On December 21, a special event for the upcoming anime series Dragon Ball DAIMA was held during Jump Festa 2025 at Makuhari Messe in Chiba. The event featured the unveiling of previously unseen illustrations (concept art) by the late Akira Toriyama, the original creator of the Dragon Ball series, who passed away in March of this year. The revelation left the audience in awe.

The unreleased illustrations revealed two pieces depicting the newly introduced characters Majin Kuu and Majin Duu, which had recently appeared in the anime. The event's special guests, including Masako Nozawa, Yumiko Kobayashi, Koki Uchiyama, and Fairouz Ai, expressed their surprise and admiration during the presentation.

In addition to the unveiling, several major announcements were made: a special box set is being developed, which will include all 42 volumes of the Dragon Ball manga series, featuring dual covers with illustrations by renowned manga creators. Contributors to this project include Takehiko Inoue (Slam Dunk), Hirohiko Araki (JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure), Masashi Kishimoto (Naruto), and Tatsuki Fujimoto (Chainsaw Man).

This initiative is part of the "Dragon Ball Super Gallery" project, a special feature where 42 prominent artists reimagined the covers of Dragon Ball volumes, published monthly on the back cover of Saikyo Jump. During the event, it was announced that Eiichiro Oda (One Piece) would be responsible for the final cover illustration for Volume 42.

Another exciting update included the announcement of a new Dragon Ball Super one-shot manga, set to be published in the February 20, 2025 issue of V Jump. The story will focus on Goten and Trunks as its central characters.

Dragon Ball DAIMA is an entirely new anime created by Akira Toriyama. The series is based on an original story and character designs by Toriyama, who was heavily involved in its production. The plot follows Goku and his friends as they are mysteriously shrunk and embark on a journey to solve the mystery while exploring a strange, unknown world.

Dragon Ball originally serialized in Weekly Shonen Jump from 1984 to 1995, running for over ten years and becoming one of Japan's most iconic manga series. With a global total of over 260 million copies sold, the series has captivated fans even after its conclusion through adaptations in TV anime, films, and games.

The Dragon Ball franchise saw a theatrical revival in 2013 with the release of its first new movie in 17 years, achieving massive success. This was followed by the debut of the Dragon Ball Super series in 2015, based on concepts by Akira Toriyama, and the release of the film Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero in 2022.

Source : ORICON NEWS