to invent (him)… If Tintin continues to live, it is through a sort of artificial respiration that I must constantly keep up and which is exhausting me."
O'Malley said, "If I was still doing Scott Pilgrim in ten years, I would be dead inside."

That was Dragon Ball up until 2015. We didn't need more Dragon Ball, but we eventually got some and it soon became clear that the world wanted a whole lot more. So now Toriyama and Toei are starting to create this shared universe (though still half-assing it) while Toriyama grooms Toyotaro to take over. And that, I think, is the most critical point to mention. Toyotaro becoming the new head writer of Dragon Ball set a precedent that has forever altered the series and has likely fundamentally changed it into something much different than what people currently think it is. And it's this topic that I think I ought to have mentioned in the first place about my hopes for Dragon Ball going forward: that of the Fictional Shared Universe Serial. I'm sure there's an actual term for it (anthology franchise?), but I can't think of it right now.

Let's take the aforementioned Smallville. We talk about how it wore out its welcome and really ought to have ended sooner than it did... but pull the camera back further— it's part of a series that's been going on for 80+ years! The reason why is because the Superman IP is based around tales of its main character. There's a mythology there, a larger franchise that won't end until it becomes unprofitable to keep it going. What's more, there are multiple hands involved in penning the character and his stories. It doesn't make sense for it to "end" traditionally because of this. Individual story arcs can become over-long (again, see Smallville and how it absolutely didn't need to last 10 seasons) but new story arcs can be created that feel fresh and new without completely dropping the franchise itself.

It's the same thing that's happened to Star Wars. The IP is known for its setting and characters, but it's ultimately not following any particular storyline besides a very general one that's fundamentally more like a timeline than a single arc. It's essentially an anthology serial on a megascale.

This is what I feel Dragon Ball is also becoming. Before its revival, it was just a case of a manga that went on too long but was otherwise rooted in the same sensibilities as all other manga— even One Piece will end some day. It has a coherent beginning, middle, and end. Son Goku's adventures had a beginning and they had an end, and once that arc was over, so was the franchise.

But now— and especially after The Case of Being Reincarnated As Yamcha and Dragon Ball Minus— there's essentially a splitting of the central lore. It's no longer "just" the storyline that began with Dragon Ball chapter 1 and ended with chapter 519 (and then got picked up again with Super). It's likely going to become multiple different storylines penned by different writers, something more similar to a Western serial. As a result, the concept of there being a central "canon"— already tenuous in the franchise— will start to seriously fade away over time as the series is handed over to new lead writers, like Toyotaro. Eventually, we may even get splintering manga series following individual characters and then entirely new characters.

Much like how DC Comics have Superman and then the likes of Batman, Wonder Woman, the Flash, and others (and Marvel comics have Spiderman, Iron Man, the Avengers, et al), we might some day get a "Bird Studio" shared universe with the original being of Son Goku and then others of Vegeta, Gohan, Bardock, Yamcha, Tenshinhan, Muten Roshi, and so on. Their stories are compressed and even largely ignored during Son Goku's arc because you're damn right they should be lessened in importance. It's Goku's story— you're not going to dedicate most of a Superman arc to Green Lantern. Don't replace Son Goku as the main character of his own story.

If that's the way it's going to play out, then I actually don't mind. For one, it would allow the other characters to finally shine without being upstaged. It's a different situation from what we're used to, undoubtedly, and it brings with it its own issues.

It's somewhat analogous to the difference between an RPG and an MMORPG. They're absolutely not the same thing; even the absolute finest RPG story that lasts 500 hours has seriously worn out its welcome, but an MMORPG should essentially be self-continuing. You can't make an MMO by slapping online multiplayer elements to an RPG. It's fundamentally a different video game architecture.

Dragon Ball didn't have to become this, of course. And it still doesn't, but the evidence of it moving towards this is clear. If it were ended in 1995 and that was the last official Dragon Ball content ever made (as was the case until 2008/2013), then that'd have been fine. We'd get Dragon Ball AF/Hoshi rumors to the end of time, but it would've been a series that at least didn't kill its creator. And if it does make the transition into becoming this anthology-style shared universe franchise, then more power to it. Maybe with some other writers at the helm, we'll get the Dragon Ball equivalent to "Knights of the Old Republic" or "The Killing Joke" some day. Or maybe it could crash and burn severely or maybe Toyotaro could become the head writer for a short while and then end the franchise. It's really up to Toriyama and Toyotaro.


And if you absolutely hate the very idea of such a thing, say "Dragon Ball Super stinks on ice".

[MajinMan]

I just want them to use the Shintani designs and make a well made show. I don’t like throwing out fanfic ideas about what I’d like to see because it’s probably gonna be garbage if it ends up like that. Just give me a well produced show with whatever Toriyama has cooked up. If the story sucks, then it sucks. I just want the staff to be able to produce something to the best of their abilities.