Dragon Ball Super is finally making its return with Dragon Ball Super: Galactic Patrol. The news has fans everywhere paying attention, with discussions, theories and excitement already building before much has even been revealed. With Dragon Ball staying one of the biggest names in anime for decades, this new series feels like another major step in keeping the franchise fresh and relevant.
This new series marks an important moment for the Dragon Ball franchise, as it continues to expand its world beyond familiar storylines and characters while still holding onto what made it popular in the first place. The series highlights how strong the fanbase remains and how much interest there is in seeing where Dragon Ball goes next.
The Dragon Ball franchise has been going on for a very long time, with the first volume of the manga being released in late 1984. Due to this, if there are the same characters the whole series, it would get very boring if there were no changes or new characters. If there are entirely new characters, no one would know anything about them, and it would still be boring. Some students agree with this.
“If you have all the old characters, it’s just kind of the same as it’s been in the past. But if you add just completely new characters, it would kind of just mess with the format. I think, keep most of the same cast and just maybe a few characters just to switch it up,” Bishop Strayorn (9) said.
What most fans love about Dragon Ball is the fusion of characters into one. The first fusion involved someone fusing with another character to get stronger, but the character kept their body. The kinds of fusions that fans most recognize is where two people fuse and make a new body. The first one of this kind was called Gotenks, where they performed a “dance” while at the same exact power level, and that caused them to fuse together. The most popular fusions in Dragon Ball are named Vegito and Gogeta, who are fan favorites.
“I think what should come back is probably fusions like Vegito or Gogeta, they’re really cool and they haven’t done any fusions for a while. And it was upsetting after they introduced a 3 person way to fuse, but didn’t show the fusion in the last show,” Joseph Gonzalez (9) said.
Dragon Ball is currently the third most popular manga in the world, with over 260 million copies. This shows how famous and well known Dragon Ball is, by both adults and adolescents. Many people consider Dragon Ball to be the most popular, despite having less sales. This is because of cultural impact, global reach, longevity in popularity, or simple recognition.
“Dragon Ball is a very great show. It’s a classic. Definitely one of my favorite animes, and I think of it as kind of the father of all anime,” Strayhorn (9) said.
Nostalgia is a huge factor in anime or manga, especially with old 90’s anime due to the animation. Countless anime fans love the old animation and prefer it over the newer animation, despite appreciating both.
“The animation in the older shows, specifically the 90s, is really special to me because it shows how far animation has come over the years of anime. It contrasts a lot when compared to modern animation,” Dylan Fortner (10) said.
However, fans are divided on whether the new series will actually live up to expectations. Fans are excited or nervous about the new series. Some believe it could be great, while others think it could go either way depending on how it’s handled.
“I mean, it could go either way. You have to see once it drops,” Strayhorn (9) said.
Despite different opinions on what direction the series should take, an incredible majority of fans agree that Dragon Ball still has the ability to stay relevant with new and old audiences.
“Many people have watched it since they were little and still enjoy it,” Gonzalez (9) said.
Dragon Ball Super: Galactic Patrol represents a major return for one of the most influential anime franchises of all time. With a mix of nostalgia, high expectations, and excitement for new content, fans will be watching closely to see if the series can live up to the legacy that Dragon Ball has built over the years.
