Series character designer Katsuyoshi Nakatsuru says a Dragon Ball remake is possible

[TechExpert2021]

Over the years, Dragon Ball has inspired many other anime shows and continues to have a huge fanbase. However, after the passing of its legendary creator, Akira Toriyama, the franchise has been put on hold, including Dragon Ball Super and the recently finished Dragon Ball Daima.

Despite the uncertainty, animator and Dragon Ball character designer Katsuyoshi Nakatsuru believes a remake could still happen. In a recent interview with DB Times, Nakatsuru shared his thoughts on the future of the series.

During the Made in Asia Spring 2025 event in Belgium, he was asked if he would take part in a possible Dragon Ball remake. He responded positively, saying, “If I could contribute something and be useful in some way, I would love to.” However, he also mentioned that younger creators might want to take the story in a fresh direction. “If we were to start again from the Dragon Ball manga… perhaps younger people would want to completely re-adapt it. This would probably offer new possibilities.”

Nakatsuru believes that a remake will happen someday, though he doesn’t think his involvement is necessary. “Since I think it will happen one day… I also think that whether I participate or not is not that important. Perhaps what matters most is that everyone can enjoy the franchise for as long as possible.”

He also hopes that new creators might bring fresh ideas that could even go beyond what Toriyama imagined. “And maybe, in this way, some will be inspired by Toriyama-sensei’s work and… we could even see a creation that goes beyond even Toriyama-sensei’s imagination… and still, perhaps, enjoy it.”

While nothing is confirmed, Nakatsuru’s words give fans hope that Dragon Ball will continue to evolve in the future.

https://www.comicbasics.com/dragon-ball ... -designer/

I don't have much to say about this, but I don't see any point in a Dragon Ball remake, nor do I want one.

[Dragon Ball Ireland]

I don't see any point in a Dragon Ball remake, nor do I want one.

Getting new generations of fans into the series will always be a plus. A Dragon Ball remake could also be another alternate way of watching the show like Kai (except ideally starting from Pilaf). If anyone doesn't want it they can just not watch it because we will always have the original anime run.

[Vegeta th3 4th]

One of the animators who worked on Superhero also commented on the possibility of a remake, so I wouldn't be surprised if it's been discussed internally at Toei. I'm honestly not sure how I feel about such a project. Fans assume that it'll look just as good as Daima did, but that may not be financially possible. It took them close to two years to make Daima's 20 episodes, most of which were light on action. If the original manga's 519 chapters were to be remade at 3 chapters an episode, that would roughly be 175 episodes long. Every 25 episodes would likely take longer than two years to be animated as good as Daima was due to how action packed the manga is, so you're looking at a 15+ year long project.

If anyone doesn't want it they can just not watch it because we will always have the original anime run.

We still don't have a flawless release of the original run outside of fan projects like Seed of Might's.

[AliTheZombie13]

I mean, with the franchise nostalgia-baiting as hard as it did these recent years, a remake is kind of inevitable.
Whether we like it or think it is necessary or not, money speaks louder.

Personally, as long as Dragon Ball's core beliefs are kept in and well represented (There will always be someone better, never stop self improving, there is no magic to make you stronger, you get stronger through hard work and training, etc) I have no problem with it.

[coola]

One Piece is even getting remake, while original series still air, so why not? Worry about censorship, best way would probably just put on some warnings at beginning, but don't change history

[MasenkoHA]

One Piece is even getting remake, while original series still air, so why not? Worry about censorship, best way would probably just put on some warnings at beginning, but don't change history

If its a remake and not a recut there would be nothing to censor because the series would be made with an understanding of what's considered acceptable for modern Japanese broadcast standards.

[Vegeta th3 4th]

If its a remake and not a recut there would be nothing to censor because the series would be made with an understanding of what's considered acceptable for modern Japanese broadcast standards.

Refusing to adapt certain parts of the manga due to these standards would be a form of censorship.

[AliTheZombie13]

Are you telling me we're not allowed to perv on 16 year old girls or show a 12 year old's dingus on screen anymore????
Heresy, the world is truly turning into 1984!!!!!!! /s

[JulieYBM]

If its a remake and not a recut there would be nothing to censor because the series would be made with an understanding of what's considered acceptable for modern Japanese broadcast standards.

Refusing to adapt certain parts of the manga due to these standards would be a form of censorship.

No, it isn't. You can order copies of the Dragon Ball comic right this very second. It has never been impossible to just import the 1984 comic series and have it on your shelf.

Creating a new adaption of Dragon Ball that removes the misogynistic shit is not 'censorship'—it is creating a separate work entirely.

[MasenkoHA]

If its a remake and not a recut there would be nothing to censor because the series would be made with an understanding of what's considered acceptable for modern Japanese broadcast standards.

Refusing to adapt certain parts of the manga due to these standards would be a form of censorship.

No, no it wouldn't. The 1984 comic still exist. The 86 anime adaptation still exist (which also toned down some of the content from the comic like Bulma's nipples and a racier shot of Goku removing Bulma's panties) unless Shueisha and Toei pull their respective versions from shelves and rerelease an edited version no censorship is being had. It would just be a new adaptation made with a more contemporary mindset of what's deemed acceptable co-existing with the older version.

Do you get upset and cry censorship when neither film adaptation of IT includes the scenes of preteen boys running a train on the one girl member?

[TechExpert2021]

I hope the DB remake will have lots of blood. It looks weird seeing characters getting beaten up or pierced with no blood coming out, like Gohan in the Resurrection F arc, for instance. Super and Daima had almost no blood.



Gohan looked more like Swiss cheese than suffering a serious injury after he got hit by Freeza's death beams.

[Vegeta th3 4th]

Creating a new adaption of Dragon Ball that removes the misogynistic shit is not 'censorship'—it is creating a separate work entirely.

No, no it wouldn't. It would just be a new adaptation made with a more contemporary mindset of what's deemed acceptable.

Would I miss all the inappropriate scenes from early DB ? absolutely not, and I would have no issue if that's all that got removed. The problem is, it likely won't be. Blood, brutal injuries, and certain fights would likely get excluded or severely toned down as well.

[JulieYBM]

Creating a new adaption of Dragon Ball that removes the misogynistic shit is not 'censorship'—it is creating a separate work entirely.

No, no it wouldn't. It would just be a new adaptation made with a more contemporary mindset of what's deemed acceptable co-existing with the older version.

Would I miss all the inappropriate scenes from early DB ? absolutely not, and I would have no issue if that's all that got removed. The problem is, it likely won't be. Blood, brutal injuries, and certain fights would likely get excluded or severely toned down as well.

That would still not be censorship.

[Vegeta th3 4th]

That would still not be censorship.

Not being able to show certain scenes due to someone above you (in this case the TV network) telling you no is censorship.

[JulieYBM]

That would still not be censorship.

Not being able to show certain scenes due to someone above you (in this case the TV network) telling you no is censorship.

The production committee decides not to create a violent cartoon so as to be able to market their product globally to children. This is a decision being made to appeal to children, not to get their product out no matter what. If the production committee members were fighting a battle for the sake of creatively inlcuding violence then the home video releases would be uncensored. Plenty of anime do separate edits of anime for release.

This is not censorship.

[MasenkoHA]

Creating a new adaption of Dragon Ball that removes the misogynistic shit is not 'censorship'—it is creating a separate work entirely.

No, no it wouldn't. It would just be a new adaptation made with a more contemporary mindset of what's deemed acceptable.

Would I miss all the inappropriate scenes from early DB ? absolutely not, and I would have no issue if that's all that got removed. The problem is, it likely won't be. Blood, brutal injuries, and certain fights would likely get excluded or severely toned down as well.

Sure. There's a lot of reasons a remake probably wouldn't be very good. Disney remakes have consistently proven a less problematic adaptation doesn't make a better one. But we're talking about whether not excluding content in a brand new adaptation that Toei, FujiTV (or wherever it ends
up) and its sponsors no longer deem acceptable for a child audience is censorship. The answer is: it isn't.

If Toei or Crunchyroll re-released the actual 1986 anime on blu-ray but edited all content it deemed unacceptable I would be upset. But I would be unbothered by the content just not existing in a hypothetical new adaptation that I wouldn't expect to be any good in the first place

[Vegeta th3 4th]

The production committee decides not to create a violent cartoon so as to be able to market their product globally to children.

If that's the case then maybe they shouldn't be making a cartoon based on a violent manga.

If the production committee members were fighting a battle for the sake of creatively including violence then the home video releases would be uncensored.

I would have no issue with this.

We're talking about whether not excluding content in a brand new adaptation that Toei, FujiTV and its sponsors no longer deem acceptable for a child audience is censorship. The answer is: it isn't.

The original manga is not exactly a child friendly product, so why bother adapting it again if you're going to market it to children ? Why not just adapt Dragon Ball SD instead ?

[TechExpert2021]

If Toei or Crunchyroll re-released the actual 1986 anime on blu-ray but edited all content it deemed unacceptable I would be upset.

What if either Toei or Crunchyroll re-released the 1986 DB anime uncut on home video and put it censored on streaming?

[MasenkoHA]

The original manga is not exactly a child friendly product, so why bother adapting it again if you're going to market it to children ? Why not just adapt Dragon Ball SD instead ?

The original manga was made for children though. It was never made for a teen or adult audience to begin with. The standards of what is believed to be acceptable for children in Japan has changed since then (and Toei is also more mindful of its international audiences and their countries standards). This is why Kai got rid of the child wang, characters flipping the bird and some of the gorier moments. This is why Super and Daima are way way more tame compared to the original trilogy produced in the 80s and 90s.

They would market it to children because from 1984 to current year it has been made FOR children. Aware of its aging original demographic (as is every long running kids series) but made for children all the same

[AliTheZombie13]

"Why would they make something less violent or tone down adult content for children?"
Because money.

And Toriyama was clearly not that bothered by the lack of blood or sex jokes in modern Dragon Ball if that meant his paycheck was going to be bigger.