TheDragon Ballfranchise is widely regarded as one of the greatest manga and anime series in history, having inspired a number of anime shows that fans enjoy today. Whilethere are still more stories to uncover in theDragon Balltale, the whole franchise (along withDragon Ball Superand the recently concludedDragon Ball Daima) have been put on hold mostly due to the passing of the legendary creatorAkira Toriyama. However, in a recent interview by the DB Times (viaCBR), animator andDragon Ballcharacter designerKatsuyoshi Nakatsurusays a remake is possible despite the franchise’s uncertain future.
During the Made in Asia Spring 2025 event in Brussels, Belgium, the animator was asked if he’d ever participate should aDragon Ballremakecome to fruition. Nakatsuru then responded to the inquiry, assuring fans that it could happen and there are certainly various ways to create a newDragon Ballseries. “If I could contribute something and be useful in some way, I would love to,” said Nakatsuru (translated by X user @Venixys). “But, if we were to start again from theDragon Ballmanga… perhaps younger people would want to completely re-adapt it. This would probably offer new possibilities. Perhaps younger people would want to completely re- adapt it.”
A New ‘Dragon Ball’ Series “Will Happen One Day”
Nakatsuru thinks it could happen one day, though — according to him — his participation is not that important. He added: “In any case, the original work exists… and from there, there are multiple ways to create a new series. 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. 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.”
AlthoughDragon Ballisn’t included in theanime’s big threelist (One Piece,Naruto, andBleach), it still stood out as one of the most influential since its creation in the 1980s. With its undeniable legacy, the decades-old anime franchise went on to produce a number of sequels and movie adaptations, including the likes ofDragon Ball Z,Dragon Ball GT, andDragon Ball Z Kai. There are alsonearly 30 moviesreleased in the past decades, such asDragon Ball Super: Super Hero,Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods,Dragon Ball Z: Broly - Second Coming,Dragon Ball Z: Broly: The Legendary Super Saiyan, and more.
