To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the original manga by Akira Toriyama, which launched the Dragon Ball anime series, the legendary studio Toei Animation is offering fans a new adventure. Dragon Ball DAIMA, the upcoming original anime series based on a new Dragon Ball story and characters by creator Akira Toriyama, will begin streaming with subtitles on Crunchyroll from October 11 in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, with new subtitled episodes airing weekly simultaneously with the Japanese television broadcast.
Goku and the others were living a peaceful life when, due to a conspiracy, they suddenly became smaller! When they discover that the cause might lie in a world known as the “Demon Realm,” a mysterious young Majin named Glorio appears before them. Dragon Ball DAIMA is directed by Yoshitaka Yashima (key animator, Dragon Ball Z: Cooler’s Revenge) and Aya Komaki (series director, One Piece), with series composition and script by Yuko Kakihara and character design by Katsuyoshi Nakatsuru.
Notably, the series features the opening theme “Jaka Jaan,” composed by Grammy Award-winning artist Zedd with support from C&K, the singer-songwriter duo consisting of CLIEVY and KEEN, who also provide vocals for the track. The lyrics are by Yukinojo Mori, known primarily for the Dragon Ball franchise songs “CHA-LA HEAD-CHA-LA” and “Limit Break x Survivor.” This song and the powerful collaboration behind it mark a new chapter in the Dragon Ball legacy. Zedd will also produce the ending theme “‘NAKAMA’ by ZEDD feat. AI,” with lyrics written and performed by artist AI.
Dragon Ball DAIMA was announced globally last October and received a rousing ovation at the Dragon Ball Special Panel during New York Comic Con 2023. This new episodic series celebrates the birth of the global phenomenon Dragon Ball, marking the 40th anniversary of the original manga created by Akira Toriyama, which first launched in 1984 in Shueisha’s “Weekly Shonen Jump” and has since sold over 260 million copies worldwide.
Produced by Toei Animation, the Dragon Ball anime series has achieved immense global success, securing its place in mainstream pop culture and boasting a multi-generational fan community. With the addition of Dragon Ball DAIMA, the franchise now includes six episodic series, such as Dragon Ball, Dragon Ball Z, Dragon Ball GT, Dragon Ball Z Kai, and Dragon Ball Super, along with 21 feature films, numerous video games, mobile games, collectible card games, and an ever-expanding catalogue of licensed merchandise and entertainment.
About Toei Animation
Headquartered in Tokyo, with business offices in Los Angeles, Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Paris, Toei Animation Co., Ltd. is among the most prolific animation production studios in the world. Toei Animation’s activities include the development and production of animation, marketing, and licensing programs globally. Since its founding in 1956, Toei Animation Co. Ltd. has produced over 13,316 episodes of television series (over 230 titles) and more than 260 feature films.
Founded in 2004 and based in Paris, Toei Animation Europe handles the distribution and exploitation of Toei Animation’s animated series in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Some of its most famous series include Dragon Ball, Captain Harlock, Saint Seiya, Sailor Moon, and One Piece.
About Crunchyroll
Crunchyroll is the global brand for anime that fuels fans’ love for the genre.
Ambitious to make anime an even more significant component of pop culture, Crunchyroll offers fans the ultimate anime experience and destination, centred on a premium streaming service. Crunchyroll provides the largest dedicated anime library, an engaging world of events, exciting movie releases, unique games, must-have merchandise, immediate news updates, and much more. Anime is for everyone and is accessible for streaming across all territories through Crunchyroll, whether on mobile devices, gaming consoles, and home theatre systems, or desktop computers.
Crunchyroll, LLC is an independently managed joint venture between Sony Pictures Entertainment in the U.S. and Japan’s Aniplex, a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc., both subsidiaries of the Tokyo-based Sony Group.